During the 1999–2000 English football season, Wimbledon competed in the Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons).

The season began with a new manager, Norway's Egil Olsen, after the close season resignation of long-serving Joe Kinnear, but Olsen was ousted with two weeks of the season remaining and replaced by coach Terry Burton, who was unable to save Wimbledon from relegation after 14 successive seasons of top division football.

Season summary Wimbledon's new season began with a 3–2 win against newly promoted Watford at Vicarage Road; this would turn out to be the Dons' only ever away league win throughout the season. The close-season resignation of former Joe Kinnear because of health problems (he would suffer from them again as manager of Newcastle United) after seven years as manager led to the appointment of former Norwegian national coach Egil Olsen as Wimbledon's new manager, giving Dons fans hope of beating the drop once again.

The mid-season collapse of star striker John Hartson's move to Tottenham Hotspur was further good news to the cause, but a run of eight straight defeats during the final weeks of the season dragged Wimbledon into the depth of the relegation mire. Olsen was sacked after a 3–0 defeat away to Bradford City, to be replaced by former coach and assistant manager Terry Burton for the final two games of the season. A 2–2 draw at home to Aston Villa gave them hope going into their last game, away to Southampton. They were one place above the relegation zone on goal difference, but a 2–0 defeat at the Dell – combined with Bradford's 1–0 win over Liverpool – condemned Wimbledon to relegation and ended their 14-year stay in the top flight. The transition coincided with the end of one of the most remarkable rags-to-riches stories in football, which had started with Wimbledon's election to the Football League in 1977 and seen them reach the top flight nine years later, before peaking as 1988 FA Cup final winners, also finishing as high as sixth in the league in 1987 and 1994. Their relegation was confirmed 12 years to the day that Wimbledon achieved their famous victory over Liverpool at Wembley.

Final league table

Results summary

Results by round

Results Wimbledon's score comes first

Legend WinDrawLoss

FA Premier League DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 7 August 1999 WatfordA3–215,511Cort, Gayle, Johnson (own goal) 10 August 1999 MiddlesbroughH2–311,036Cort, Hartson 14 August 1999 Coventry CityH1–110,635Cort 21 August 1999 Newcastle UnitedA3–335,809Hughes, Ainsworth (2) 25 August 1999 EvertonA0–432,818 28 August 1999 ChelseaH0–122,167 11 September 1999 Derby CountyH2–212,282Hartson, Euell 18 September 1999 Manchester UnitedA1–155,189Badir 26 September 1999 Tottenham HotspurH1–117,368Hartson 2 October 1999 Sheffield WednesdayA1–518,077Hartson 16 October 1999 Bradford CityH3–210,029Hartson (2), Cort 23 October 1999 Aston VillaA1–127,160Earle 30 October 1999 SouthamptonH1–115,754Gayle 7 November 1999 Leeds UnitedH2–018,747Hartson, Gayle 20 November 1999 Leicester CityA1–218,255Gayle 27 November 1999 MiddlesbroughA0–031,400 4 December 1999 WatfordH5–014,021Cort, Earle, Hartson, Euell, Gayle 18 December 1999 ArsenalA1–138,052Cort 26 December 1999 West Ham UnitedH2–221,180Hreidarsson, Ardley 28 December 1999 LiverpoolA1–344,107Gayle 3 January 2000 SunderlandH1–017,621Cort 15 January 2000 Coventry CityA0–219,012 22 January 2000 Newcastle UnitedH2–022,118Earle, Gayle 6 February 2000 EvertonH0–313,172 12 February 2000 ChelseaA1–334,826Lund 26 February 2000 Manchester UnitedH2–226,129Euell, Cort 4 March 2000 Derby CountyA0–428,384 11 March 2000 Leicester CityH2–114,319Ardley (pen), Euell 19 March 2000 Leeds UnitedA1–439,256Euell 26 March 2000 West Ham UnitedA1–222,438Hughes 1 April 2000 ArsenalH1–325,858Lund 8 April 2000 SunderlandA1–241,592Roy (own goal) 12 April 2000 Sheffield WednesdayH0–28,248 16 April 2000 LiverpoolH1–226,102Andresen 22 April 2000 Tottenham HotspurA0–233,086 30 April 2000 Bradford CityA0–318,276 6 May 2000 Aston VillaH2–219,188Ehiogu (own goal), Hartson 14 May 2000 SouthamptonA0–215,249

FA Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR311 December 1999 BarnsleyH1–04,505CortR48 January 2000 FulhamA0–316,877

League Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR2 1st Leg14 September 1999 Cardiff CityA1–17,613HughesR2 2nd Leg21 September 1999 Cardiff CityH3–1 (4–2 on agg)2,772Cort, Earle (2)R312 October 1999 SunderlandH3–24,790Cort (3)R430 November 1999 Huddersfield TownA2–113,312Kimble, EuellQF14 December 1999 Bolton WanderersA1–29,463Cort

Players First-team squad Squad at end of season

Left club during season

Reserve squad The following players did not make an appearance for the first team this season.

