1998–99 Manchester United F.C. season

On the opening weekend of the season, Manchester United faced Leicester City at Old Trafford, and went a goal down within seven minutes, when Emile Heskey turned in Muzzy Izzet's cross via the crossbar. Tony Cottee – the scorer in the previous season's corresponding fixture – added a second with 15 minutes remaining. A long-range shot from David Beckham deflected in off Teddy Sheringham three minutes later, before Beckham himself got on the scoresheet with a direct free kick to salvage a point for the home side, setting a precedent for things to come.[4] The team's first away game followed at West Ham United, but despite the debut of striker Dwight Yorke, United were held to a goalless draw. Beckham, who had become a national hate figure after his dismissal at the World Cup, received a torrid reception by the home supporters, with every touch of the ball made by him jeered at. Bottles and stones were directed at the team bus prior to kick-off.[5] After the game, Ferguson, his players, and the Manchester United staff refused to be interviewed by the press or television.[6]

Manchester United recorded their first win of the season on 9 September, beating newly promoted Charlton Athletic 4–1.[7] Yorke and Ole Gunnar Solskjær each scored a brace to overturn the visitors' early lead. The match was marred by demonstrations in and around Old Trafford against the proposed takeover of the club by BSkyB.[8] Obscene chants were directed at chairman Martin Edwards, who had given his support to the merger.[7] A 2–0 victory against Coventry City the following week, thanks to goals from Yorke and Ronny Johnsen, gave United confidence ahead of their UEFA Champions League opener against Barcelona,[9] but a 3–0 defeat to champions Arsenal left the team in 10th place after five matches.[10] This was Arsène Wenger's third straight league victory over Ferguson (four in all competitions); goals from Tony Adams, Nicolas Anelka and Freddie Ljungberg condemned Manchester United to their heaviest away defeat in more than two years. To compound the misery, midfielder Nicky Butt, who had been sent off in the Champions League match earlier in the week, was handed a second red card in the space of four days for a foul on French international Patrick Vieira.[10] United ended the month with a win, beating rivals Liverpool 2–0 to move into fifth spot.[11]

A trip to face Southampton at The Dell on 3 October was taken with caution given United's return from Munich in the Champions League and winless record at the ground. United had lost to Southampton on each of their last three visits, including a 6–3 defeat in 1996.[12] Andy Cole was paired with Yorke for only the second time in the season, a tactic that paid off as both got on the scoresheet. Substitute Jordi Cruyff added a third in the 75th minute to move United into second place in the table, four points behind leaders Aston Villa going into the international break.[13] Raimond van der Gouw who deputised for injured goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel at Southampton featured again at home to Wimbledon, a match that Manchester United won 5–1, the biggest win of the season at Old Trafford.[14] Ryan Giggs, Beckham, Yorke and Cole (twice) all scored; Ferguson in particular hailed the contribution of 19-year-old defender Wes Brown.[14] United earned a point away at Derby County on 24 October,[15] and beat Everton 4–1 at Goodison Park on Halloween to cut the gap at the top to just a point.[16]

Manchester United failed to score at home for the first and only time of the season against Newcastle United,[17] but made amends with a 3–2 victory over bottom team Blackburn Rovers.[18] Defensive frailties, most notably from Schmeichel, who had announced his intention to leave Manchester United at the end of the season,[19] were on show away to Sheffield Wednesday as the team missed the chance to go top of the table, losing 3–1.[20] A brace from winger Niclas Alexandersson and a debut goal scored by Wim Jonk consigned Ferguson to his second defeat in the league and extended a barren run at Hillsborough; United had won only a single game in their last eight visits.[20] On 29 November, Manchester United hosted Leeds United; Leeds opened the scoring with just under half an hour played, but a goal either side of half-time gave United the lead. Leeds equalised in the 52nd minute, but a moment of brilliance from Butt secured the three points for the Red Devils and kept up the pressure on the challengers.[21]

