The 1998–99 English football season was Aston Villa's 7th season in the Premier League, and their eleventh consecutive season in the top division of English football.
This would be manager John Gregory's first full season. The early-season sale of Dwight Yorke to Manchester United seemed to rule out Villa's chances of challenging for a place in Europe, but new signings Dion Dublin and Paul Merson soon revitalised the attack and the team spent much of the first half of the season at the top of the Premier League.
Eventually, the challenge from Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea proved to be too strong, and Villa's season capitulated. The team finally finished sixth below West Ham United, thus missed out on a European place.
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Premier League
Results summary
Results by matchday
Matches Aston Villa's results DateOpponentVenueResultNotesScorers15 August 1998EvertonA0–0—23 August 1998MiddlesbroughH3–1— Joachim 6', Charles 52', Thompson 78'29 August 1998Sheffield WednesdayA1–0—Joachim 37'9 September 1998Newcastle UnitedH1–0—Hendrie (pen.) 63'12 September 1998WimbledonH2–0—Merson 45', Taylor 59'19 September 1998Leeds UnitedA0–0—26 September 1998Derby CountyH1–0—Merson 14'3 October 1998Coventry CityA2–1—Taylor 29', 39'17 October 1998West Ham UnitedA0–0—24 October 1998Leicester CityH1–1—Ehiogu 67'7 November 1998Tottenham HotspurH3–2—Dublin 31', 35', Collymore 48'14 November 1998SouthamptonA4–1—Dublin 3', 56', 85', Merson 77'21 November 1998LiverpoolH2–4—Dublin 47', 64'28 November 1998Nottingham ForestA2–2—Joachim 59', 63'5 December 1998Manchester UnitedH1–1—Joachim 55'9 December 1998ChelseaA1–2—Hendrie 32'13 December 1998ArsenalH3–2—Joachim 62', Dublin 65', 83'21 December 1998Charlton AthleticA1–0—Rufus (og) 3'26 December 1998Blackburn RoversA1–2—Scimeca 81'28 December 1998Sheffield WednesdayH2–1—Southgate 7', Ehiogu 85'9 January 1999MiddlesbroughH0–0—18 January 1999EvertonH3–0—Joachim 40', 51', Merson 78'30 January 1999Newcastle UnitedA1–2—Merson 60'6 February 1999Blackburn RoversH1–3—Joachim 69'17 February 1999Leeds UnitedH1–2—Scimeca 76'21 February 1999WimbledonA0–0—27 February 1999Coventry CityH1–4—Dublin (pen.) 55'10 March 1999Derby CountyA1–2—Thompson 44'13 March 1999Tottenham HotspurA0–1—21 March 1999ChelseaH0–3—2 April 1999West Ham UnitedH0–0—6 April 1999Leicester CityA2–2—Hendrie 2', Joachim 49'10 April 1999SouthamptonH3–0—Draper 13', Joachim 66', Dublin 89'17 April 1999LiverpoolA1–0—Taylor 52'24 April 1999Nottingham ForestH2–0—Draper 45', Barry 57'1 May 1999Manchester UnitedA1–2—Joachim 33'8 May 1999Charlton AthleticH3–4—Barry 7', Joachim 66', 79'16 May 1999ArsenalA0–1—
FA Cup
League Cup
UEFA Cup
Players First-team squad Squad at end of season
# Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth (age) Signed from Date signed Fee Apps Gls Goalkeepers 1 Mark Bosnich GK Liverpool Sydney Croatia 28 February 1992 Free transfer 211 0 13 Michael Oakes GK Northwich Academy 1 July 1991 33 0 30 Adam Rachel GK Birmingham Academy 1 July 1995 0 0 39 Peter Enckelman GK Turku TPS 1 February 1999 £200,000 - - 40 Matthew Ghent GK Burton upon Trent Academy 1 July 1997 0 0 Defenders 2 Gary Charles RB Newham Derby County 6 January 1995 £1,450,000 88 2 3 Alan Wright LB Ashton-under-Lyne Blackburn Rovers 10 March 1995 £1,000,000 154 3 4 Gareth Southgate (c) CB Watford Crystal Palace 1 July 1995 £3,500,000 120 3 5 Ugo Ehiogu CB Hackney West Bromwich Albion 12 July 1991 £40,000 224 12 6 Steve Watson RB North Shields Newcastle United 15 October 1998 £4,000,000 - - 15 Gareth Barry LB Hastings Academy 1 January 1998 2 0 16 Simon Grayson RB Ripon Leicester City 26 June 1997 £1,300,000 44 2 20 Riccardo Scimeca CB Leamington Spa Academy 1 July 1995 51 0 23 David Hughes LB Wrexham Academy 1 July 1996 7 0 24 Lee Collins LB Birmingham Academy 1 July 1997 0 0 24* Mark Delaney