1997–98 Aston Villa F.C. season
In the 1997–98 English football season, Aston Villa competed in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons).
| 1997–98 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Doug Ellis | |||
| Manager | Brian Little (until 24 February) John Gregory (from 25 February) | |||
| Stadium | Villa Park | |||
| Premiership | 7th | |||
| FA Cup | Fifth round | |||
| League Cup | Third round | |||
| UEFA Cup | Quarter-finals | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Dwight Yorke (12) All: Dwight Yorke (14) | |||
| Average home league attendance | 36,137 | |||
|
| ||||
When Brian Little resigned as Aston Villa manager in February, Villa were 15th in the Premiership and were starting to look like outside bets for relegation.[1] Ruud Gullit, recently sacked by Chelsea, was linked with the vacancy, but the surprise choice for the job was Wycombe manager John Gregory, a former Villa coach.[2] He influenced a late run of form which saw Villa climb to seventh place, and for the second season running Villa qualified for the UEFA Cup via the UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking.[3]
Kit
| Kit Supplier | Sponsor |
|---|---|
| Reebok | AST Computer |
Transfers
Transferred in
| Date | Pos | Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 May 1997 | CF | Stan Collymore | Liverpool | £7,000,000 |
| 26 June 1997 | RB | Simon Grayson | Leicester City | £1,300,000 |
| 27 November 1997 | CM |  David Curtolo | Västerås | £30,000 |
| £8,330,000 |
Record
Loaned in
| Date | Pos | Player | From | Loan End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 August 1997 | GK | Paul Crichton | West Bromwich Albion | 13 August 1997 |
Transferred out
| Date | Pos | Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 1997 | LM |  Gareth Farrelly | Everton | £750,000 |
| 29 August 1997 | CM | Andy Townsend | Middlesbrough | £500,000 |
| 1 September 1997 | GK | Stuart Brock | Kidderminster | Free transfer |
| 9 December 1997 | RM |  Scott Murray | Bristol City | £150,000 |
| 26 March 1998 | DM | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Saša Ćurčić | Crystal Palace | £1,000,000 |
| £2,400,000 |
Loaned out
| Date | Pos | Player | To | Loan End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 August 1997 | CF | Neil Davis | Tranmere Rovers | 23 August 1997 |
| 26 March 1998 | LB |  David Hughes | Carlisle United | 26 April 1998 |
Overall transfer activity
Expenditure
|
Income
|
Balance
|
Squad
First Team
| # | Name | Position | Nationality | Place of birth | Date of birth (Age) | Signed from | Date signed | Fee | Apps | Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||||
| 1 | Mark Bosnich | GK | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} | Liverpool | 13 January 1972 (aged 25) | Sydney Croatia | 28 February 1992 | Free transfer | 169 | 0 |
| 13 | Michael Oakes | GK |  | Northwich | 30 October 1973 (aged 23) | Academy | 1 July 1991 | — | 24 | 0 |
| 29 | Paul Crichton | GK | | Pontefract | 3 October 1968 (aged 28) | West Bromwich Albion | 7 August 1997 | Loan | - | - |
| 29* | Matthew Ghent | GK | | Burton upon Trent | 5 September 1980 (aged 16) | Academy | 1 July 1997 | — | - | - |
