1997–98 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}

{{Infobox football club season

|club=West Bromwich Albion

|season=1997–98

|manager=Ray Harford (until 4 December)
Richie Barker and John Trewick (caretaker managers until 24 December)
Denis Smith (from 24 December)

|chairman=Tony Hale

|stadium=The Hawthorns

|league=First Division

|league result=10th

|cup2=FA Cup

|cup2 result=Fourth round

|cup3=League Cup

|cup3 result=Third round

|league topscorer=Hughes (14)

|season topscorer=Hunt/Hughes (14)

|highest attendance= 23,013 v Nottingham Forest

|lowest attendance= 7,227 v Luton Town

|average attendance = 17,004 (16,635 all competitions)

|prevseason=1996–97

|nextseason=1998–99

}}

During the 1997–98 English football season, West Bromwich Albion F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

In the first few months of the 1997–98 season, West Brom established themselves in the top six. Harford then stunned Albion supporters by moving to QPR after less than a year in charge, making way for Denis Smith,{{cite web|last=Irwin|first=Mark|title=QPR's Harf measure|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/QPR's+Harf+measure.-a061050762|work=The Free Library|publisher=The Mirror|date=4 December 1997|accessdate=18 September 2013}}{{cite web|last=Moore|first=David|title=Football: Albion job for Smith|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3A+Albion+job+for+Smith.-a061054337|work=The Free Library|publisher=The Mirror|date=24 December 1997|accessdate=18 September 2013}} who struggled to maintain the momentum created by Harford, and the Baggies could only finish 10th.

Nigel Spink (24) became the oldest goalkeeper to appear for the club when, at the age of 39 years and 19 days, he kept goal in a League Cup tie against Cambridge United on 27 August 1997,{{cite book | last = Matthews | first = Tony | title = The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion | publisher = Breedon Books | year = 2005 | pages = 220–221 | isbn = 1-85983-474-4}} a record since broken by Dean Kiely at {{age in years and days|1970|10|10|2010|4|17}}.{{Soccerbase season|4190|2009|name=Dean Kiely|access-date=19 March 2013}}

Final league table

{{main|1997–98 Football League First Division}}

{{:1997–98 Football League First Division|only_totals=y|showteam=WBA}}

Results

West Bromwich Albion's score comes first{{Cite web |url=http://www.statto.com/football/teams/west-bromwich-albion/1997-1998/results |title = West Bromwich Albion results for the 1997-1998 season - Statto.com |access-date=17 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065710/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/west-bromwich-albion/1997-1998/results |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

=Legend=

class="wikitable"

|style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"|Win

|style="background-color: #ffffdd;"|Draw

|style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"|Loss

=Football League First Division=

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:center"

!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Scorers

style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 9 August 1997

Tranmere RoversH2–116,727Kilbane, Hunt
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 16 August 1997

Crewe AlexandraA3–25,234Hunt (pen), Hughes (2)
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 24 August 1997

Wolverhampton WanderersH1–022,511Curle (own goal)
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 30 August 1997

Ipswich TownA1–113,508Sneekes
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 3 September 1997

Stoke CityA0–017,500
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 7 September 1997

ReadingH1–015,966Hunt
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 13 September 1997

Queens Park RangersA0–214,399
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 20 September 1997

Swindon TownH0–016,237
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 27 September 1997

BuryA3–16,439Peschisolido (3)
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 4 October 1997

Oxford UnitedH1–215,889Hunt
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 18 October 1997

PortsmouthA3–29,158Mardon, Hunt (2)
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 21 October 1997

Nottingham ForestA0–119,243
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 25 October 1997

Sheffield UnitedH2–017,311Hunt, Hughes
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 1 November 1997

Bradford CityA0–016,212
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 4 November 1997

Norwich CityH1–013,949Hughes
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 8 November 1997

Charlton AthleticH1–016,124Hunt
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 15 November 1997

Port ValeA2–111,124Hunt, Hamilton
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 23 November 1997

Birmingham CityH1–018,444Sneekes
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 29 November 1997

MiddlesbroughA0–130,164
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 2 December 1997

Manchester CityH0–117,904
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 6 December 1997

Stockport CountyH3–214,957Sneekes, Hughes, Hunt
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 13 December 1997

SunderlandA0–229,231
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 20 December 1997

Huddersfield TownH0–214,619
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 26 December 1997

ReadingA1–210,154Kilbane
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 28 December 1997

Stoke CityH1–119,690Hunt
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 9 January 1998

Tranmere RoversA0–08,058
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 17 January 1998

Crewe AlexandraH0–115,257
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 27 January 1998

Ipswich TownH2–312,403Murphy, Flynn
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 31 January 1998

Wolverhampton WanderersA1–028,244Hunt
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 7 February 1998

