1998–99 FA Premier League

Season summary

At the end of 1998–99, the Premiership would have three Champions League places. Manchester United as well as runners-up Arsenal and third placed Chelsea would be playing in the following season's Champions League. There would only be one automatic UEFA Cup place from the league – taken by fourth-placed Leeds United. Fifth-placed West Ham United qualified for the UEFA Cup via the Intertoto Cup after achieving their highest league finish since 1986 as they continued to make progress under Harry Redknapp, outperforming several "bigger" clubs with greater resources. Also qualifying were Newcastle United via the 1998–99 FA Cup final, and Tottenham Hotspur via the League Cup.

Manchester United regained the title from Arsenal on the final day of the season, and had faced competition from Chelsea until the final stages of the season, while Aston Villa had led the table for much of the first half of the season before finishing sixth.

Bottom of the Premiership in the final table came Nottingham Forest, who suffered their third relegation in seven seasons. After winning two of their opening three matches, a club record winless run of 19 matches left them firmly rooted to the bottom. Another notable low during the season saw an 8-1 defeat at home to Manchester United, by which point Dave Bassett had been replaced by Ron Atkinson, who was unable to spark a revival in fortunes and their relegation back to the First Division was confirmed with three games remaining. Forest ultimately would not return to the top flight for another 23 years.

Second from bottom came Blackburn Rovers, who just four seasons earlier had been Premiership champions. Like Forest, a change of manager, with Roy Hodgson being replaced by Brian Kidd just before Christmas failed to have the desired outcome, a goalless draw at home to Manchester United in their penultimate game of the season sealing their fate. The final relegation place went to Charlton Athletic, who went down at the end of their first spell in the top flight for nine seasons following a 1-0 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday on the final day. The only newly promoted club to survive was Middlesbrough, who finished in ninth place - their highest final position for more than 20 years.

None of the teams relegated from the Premiership the previous season regained their top division status in 1999, although First Division champions Sunderland regained their Premiership place after a two-year exile. The other two relegation places went to long-term absentees from the top division. Playoff winners Watford regained their top division place after an absence of 11 years, but runners-up Bradford had been outside of the top division for 77 years. These two promotion winners surprised the observers more than any other Division One side during 1998–99, but were widely expected to struggle in the top flight.

Teams

Twenty teams competed in the league – the top seventeen teams from the previous season and the three teams promoted from the First Division. The promoted teams were Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough (both teams sealing an immediate return to the top flight after a single season), and Charlton Athletic (playing in the top flight after an eight-year absence). This was also Charlton Athletic's first season in the Premier League. They replaced Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and Crystal Palace, with all three relegated teams returning to the First Division after a single season in the top flight.

Stadiums and locations

Arsenal

Charlton Athletic

Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur

West Ham United

Wimbledon

Personnel and kits

(as of 16 May 1999)

Managerial changes

League table

Results

Season statistics

Scoring

Top scorers

Hat-tricks

Main article: List of Premier League hat-tricks

:Note: 4 Player scored 4 goals; P Player scored a perfect hat-trick; Player scored hat-trick as a substitute; (H) – Home; (A) – Away

Top assists

Awards

Monthly awards

Annual awards

Attendances

Source:

Notes

References

1. "English Premier League 1998–99". statto.com.
2. (5 January 2024). "Premier League 1998/1999 » Attendance » Home matches".
3. Brown, Geoff. (22 August 1998). "Football Round-up: Mendonca's Valley high". The Independent.
4. Moore, Glenn. (31 August 1998). "Football: Owen defines Gullit's task with hat-trick". The Independent.
5. (26 October 1998). "Soccer – England: Owen Returns With Four Goals". The New York Times.
6. Fox, Norman. (15 November 1998). "Football: Dublin's treble leaves Villa in clover". The Independent.
7. Townsend, Nick. (22 November 1998). "Football Fowler trick trumps Villa". The Independent.
8. Rowbottom, Mike. (29 December 1998). "Football: Armstrong treble traumatises Everton". The Independent.
9. Mackay, Duncan. (9 January 1999). "Huckerby hat-trick fells forlorn Forest". The Guardian.
10. Bramwell, Neil. (17 January 1999). "Football: Fowler preys on sorry Saints". The Independent.
11. Curtis, John. "Leicester 2–6 Manchester United". Sporting Life.
12. (7 February 1999). "United romp to record win". BBC News.
13. Townsend, Nick. (21 February 1999). "Football: Arsenal fired by Anelka hat-trick". The Independent.
14. Taylor, Louise. (9 May 1999). "Everton joy as Campbell serves up treble treat". The Sunday Times.
15. "Statistical Leaders – 1999". Premier League.
16. Collins, Roy. (5 February 1999). "Kidd's silent runnings". The Guardian.
17. https://www.worldfootball.net/competition/co91/se3245/attendance/