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
=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 Rovers | H | 2–1 | 16,727 | Kilbane, Hunt |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 16 August 1997 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 3–2 | 5,234 | Hunt (pen), Hughes (2) |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 24 August 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–0 | 22,511 | Curle (own goal) |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 30 August 1997 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–1 | 13,508 | Sneekes |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 3 September 1997 | Stoke City | A | 0–0 | 17,500 | |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 7 September 1997 | Reading | H | 1–0 | 15,966 | Hunt |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 13 September 1997 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–2 | 14,399 | |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 20 September 1997 | Swindon Town | H | 0–0 | 16,237 | |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 27 September 1997 | Bury | A | 3–1 | 6,439 | Peschisolido (3) |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 4 October 1997 | Oxford United | H | 1–2 | 15,889 | Hunt |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 18 October 1997 | Portsmouth | A | 3–2 | 9,158 | Mardon, Hunt (2) |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 21 October 1997 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–1 | 19,243 | |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 25 October 1997 | Sheffield United | H | 2–0 | 17,311 | Hunt, Hughes |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 1 November 1997 | Bradford City | A | 0–0 | 16,212 | |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 4 November 1997 | Norwich City | H | 1–0 | 13,949 | Hughes |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 8 November 1997 | Charlton Athletic | H | 1–0 | 16,124 | Hunt |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 15 November 1997 | Port Vale | A | 2–1 | 11,124 | Hunt, Hamilton |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 23 November 1997 | Birmingham City | H | 1–0 | 18,444 | Sneekes |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 29 November 1997 | Middlesbrough | A | 0–1 | 30,164 | |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 2 December 1997 | Manchester City | H | 0–1 | 17,904 | |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 6 December 1997 | Stockport County | H | 3–2 | 14,957 | Sneekes, Hughes, Hunt |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 13 December 1997 | Sunderland | A | 0–2 | 29,231 | |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 20 December 1997 | Huddersfield Town | H | 0–2 | 14,619 | |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 26 December 1997 | Reading | A | 1–2 | 10,154 | Kilbane |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 28 December 1997 | Stoke City | H | 1–1 | 19,690 | Hunt |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 9 January 1998 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 0–0 | 8,058 | |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 17 January 1998 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 0–1 | 15,257 | |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 27 January 1998 | Ipswich Town | H | 2–3 | 12,403 | Murphy, Flynn |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 31 January 1998 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–0 | 28,244 | Hunt |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 7 February 1998 | Swindon Town | A | 2–0 | 9,861 | Carbon, Evans |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 14 February 1998 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1–1 | 20,143 | Hughes |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 17 February 1998 | Oxford United | A | 1–2 | 9,412 | Taylor |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 21 February 1998 | Bury | H | 1–1 | 15,840 | Hughes |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 24 February 1998 | Portsmouth | H | 0–3 | 12,757 | |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 28 February 1998 | Manchester City | A | 0–1 | 28,460 | |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 3 March 1998 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0–5 | 10,893 | |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 7 March 1998 | Bradford City | H | 1–1 | 13,281 | Burgess |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 14 March 1998 | Norwich City | A | 1–1 | 16,663 | Hughes |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 21 March 1998 | Port Vale | H | 2–2 | 14,242 | Flynn, Taylor |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 28 March 1998 | Birmingham City | A | 0–1 | 23,260 | |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 4 April 1998 | Middlesbrough | H | 2–1 | 21,620 | Quinn (2, 1 pen) |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 11 April 1998 | Stockport County | A | 1–2 | 7,943 | Hughes |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 13 April 1998 | Sunderland | H | 3–3 | 22,181 | Hughes (2), Kilbane |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;"
| 18 April 1998 | Huddersfield Town | A | 0–1 | 11,704 | |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;"
| 25 April 1998 | Sheffield United | A | 4–2 | 21,248 | Hunt, Hughes (2), Kilbane |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;"
| 3 May 1998 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–1 | 23,013 | Hughes (pen) |
=FA Cup=
{{Main|1997–98 FA Cup}}
class="wikitable"
|+ !Round!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Goalscorers | |||||||
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" | R3 | 13 January 1998 | Stoke City | H | 3–1 | 17,598 | Sneekes (2), Kilbane |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" | R4 | 24 January 1998 | Aston Villa | A | 0–4 | 39,372 |
=League Cup=
{{Main|1997–98 Football League Cup}}
class="wikitable"
|+ !Round!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Goalscorers | |||||||
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" | R1 First Leg | 12 August 1997 | Cambridge United | A | 1–1 | 3,520 | Peschisolido |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" | R1 Second Leg | 27 August 1997 | Cambridge United | H | 2–1 (won 3–2 on agg) | 10,264 | Hunt, Sneekes (pen) |
style="background-color: #ffffdd;" | R2 First Leg | 16 September 1997 | Luton Town | A | 1–1 | 3,437 | Taylor |
style="background-color: #d0ffe3;" | R2 Second Leg | 23 September 1997 | Luton Town | H | 4–2 (won 5–3 on agg) | 7,227 | Raven, McDermott, Peschisolido (2) |
style="background-color: #ffd0e3;" | R3 | 15 October 1997 | Liverpool | H | 0–2 | 22,986 |
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}}