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1998–99 Southampton F.C. season

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Southampton F.C.
1998–99 season
ChairmanRupert Lowe
ManagerDave Jones
StadiumThe Dell
FA Premier League17th
FA CupThird round
League CupSecond round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Matt Le Tissier (7)
Egil Østenstad (7)
All: Egil Østenstad (8)
Highest home attendance15,255 v Arsenal
(3 April 1999)
Lowest home attendance11,645 v Fulham
(23 September 1998)
Average home league attendance15,140
Biggest win3–0 v Leeds United
(30 January 1999)
Biggest defeat1–7 v Liverpool
(16 January 1999)

The 1998–99 Southampton F.C. season was the club's 98th season of competitive football, their 29th (and 21st consecutive) in the top flight of English football, and their seventh in the FA Premier League. After a decent first season with Dave Jones in charge which saw the club finish 12th in the league table, the Saints had a disappointing second campaign with their new manager as they avoided relegation by just five points, finishing one place above the drop zone. The team's form outside the league was similarly poor, as they were eliminated at the first hurdle of both the FA Cup and the League Cup.

After losing striker Kevin Davies in a club record £7.5 million deal in the summer, Jones signed two replacements – James Beattie and Mark Hughes – as well as bringing in experienced winger Stuart Ripley. Squad changes continued throughout the season, with the likes of Hassan Kachloul, Chris Marsden and Marians Pahars taking the places of players including Kevin Richardson, Stig Johansen and Carlton Palmer. The Saints spent almost all of the season in the relegation places of the FA Premier League table, thanks in part to a dreadful start in which they picked up just one point in their opening eight games. After picking up just eight wins all season, they saved their top-flight status with three crucial consecutive victories in their final three games.

Outside the league, Southampton's performance was equally woeful. In both the FA Cup and the League Cup, they were drawn in their opening round against Fulham, who had recently won promotion to the Second Division. In the League Cup, the FA Premier League side were held to a 1–1 draw in the opening second round first leg tie, before suffering a 0–1 defeat at home after playing most of the game a man down due to dismissal. The story was almost identical in the FA Cup, as the ten-man top-flight side scraped through a third round home tie 1–1 with a late goal, before being eliminated by a 1–0 Fulham victory in the replay. This marked the first time Southampton had been eliminated at the first hurdle of both competitions since the 1993–94 season.

Southampton used 31 players during the 1998–99 season and had 13 different goalscorers. Norwegian striker Egil Østenstad finished as the club's top goalscorer for the first time, scoring just eight goals in all competitions (including seven in the league) – the lowest of any Saints top scorer since they started playing league football. Beattie, in his debut season at the club, made the most appearances for the team (39), finished third on goals (6) just behind second-placed Matt Le Tissier (7), and won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award at the end of the year. The average league attendance at The Dell in 1998–99 was 15,140. The highest attendance was 5,255 against Arsenal in April and the lowest was 11,645 against Fulham in the League Cup in September.

Background and transfers

[edit]
Kevin Davies left Southampton in the summer of 1998 after just one season, moving for a club record fee of £7.5 million to Blackburn Rovers.
Former Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea striker Mark Hughes was brought in to help replace Davies up front.
Moroccan midfielder Hassan Kachloul was signed in October for £250,000, staying with the club for three seasons.

At the beginning of the summer, Southampton sold striker Kevin Davies for a club record fee of £7.5 million to Blackburn Rovers – ten times the amount they had paid for him just over a year earlier.[1] In order to try and replace him up front, they signed James Beattie in return for £1 million,[2] as well as adding experienced striker Mark Hughes for £650,000 from Chelsea.[3] Other arrivals in the summer included another Blackburn purchase, £1.5 million winger Stuart Ripley,[4] as well as free signings David Howells from Tottenham Hotspur,[5] Scott Marshall from Arsenal,[6] and Mark Paul from King's Lynn.[7] Leaving the club during pre-season were full-back Lee Todd (£250,000 to Bradford City),[8] midfielder Kevin Richardson (£75,000 to Barnsley),[9] and winger Duncan Spedding (£75,000 to Northampton Town),[10] all of whom had only debuted the previous season.

Shortly after the start of the league season, the Saints signed full-back Scott Hiley on a free transfer from Manchester City, as backup for Jason Dodd and Francis Benali on either flank.[11] They also sold Norwegian striker Stig Johansen, who had failed to make an impact in his one season in England, to Swedish club Helsingborgs for £200,000 – a loss of £400,000 on his signing a year earlier.[12] With the team struggling to make it out of the relegation zone in the league, Southampton continued adding to their squad throughout the first half of the season. In October, they brought in Moroccan midfielder Hassan Kachloul from French side Metz for £250,000, following a short trial earlier in the month.[13] They looked to the French leagues again in December, when full-back Patrick Colleter was signed from Marseille for £300,000, again after a short trial.[14] The same month, Danish goalkeeper Michael Stensgaard was signed from Copenhagen as backup for Paul Jones,[15] while striker Steve Basham was loaned out to Preston North End (he later joined permanently).[16]

