1997–98 Middlesbrough F.C. season
Middlesbrough 1997–98 football season
During the 1997–98 English football season, Middlesbrough F.C. competed in the Football League First Division .
Season summary
Middlesbrough were promoted to the Premier League , also reaching the League Cup final , where the club lost its third domestic cup final in a year. Just reaching the final was a huge success, though, with the club not playing in the top flight and having lost international star players Fabrizio Ravanelli and Juninho following relegation.
The season also saw the arrivals of well-known players such as Paul Gascoigne from Rangers , Marco Branca from Inter Milan and Paul Merson from Arsenal , with Boro bucking the trend of players only being attracted by top-flight clubs.
Final league table
Source:
Statto.com Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference
(C) Champions;
(O) Play-off winners;
(P) Promoted
Results
Middlesbrough's score comes first [ 1]
Legend
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorers
9 August 1997
Charlton Athletic H
2–1
29,414
Festa , Ravanelli
23 August 1997
Stoke City H
0–1
30,122
30 August 1997
Tranmere Rovers A
2–0
12,095
Mustoe , Beck
2 September 1997
Stockport County A
1–1
8,257
Merson
13 September 1997
Bradford City A
2–2
17,767
Kinder , Ormerod
20 September 1997
Birmingham City H
3–1
30,125
Kinder , Beck , Emerson
28 September 1997
Sunderland A
2–1
35,384
Emerson , Mustoe
5 October 1997
Sheffield United H
1–2
30,000
Beck
18 October 1997
Crewe Alexandra A
1–1
5,759
Townsend
21 October 1997
Oxford United A
4–1
8,306
Emerson , Mustoe , Fleming , Merson
25 October 1997
Port Vale H
2–1
30,096
Merson (2 pens)
28 October 1997
Huddersfield Town H
3–0
29,965
Merson , Beck (2)
1 November 1997
Wolverhampton Wanderers A
0–1
26,896
5 November 1997
Portsmouth H
1–1
29,724
Townsend
8 November 1997
Queens Park Rangers H
3–0
30,067
Beck , Merson , Ormerod
15 November 1997
Norwich City A
3–1
16,011
Beck , Merson , Ormerod
22 November 1997
Swindon Town A
2–1
15,228
Merson , Emerson
26 November 1997
Nottingham Forest H
0–0
30,143
29 November 1997
West Bromwich Albion H
1–0
30,164
Beck
2 December 1997
Ipswich Town A
1–1
13,619
Merson
6 December 1997
Bury A
1–0
8,016
Beck
13 December 1997
Reading H
4–0
29,876
Hignett (2), Beck (2)
20 December 1997
Manchester City A
0–2
28,097
26 December 1997
Huddersfield Town A
1–0
18,820
Gray (own goal)
28 December 1997
Stockport County H
3–1
30,166
Hignett , Beck (2)
10 January 1998
Charlton Athletic A
0–3
15,742
17 January 1998
Ipswich Town H
1–1
30,081
Pearson
1 February 1998
Stoke City A
2–1
13,242
Pearson , Moreno
4 February 1998
Tranmere Rovers H
3–0
29,540
Hignett , Merson (2)
7 February 1998
Birmingham City A
1–1
20,639
Festa
14 February 1998
Bradford City H
1–0
30,165
Hignett
21 February 1998
Sunderland H
3–1
30,227
Branca (2), Armstrong
25 February 1998
Crewe Alexandra H
1–0
29,936
Maddison
1 March 1998
Nottingham Forest A
0–4
25,286
4 March 1998
Queens Park Rangers A
0–5
11,580
11 March 1998
Swindon Town H
6–0
29,581
Branca (2), Maddison (2), Armstrong (2)
14 March 1998
Portsmouth A
0–0
17,003
22 March 1998
Norwich City H
3–0
30,040
Maddison , Armstrong , Beck
4 April 1998
West Bromwich Albion A
1–2
20,620
Branca
7 April 1998
Sheffield United A
0–1
18,421
11 April 1998
Bury H
4–0
30,218
Ricard , Branca (3)
13 April 1998
Reading A
1–0
14,501
Branca
17 April 1998
Manchester City H
1–0
30,182
Armstrong
24 April 1998
Port Vale A
1–0
25,781
Merson
29 April 1998
Wolverhampton Wanderers H
1–1
29,878
Ricard
3 May 1998
Oxford United H
4–1
30,228
Armstrong (2), Hignett (2)
FA Cup
League Cup
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Goalscorers
R2 First Leg
16 September 1997
Barnet H
1–0
9,611
Freestone
R2 Second Leg
23 September 1997
Barnet A
2–0 (won 3–0 on agg)
3,968
Beck , Merson (pen)
R3
15 October 1997
Sunderland H
2–0
26,451
Campbell , Hignett
R4
18 November 1997
Bolton Wanderers H
2–1 (a.e.t. )
22,801
Summerbell , Hignett
R5
6 January 1998
Reading A
1–0
13,072
Hignett
SF 1st Leg
27 January 1998
Liverpool A
1–2
33,438
Merson
SF 2nd Leg
18 February 1998
Liverpool H
2–0 (won 3–2 on agg)
29,828
Merson (pen), Branca
F
29 March 1998
Chelsea N
0–2
77,698
Squad
[1]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
References
National teams
League competitions
Level 1 Levels 2–4 Level 5 Levels 6–7 Levels 8–9
Isthmian League (Two , Three Combined Counties League (level 8 only )Eastern Counties League (Premier , One Essex Senior League (level 8 only )Hellenic League (Premier , One Kent League (level 8 only )Midland Alliance (level 8 only )Midland Football Combination (level 9 only )North West Counties League (One , Two Northern Counties East League (Premier , One Northern League (One , Two Spartan South Midlands League (Premier North , Premier South Senior Sussex County League (One , Two United Counties League (Premier , One Wessex League (level 8 only )West Midlands (Regional) League (level 9 only )Western League (Premier , One
Cup competitions
FA cups Football League cups
European competitions