Three straight draws followed in December, the first away to league leaders Aston Villa.[22] United were fortunate to pick up a point given their opponents' dominance in the second half, and were careless at Tottenham Hotspur, throwing away a 2–0 lead.[23] Solskjær put United two goals ahead, but in the 39th minute Gary Neville received a red card for a second bookable offence, tugging on David Ginola's shirt. Spurs captain Sol Campbell brought his team back into the match with 20 minutes remaining and on the cusp of stoppage time powered a header in the top left-hand corner, sparking jubilant scenes at White Hart Lane; despite losing the lead, the result put United top of the league on goal difference ahead of Aston Villa, who faced Arsenal the following day. Chelsea grabbed a creditable draw at Old Trafford to stake their championship credentials four days later[24] and United, who were without their manager Ferguson for the Middlesbrough game[25] were beaten 3–2; it was their last defeat of the season.[26] On Boxing Day, the team collected their only win in the month of December against Nottingham Forest[27] followed by a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge in the last match of 1998 to solidify their position in the top four.[28]

A power cut at Old Trafford delayed proceedings against West Ham on 10 January, a match that ended 4–1 to Manchester United. The partnership of Yorke and Cole was starting to click, evident in the 6–2 win at Leicester City. Five goals were scored in the second half – including a hat-trick for Yorke and Stam's only goal for the club – cutting Chelsea's lead at the top to two points.[29] On 31 January, Manchester United moved a point clear at the top of the league for the first time in the season.[30] Yorke's late header in the 89th minute made the 1–0 victory at Charlton Athletic their third consecutive league win (fifth in the month). Ferguson praised the team's resolve, adding, "It's a good result for us, because there are games where you have to dig in and find a result."[30]

That winning streak extended to five matches in February, starting with a 1–0 victory at home to Derby County on 3 February to move four points ahead of Chelsea,[31] followed by an 8–1 win against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground; after Yorke and Cole had scored two goals each, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came off the bench and scored four times in the space of ten minutes to record the biggest away win in Premier League history, a record that would stand for more than 20 years.[32][33] Ron Atkinson, the manager of Nottingham Forest and Alex Ferguson's predecessor as Manchester United manager, declared Manchester United to be the best team in the league by "a country mile",[34] and Ferguson was now handed a selection dilemma ahead of the clash against Arsenal on 17 February. The Gunners were without Dennis Bergkamp, Emmanuel Petit and Martin Keown,[35] and conceded an early penalty when Ray Parlour brought down Johnsen. Yorke missed, shooting wide of the right-hand post, and was made to pay early in the second half as Nwankwo Kanu's through-ball found striker Anelka, who put his team into the lead. Given Arsenal's defensive record,[36] another clean sheet looked to be on the cards until a header by Cole just after the hour mark drew the game level. From then on, United had several chances to win the game, but a point each left the title race finely balanced. Back-to-back wins, starting with a 1–0 victory at Coventry on 20 February,[37] followed by a 2–1 win at home to Southampton a week later,[38] maintained United's grip on top spot.

Cup duties were the main priority in March as United played only two league fixtures: away to Newcastle and at home to Everton. Two wins out of two, including two goals by Cole against his former club, Newcastle,[39] helped United become the first team to reach 60 points in the season.

Manchester United could only manage a 1–1 draw at Wimbledon on 3 April as Beckham's well-drilled shot cancelled out Jason Euell's opener in the fifth minute.[40] Despite several of the first-team members being rested for the Juventus tie, United won 3–0 at Old Trafford against Sheffield Wednesday[41] and battled well to earn a point against Leeds at Elland Road after the midweek tie at Juventus;[42] however, the result allowed Arsenal to move to the top of the table for the first time in the season, albeit having played one game more, after scoring six against Middlesbrough at the Riverside.[43]

Another victory over Aston Villa on 1 May put United back on top of the league, but Arsenal's win at Derby the next day restored the champions' slender advantage. Against Liverpool at Anfield, Ferguson restored the Cole–Yorke strike partnership, and within 23 minutes the latter scored the opener from a Beckham cross. In the second half, United were awarded a penalty for a challenge on Jesper Blomqvist by Jamie Carragher, which Denis Irwin successfully converted; however, Irwin was sent off in the 75th minute for a second bookable offence just after Jamie Redknapp scored through a penalty to give Liverpool hope. Former United midfielder Paul Ince scrambled the equaliser two minutes from time. The United manager did not hide his discomfort, adding that he thought "the referee handed it to them".[44] On the same night, Arsenal convincingly beat rivals Tottenham to move three points clear, having still played a game more.[45] Wenger was adamant that United were marginal favourites,[45] but it was clear the title race would be decided on the final day, as it had been in 1995.

