1997–98 Middlesbrough F.C. season

Middlesbrough
1997–98 season
Chairman Steve Gibson
Manager Bryan Robson
Stadium Riverside Stadium
First Division 2nd (promoted)
FA Cup Fourth round
League Cup Runners-up
Top goalscorer League: Beck (15)
All: Merson (16)
Average home league attendance 29,994

During the 1997–98 English football season, Middlesbrough F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

Season summary

Middlesbrough were promoted to the Premier League, also reaching the League Cup final, where the club lost its third domestic cup final in a year. Just reaching the final was a huge success, though, with the club not playing in the top flight and having lost international star players Fabrizio Ravanelli and Juninho following relegation.

The season also saw the arrivals of well-known players such as Paul Gascoigne from Rangers, Marco Branca from Inter Milan and Paul Merson from Arsenal, with Boro bucking the trend of players only being attracted by top-flight clubs.

Final league table

Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Nottingham Forest (C) 46 28 10 8 82 42+40 94 Promotion to 1998–99 FA Premier League
2 Middlesbrough (P) 46 27 10 9 77 41+36 91
3 Sunderland 46 26 12 8 86 50+36 90 Qualification for First Division play-offs
4 Charlton Athletic (P) 46 26 10 10 80 49+31 88
5 Ipswich Town 46 23 14 9 77 43+34 83
6 Sheffield United 46 19 17 10 69 54+15 74
7 Birmingham City 46 19 17 10 60 35+25 74
8 Stockport County 46 19 8 19 71 69+2 65
9 Wolverhampton Wanderers 46 18 11 17 57 53+4 65
10 West Bromwich Albion 46 16 13 17 50 566 61
11 Crewe Alexandra 46 18 5 23 58 657 59
12 Oxford United 46 16 10 20 60 644 58
13 Bradford City 46 14 15 17 46 5913 57
14 Tranmere Rovers 46 14 14 18 54 573 56
15 Norwich City 46 14 13 19 52 6917 55
16 Huddersfield Town 46 14 11 21 50 7222 53
17 Bury 46 11 19 16 42 5816 52
18 Swindon Town 46 14 10 22 42 7331 52
19 Port Vale 46 13 10 23 56 6610 49
20 Portsmouth 46 13 10 23 51 6312 49
21 Queens Park Rangers 46 10 19 17 51 6312 49
22 Manchester City (R) 46 12 12 22 56 571 48 Relegation to 1998–99 Second Division
23 Stoke City (R) 46 11 13 22 44 7430 46
24 Reading (R) 46 11 9 26 39 7839 42

Updated to games played on 3 May 1998.
Source: Statto.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Results

Middlesbrough's score comes first[1]

