During the 1998–99 English football season, Wimbledon F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.
Season summary Wimbledon started the season well, reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup for the second time in their history, and as March arrived Wimbledon were sixth in the table with 11 matches to go, and in the hunt for a League Cup place. They had also reached the semi finals of the League Cup
The signing of striker John Hartson from top-five rivals West Ham United for a club record £7.5 million in January looked to be crucial signing the South London club needed for European qualification, but after his arrival the club suffered a slump in form, winning only one more game all season and taking only 2 points from their last 11 games to fall to 16th in the final table, their lowest finish in 13 seasons of top flight football.
Manager Joe Kinnear resigned at the end of the season on health grounds after seven years in charge, having suffered heart problems before a match at Sheffield Wednesday in March. He was succeeded by former Norwegian national coach Egil Olsen, who had frequently spoken of his admiration of Wimbledon and had transformed Norway into a leading international side with long-ball tactics similar to those employed by Kinnear.
Final league table
Results summary
Results by round
Results Wimbledon's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
FA Premier League DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 15 August 1998 Tottenham HotspurH3–123,031Earle, Ekoku (2) 22 August 1998 Derby CountyA0–025,747 29 August 1998 Leeds UnitedH1–116,437Hughes 9 September 1998 West Ham UnitedA4–325,311Gayle (2), Euell, Ekoku 12 September 1998 Aston VillaA0–232,959 19 September 1998 Sheffield WednesdayH2–113,163Euell (2) 27 September 1998 Leicester CityA1–117,725Earle 3 October 1998 EvertonH1–216,054Roberts 17 October 1998 Manchester UnitedA1–555,265Euell 24 October 1998 MiddlesbroughH2–214,114Gayle (2) 31 October 1998 Blackburn RoversH1–112,526Earle 7 November 1998 Nottingham ForestA1–021,362Gayle 14 November 1998 ChelseaA0–334,757 21 November 1998 ArsenalH1–026,003Ekoku 28 November 1998 Newcastle UnitedA1–336,623Gayle 5 December 1998 Coventry CityH2–111,717Euell (2) 13 December 1998 LiverpoolH1–026,080Earle 19 December 1998 SouthamptonA1–314,354Gayle 26 December 1998 Charlton AthleticH2–119,106Euell, Hughes 29 December 1998 Leeds UnitedA2–239,816Earle, Cort 9 January 1999 Derby CountyH2–112,732Euell, Roberts 16 January 1999 Tottenham HotspurA0–032,422 30 January 1999 West Ham UnitedH0–023,035 8 February 1999 Charlton AthleticA0–220,002 21 February 1999 Aston VillaH0–015,582 27 February 1999 EvertonA1–132,574Ekoku 3 March 1999 Sheffield WednesdayA2–124,116Ekoku, Gayle 6 March 1999 Leicester CityH0–111,801 13 March 1999 Nottingham ForestH1–312,149Gayle 20 March 1999 Blackburn RoversA1–321,754Euell 3 April 1999 Manchester UnitedH1–126,121Euell 5 April 1999 MiddlesbroughA1–333,999Cort 11 April 1999 ChelseaH1–221,577Gayle 19 April 1999 ArsenalA1–537,982Cort 24 April 1999 Newcastle UnitedH1–121,172Hartson 1 May 1999 Coventry CityA1–221,200Hartson 8 May 1999 SouthamptonH0–224,068 16 May 1999 LiverpoolA0–341,902
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR32 January 1999 Manchester CityH1–011,226CortR423 January 1999 Tottenham HotspurH1–122,229EarleR4R2 February 1999 Tottenham HotspurA0–324,049
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR2 1st Leg15 September 1998 PortsmouthA1–27,010EkokuR2 2nd Leg22 September 1998 PortsmouthH4–1 (won 5–3 on agg)3,756Ardley, Ekoku (2), LeaburnR328 October 1998 Birmingham CityA2–111,845Ardley (2)R410 November 1998 Bolton WanderersA2–17,868Gayle, KennedyQF1 December 1998 ChelseaH2–119,286Earle, Hughes (pen)SF 1st Leg27 January 1999 Tottenham HotspurA0–035,997SF 2nd Leg16 February 1999 Tottenham HotspurH0–1 (lost 0–1 on agg)25,204
Players First-team squad Squad at end of season
Left club during season
Reserve squad
Transfers
In Date Pos. Name From Fee29 October 1998MFGareth AinsworthPort Vale£2,000,00014 January 1999FWJohn HartsonWest Ham United£7,500,000
Out Date Pos. Name To Fee15 June 1998DFAlan ReevesSwindon TownFree transfer1 August 1998MFStåle SolbakkenAalborg BKUndisclosed
Transfers in: £9,500,000 Transfers out: £0 Total spending: £9,500,000
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 1998–99 seasonNo.Pos.Nat.NameFA Premier LeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GKNeil Sullivan38030504602DFKenny Cunningham350206 (1)043 (1)03DFAlan Kimble22 (4)0201 (2)025 (6)04DFChris Perry34020704305DFDean Blackwell27 (1)0204033 (1)06DFBen Thatcher31020704007MFCeri Hughes8 (6)00 (3)00 (1)08 (10)08MFRobbie Earle35531514379FWEfan Ekoku11 (11)6004 (1)315 (12)910MFAndy Roberts23 (5)22 (1)03 (1)028 (7)211FWMarcus Gayle31 (4)10104136 (4)1112MFNeal Ardley16 (7)0305324 (7)313GKPaul Heald0000202014FWJon Goodman0 (1)000000 (1)015FWCarl Leaburn14 (8)0303 (4)120 (12)116MFMichael Hughes28 (2)2204134 (2)117DFBrian McAllister0000101018MFMark Kennedy7 (10)0204 (1)113 (11)119MFStewart Castledine1000001020FWJason Euell31 (2)10305 (2)039 (4)1021DFDuncan Jupp3 (3)010206 (3)022FWAndy Clarke0000000023FWCarl Cort6 (10)30 (3)12 (1)08 (14)424MFPeter Fear0 (2)000101 (2)025DFAndy Pearce0000000026MFGareth Ainsworth5 (3)000005 (3)027MFDamien Francis0000202028FWRichard O'Connor0000000029FWJohn Hartson12 (2)2000012 (2)230DFPeter Hawkins0000000031DFDanny Hodges0000000032GKMorten Bakke * 0000000033GKBrendan Murphy0000000034GKBrian Parkin 0000000035FWPatrick Agyemang00000000
Notes
References