With three games remaining, Yorke scored his 29th goal of the season at Middlesbrough to help his team return to the top of the table. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's late winner against Arsenal two days later all but ended Wenger's chances of retaining the league championship.[46] United now needed only four points, one of them gained at Ewood Park, in the process relegating Blackburn Rovers, who were now managed by former United assistant manager Brian Kidd. Manchester United eventually secured the championship, their fifth in seven seasons, on the final day; after Les Ferdinand had put Tottenham ahead, goals from Beckham and Cole either side of half-time gave United a 2–1 win that rendered Arsenal's victory over Aston Villa irrelevant.[47]

Colours: Green = Manchester United win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.

Manchester United began their UEFA Champions League campaign against Polish champions ŁKS Łódź in the second qualifying round. Goals from Giggs and Cole in the home leg gave them a 2–0 win,[59] and a goalless second leg ensured their qualification for the group stage.[60] This gave Łódź the distinction of being the only side to keep a clean sheet against the eventual champions as well as being the only opponents failing to score against them.

Colours: Green = Manchester United win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.

United were drawn in Group D, quickly labelled the competition's "group of death", along with Spanish club Barcelona, German champions Bayern Munich and Danish side Brøndby.[61]

Both games against Barcelona ended in draws. Despite Giggs, Scholes and Beckham putting the team into a 3–2 lead at Old Trafford, the visitors were awarded a late penalty after Butt was sent off for handling the ball. Luis Enrique converted the ball into the net to leave both teams with a point on Matchday One.[62] In the return game on 25 November at the Camp Nou, a fixture that Barça needed to win to avoid elimination, Dwight Yorke's goals put United ahead 3–2, but Barça star Rivaldo equalized and nearly scored again but his effort hit the crossbar.[63]

United were denied victory by Bayern Munich twice, home and away. In Munich, the home side equalised with two minutes to go with United leading 2–1, after Schmeichel uncharacteristically went for and missed Bixente Lizarazu's throw-in, allowing Giovane Élber to tap in from a few yards out and score his second of the match.[64] The return leg ended in a stalemate; Roy Keane scored just before half-time via a low header before Hasan Salihamidžić equalised for the visitors.[63]

United inflicted two heavy defeats on Brøndby, beating them 6–2 in Copenhagen[65] and 5–0 at Old Trafford.[66]

Results in the other groups meant that a second-place finish was enough for United to progress into the quarter-finals, joining group leaders Bayern Munich.

Colours: Green = Manchester United win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Bayern Munich	6	3	2	1	9	6	+3	11	Advance to knockout stage
2	Manchester United	6	2	4	0	20	11	+9	10
3	Barcelona	6	2	2	2	11	9	+2	8
4	Brøndby	6	1	0	5	4	18	−14	3

In the knockout stage United played two Italian sides in the quarter and semi-finals, Internazionale and Juventus respectively; United had never won on an Italian pitch.

In the quarter-finals, Beckham faced Diego Simeone for the first time since the 1998 World Cup. In the first leg at Old Trafford, United beat Inter 2–0 with two almost identical goals from Yorke, both from crosses by Beckham; Simeone's second-half goal was disallowed for pushing.[67] At the San Siro, Scholes scored a late away goal to level the game at 1–1 as United advanced 3–1 on aggregate.[68]

In the semi-finals, Juve's captain Antonio Conte met Edgar Davids' pass to give Juventus an away goal. United equalised in injury-time through Giggs, who converted a Beckham cross: a Teddy Sheringham goal a few minutes earlier had been disallowed.[69] A draw meant that United either needed to win in Italy, or get a score-draw of 2–2 or greater.

In the second leg at the Stadio delle Alpi, Filippo Inzaghi scored twice in the first 11 minutes to give Juve a 3–1 aggregate lead. Team captain Roy Keane, however, who was shown a yellow card preventing him from playing the final, headed in a Beckham cross. Dwight Yorke added a second to level the match just before the break. In the second half, Cole put United ahead for the first time in the match and the tie. Yorke was brought down by the Juve keeper Angelo Peruzzi in the area as he went round him, but the referee played the advantage and Cole tapped in from an acute angle.[70] United held on for their first victory in Italy and booked their place in the Camp Nou for the final, against group opponents Bayern Munich.