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
9 August 1997 Charlton AthleticH2–129,414Festa, Ravanelli
23 August 1997 Stoke CityH0–130,122
30 August 1997 Tranmere RoversA2–012,095Mustoe, Beck
2 September 1997 Stockport CountyA1–18,257Merson
13 September 1997 Bradford CityA2–217,767Kinder, Ormerod
20 September 1997 Birmingham CityH3–130,125Kinder, Beck, Emerson
28 September 1997 SunderlandA2–135,384Emerson, Mustoe
5 October 1997 Sheffield UnitedH1–230,000Beck
18 October 1997 Crewe AlexandraA1–15,759Townsend
21 October 1997 Oxford UnitedA4–18,306Emerson, Mustoe, Fleming, Merson
25 October 1997 Port ValeH2–130,096Merson (2 pens)
28 October 1997 Huddersfield TownH3–029,965Merson, Beck (2)
1 November 1997 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–126,896
5 November 1997 PortsmouthH1–129,724Townsend
8 November 1997 Queens Park RangersH3–030,067Beck, Merson, Ormerod
15 November 1997 Norwich CityA3–116,011Beck, Merson, Ormerod
22 November 1997 Swindon TownA2–115,228Merson, Emerson
26 November 1997 Nottingham ForestH0–030,143
29 November 1997 West Bromwich AlbionH1–030,164Beck
2 December 1997 Ipswich TownA1–113,619Merson
6 December 1997 BuryA1–08,016Beck
13 December 1997 ReadingH4–029,876Hignett (2), Beck (2)
20 December 1997 Manchester CityA0–228,097
26 December 1997 Huddersfield TownA1–018,820Gray (own goal)
28 December 1997 Stockport CountyH3–130,166Hignett, Beck (2)
10 January 1998 Charlton AthleticA0–315,742
17 January 1998 Ipswich TownH1–130,081Pearson
1 February 1998 Stoke CityA2–113,242Pearson, Moreno
4 February 1998 Tranmere RoversH3–029,540Hignett, Merson (2)
7 February 1998 Birmingham CityA1–120,639Festa
14 February 1998 Bradford CityH1–030,165Hignett
21 February 1998 SunderlandH3–130,227Branca (2), Armstrong
25 February 1998 Crewe AlexandraH1–029,936Maddison
1 March 1998 Nottingham ForestA0–425,286
4 March 1998 Queens Park RangersA0–511,580
11 March 1998 Swindon TownH6–029,581Branca (2), Maddison (2), Armstrong (2)
14 March 1998 PortsmouthA0–017,003
22 March 1998 Norwich CityH3–030,040Maddison, Armstrong, Beck
4 April 1998 West Bromwich AlbionA1–220,620Branca
7 April 1998 Sheffield UnitedA0–118,421
11 April 1998 BuryH4–030,218Ricard, Branca (3)
13 April 1998 ReadingA1–014,501Branca
17 April 1998 Manchester CityH1–030,182Armstrong
24 April 1998 Port ValeA1–025,781Merson
29 April 1998 Wolverhampton WanderersH1–129,878Ricard
3 May 1998 Oxford UnitedH4–130,228Armstrong (2), Hignett (2)

FA Cup

Main article: 1997–98 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R33 January 1998 Queens Park RangersA2–213,379Hignett, Mustoe
R3R13 January 1998 Queens Park RangersH2–021,817Campbell, Mustoe
R424 January 1998 ArsenalH1–228,264Merson

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R2 First Leg 16 September 1997 BarnetH1–09,611Freestone
R2 Second Leg 23 September 1997 BarnetA2–0 (won 3-0 on agg)3,968Beck, Merson (pen)
R315 October 1997 SunderlandH2–026,451Campbell, Hignett
R418 November 1997 Bolton WanderersH2–1 (a.e.t.)22,801Summerbell, Hignett
R56 January 1998 ReadingA1–013,072Hignett
SF 1st Leg 27 January 1998 LiverpoolA1–233,438Merson
SF 2nd Leg 18 February 1998 LiverpoolH2–0 (won 3-2 on agg)29,828Merson (pen), Branca
F29 March 1998 ChelseaN0–277,698

Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
- Australia GK Mark Schwarzer
- England GK Ben Roberts
- England GK Marlon Beresford
- Wales GK Andy Dibble
- Italy DF Gianluca Festa
- England DF Steve Vickers
- England DF Curtis Fleming
- England DF Nigel Pearson
- Slovakia DF Vladimír Kinder
- England DF Craig Harrison
- Scotland DF Derek Whyte
- England DF Steve Baker
- England DF Craig Liddle
- Scotland DF Robbie Stockdale
- Republic of Ireland DF Jason Gavin
- England DF Alan White
- England MF Paul Merson
- Republic of Ireland MF Andy Townsend
- England MF Robbie Mustoe
- Brazil MF Emerson
- England MF Neil Maddison
- England MF Michael Thomas
No. Position Player
- England MF Anthony Ormerod
- England MF Phil Stamp
- England MF Paul Gascoigne
- England MF Mark Summerbell
- Republic of Ireland MF Alan Moore
- Wales MF Clayton Blackmore
- Portugal MF Fabio Moreira
- Republic of Ireland MF Ronnie O'Brien
- Republic of Ireland MF Micky Cummins
- England MF Paul Connor
- England MF Andrew Swalwell
- Republic of Ireland MF John O'Loughlin
- Denmark FW Mikkel Beck
- England FW Craig Hignett
- Italy FW Marco Branca
- England FW Alun Armstrong
- England FW Andy Campbell
- Colombia FW Hamilton Ricard
- Italy FW Fabrizio Ravanelli
- Bolivia FW Jaime Moreno
- England FW Chris Freestone
- England FW Kris Trevor

References

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