RB Haverfordwest Cardiff City 9 March 1999 £250,000 - - 26 Ben Petty LB Solihull Academy 1 July 1998 - - 28 Tommy Jaszczun CB Kettering Academy 1 July 1998 - - 31 Jlloyd Samuel LB San Fernando Academy 1 January 1999 - - 32 Aaron Lescott CB Birmingham Academy 1 July 1998 - - 34 Colin Calderwood CB Stranraer Tottenham Hotspur 23 March 1999 £230,000 - - Midfielders 7 Ian Taylor CM Birmingham Sheffield Wednesday 21 December 1994 £1,000,000 140 18 8 Mark Draper CM Long Eaton Leicester City 5 July 1995 £3,250,000 125 8 10* Paul Merson AM Harlesden Middlesbrough 8 September 1998 £6,750,000 - - 11 Alan Thompson LM Newcastle upon Tyne Bolton Wanderers 5 June 1998 £4,500,000 - - 17 Lee Hendrie RM Solihull Academy 1 July 1995 34 3 18 Fabio Ferraresi CM Fano Cesena 24 June 1998 Free transfer - - 26* Steve Stone RM Gateshead Nottingham Forest 11 March 1999 £5,500,000 - - 27 Michael Standing AM Shoreham-by-Sea Academy 1 July 1998 - - Forwards 9 Stan Collymore CF Tittensor Liverpool 13 May 1997 £7,000,000 37 8 10 Dwight Yorke CF Canaan Signal Hill 19 July 1991 £120,000 277 98 12 Julian Joachim CF Peterborough Leicester City 24 February 1996 £1,890,000 57 12 14 Dion Dublin CF Leicester Coventry City 5 November 1998 £5,750,000 - - 21 Darren Byfield CF Sutton Coldfield Academy 1 July 1997 8 0 22 Darius Vassell CF Birmingham Academy 1 January 1998 0 0 25 Alan Lee CF Galway Academy 1 July 1998 - - 29 Richard Walker CF Bloxwich Academy 1 July 1997 1 0
Reserve squad The following players did not appear for the first-team this season.
Youth team The following players spent most of the season playing for the U-17 and U-19 teams, but may have also appeared for the reserves.
Other players The following players did not play for any Villa team this season.
Left club during season
Transfers
Transferred in DatePosPlayerFromFee 5 June 1998 LM Alan Thompson Bolton Wanderers £4,500,000 24 June 1998 CM Fabio Ferraresi Cesena Free transfer 24 June 1998 CB David UnsworthWest Ham United £3,000,000 8 September 1998 AM Paul MersonMiddlesbrough £6,750,000 15 October 1998 RB Steve WatsonNewcastle United £4,000,000 5 November 1998 CF Dion DublinCoventry City £5,750,000 1 February 1999 GK Peter Enckelman TPS £200,000 9 March 1999 RB Mark Delaney Cardiff City £250,000 11 March 1999 RM Steve StoneNottingham Forest £5,500,000 23 March 1999 CB Colin CalderwoodTottenham Hotspur £230,000 28 April 1999 CF Neil Tarrant Ross County £250,000£30,425,000
Loaned in DatePosPlayerFromLoan End
Transferred out DatePosPlayerToFee 1 July 1998 CF Neil Davis WalsallFree transfer 1 July 1998 LB Steve Staunton Liverpool Free transfer 1 July 1998 CF Savo Milošević Real Zaragoza £3,500,000 7 July 1998 RB Fernando Nélson Porto £1,100,000 20 August 1998 CF Dwight Yorke Manchester United £12,600,000 21 August 1998 CF David Unsworth Everton £3,000,000 27 November 1998 CB Ben Petty Stoke City £100,000 14 January 1999 RB Gary Charles Benfica £1,000,000 14 January 1999 LB Lee Collins Stoke City Free transfer£21,300,000
Loaned out DatePosPlayerToLoan End 6 November 1998 CF Darren Byfield Preston North End 9 January 1999 27 November 1998 CF Alan Lee Torquay United 27 January 1999 11 December 1998 CF Richard Walker Cambridge United 31 May 1999 2 March 1999 CF Alan Lee Port Vale 31 May 1999
Overall transfer activity
Expenditure £30,425,000
Income £21,300,000
Balance £9,125,000
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 transferred out during the season
Starting 11 Considering starts in all competitions
Goalscorers Name FA Premier League FA Cup League Cup UEFA Cup Total Julian Joachim Dion Dublin Stan Collymore Paul Merson Ian Taylor Lee Hendrie Mark Draper Gareth Barry Alan Thompson Ugo Ehiogu Riccardo Scimeca Darius Vassell Gary Charles Gareth Southgate Opposition own goals Total goals
Notes
References
External links Aston Villa official website avfchistory.co.uk 1998–99 season