The 1997–98 season was Sheffield Wednesday F.C.'s 131st season. They competed in the twenty-team FA Premier League, the top tier of English football, finishing sixteenth.
Season summary Having narrowly missed out on a UEFA Cup place in 1996–97, the club record £5.7 million signing of Italian striker Paolo Di Canio from Celtic gave Owls fans hopes of another challenge for Europe. But it was not to be, and by the time they lost 6–1 to Manchester United in November, relegation was looking a real possibility. Manager David Pleat was swiftly sacked, and Ron Atkinson – manager of the 1991 promotion and League Cup winning side – returned to the manager's seat on a short-term contract. He achieved safety by a margin of four points, in 16th place on 44 points by virtue of goal difference (three other sides had finished on 44 points), and was disappointed on being told that his contract would not be renewed. He was succeeded by Danny Wilson, a former Owls player who played for them in the early, more successful part of the decade.
Final league table
Results summary
Results by round
Results Sheffield Wednesday's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
FA Premier League DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 9 August 1997 Newcastle UnitedA1–236,711Carbone 13 August 1997 Leeds UnitedH1–331,520Hyde 23 August 1997 WimbledonA1–111,503Di Canio 27 August 1997 Blackburn RoversA2–719,618Carbone (2) 30 August 1997 Leicester CityH1–024,851Carbone (pen) 13 September 1997 LiverpoolA1–234,705Collins 20 September 1997 Coventry CityH0–021,087 24 September 1997 Derby CountyH2–522,391Di Canio, Carbone (pen) 27 September 1997 Aston VillaA2–232,044Collins, Whittingham 4 October 1997 EvertonH3–124,486Carbone (2, 1 pen), Di Canio 19 October 1997 Tottenham HotspurA2–325,097Collins, Di Canio 25 October 1997 Crystal PalaceH1–322,072Collins 1 November 1997 Manchester UnitedA1–655,259Whittingham 8 November 1997 Bolton WanderersH5–025,027Di Canio, Whittingham, Booth (3) 22 November 1997 ArsenalH2–034,373Booth, Whittingham 29 November 1997 SouthamptonA3–215,244Atherton, Collins, Di Canio 8 December 1997 BarnsleyH2–129,086Stefanović, Di Canio 13 December 1997 West Ham UnitedA0–124,344 20 December 1997 ChelseaH1–428,334Pembridge 26 December 1997 Blackburn RoversH0–033,502 28 December 1997 Leicester CityA1–120,800Booth 10 January 1998 Newcastle UnitedH2–129,446Di Canio, Newsome 17 January 1998 Leeds UnitedA2–133,166Newsome, Booth 31 January 1998 WimbledonH1–122,655Mark Pembridge 7 February 1998 Coventry CityA0–118,375 14 February 1998 LiverpoolH3–335,405Carbone, Di Canio, Hinchcliffe 21 February 1998 Tottenham HotspurH1–029,871Di Canio 28 February 1998 Derby CountyA0–330,203 7 March 1998 Manchester UnitedH2–039,427Atherton, Di Canio 14 March 1998 Bolton WanderersA2–324,847Booth, Atherton 28 March 1998 ArsenalA0–138,087 4 April 1998 SouthamptonH1–029,677Carbone 11 April 1998 BarnsleyA1–218,692Stefanović 13 April 1998 West Ham UnitedH1–128,036Magilton 19 April 1998 ChelseaA0–129,075 25 April 1998 EvertonA3–135,497Pembridge (2), Di Canio 2 May 1998 Aston VillaH1–334,177Sanetti 10 May 1998 Crystal PalaceA0–116,876
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR33 January 1998 WatfordA1–118,306AlexanderssonR3R14 January 1998 WatfordH0–0 (won 5–3 on pens)18,707R426 January 1998 Blackburn RoversH0–315,940
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR2 1st Leg 17 September 1997 Grimsby TownA0–26,429R2 2nd Leg 1 October 1997 Grimsby TownH3–2 (lost 3–4 on agg)11,120Davison (own goal), Di Canio (2)
Players First-team squad Squad at end of season
Left club during season
Reserve squad
Transfers
In DatePosNameFromFee24 June 1997DFPatrick BlondeauAS Monaco£1,800,0006 August 1997FWPaolo Di CanioCeltic£3,000,0009 September 1997MFJim MagiltonSouthampton£1,600,00022 September 1997GKBruce GrobbelaarOxford UnitedNominal2 October 1997MFPetter RudiMolde£800,00017 November 1997DFDerek GearyRivermount BoysSigned5 December 1997MFNiclas AlexanderssonIFK Göteborg£750,0006 December 1997MFAlan QuinnCherry OrchardNominal30 January 1998DFAndy HinchcliffeEverton£3,000,00019 February 1998DFGoce SedloskiHajduk Split£750,00024 February 1998DFEarl BarrettEvertonFree transfer26 March 1998GKStuart JonesWeston-super-Mare£20,00026 March 1998DFEmerson ThomeBenficaSigned30 April 1998FWFrancesco SanettiGenoaFree transfer
Out DatePosNameToFee1 August 1997DFDave HercockKettering TownUndisclosed5 August 1997MFOrlando TrustfullVitesse Arnhem£800,0006 August 1997MFRegi BlinkerCeltic£1,500,00017 October 1997FWDavid HirstSouthampton£2,000,0001 November 1997DFSteve LenaghChesterfieldMonthly1 January 1998MFJames SimpkinsChesterfieldNon-contract14 January 1998DFPatrick BlondeauBordeaux£1,200,00022 January 1998MFWayne CollinsFulham£400,00013 March 1998FWO'Neill DonaldsonStoke CityFree transfer27 March 1998MFAdem PoricNotts CountyFree transfer
Transfers in: £11,720,000 Transfers out: £5,900,000 Total spending: £5,820,000
Statistics Appearances and goals
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Goalkeepers
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Defenders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Midfielders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Forwards
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Players who left the club during the season
Starting 11 Considering starts in all competitions GK: #1, Kevin Pressman, 41 RB: #2, Peter Atherton, 31 CB: #5, Jon Newsome, 29 CB: #6, Des Walker, 43 LB: #3, Ian Nolan, 32 CM: #25, Petter Rudi, 22 CM: #24, Jim Magilton, 16 (#7, Guy Whittingham, and #18, Dejan Stefanović, both have 20 starts) CM: #4, Mark Pembridge, 36 AM: #8, Benito Carbone, 31 CF: #10, Andy Booth, 23 CF: #11, Paolo Di Canio, 39
Notes
References