1998–99 Oxford United F.C. season

Oxford United

1998–99 season
Manager	Malcolm Shotton
Stadium	Manor Ground
First Division	23rd (relegated)
FA Cup	Fourth round
League Cup	First round
Top goalscorer	League: Windass (15) All: Windass (18)
Average home league attendance	7,040
← 1997–98 1999–2000 →

During the 1998–99 English football season, Oxford United F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

Season summary

During October 1998, the backroom staff at the Oxford United were unpaid due to the club's financial situation with the new stadium, and the threat of administration caused a group of fans to set up a pressure group called Fighting for Oxford United's Life (FOUL).^[1] The group began to publicise the club's plight through a series of meetings and events, including a 'Scarf of Unity', which was a collection of scarfs from various clubs which was long enough to stretch around the perimeter of the pitch.^[1] Chairman Robin Herd stepped down to concentrate on his engineering projects, and in April 1999 Firoz Kassam bought Herd's 89.9% controlling interest in Oxford United for £1, with which he also inherited the club's estimated £15 million debt.^[2] Kassam reduced the £9 million of the debt to just £900,000, by virtue of a Company Voluntary Arrangement, by which unsecured creditors who were owed over £1,000 were reimbursed with 10p for every pound they were owed.^[3] Secured creditors were paid off when Kassam sold the Manor to another of his companies, for £6 million. Kassam set about completing the unfinished stadium, gaining planning permission for a bowling alley, a multiplex cinema, and a hotel to sit next to the stadium, following a series of legal battles which were eventually all settled.^[4] The season ended with relegation back to the Second Division.

Final league table

Pos	Team	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1.	Sunderland	46	31	12	3	91	28	105
2.	Bradford City	46	26	9	11	82	47	87
3.	Ipswich Town	46	26	8	12	69	32	86
4.	Birmingham City	46	23	12	11	66	37	81
5.	Watford	46	21	14	11	65	56	77
6.	Bolton Wanderers	46	20	16	10	78	59	76
7.	Wolverhampton Wanderers	46	19	16	11	64	43	73
8.	Sheffield United	46	18	13	15	71	66	67
9.	Norwich City	46	15	17	14	62	61	62
10.	Huddersfield Town	46	15	16	15	62	71	61
11.	Grimsby Town	46	17	10	19	40	52	61
12.	West Bromwich Albion	46	16	11	19	69	76	59
13.	Barnsley	46	14	17	15	59	56	59
14.	Crystal Palace	46	14	16	16	58	71	58
15.	Tranmere Rovers	46	12	20	14	63	61	56
16.	Stockport County	46	12	17	17	49	60	53
17.	Swindon Town	46	13	11	22	59	81	50
18.	Crewe Alexandra	46	12	12	22	54	78	48
19.	Portsmouth	46	11	14	21	57	73	47
20.	Queens Park Rangers	46	12	11	23	52	61	47
21.	Port Vale	46	13	8	25	45	75	47
22.	Bury	46	10	17	19	35	60	47
23.	Oxford United	46	10	14	22	48	71	44
24.	Bristol City	46	9	15	22	57	80	42

Key
Promoted to the Premier League
Qualified for the promotion playoff
Relegated to Division 2

NB In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference

Results

Oxford United's score comes first^[5]