In the new year, Southampton sold Carlton Palmer to Nottingham Forest for £1.1 million, after the midfielder reportedly fell out with some of his teammates.[17] He was effectively replaced by Chris Marsden, who signed from Birmingham City for £800,000 a few weeks later.[18] Also released in February was Italian striker Cosimo Sarli, who had joined the previous March but failed to make the step up from reserves to the first team.[19] Later that month, the club signed Portuguese winger Dani Rodrigues for £170,000 from Feirense, having seen him play during a short loan spell at nearby Bournemouth.[20] The Saints' final signing of 1998–99 came on transfer deadline day, 26 March, when Latvian striker Marians Pahars signed following months of negotiations related to his work permit, with the club paying Skonto £800,000 for his services to help in their battle against relegation.[21]

Players transferred in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
David Howells  England MF England Tottenham Hotspur 14 June 1998 Free [5]
Stuart Ripley  England MF England Blackburn Rovers 6 July 1998 £1,500,000 [4]
Mark Paul  England FW England King's Lynn 9 July 1998 £75,000 [7]
James Beattie  England FW England Blackburn Rovers 10 July 1998 £1,000,000 [2]
Mark Hughes  Wales FW England Chelsea 11 July 1998 £650,000 [3]
Scott Marshall  Scotland DF England Arsenal 14 July 1998 Free [6]
Alan Blayney  Northern Ireland GK Northern Ireland Glentoran July 1998 Free[a] [22]
Scott Hiley  England DF England Manchester City 21 August 1998 Free [11]
Stephen Jenkins  England DF none (free agent) August 1998 Free[b] [23]
Hassan Kachloul  Morocco MF France Metz 16 October 1998 £250,000 [13]
Michael Stensgaard  Denmark GK Denmark Copenhagen 2 December 1998 Free [15]
Patrick Colleter  France DF France Marseille 24 December 1998 £300,000 [14]
Chris Marsden  England MF England Birmingham City 1 February 1999 £800,000 [18]
Dani Rodrigues  Portugal FW Portugal Feirense 23 February 1999 £170,000 [20]
Marians Pahars  Latvia FW Latvia Skonto 26 March 1999 £800,000 [21]

Players transferred out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date Fee Ref.
Kevin Davies  England FW England Blackburn Rovers 1 June 1998 £7,500,000 [1]
Duncan Spedding  England MF England Northampton 1 July 1998 £75,000 [10]
Kevin Richardson  England MF England Barnsley 15 July 1998 £75,000 [9]
Lee Todd  England DF England Bradford City 1 August 1998 £250,000 [8]
Stig Johansen  Norway FW Sweden Helsingborgs 24 August 1998 £200,000 [12]
Carlton Palmer  England MF England Nottingham Forest 19 January 1999 £1,100,000 [17]
Cosimo Sarli  Italy FW Belgium Eendracht Aalst 8 February 1999 Free [19]

Players loaned in

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Scott Hiley  England DF England Manchester City 1 August 1998 20 August 1998 [11]

Players loaned out

Name Nationality Pos. Club Date from Date to Ref.
Steve Basham  England FW England Preston North End 4 December 1998 18 December 1998 [16]
4 February 1999 9 May 1999
Scott Marshall  Scotland DF Scotland Celtic 19 March 1999 End of season [6]

Notes

  1. ^ Alan Blayney initially joined as a trainee in July 1998, before turning professional in July 2001.[22]
  2. ^ Stephen Jenkins joined as a trainee in August 1998.[23]

Pre-season friendlies

[edit]

Ahead of the 1998–99 season, Southampton played five pre-season friendlies. The club's pre-season period started with a 0–2 defeat at local Second Division side Bournemouth, which was followed by 1–1 draws at recently-promoted First Division side Bristol City and Third Division side Barnet.[24] The Saints' first pre-season win came against Southern League side Bashley, who they beat 3–0, before a short trip to Belgium saw the FA Premier League side draw 2–2 with Lierse (new strikers James Beattie and Mark Hughes scoring for the visitors).[24]

28 July 1998 Friendly Bournemouth 2–0 Southampton Bournemouth
Stadium: Dean Court
1 August 1998 Friendly Bristol City 1–1 Southampton Bristol
Howells Stadium: Ashton Gate
4 August 1998 Friendly Barnet 1–1 Southampton London
Le Tissier Stadium: Underhill Stadium
6 August 1998 Friendly Bashley 0–3 Southampton Bashley
Bridge
Hindmarsh
Le Tissier 		Stadium: Bashley Road
9 August 1998 Friendly Belgium Lierse 2–2 Southampton Lier, Belgium
Beattie
M. Hughes 		Stadium: Herman Vanderpoortenstadion

FA Premier League

[edit]
Egil Østenstad scored seven goals in the league and one in the FA Cup to finish as the club's top scorer for the season.
Egil Østenstad scored seven goals in the league and one in the FA Cup to finish as the club's top scorer for the season.
See also: 1998–99 FA Premier League