| 30 | Adam Rachel | GK | | Birmingham | 30 December 1976 (aged 20) | Academy | 1 July 1995 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Stuart Brock | GK | | West Bromwich | 26 September 1976 (aged 20) | Academy | 1 July 1996 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Defenders | ||||||||||
| 2 | Gary Charles | RB | | Newham | 13 April 1970 (aged 27) | Derby County | 6 January 1995 | £1,450,000 | 63 | 1 |
| 3 | Steve Staunton | LB | | Dundalk | 19 January 1969 (aged 28) | Liverpool | 7 August 1991 | £1,100,000 | 225 | 15 |
| 4 | Gareth Southgate (c) | CB | | Watford | 3 September 1970 (aged 26) | Crystal Palace | 1 July 1995 | £3,500,000 | 77 | 3 |
| 5 | Ugo Ehiogu | CB | | Hackney | 3 November 1972 (aged 24) | West Bromwich Albion | 12 July 1991 | £40,000 | 176 | 10 |
| 14 | Alan Wright | LB | | Ashton-under-Lyne | 28 September 1971 (aged 25) | Blackburn Rovers | 10 March 1995 | £1,000,000 | 104 | 3 |
| 15 | Fernando Nélson | RB |  | Porto | 5 November 1971 (aged 25) | Sporting | 2 August 1996 | £1,700,000 | 39 | 0 |
| 16 | Simon Grayson | RB | | Ripon | 16 December 1969 (aged 27) | Leicester City | 26 June 1997 | £1,300,000 | - | - |
| 19 | David Hughes | LB | | Wrexham | 1 February 1978 (aged 19) | Academy | 1 July 1996 | — | 7 | 0 |
| 20 | Riccardo Scimeca | CB | | Leamington Spa | 13 June 1975 (aged 22) | Academy | 1 July 1995 | — | 22 | 0 |
| 21 | Lee Collins | LB | | Birmingham | 10 September 1977 (aged 19) | Academy | 1 July 1997 | — | - | - |
| 24* | Gareth Barry | LB | | Hastings | 23 February 1981 (aged 16) | Academy | 1 January 1998 | — | - | - |
| Midfielders | ||||||||||
| 6 | Andy Townsend | CM | | Maidstone | 26 July 1963 (aged 33) | Chelsea | 26 July 1993 | £2,100,000 | 172 | 11 |
| 7 | Ian Taylor | CM | | Birmingham | 4 June 1968 (aged 29) | Sheffield Wednesday | 21 December 1994 | £1,000,000 | 96 | 9 |
| 8 | Mark Draper | CM | | Long Eaton | 11 November 1970 (aged 26) | Leicester City | 5 July 1995 | £3,250,000 | 82 | 5 |
| 17 | Lee Hendrie | RM | | Solihull | 18 May 1977 (aged 20) | Academy | 1 July 1995 | — | 10 | 0 |
| 18 | Saša Ćurčić | DM | | Belgrade | 14 February 1972 (aged 25) | Bolton Wanderers | 1 July 1995 | £4.000.000 | 25 | 5 |
| 24 | Scott Murray | RM | | Fraserburgh | 26 May 1974 (aged 23) | Academy | 1 July 1995 | — | 4 | 0 |
| Forwards | ||||||||||
| 9 | Savo Milošević | CF | | Bijeljina | 2 September 1973 (aged 23) | Partizan | 26 June 1995 | £3,500,000 | 85 | 24 |
| 10 | Dwight Yorke | CF |  | Canaan | 3 November 1971 (aged 25) | Signal Hill | 19 July 1991 | £120,000 | 237 | 82 |
| 11 | Stan Collymore | CF | | Tittensor | 22 January 1971 (aged 26) | Liverpool | 13 May 1997 | £7,000,000 | - | - |
| 12 | Julian Joachim | CF | | Peterborough | 20 September 1974 (aged 22) | Leicester City | 24 February 1996 | £1,890,000 | 28 | 4 |
| 22 | Darius Vassell | CF | | Birmingham | 13 June 1980 (aged 17) | Academy | 1 January 1998 | — | - | - |
| 23 | Neil Davis | CF | | Bloxwich | 15 August 1973 (aged 23) | Academy | 1 July 1995 | — | 3 | 0 |
| 25 | Darren Byfield | CF |  | Sutton Coldfield | 29 September 1976 (aged 20) | Academy | 1 July 1997 | — | - | - |
| 27 | Richard Walker | CF | | Bloxwich | 8 November 1977 (aged 19) | Academy | 1 July 1997 | — | - | - |
*squad number was re-used following a players departure.
Note: Stats and ages are correct as of July 1, 1997.