Swindon TownA2–09,861Carbon, Evans
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 14 February 1998

Queens Park RangersH1–120,143Hughes
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 17 February 1998

Oxford UnitedA1–29,412Taylor
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 21 February 1998

BuryH1–115,840Hughes
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 24 February 1998

PortsmouthH0–312,757
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 28 February 1998

Manchester CityA0–128,460
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 3 March 1998

Charlton AthleticA0–510,893
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 7 March 1998

Bradford CityH1–113,281Burgess
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 14 March 1998

Norwich CityA1–116,663Hughes
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 21 March 1998

Port ValeH2–214,242Flynn, Taylor
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 28 March 1998

Birmingham CityA0–123,260
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 4 April 1998

MiddlesbroughH2–121,620Quinn (2, 1 pen)
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 11 April 1998

Stockport CountyA1–27,943Hughes
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 13 April 1998

SunderlandH3–322,181Hughes (2), Kilbane
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"

| 18 April 1998

Huddersfield TownA0–111,704
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"

| 25 April 1998

Sheffield UnitedA4–221,248Hunt, Hughes (2), Kilbane
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"

| 3 May 1998

Nottingham ForestH1–123,013Hughes (pen)

=FA Cup=

{{Main|1997–98 FA Cup}}

class="wikitable"

|+

!Round!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Goalscorers

style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"R313 January 1998Stoke CityH3–117,598Sneekes (2), Kilbane
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"R424 January 1998Aston VillaA0–439,372

=League Cup=

{{Main|1997–98 Football League Cup}}

class="wikitable"

|+

!Round!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Goalscorers

style="background-color: #ffffdd;"R1 First Leg12 August 1997Cambridge UnitedA1–13,520Peschisolido
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"R1 Second Leg27 August 1997Cambridge UnitedH2–1 (won 3–2 on agg)10,264Hunt, Sneekes (pen)
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"R2 First Leg16 September 1997Luton TownA1–13,437Taylor
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"R2 Second Leg23 September 1997Luton TownH4–2 (won 5–3 on agg)7,227Raven, McDermott, Peschisolido (2)
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"R315 October 1997LiverpoolH0–222,986

First-team squad

:Squad at end of season{{Cite web|url=http://www.11v11.com/teams/west-bromwich-albion/tab/players/season/1998|title = All West Bromwich Albion players: 1998}}

{{fs start}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Alan Miller}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Chris Adamson}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Paul Crichton}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Nigel Spink}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=GK|name=Gary GermaineGermaine was born in Birmingham, England, but also qualified to represent Scotland internationally and represented them at U-21 level.}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Paul Holmes}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=WAL|pos=DF|name=Paul MardonMardon was born in Bristol, England, but also qualified to represent Wales internationally and made his international debut for Wales in October 1995.}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Matt Carbon}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Daryl Burgess}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Shane Nicholson}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=IRL|pos=MF|name=Kevin KilbaneKilbane was born in Preston, England, but also qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally through his parents and represented them at U-21 level before making his international debut for Republic of Ireland in September 1997.}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=NED|pos=MF|name=Richard Sneekes}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Peter Butler}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Ian Hamilton}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Sean Flynn}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Andy Hunt}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Lee Hughes}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=David Smith}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=AUS|pos=DF|name=Shaun Murphy}}

{{Fs mid}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=AUS|pos=DF|name=Andy McDermott}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=NIR|pos=FW|name=James QuinnQuinn was born in Coventry, England, but also qualified to represent Northern Ireland internationally and made his international debut for Northern Ireland in 1996.}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Bob Taylor}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=Steve Nicol}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Paul Raven}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=AUS|pos=DF|name=Jason van Blerk}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Paul Beesley|other=on loan from Manchester City}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Stacy Coldicott}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Tony Dobson}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=CAN|pos=FW|name=Paul Peschisolido}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=Graham Potter}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=IRL|pos=FW|name=Mickey EvansEvans was born in Plymouth, England, but also qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally and made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland in October 1997.}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Franz Carr}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=WAL|pos=FW|name=James Thomas|other=on loan from Blackburn Rovers}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=SKN|pos=FW|name=Brian QuaileyQuailey was born in Leicester, England, but also qualified to represent Saint Kitts and Nevis internationally and represented them at U-23 level.}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Dave Gilbert}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Dean Bennett}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=Michael Rodosthenous}}

{{Fs player|no=|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Neil Wypior}}

{{Fs end}}

Notes

{{Reflist|group=notes|32em}}

References

{{Reflist|32em}}

{{West Bromwich Albion F.C. seasons}}

{{1997-98 in English football}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1997-98 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season}}

Category:West Bromwich Albion F.C. seasons

West Bromwich Albion