Southampton had their worst start to a league season ever in 1998–99, losing all five of their opening matches and dropping immediately to the bottom of the FA Premier League table.[25] They hosted Liverpool on the opening day, who had finished third the previous season,[26] losing 1–2 when Michael Owen scored a second-half winner after a first half that saw the hosts hold the visitors level at 1–1.[25] This was followed the next week by a "hammering" at newly promoted side Charlton Athletic, who thrashed the Saints 5-0, with Clive Mendonca scoring a second-half hat-trick. The game also saw Southampton goalkeeper Paul Jones sent off shortly after the hour mark, which forced David Howells to go in goal as his side had already used all three permitted substitutions.[25] Further defeats against Nottingham Forest (another promoted side) and Leeds United were followed by another away thrashing in which the Saints went down to ten men – they lost 0–4 at Newcastle United and saw Jason Dodd sent off just before half-time for a deliberate handball.[25]

The club finally picked up their first point in mid-September at home to Tottenham Hotspur, when they salvaged a 1–1 draw in the second half through Matt Le Tissier's first goal of the campaign from open play.[25] They remained bottom, however, with further defeats against West Ham United and Manchester United leaving them four points adrift of Coventry City in 19th and seven points away from safety, after just eight games.[27] After another 1–1 draw, with Arsenal, the Saints picked up their first win of the season when they beat Coventry 2–1 at The Dell – goals coming in the first half from Le Tissier and Egil Østenstad.[25] A goalless draw with Sheffield Wednesday was followed by a dramatic 3–3 stalemeate hosting Middlesbrough. After an uneventful first half, Middlesbrough found themselves 2–1 up just after the hour mark, despite losing Robbie Mustoe to a red card; 20 minutes later, the Saints had reversed the advantage to 3–2, before Phil Stamp's dismissal saw the visitors go from ten to nine men. Despite this, Southampton were unable to hold on for the final few minutes, conceding a final goal from Gianluca Festa.[25] The club remained bottom with another home loss, 1–4 to Aston Villa, in which new signing Dion Dublin netted a hat-trick.[15]

Southampton finally made it off the foot of the league table with a 2–0 win over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in late November (goals scored by Matt Oakley and Steve Basham – his only goal for the Saints), leapfrogging the Lancashire side into 19th.[15][28] They remained there only briefly, however, and returned to 20th place after three more straight losses: 0–1 at home to Derby County, 0–2 at Leicester City and 0–1 at Everton.[15] The week before Christmas, the club picked up their third win of the campaign when they beat Wimbledon 3–1 at home, with further goals prevented by the woodwork three times and goalkeeper Neil Sullivan.[15] 1998 ended with a 0–2 loss at home to league leaders Chelsea and a 1–1 draw with Nottingham Forest, the only side below them in the table.[15]

Latvian striker Marians Pahars signed on transfer deadline day 1999 and scored three goals in six games to help Southampton avoid relegation from the FA Premier League.

The new year started with a 3–1 win over Charlton Athletic, who were just a few points above the relegation zone, in which new signings Hassan Kachloul, Patrick Colleter and James Beattie all scored.[15] The win saw Southampton move up to 18th in the table for the first time since their second game.[29] It was followed, however, by the club's second six-goal defeat in three seasons, as they lost 1–7 to opening day opposition Liverpool at Anfield. The hosts were 3–0 up by half-time and were 5–1 up within an hour, after Robbie Fowler completed a hat-trick and Østenstad scored the visitors' sole consolation; goals from Michael Owen and David Thompson later on completed the thrashing, which manager Dave Jones described as his "lowest point as a manager" to date.[15] Despite this setback, the Saints beat 5th-place Leeds United 3–0 in their next game a couple of weeks later, with goals from Kachloul, Oakley and Østenstad helping them keep hold of 18th place over Charlton.[15][30] Chelsea won again the next week as they continued to head the table.[15]

Back in the middle of the three relegation places, Southampton edged past Newcastle United in late-February, holding onto their first-half lead to win 2–1 over the mid-table side.[15] Two more defeats, at Manchester United (1–2) and Tottenham Hotspur (0–3), however, kept them in the same position, four points away from safety.[31] Two slender 1–0 wins in March over West Ham United and Sheffield Wednesday came either side of a 0–3 loss at Middlesbrough, as the Saints continued to try and escape the drop zone.[15] They were handed a lifeline on transfer deadline day at the end of March when, after nearly two months of trying to sign him, they were granted a work permit and given permission to sign Latvian striker Marians Pahars.[15] The next three games, however, saw the Saints pick up just one point (from a goalless draw with Arsenal) and drop back down to 19th spot in the table.[32]

After spending the whole season in the bottom three, Southampton embarked on a five-game unbeaten run at the end of the 1998–99 season which ultimately saved their FA Premier League status. The first match of this spell was a crucial tie against Blackburn Rovers, who were two places and one spot ahead of the Saints.[32] Ashley Ward opened the scoring for Rovers early on, but Chris Marsden responded within ten minutes with his first goal for the club; by half-time the Hampshire club were trailing 1–2 thanks to Darren Peacock, and shortly after the break it was a two-goal lead when Jason Wilcox scored. Shortly after the hour mark, however, summer signing Mark Hughes scored his first Southampton goal (in his 32nd game), and in the last ten minutes Pahars – in his second substitute appearance – headed in to make it 3–3.[33]

