Middle row (l-r); Garry Pendrey (Coach), John Aloisi, Runar Normann, Laurent Delorge, Marcus Hall, Paul Williams, Richard Shaw, Barry Quinn, Steve Froggatt, Marc Edworthy, Jim Blyth (Goalkeeping Coach)
Front row (l-r); John Eustace, Noel Whelan, Robbie Keane, Gordon Strachan (Manager), Gary McAllister, Youssef Chippo, Moustapha Hadji
Average attendance – Home:
20,785 (1998-99 20,773) The highest average since 1978-79 season. and the sixth successive season that the home average has increased
Average attendance – Away
30,751 (1998-99 30,398) The highest average since 1967-68.
Highest home attendance:
23,084 v Liverpool 1 April
Lowest home attendance:
17,658 v Derby 21 August
Highest away attendance:
61,380 v Manchester U. 5 February (the largest league crowd to watch City since 1937)
Lowest away attendance:
10,635 v Wimbledon 14 August
Home wins:
12 (the best since 14 in 1986-87)
Away wins:
0 (the worst in the clubs league history)
Home goals:
38 (the best since 41 in 1978-79)
Away goals:
9 (the worst in the club’s league history)
Away losses:
The run of nine away defeats equals City’s worst run in the top flight.
Double wins:
(0)
Double losses:
(5) Manchester U., Leeds, Liverpool, Leicester, Tottenham.
Won from behind:
(0)
Lost from in front:
(4) Leeds (h), Chelsea (a), Charlton FA Cup (h), Tranmere Worthington Cup (a).
Player of the year:
Gary McAllister.
Ever presents:
Gary McAllister (the first since 1996-97)
Leading scorer:
13 Gary McAllister (11 league, 2 Worthington Cup)
Hat-tricks:
None
Opposing hat-tricks:
David Kelly (Tranmere (a))
Players used:
30 (League) plus two in the Worthington Cup and one in the FA Cup.
Internationals:
On Sunday at Watford City fielded nine internationals, a new club record.
Man of the Match awards:
Gary McAllister 8, Youssef Chippo 6, Magnus Hedman 4, Cedric Roussel 4, Robbie Keane 3, John Eustace 3, Gary Breen 2, David Burrows 2, Paul Williams 2, Moustapha Hadji 2, Carlton Palmer 2, Steve Ogrizovic 2, Mark Edworthy 1, Tomas Gustafsson 1, Colin Hendry 1.
Red cards:
(3) Burrows (Leicester a), Chippo (Sunderland a), Burrows (Tranmere a) 1998-99-2 red cards.
Yellow cards:
(59) Chippo 10, Palmer 6, Froggatt 5, Hadji 5, McAllister 4, Williams 4, Edworthy 4, Shaw 3, Keane 3, Whelan 3, Breen 3, Quinn 2, Telfer 2, Eustace 1, Gustafsson 1, M Hall 1, Konjic 1, Aloisi 1. 1998-99-85 yellow cards.
Opposing red cards:
(2) Moncur (West Ham), Barton (Newcastle)
By Jim Brown
In 1999-2000, the team’s fine home form gained them the tag as the Premiership’s ‘Entertainers’. Twelve wins and 38 goals made it the best home season since the late 1970s. But the price was an awful away record, City failing to win a league game away for the first time in their history. The cups saw a thrashing at Tranmere and a two-goal home lead squandered against Charlton in the FA Cup.
The summer transfer saga brought in midfielder Youssef Chippo from Porto for £1 million, Moustapha Hadji, a star of the 1998 World Cup from Deportivo La Corunna for a club record £4 million, and a young Norwegian winger, Runnar Normann for £1 million. Following another media war of words, City and Aston Villa finally agreed a fee of £4.5 million for George Boateng.
Lack of goals was still perceived to be the problem. After a one-goal defeat on the opening day to Southampton Darren Huckerby was sold to Leeds for £5.5 million and Trond Soltvedt offloaded to Southampton for £300,000 to help raise £6 million to sign Wolves’ Irish international striker Robbie Keane. It was a major gamble. Other top clubs had looked hard at the 19-year-old and decided not to take the risk, but on his Premiership debut against Derby the most expensive teenager in history scored two trademark poacher’s goals to clinch City’s first win. Another goal at Sunderland a week later meant Keane was the new Coventry hero and Carling’s player of the month.
The next issue to be sorted was in midfield, where the combative Chippo, whilst skilful and with an eye for goal, was not giving McAllister the sort of protection offered by Boateng. The need for midfield steel was highlighted by a 3-4 home defeat by Leeds. The solution was to buy the old warhorse Carlton Palmer, a former colleague of Strachan’s at Leeds, but a player who, according to Ron Atkinson, Strachan would find difficult to handle.
Palmer arrived from Nottingham Forest on loan, but signed for £500,000 after City went unbeaten for his first eight games. Home wins over West Ham, Newcastle, Watford and Aston Villa saw the team climb to eleventh. Keane and Hadji were on song, but when injuries to Noel Whelan and John Aloisi caused Strachan to seek a loan striker, his Euro-scout Ray Clarke came up with 21-year-old Belgian Cedric Roussel. Roussel shredded the Watford defence on his first start and in his second he scored a good goal against Villa. His partnership with Keane was a major factor in City’s dominant home form, with his aerial prowess providing chances for the nippy young Irishman. In January Roussel signed permanently, the fee £1.2 million.
Apart from a blip against Leicester, the impressive home form continued into 2000, bringing wins over Arsenal and Wimbledon and an exciting draw with Chelsea. The Boxing Day win over Arsenal, in front of the Sky TV cameras saw Hadji & Keane score stunning goals. January saw the loss of the two Moroccans on international duty at the African Nations Cup for the best part of the month, and they were missed. The FA Cup home defeat by First Division Charlton might have been avoided had they been available. That result was a watershed and hopes of European qualification were dashed by the away form, which collapsed in its wake. The last nine away games were lost, including a 0-5 drubbing at West Ham and a last-day defeat at relegated Watford.
Home performances kept the home fans happy though, and the first half against Sunderland was one of the finest in the modern era. That game witnessed a dreadful challenge on Froggatt by Nicky Summerbee that inflicted serious ankle damage. Froggatt’s season had been patchy but his form had picked up after a surprise England call-up by Kevin Keegan in November. Froggatt was on the bench for England’s European Championship play-off with Scotland and looked set to win a cap in the near future. He took the field several times after the Summerbee incident but by the end of the season he was in pain and forced to rest.
In March, Hedman was injured on international duty, so up stepped 42-year-old Steve Ogrizovic for his swansong. He played two blinders and could not be faulted for the defeats. He announced his retirement but returned for the final home game to a huge ovation and bowed out with 601 appearances to his name.
Speculation surrounded the future of Whelan and McAllister. Whelan, who had rejected new terms, returned from injury but rarely reached his potential. McAllister, on the other hand, now 35, had an outstanding season, being at the fulcrum of all of the team’s moves, and even outscoring Robbie Keane. Rumours were rife of a move to Liverpool, and Coventry offered him substantial sums to re-sign. In the end it was his desire for medals, not money, that decided his future, and Anfield duly delivered.
For the second season running City’s Under-18s reached the final of the FA Youth Cup, only to lose again. This time Arsenal beat the Sky Blues youngsters 5-1 on aggregate. Two of the side – Gary McSheffrey and Robert Betts – got first-team opportunities, whilst others like Craig Pead and Lee Fowler sat on the first-team bench.