Final league table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Leeds United | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 57 | 46 | +11 | 59 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[lower-alpha 1] |
| 6 | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 57 | 52 | +5 | 58 | |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 38 | 17 | 6 | 15 | 49 | 48 | +1 | 57 | |
| 8 | West Ham United | 38 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 56 | 57 | −1 | 56 | |
| 9 | Derby County | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 52 | 49 | +3 | 55 |
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
Notes:
- Aston Villa was rewarded entry to the UEFA Cup through UEFA Fair Play ranking.
Results
Aston Villa's score comes first[4]
Legend
| Win | Draw | Loss |
FA Premier League
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 August 1997 | Leicester City | A | 0–1 | 20,304 | |
| 13 August 1997 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 0–4 | 37,112 | |
| 23 August 1997 | Newcastle United | A | 0–1 | 36,783 | |
| 27 August 1997 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 2–3 | 26,317 | Yorke 27', Collymore 58' |
| 30 August 1997 | Leeds United | H | 1–0 | 39,027 | Yorke 67' |
| 13 September 1997 | Barnsley | A | 3–0 | 18,649 | Ehiogu 25', Draper 50', Taylor 72' |
| 20 September 1997 | Derby County | H | 2–1 | 35,444 | Yorke 72', Joachim 75' |
| 22 September 1997 | Liverpool | A | 0–3 | 34,843 | |
| 27 September 1997 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 2–2 | 32,044 | Staunton 32', Taylor 49' |
| 4 October 1997 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–0 | 24,186 | Milošević 12' |
| 18 October 1997 | Wimbledon | H | 1–2 | 32,087 | Taylor 45' |
| 26 October 1997 | Arsenal | A | 0–0 | 38,061 | |
| 1 November 1997 | Chelsea | H | 0–2 | 39,372 | |
| 8 November 1997 | Crystal Palace | A | 1–1 | 21,097 | Joachim 86' |
| 22 November 1997 | Everton | H | 2–1 | 36,389 | Milošević 37', Ehiogu 56' |
| 29 November 1997 | West Ham United | A | 1–2 | 24,976 | Yorke 47' |
| 6 December 1997 | Coventry City | H | 3–0 | 33,250 | Collymore 21', Hendrie 71', Joachim 85' |
| 15 December 1997 | Manchester United | A | 0–1 | 55,151 | |
| 20 December 1997 | Southampton | H | 1–1 | 29,343 | Taylor 64' |
| 26 December 1997 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 4–1 | 38,644 | Draper 38', 68', Collymore 81', 89' |
| 28 December 1997 | Leeds United | A | 1–1 | 36,287 | Milošević 85' |
| 10 January 1998 | Leicester City | H | 1–1 | 36,429 | Joachim 87' |
| 17 January 1998 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0–5 | 24,834 | |
| 1 February 1998 | Newcastle United | H | 0–1 | 38,266 | |
| 7 February 1998 | Derby County | A | 1–0 | 30,251 | Yorke 90' |
| 18 February 1998 | Manchester United | H | 0–2 | 39,372 | |
| 21 February 1998 | Wimbledon | A | 1–2 | 13,131 | Milošević 41' |
| 28 February 1998 | Liverpool | H | 2–1 | 39,372 | Collymore 10', 65' |
| 8 March 1998 | Chelsea | A | 1–0 | 33,018 | Joachim 51' |
| 11 March 1998 | Barnsley | H | 0–1 | 29,519 | |
| 14 March 1998 | Crystal Palace | H | 3–1 | 33,781 | Taylor 1', Milošević pen 14', 35' |
| 28 March 1998 | Everton | A | 4–1 | 36,471 | Joachim 12', Charles 62', Yorke pen 72', 81' |
| 4 April 1998 | West Ham United | H | 2–0 | 39,372 | Joachim 76', Milošević 82' |