A goalless draw at Derby County the week after the Blackburn game (the club's first point on the road all season) was followed by three straight wins. The first saw the Saints overcome a 0–1 deficit at home to Leicester City, with Marsden and Beattie scoring either side of half-time to help their side get out of the relegation zone for the first time all season, as Blackburn and Charlton drew.[33] A week later, Southampton picked up their first and only away win of the campaign when they beat Wimbledon 2–0 at Selhurst Park, with late substitute Le Tissier credited for creating both goals.[33] With Charlton just two points behind Southampton, it came down to the final day of the season to decide both clubs' fates. The Saints ultimately won their final match of the campaign 2–0 against Everton, with Pahars scoring both goals either side of half-time, both of which were set up by Beattie.[33] Many commentators credited Pahars with saving Southampton's Premier League status, with The Independent noting that his goals had made him a "local hero" in the city.[34] The season's end result was dubbed a "great escape" by commentators,[35] which had been a term previously used to refer to the club's 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons.[36]

List of match results

[edit]
16 August 1998 1 Southampton 1–2 Liverpool Southampton
16:00 BST Østenstad 37' Report Riedle 39', Yellow card
Owen 72'
Harkness Yellow card
Heggem Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,202
Referee: Paul Alcock
22 August 1998 2 Charlton Athletic 5–0 Southampton London
15:00 BST Robinson 3', Yellow card
Redfearn 46'
Mendonca 65' (pen.), 81', 90'
Newton Yellow card		 Report Jones Red card 65'
Beattie Yellow card
Dodd Yellow card
M. Hughes Yellow card
Palmer Yellow card		 Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 16,488
Referee: Rob Harris
29 August 1998 3 Southampton 1–2 Nottingham Forest Southampton
15:00 BST Le Tissier 89' (pen.)
M. Hughes Yellow card
Ripley Yellow card		 Report Darcheville 52'
Stone 68', Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,942
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
8 September 1998 4 Leeds United 3–0 Southampton Leeds
19:45 BST Marshall 38' (o.g.)
Harte 52'
Wijnhard 86', Yellow card		 Report Dodd Yellow card
M. Hughes Yellow card
Palmer Yellow card		 Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 30,637
Referee: Alan Wilkie
12 September 1998 5 Newcastle United 4–0 Southampton Newcastle upon Tyne
15:00 BST Shearer 8', 38' (pen.), Yellow card
Marshall 89' (o.g.)
Ketsbaia 90'
Lee Yellow card		 Report Dodd Red card 38'
Hiley Yellow card
M. Hughes Yellow card
Marshall Yellow card		 Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 36,454
Referee: Mike Riley
19 September 1998 6 Southampton 1–1 Tottenham Hotspur Southampton
15:00 BST Le Tissier 64'
Benali Yellow card		 Report Fox 25'
Calderwood Yellow card
Tramezzani Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,204
Referee: Keith Burge
28 September 1998 7 West Ham United 1–0 Southampton London
20:00 BST Wright 61', Yellow card
Ferdinand Yellow card
Ruddock Yellow card		 Report Benali Yellow card
M. Hughes Yellow card
Le Tissier Yellow card
Monkou Yellow card		 Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 23,153
Referee: Uriah Rennie
3 October 1998 8 Southampton 0–3 Manchester United Southampton
15:00 BST Palmer Yellow card Report Yorke 11'
Cole 59'
Cruyff 74'
Keane Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,251
Referee: David Elleray
17 October 1998 9 Arsenal 1–1 Southampton London
15:00 BST Anelka 34'
Overmars Yellow card		 Report Howells 67', Yellow card
M. Hughes Yellow card
Le Tissier Yellow card
Monkou Yellow card		 Stadium: Arsenal Stadium
Attendance: 38,027
Referee: Jeff Winter
24 October 1998 10 Southampton 2–1 Coventry City Southampton
15:00 BST Le Tissier 23', Yellow card
Østenstad 44'		 Report Dublin 60'
Boateng Yellow card
Whelan Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,152
Referee: Rob Harris
31 October 1998 11 Sheffield Wednesday 0–0 Southampton Sheffield
15:00 GMT Report M. Hughes Yellow card Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
Attendance: 30,078
Referee: Mike Riley
7 November 1998 12 Southampton 3–3 Middlesbrough Southampton
15:00 GMT Monkou 61', Yellow card
Beattie 82'
Østenstad 85'
M. Hughes Yellow card
Palmer Yellow card		 Report Gascoigne 47', Yellow card
Mustoe Yellow card Yellow-red card 62'
Lundekvam 66' (o.g.)
Stamp Red card 87'
Festa 90'
Ricard Yellow card
Townsend Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,202
Referee: Paul Alcock
14 November 1998 13 Southampton 1–4 Aston Villa Southampton
15:00 GMT Le Tissier 53', Yellow card Report Dublin 3', 56', 85'
Merson 77'
Collymore Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,242
Referee: Neale Barry
21 November 1998 14 Blackburn Rovers 0–2 Southampton Blackburn
15:00 GMT Marcolin Yellow card Report Oakley 4'
Basham 89'
Dryden Yellow card
Hiley Yellow card		 Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 22,812
Referee: Steve Dunn
28 November 1998 15 Southampton 0–1 Derby County Southampton
15:00 GMT Beattie Yellow card
Oakley Yellow card
Palmer Yellow card		 Report Carbonari 33', Yellow card
Bohinen Yellow card
Laursen Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,762
Referee: Stephen Lodge
5 December 1998 16 Leicester City 2–0 Southampton Leicester
15:00 GMT Heskey 61'
Walsh 63'		 Report M. Hughes Yellow card Stadium: Filbert Street
Attendance: 18,423
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