Colours: Green = Manchester United win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.

The Treble trophies: the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup (left to right)

United were without first-choice central midfielders Keane and Scholes, as both were suspended after receiving a second yellow card in the competition. Ferguson reorganised the team, with Blomqvist and Butt replacing Keane and Scholes, Beckham moving from right-wing to centre-midfield and Giggs moving from the left to the right wing. United lined up in their normal 4–4–2 formation.[71] This was the final match for Peter Schmeichel, who captained the team.[71]

Mario Basler's free kick after six minutes opened the scoring for Bayern Munich. Bayern then had the chance to extend their lead with Mehmet Scholl hitting the post and Carsten Jancker the crossbar, forcing Peter Schmeichel to make numerous saves. In reaction to going a goal down, Ferguson substituted in Solskjær and Sheringham. As the game went to injury time, referee Pierluigi Collina indicated that three minutes would be played. In almost the last attack of the game, United won a corner, which Beckham took and goalkeeper Schmeichel went up front for. The ball was partially cleared by the Bayern defence before being played back to Giggs, who sent a low volley into the path of Sheringham, whose scuffed shot squeezed low inside the post.[71]

Almost immediately after the equaliser United won another corner, again taken by Beckham. He landed the ball on the head of Sheringham who nodded it to Solskjær who in turn toe-poked it into the roof of the net. Oliver Kahn, the Bayern goalkeeper, was motionless on the line. United had completed the come-back. Bayern barely had time to restart the game, which referee Collina brought to a close just a few seconds later.[71]

Schmeichel and Ferguson were presented with the trophy by UEFA president Lennart Johansson. Despite their suspensions, both Keane and Scholes received winners' medals on the rostrum. Keane claims that to date he has not looked at the medal, feeling that his absence had tainted the accomplishment to the extent that he "didn't deserve the medal".[72] Substituted Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus removed his runner-up medal as soon as he received it, and later remarked that United were "lucky" to win the final.[73]

Manchester United became the first English team to win the Champions League since it was rebranded in 1992, and the first to win the European Cup overall since Liverpool beat Roma in 1984.[71] Coincidentally, the final was played on what would have been Sir Matt Busby's 90th birthday; he had died five years earlier and never saw the club repeat his achievement of 31 years earlier.[71]

When BSkyB publicised their intentions to take over Manchester United, supporters reacted angrily to the news. Many felt the club's traditions, built on a loyal fanbase and the attractive football played under Matt Busby and now Alex Ferguson would be tarnished.[99] United were no longer an independent entity,[99] and major decisions affecting the club looked increasingly likely to be taken on the other side of the globe.[99]

As a means of rallying supporters to get behind their cause, awareness campaigns against the takeover were launched. Red Issue issued pamphlets to fans[100] and demonstrations in and around Old Trafford took place before the match against Charlton Athletic on 9 September.[7] Football fans across the United Kingdom also lent support by lobbying their local MPs into passing a legislation, preventing further sport takeovers in the future.[101]

Perhaps the significance of the protests was the formation of Shareholders United Against Murdoch, more commonly known as Manchester United Supporters' Trust today, by journalist Michael Crick. Working alongside IMUSA (Independent Manchester United Supporters Association), their joint aim was to seek for the merger to be referred by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.[102] Both groups therefore submitted papers to the Office of Fair Trading, stressing the importance of why the merger should not be carried out.[102] IMUSA in particular argued that BSkyB's main intention was not that of United's but their already dominant position.[103] Sky Television's relevant market was premium subscription channels and by buying an established Premier League team when they already had rights to the division was purely for financial gain. Moreover, Manchester United's market was on the pitch and an acquisition by a media organisation – particularly one run by Murdoch – may create detrimental damage to the sport in the long term.[104]

Bowing down to public pressure, the trade secretary Peter Mandelson referred the deal to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission in October 1998.[105] The report, finalised in April 1999, found that BSkyB acted selfishly and blocked the broadcaster's bid.[106][107]

Figures announced during the season named Manchester United as the richest in world football, with a turnover of £88 million for 1996–97, 50% more than Barcelona in second place at £59 million.[108][109]