Transfers

In Tore Pedersen – Eintracht Frankfurt, 6 July 1999, freeWimbledon: Hammam's new man, BBC News Walid Badir – Hapoel Petah Tikva, 1 July 1999, £1,000,000 Martin Andresen – Stabæk Fotball, 4 October 1999, £1,800,000 Chris Willmott – Luton Town, 9 July 1999, £650,000 Kelvin Davis – Luton Town, 12 July 1999, £650,000 Trond Andersen – Molde, 10 August 1999, £2,500,000 Hermann Hreiðarsson – Brentford, 12 October 1999, £2,500,000 Kjetil Wæhler – Lyn, 29 October 1999, free Andreas Lund – Molde, 11 February 2000, £2,800,000

Out Andy Clarke – Peterborough United, 1 June 1999, free Chris Perry – Tottenham Hotspur, 3 July 1999, £4,000,000 Mark Kennedy – Manchester City, 8 July 1999, £1,000,000 Andy Futcher - Doncaster Rovers, 1 September 1999, free Peter Fear – Oxford United, 13 July 1999, free Andy Pearce – Aldershot Town, 22 October 1999, free Efan Ekoku – Grasshoppers, 26 August 1999, £500,000 Jon Goodman – retired, 26 January 2000 Ceri Hughes – Portsmouth, 21 January 2000, £150,000

Loaned out Patrick Agyemang – Brentford, 4 months

Statistics

Starting 11 Only considering Premiership starts Considering a 4–3–3 formation GK: #1, Neil Sullivan, 37 RB: #6, Ben Thatcher, 19 CB: #2, Kenny Cunningham, 37 CB: #30, Hermann Hreiðarsson, 24 LB: #3, Alan Kimble, 24 RCM: #8, Robbie Earle, 23 CM: #29, Trond Andersen, 35 LCM: #10, Jason Euell, 32 RW: #7, Carl Cort, 32 CF: #11, Marcus Gayle, 35 LW: #9, John Hartson, 15 (#5, Dean Blackwell, made 16 starts as a central defender)

Appearances and goals Source: Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with names struck through and marked left the club during the playing season. Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Burnley. Players listed with no appearances have been in the matchday squad but only as unused substitutes. Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward

+ Players contracted for the 1999–2000 seasonNo.Pos.Nat.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GKNeil Sullivan37020504402DFKenny Cunningham37020404303DFAlan Kimble24 (4)0105130 (4)14MFAndy Roberts14 (2)0105020 (2)05DFDean Blackwell16 (1)0004020 (1)06DFBen Thatcher19 (1)0002021 (1)07FWCarl Cort32 (2)9215539 (2)158MFRobbie Earle23 (2)3103 (1)227 (3)59FWJohn Hartson15 (1)9103019 (1)910FWJason Euell32 (5)4205139 (5)511FWMarcus Gayle35 (1)7203040 (1)712MFNeal Ardley10 (7)20 (1)01011 (8)213GKPaul Heald1000001014DFTore Pedersen6000006015FWCarl Leaburn5 (13)0102 (2)08 (15)016MFMichael Hughes13 (7)20 (1)01 (1)114 (9)317DFBrian McAllister0000000018MFGareth Ainsworth0 (2)200000 (2)219MFWalid Badir12 (9)10 (1)03015 (10)120FWEfan Ekoku 0000000020MFMartin Andresen4 (10)1100 (1)05 (11)121DFDuncan Jupp6 (3)0002 (1)08 (4)022DFChris Willmott70100 (1)08 (1)023GKKelvin Davis0000000024MFDamien Francis1 (8)0100 (3)02 (11)025FWJon Goodman 00000 (1)00 (1)026MFCeri Hughes 0000000027MFStewart Castledine0000000028DFPeter Hawkins0000000029DFTrond Andersen35 (1)0202039 (1)030DFHermann Hreiðarsson241200026131DFDanny Hodges 0000000031MFKjetil Wæhler0000000032FWWayne Gray0 (1)00 (1)0000 (2)033GKBrendan Murphy0000000034FWAndreas Lund10 (2)2000010 (2)2

References

Notes