12 December 1998 17 Everton 1–0 Southampton Liverpool
15:00 GMT Bakayoko 31'
Ball Yellow card
Unsworth Yellow card		 Report M. Hughes Yellow card
Kachloul Yellow card		 Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 32,073
Referee: Alan Wilkie
19 December 1998 18 Southampton 3–1 Wimbledon Southampton
15:00 GMT Østenstad 11', 68'
Kachloul 64', Yellow card		 Report Gayle 76'
Perry Yellow card
Thatcher Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 14,354
Referee: Mike Reed
26 December 1998 19 Southampton 0–2 Chelsea Southampton
12:00 GMT Colleter Yellow card Report Flo 20'
Poyet 48'
Babayaro Yellow card
Morris Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,253
Referee: David Elleray
28 December 1998 20 Nottingham Forest 1–1 Southampton Nottingham
15:00 GMT Chettle 54' (pen.)
Freedman Yellow card
Stone Yellow card		 Report Kachloul 48', Yellow card
Jones Yellow card
Palmer Yellow card		 Stadium: City Ground
Attendance: 23,456
Referee: Mike Reed
9 January 1999 21 Southampton 3–1 Charlton Athletic Southampton
15:00 GMT Kachloul 8'
Colleter 52'
Beattie 89', Yellow card
M. Hughes Yellow card		 Report Hunt 13', Yellow card
Mills Yellow card
Youds Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,222
Referee: Graham Poll
16 January 1999 22 Liverpool 7–1 Southampton Liverpool
15:00 GMT Fowler 22', 37', 47'
Matteo 35'
Carragher 55', Yellow card
Owen 63'
Thompson 73'
Ince Yellow card		 Report Østenstad 59'
Colleter Yellow card
M. Hughes Yellow card
Monk Yellow card		 Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 44,011
Referee: Uriah Rennie
30 January 1999 23 Southampton 3–0 Leeds United Southampton
15:00 GMT Kachloul 31'
Oakley 62'
Østenstad 86'
Dodd Yellow card
M. Hughes Yellow card
Lundekvam Yellow card		 Report Bowyer Yellow card
Haaland Yellow card
Smith Yellow card
Woodgate Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,236
Referee: Steve Dunn
6 February 1999 24 Chelsea 1–0 Southampton London
15:00 GMT Zola 11'
Di Matteo Yellow card		 Report Marsden Yellow card
Oakley Yellow card		 Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 34,920
Referee: Rob Harris
20 February 1999 25 Southampton 2–1 Newcastle United Southampton
15:00 GMT Beattie 16'
Dodd 43' (pen.)
Kachloul Yellow card
Lundekvam Yellow card		 Report Hamann 86'
Domi Yellow card
Howey Yellow card
Shearer Yellow card
Speed Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,244
Referee: Graham Poll
27 February 1999 26 Manchester United 2–1 Southampton Manchester
15:00 GMT Keane 79'
Yorke 83'		 Report Le Tissier 90', Yellow card
Colleter Yellow card		 Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 55,316
Referee: Peter Jones
2 March 1999 27 Tottenham Hotspur 3–0 Southampton London
19:45 GMT Armstrong 19'
Iversen 68'
Dominguez 90'
Young Yellow card		 Report Le Tissier Yellow card Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 28,580
Referee: Alan Wilkie
6 March 1999 28 Southampton 1–0 West Ham United Southampton
15:00 GMT Kachloul 10' Report Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,240
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
14 March 1999 29 Middlesbrough 3–0 Southampton Middlesbrough
16:00 GMT Beck 44'
Ricard 45'
Vickers 62'		 Report Kachloul Yellow card
Le Tissier Yellow card
Marsden Yellow card
Monkou Yellow card		 Stadium: Riverside Stadium
Attendance: 33,387
Referee: Mike Reed
20 March 1999 30 Southampton 1–0 Sheffield Wednesday Southampton
15:00 GMT Le Tissier 41', Yellow card
Marsden Yellow card		 Report Booth Yellow card Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,201
Referee: Rob Harris
3 April 1999 31 Southampton 0–0 Arsenal Southampton
15:00 BST Colleter Yellow card
M. Hughes Yellow card
Monkou Yellow card		 Report Vieira Yellow card Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,255
Referee: Peter Jones
5 April 1999 32 Coventry City 1–0 Southampton Coventry
15:00 BST Boateng 64', Yellow card
McAllister Yellow card
Whelan Yellow card
Williams Yellow card		 Report Dodd Yellow card Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 21,404
Referee: Uriah Rennie
10 April 1999 33 Aston Villa 3–0 Southampton Birmingham
15:00 BST Draper 13'
Joachim 66'
Dublin 88'		 Report Lundekvam Yellow card Yellow-red card 40'
Monkou Yellow card		 Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 32,203
Referee: Neale Barry
17 April 1999 34 Southampton 3–3 Blackburn Rovers Southampton
15:00 BST Marsden 22'
M. Hughes 61'
Pahars 85'
D. Hughes Yellow card
Le Tissier Yellow card		 Report Ward 14'
Peacock 25'
Wilcox 47'
Gillespie Yellow card
McAteer Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,209
Referee: Graham Barber
24 April 1999 35 Derby County 0–0 Southampton Derby
15:00 BST Burton Yellow card
Delap Yellow card
Prior Yellow card		 Report Beattie Yellow card
Pahars Yellow card		 Stadium: Pride Park Stadium
Attendance: 26,557
Referee: Alan Wilkie
1 May 1999 36 Southampton 2–1 Leicester City Southampton
15:00 BST Marsden 36'
Beattie 74'
Østenstad Yellow card		 Report Marshall 17'
Elliott Yellow card
Lennon Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,228
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
8 May 1999 37 Wimbledon 0–2 Southampton London
15:00 BST Roberts Yellow card Report Beattie 72'
Earle 84' (o.g.)
Marsden Yellow card		 Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 24,068
Referee: Steve Dunn
15 May 1999 38 Southampton 2–0 Everton Southampton
16:00 BST Pahars 24', 68', Yellow card
Le Tissier Yellow card
Marsden Yellow card		 Report Hutchison Yellow card Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,254
Referee: Graham Barber

