1997–98 Aston Villa F.C. season
Encyclopedia
During the 1997–98 English football season, Aston Villa F.C.
competed in the FA Premier League
(known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons).
manager in February, Villa were 15th in the Premiership and were starting to look like outside bets for relegation. Ruud Gullit
, recently sacked by Chelsea
, was linked with the vacancy, but the surprise choice for the job was Wycombe
manager John Gregory, a former Villa coach. He influenced a late run of form which saw Villa climb to seventh place and become the lowest-placed English team to achieve automatic UEFA Cup
qualification.
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
competed in the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
(known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons).
Season summary
When Brian Little resigned as Aston VillaAston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
manager in February, Villa were 15th in the Premiership and were starting to look like outside bets for relegation. Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit
OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...
, recently sacked by Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, was linked with the vacancy, but the surprise choice for the job was Wycombe
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
manager John Gregory, a former Villa coach. He influenced a late run of form which saw Villa climb to seventh place and become the lowest-placed English team to achieve automatic UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
qualification.
Final league table
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 68 | 33 | 78 |
| 2. | Manchester United | 38 | 23 | 8 | 7 | 73 | 26 | 77 |
| 3. | Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
38 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 68 | 42 | 65 |
| 4. | Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
38 | 20 | 3 | 15 | 71 | 43 | 63 |
| 5. | Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system... |
38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 57 | 46 | 59 |
| 6. | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 57 | 52 | 58 |
| 7. | Aston Villa | 38 | 17 | 6 | 15 | 49 | 48 | 57 |
| 8. | West Ham United | 38 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 56 | 57 | 56 |
| 9. | Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 52 | 49 | 55 |
| 10. | Leicester City | 38 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 51 | 41 | 53 |
| 11. | Coventry City | 38 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 46 | 44 | 52 |
| 12. | Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
38 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 50 | 55 | 48 |
| 13. | Newcastle United | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 35 | 44 | 44 |
| 14. | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 44 | 56 | 44 |
| 15. | Wimbledon Wimbledon F.C. Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football... |
38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 34 | 46 | 44 |
| 16. | Sheffield Wednesday | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 52 | 67 | 44 |
| 17. | Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... |
38 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 41 | 56 | 40 |
| 18. | Bolton Wanderers | 38 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 41 | 61 | 40 |
| 19. | Barnsley Barnsley F.C. Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's... |
38 | 10 | 5 | 23 | 37 | 82 | 35 |
| 20. | Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... |
38 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 37 | 71 | 32 |
| Key |
|---|
| Qualified for the Champions League |
| Qualified for the UEFA Cup |
| Qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup |
| Relegated to Division 1 |