| 11 April 1998 | Coventry City | A | 2–1 | 22,792 | Yorke 5', 48' |
| 18 April 1998 | Southampton | A | 2–1 | 15,238 | Hendrie 6', Yorke 60' |
| 25 April 1998 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1–3 | 38,392 | Taylor 57' |
| 2 May 1998 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 3–1 | 34,177 | Yorke 21', Hendrie 25', Joachim 50' |
| 10 May 1998 | Arsenal | H | 1–0 | 39,372 | Yorke 37' (pen) |
FA Cup
| 3 January 1998 R3 | Portsmouth | 2-2 | Aston Villa | Portsmouth |
| 15:00 | Foster  6' 40' |
Steve Staunton 41' Simon Grayson 88' |
Stadium: Fratton Park Attendance: 16,013 Referee: Uriah Rennie |
| 14 January 1998 R3R | Aston Villa | 1-0 | Portsmouth | Birmingham |
| 19:45 | Milošević 21' |
Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 23,355 Referee: Uriah Rennie |
| 24 January 1998 R4 | Aston Villa | 4-0 | West Bromwich Albion | Birmingham |
| 15:00 | Grayson 4' Yorke 62' 64'Collymore 72' |
Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 39,372 Referee: Neale Barry |
| 14 February 1998 R5 | Aston Villa | 0-1 | Coventry City | Birmingham |
| 15:00 | Viorel Moldovan 72' |
Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 36,979 Referee: Gary Willard |
League Cup
| 15 October 1997 R3 | West Ham United | 3-0 | Aston Villa | London |
| 19:45 | Hartson 9' 81' Lampard 17' |
Stadium: Boleyn Ground Attendance: 20,360 Referee: Stephen Lodge |
UEFA Cup
| 16 September 1997 R1 L1 | Bordeaux  | 0-0 | Aston Villa | Bordeaux |
| 20:30 | Stadium: Stade du Parc Lescure Attendance: 16,800 Referee: Armand Ancion |
| 30 September 1997 R1 L2 | Aston Villa | 1-0 (a.e.t.) (1-0 agg.) | Bordeaux | Birmingham |
| 19:45 | Milošević 111'} |
Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 33,072 Referee: Knud Erik Fisker |
| 21 October 1997 R2 L1 | Athletic Bilbao  | 0-0 | Aston Villa | Bilbao |
| 20:30 | Stadium: San Mamés Attendance: 39,000 Referee: Hartmut Strampe |
| 4 November 1997 R2 L2 | Aston Villa | 2-1 (2-1 agg.) | Athletic Bilbao | Birmingham |
| 19:30 | Taylor 27' Yorke 50' |
González 70' |
Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 35,915 Referee: Sándor Piller |
| 25 November 1997 R3 L1 | Steaua Bucharest  | 2-1 | Aston Villa | Bucharest |
| 19:45 | Ciocoiu 30' 32' |
Yorke 54' |
Stadium: Stadionul Steaua Attendance: 24,000 Referee: Ľuboš Micheľ |
| 9 December 1997 R3 L2 | Aston Villa | 2-0 (3-2 agg.) | Steaua Bucharest | Birmingham |
| 19:45 | Milošević 71' Taylor 85' |
Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 35,102 Referee: Bernd Heynemann |
| 3 March 1998 QF L1 | Atlético Madrid | 1-0 | Aston Villa | Madrid |
| 21:30 | Vieri 42' (pen) |
Stadium: Estadio Vicente Calderón Attendance: 51,000 Referee: Stefano Braschi |
| 17 March 1998 QF L2 | Aston Villa | 2-1 (2-2* agg.) | Atlético Madrid | Birmingham |
| 19:45 | Taylor 72' Collymore 74' |
Caminero 28' |
Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 39,163 Referee: Mario van der Ende |
References
- "Little resigns from Villa". BBC Sport. 24 February 1998. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- "Ex-backroom boy gets Villa job". BBC Sport. 25 February 1998. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- Aston Villa 1997/1998. WorldFootball.net. Accessed 2 March 2012.
- Soccerbase: 1997–98 Aston Villa results
External links
- Aston Villa official website
- avfchistory.co.uk 1997–98 season
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