Final league table

[edit]
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
15 Coventry City 38 11 9 18 39 51 −12 42
16 Wimbledon 38 10 12 16 40 63 −23 42
17 Southampton 38 11 8 19 37 64 −27 41
18 Charlton Athletic (R) 38 8 12 18 41 56 −15 36 Relegation to Football League First Division
19 Blackburn Rovers (R) 38 7 14 17 38 52 −14 35
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated

Results by matchday

[edit]
Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAH
ResultLLLLLDLLDWDDLWLLLWLDWLWLWLLWLWDLLDDWWW
Position1720202020202020202020202019192020191919181818181919191919181819191919171717
Source: 11v11.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

[edit]
See also: 1998–99 FA Cup

Southampton entered the 1998–99 FA Cup in the third round against Fulham, who had knocked the Saints out of the League Cup just over three months earlier, and were by now leading the Second Division.[37] Despite being the visiting side, the Cottagers opened the scoring within ten minutes, when Steve Hayward scored from just outside the penalty area.[37] Fulham defended strongly to keep the increasingly frustrated Premier League side at bay, which culminated in them going down to ten men in the 70th minute, when centre-back Ken Monkou was shown a straight red card for an allegedly two-footed tackle on Rufus Brevett.[37] The fight for an equaliser continued and eventually resulted in a goal for the hosts, when Egil Østenstad forced in from close range after a previously deflected effort.[37] Fulham dominated the replay at Craven Cottage, although it took until the 85th minute for them to break the deadlock, eventually finding success when Barry Hayles took advantage of a deflection in the box to send his side through.[38]

2 January 1999 Round 3 Southampton 1–1 Fulham Southampton
Monkou Red card 70'
Østenstad 89'
Palmer Yellow card		 Hayward 9', Yellow card
Horsfield Yellow card
Symons Yellow card		 Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 12,549
Referee: Dermot Gallagher
13 January 1999 Round 3 Replay Fulham 1–0 Southampton London
Hayles 85'
Coleman Yellow card
Symons Yellow card		 Beattie Yellow card Stadium: Craven Cottage
Attendance: 17,448
Referee: Dermot Gallagher

League Cup

[edit]
See also: 1998–99 Football League Cup

Southampton entered the 1998–99 League Cup in the second round against Second Division side Fulham. The first leg, at Craven Cottage, finished 1–1 when Chris Coleman's 54th-minute opener was matched by James Beattie just after the hour mark.[39] The Saints lost the second leg 0–1 thanks to an early Dirk Lehmann goal, with Carlton Palmer sent off ten minutes before the end of the first half.[39]

15 September 1998 Round 2 Leg 1 Fulham 1–1 Southampton London
Coleman 54'
Bracewell Yellow card
Hayward Yellow card
Morgan Yellow card		 Beattie 62'
Howells Yellow card
M. Hughes Yellow card		 Stadium: Craven Cottage
Attendance: 10,222
Referee: Mike Reed
23 September 1998 Round 2 Leg 2 Southampton 0–1
(1–2 agg.)		 Fulham Southampton
Palmer Yellow card Yellow-red card 36' Lehmann 10' Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 11,645
Referee: Paul Durkin