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League First Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
8 August 1998	Bristol City	A	2-2	13,729	Murphy, Windass
15 August 1998	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	0-2	7,521
22 August 1998	Crystal Palace	A	0-2	14,827
29 August 1998	Grimsby Town	H	0-0	5,587
31 August 1998	Barnsley	A	0-1	15,328
6 September 1998	Portsmouth	H	3-0	6,626	Marsh, Windass (2, 1 pen)
9 September 1998	Swindon Town	A	1-4	8,305	Banger
12 September 1998	Ipswich Town	H	3-3	6,632	Banger, Windass, Thomson
19 September 1998	Sunderland	A	0-7	34,567
26 September 1998	Queens Park Rangers	H	4-1	7,489	Beauchamp, Murphy, Thomson, Windass
29 September 1998	West Bromwich Albion	H	3-0	7,437	Beauchamp, Powell, Marsh
3 October 1998	Huddersfield Town	A	0-2	10,968
10 October 1998	Tranmere Rovers	H	1-2	5,862	Windass
17 October 1998	Bolton Wanderers	A	1-1	17,064	Thomson
20 October 1998	Bury	A	0-1	3,436
24 October 1998	Sheffield United	H	0-2	6,586
31 October 1998	Crewe Alexandra	H	1-1	5,607	Windass
7 November 1998	Watford	A	0-2	10,137
14 November 1998	Birmingham City	A	1-0	18,216	Murphy
21 November 1998	Port Vale	H	2-1	5,964	Windass (pen), Powell
29 November 1998	Norwich City	A	3-1	17,851	Wilsterman, Windass, Thomson
5 December 1998	Bradford City	H	0-1	5,969
12 December 1998	Birmingham City	H	1-7	7,189	Windass
19 December 1998	Stockport County	A	0-2	6,500
26 December 1998	Crystal Palace	H	1-3	8,375	Windass
28 December 1998	Portsmouth	A	2-2	12,604	Banger (2)
9 January 1999	Bristol City	H	0-0	9,434
16 January 1999	Grimsby Town	A	0-1	6,626
30 January 1999	Barnsley	H	1-0	6,174	Windass
6 February 1999	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	1-1	20,811	Windass
13 February 1999	Swindon Town	H	2-0	8,179	Windass (2, 1 pen)
20 February 1999	Ipswich Town	A	1-2	16,920	Rémy
27 February 1999	Sunderland	H	0-0	9,044
3 March 1999	Queens Park Rangers	A	0-1	9,040
6 March 1999	West Bromwich Albion	A	0-2	13,875
9 March 1999	Huddersfield Town	H	2-2	6,034	Cook, Beauchamp
13 March 1999	Watford	H	0-0	8,137
20 March 1999	Crewe Alexandra	A	1-3	4,791	Thomson
26 March 1999	Sheffield United	A	2-1	14,115	Thomson, Banger
3 April 1999	Bolton Wanderers	H	0-0	7,547
5 April 1999	Tranmere Rovers	A	2-2	7,837	Weatherstone, Gilchrist
10 April 1999	Bury	H	0-1	6,358
17 April 1999	Port Vale	A	0-1	7,393
24 April 1999	Norwich City	H	2-4	7,345	Wilsterman, Francis
1 May 1999	Bradford City	A	0-0	15,064
9 May 1999	Stockport County	H	5-0	6,830	Gilchrist, Powell, Beauchamp, Murphy, Thomson

FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R3	2 January 1999	Crewe Alexandra	A	3-1	4,207	Windass, Murphy (2)
R4	25 January 1999	Chelsea	H	1-1	9,059	Windass
R4R	3 February 1999	Chelsea	A	2-4	32,106	Gilchrist, Windass (pen)

League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1 1st Leg	11 August 1998	Luton Town	A	3-2	3,165	Murphy (2), Weatherstone
R1 2nd Leg	18 August 1998	Luton Town	H	1-3 (lost 4-5 on agg)	5,099	Whelan

Squad

^[6] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player - GK Paul Gerrard (on loan from Everton) - DF Les Robinson - DF Phil Gilchrist - DF Mark Watson - MF Paul Powell - MF Martin Gray - MF Joey Beauchamp - FW Matt Murphy - FW Andy Thomson - FW Nicky Banger - MF Paul Tait - GK Pål Lundin - DF Phil Whelan

No. Position Player - FW Kevin Francis - DF Brian Wilsterman - FW Rob Folland - DF Christophe Rémy - FW Jamie Cook - MF Simon Weatherstone - MF Tony Wright - DF Mark Warren (on loan from Leyton Orient) - MF Mickey Lewis - DF Steve Davis - DF Andrew Rose - FW Mike Williams - GK Elliot Jackson

Left club during the season

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

No. Position Player - MF Danny Hill (to Cardiff City) - GK Phil Whitehead (to West Bromwich Albion) - DF Simon Marsh (to Birmingham City)

No. Position Player - GK Mike Salmon (on loan from Charlton Athletic) - MF David Smith (to Stockport County) - FW Dean Windass (to Bradford City)

References

1. Brodetsky p.93.
2. Brodetsky p.94.
3. Conn, David (2006-03-29). "History repeats itself at Oxford United". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
4. Brodetsky p.97.
5. http://www.statto.com/football/teams/oxford-united/1998-1999/results
6. http://www.11v11.com/teams/oxford-united/tab/players/season/1999