Other matches

[edit]

Outside the league and cup competitions, Southampton played two additional matches during the early stages of the 1998–99 season. The first, on 2 September, saw the Saints beat Conference side Morecambe 3–0, in a game to mark the opening of Christie Park's new North Stand.[24] In the second, just over a month later, the FA Premier League side agreed to play King's Lynn of the Southern League in exchange for the £75,000 signing of Mark Paul.[25] After a good start for the hosts, the Saints went 2–0 up in the first half through an Egil Østenstad double, before Wayne Bridge scored a third after the break to secure a 3–0 win.[40]

2 September 1998 Friendly Morecambe 0–3 Southampton Morecambe
Le Tissier
Wallace
(o.g.)		 Stadium: Christie Park
7 October 1998 Friendly King's Lynn 0–3 Southampton King's Lynn
Østenstad
Bridge 		Stadium: The Walks
Attendance: 1,525
Referee: Steve Cling

Player details

[edit]

Southampton used 31 players during the 1998–99 season, 13 of whom scored during the campaign.[41] 13 players made their debut appearances for the club, including ten of their 13 first team signings (James Beattie,[2] Patrick Colleter,[14] Scott Hiley,[11] David Howells,[5] Mark Hughes,[3] Hassan Kachloul,[13] Chris Marsden,[18] Scott Marshall,[6] Marians Pahars,[21] and Stuart Ripley[4]) and three players making the step up from youth to the first team (Shayne Bradley,[42] Wayne Bridge,[43] and Garry Monk[44]). Two of these – Howells[5] and Marshall[6] – also made their last appearances for the Saints during the campaign, as did mid-season departees Steve Basham[16] and Carlton Palmer,[17] plus three players sold the next season (David Hirst,[45] Ken Monkou,[46] and Andy Williams[47]), one sold in a future season (Phil Warner[48]), and one who later retired (David Hughes[49]). New striker Beattie made the most appearances for Southampton during the season, playing in 39 of the side's 42 games in all competitions.[41] Egil Østenstad finished as the club's top goalscorer with eight goals in all competitions, equal on seven league goals with Matt Le Tissier.[41] Beattie, who finished third on six goals in all competitions, won the Southampton F.C. Player of the Season award for 1998–99.[33]

Squad statistics

[edit]
No. Name Pos. Nat. League FA Cup League Cup Total Discipline
Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals Apps. Goals
1 Paul Jones GK Wales 31 0 2 0 2 0 35 0 1 1
2 Jason Dodd DF England 27(1) 1 2 0 2 0 31(1) 1 4 1
3 John Beresford DF England 1(3) 0 0 0 0 0 1(3) 0 0 0
4 Chris Marsden MF England 14 2 0 0 0 0 14 2 5 0
5 Claus Lundekvam DF Norway 30(3) 0 2 0 1(1) 0 33(4) 0 3 1
6 Ken Monkou DF Netherlands 22 1 2 0 0 0 24 1 6 1
7 Matt Le Tissier MF England 20(10) 7 0(1) 0 2 0 22(11) 7 10 0
8 Matt Oakley MF England 21(1) 2 2 0 0 0 23(1) 2 2 0
9 Mark Hughes FW Wales 32 1 1(1) 0 2 0 35(1) 1 15 0
10 Egil Østenstad FW Norway 27(7) 7 2 1 2 0 31(7) 8 1 0
11 David Howells MF England 8(1) 1 1 0 1 0 10(1) 1 2 0
12 Richard Dryden DF England 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0
13 Neil Moss GK England 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0
14 Stuart Ripley MF England 16(6) 0 0(1) 0 1 0 17(7) 0 1 0
15 Francis Benali DF England 19(4) 0 0 0 2 0 21(4) 0 2 0
16 James Beattie FW England 22(13) 5 2 0 1(1) 1 25(14) 6 5 0
17 Mark Paul FW England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
18 Wayne Bridge DF England 15(8) 0 0 0 1 0 16(8) 0 0 0
20 Scott Bevan GK England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 Andy Williams MF Wales 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0
22 David Hughes MF England 6(3) 0 0 0 0 0 6(3) 0 1 0
23 Scott Hiley DF England 27(2) 0 1 0 0 0 28(2) 0 2 0
24 Steve Basham FW England 0(4) 1 0 0 0(1) 0 0(5) 1 0 0
25 Garry Monk DF England 4 0 0(1) 0 0 0 4(1) 0 1 0
27 David Hirst FW England 0(2) 0 0 0 0 0 0(2) 0 0 0
28 Kevin Gibbens MF England 2(2) 0 0 0 2 0 4(2) 0 0 0
29 Phil Warner DF England 5 0 0 0 1 0 6 0 0 0
30 Hassan Kachloul MF Morocco 18(4) 5 2 0 0 0 20(4) 5 5 0
31 Shayne Bradley FW England 0(3) 0 0 0 0 0 0(3) 0 0 0
33 Patrick Colleter DF France 16 1 2 0 0 0 18 1 4 0
35 Marians Pahars FW Latvia 4(2) 3 0 0 0 0 4(2) 3 2 0
Squad members who left before the end of the season
4 Carlton Palmer MF England 18(1) 0 1 0 2 0 21(1) 0 8 1
26 Cosimo Sarli FW Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Squad members who ended the season out on loan
19 Scott Marshall DF Scotland 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0

Most appearances

[edit]
Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Total
Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Starts Subs Total
1 James Beattie FW 22 13 2 0 1 1 25 14 39
2 Egil Østenstad FW 27 7 2 0 2 0 31 7 38
3 Claus Lundekvam DF 30 3 2 0 1 1 33 4 37
4 Mark Hughes FW 32 0 1 1 2 0 35 1 36
5 Paul Jones GK 31 0 2 0 2 0 35 0 35
6 Matt Le Tissier MF 20 10 0 1 2 0 22 11 33
7 Jason Dodd DF 27 1 2 0 2 0 31 1 32
8 Scott Hiley DF 27 2 1 0 0 0 28 2 30
9 Francis Benali DF 19 4 0 0 2 0 21 4 25
10 Ken Monkou DF 22 0 2 0 0 0 24 0 24
Matt Oakley MF 21 1 2 0 0 0 23 1 24
Hassan Kachloul MF 18 4 2 0 0 0 20 4 24
Wayne Bridge DF 15 8 0 0 1 0 16 8 24

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Rank Name Pos. League FA Cup League Cup Total
Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GPG
1 Egil Østenstad FW 7 34 1 2 0 2 8 38 0.21
2 Matt Le Tissier MF 7 30 0 1 0 2 7 33 0.21
3 James Beattie FW 5 35 0 2 1 2 6 39 0.15
4 Hassan Kachloul MF 5 22 0 2 0 0 5 24 0.21
5 Marians Pahars FW 3 6 0 0 0 0 3 6 0.50
6 Chris Marsden MF 2 14 0 0 0 0 2 14 0.14
7 Matt Oakley MF 2 22 0 2 0 0 2 24 0.08
8 Steve Basham FW 1 4 0 0 0 1 1 5 0.20
David Howells MF 1 9 0 1 0 1 1 11 0.09
Patrick Colleter DF 1 16 0 2 0 0 1 18 0.06
Ken Monkou DF 1 22 0 2 0 0 1 24 0.04
Jason Dodd DF 1 28 0 2 0 2 1 32 0.03
Mark Hughes FW 1 32 0 2 0 2 1 36 0.03

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Kevin Davies". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "James Beattie". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Mark Hughes". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Stuart Ripley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "David Howells". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Scott Marshall". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Mark Paul Football Stats". Soccerbase. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Lee Todd". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Kevin Richardson". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Duncan Spedding". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d "Scott Hiley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Stig Johansen". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b c "Hassan Kachloul". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Patrick Colleter". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 257
  16. ^ a b c "Steve Basham". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "Carlton Palmer". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  18. ^ a b c "Chris Marsden". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Cosimo Sarli Football Stats". Soccerbase. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Dani Rodrigues". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  21. ^ a b c "Marian Pahars". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Alan Blayney". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  23. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 613
  24. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 431
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 256
  26. ^ Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 254
  27. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 03 October 1998". 11v11.com. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  28. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 21 November 1998". 11v11.com. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 09 January 1999". 11v11.com. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  30. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 30 January 1999". 11v11.com. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  31. ^ "Premier League table after close of play on 02 March 1999". 11v11.com. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  32. ^ a b "Premier League table after close of play on 10 April 1999". 11v11.com. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  33. ^ a b c d e Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 258
  34. ^ Harris, Nick (16 May 1999). "Football: Pahars makes double payment on stadium". The Independent. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  35. ^ Anka, Carl (8 May 2020). "Rebooted: 13 points at Christmas and never above 17th, yet Southampton survive". New York Times. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  36. ^ Holley & Chalk 2003, pp. 227, 234, 244, 249
  37. ^ a b c d Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 407
  38. ^ Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 408
  39. ^ a b Holley & Chalk 2003, p. 295
  40. ^ Woodhouse, Peter. "Lynn 0 Southampton 3". TheLinnets.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  41. ^ a b c Holley & Chalk 2003, pp. 259, 295, 407–408
  42. ^ "Shayne Bradley". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  43. ^ "Wayne Bridge". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  44. ^ "Garry Monk". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  45. ^ "David Hirst". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  46. ^ "Ken Monkou". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  47. ^ "Andy Williams". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  48. ^ "Phil Warner". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  49. ^ "David Hughes". SaintsPlayers.co.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (2003), Bull, David (ed.), In That Number: A Post-War Chronicle of Southampton FC, Bristol, England: Hagiology Publishing, ISBN 0-9534474-3-X
[edit]
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