1998–99 Stoke City F.C. season


The 1998–99 season was Stoke City's 92nd season in the Football League and the fifth in the third tier.
Stoke entered a new era at their 28,000 seater stadium in the third tier of English football with heavy debts of around £5 million and had no manager the future seemed very uncertain. It came as a welcome surprise then when chairman Keith Humphreys appointed former Aston Villa manager Brian Little. And Little's new look side started the season on fire winning six straight matches as it looked like that Stoke would be too good for their Second Division opponents. By November it seemed a matter of when and not if Stoke would gain promotion but their form completely dropped off and just one win was registered from the end of November to March. Chief executive Jez Moxey was now coming in for some serious pressure to resign by the supporters due to the poor finances and with no chance of promotion Stoke finished in 8th place with 69 points. Little had since lost interest way before the end of the season and he resigned in July leaving Stoke to find another manager.

Season review

League

Chief executive Jez Moxey predicted that Stoke would lose around £1 million a year through being in the Second Division, such was the price Stoke had to pay after poor financial mismanagement on moving to the Britannia Stadium. In an attempt to retain fan interest, season ticket prices were frozen and chairman Keith Humphreys apologised for the past nine months of "bloody awful football" and he also appealed to the supporter group S.O.S to lift their ban on season tickets and merchandise. SOS wanted to starve out the current board and force them to sell in order to breathe fresh life back into the club. It came as a welcome surprise then when chairman Keith Humphreys appointed former Aston Villa manager Brian Little. Accepting that there was hardly any money available, Little signed players from the lower leagues such as Bryan Small, Phil Robinson and David Oldfield.
Little's new look side started the 1998–99 season with a bang, winning their first six matches which included a 4–3 win at Preston North End and saw Stoke installed by the bookies as promotion favourites. However a remainder that the club still had incompetent people working there when Jez Moxey revealed that they had budgeted for three rounds in the League Cup, Stoke lost to Macclesfield Town in the first round and therefore lost some £125,000. On the pitch Stoke's run came to an end at Fulham and new signing Chris Short had breathing problems and had to be carried off, which would disrupt the balance of the team and his condition would eventually end his career. Up front the goals dried up with Kyle Lightbourne out injured and Simon Sturridge retiring the injuries slowed Stoke's progress and David Oldfield was having a poor time and became a target for the fans.
It was becoming frustrating for Stoke as promotion rivals Fulham spent £2 million on Barry Hayles whose goals would win them the title, and Stoke on the other hand had to rely on free transfers and loans as well as academy players. Stoke won one game between Christmas and the beginning of March, dropping out of the play-off places. Little was very unimpressed and after a 2–0 defeat at Millwall, who won despite having nine men for most of the match said: "That was the worst result in my twelve years in management". More protests by the supporters followed against Moxey and the directors as Stoke's slim hopes of making the play-offs ended with a humiliating 4–1 defeat at home to Bristol Rovers and Stoke finished the season in 8th place. Brian Little resigned in July 1999 saying: "I have tried my best and the disappointment is very hard to take. I hope the supporters understand that it's best that I leave". He soon joined West Bromwich Albion meaning that Stoke would at least get some compensation.

FA Cup

Stoke won their first FA Cup away tie in 26 years against league rivals Reading alas normal service was resumed in the next match a defeat at Swansea City.

League Cup

Stoke met nearby Macclesfield Town in the first round and came away embarrassed as the "Silkmen" won 3–2 on aggregate.

League Trophy

After beating Blackpool Stoke lost 2–1 at home to Rochdale.

Final league table

Key: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Football League Second Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
18 August 1998Northampton TownA3–16,661Kavanagh 7', Thorne 63', Crowe 83'
215 August 1998Macclesfield TownH2–013,981Crowe 25', Thorne 36'
322 August 1998Preston North EndA4–311,587Crowe 50', 85', Kavanagh 69', 72'
429 August 1998Oldham AthleticH2–012,306Keen 22', Lightbourne 90'
531 August 1998Colchester UnitedA1–04,728Kavanagh 78'
65 September 1998BournemouthH2–013,443Thorne 70', Crowe 76'
78 September 1998FulhamA0–112,055
812 September 1998MillwallH1–012,307Lightbourne 90'
919 September 1998WrexhamA1–07,290Wallace 78'
1026 September 1998BlackpoolH1–315,002Crowe 69'
113 October 1998ReadingA1–213,089Whittle 69'
1212 October 1998ChesterfieldH0–010,557
1317 October 1998Lincoln CityA2–16,159Robinson 59', Sigurðsson 52'
1420 October 1998Bristol RoversA0–16,752
1524 October 1998Wigan AthleticH2–111,480Kavanagh 52', Griffiths 53'
1631 October 1998Notts CountyA0–18,546
177 November 1998Luton TownH3–112,964Oldfield 3', Forsyth 37', Lightbourne 90'
1810 November 1998BurnleyA2–010,575Lightbourne 47', Thorne 62'
1921 November 1998York CityH2–011,795Forsyth 30', Oldfield 35'
2028 November 1998Wycombe WanderersA1–06,023Kavanagh 79'
2112 December 1998GillinghamH0–017,233
2219 December 1998WalsallA0–19,056
2326 December 1998Preston North EndH0–123,272
2428 December 1998Manchester CityA1–230,478Sigurðsson 31'
259 January 1999Northampton TownH3–111,180Wallace 56', Thorne 74', Lightbourne 84'
2623 January 1999Colchester UnitedH3–312,507Gregory 30', Lightbourne 34', Sigurðsson 42'
2729 January 1999Manchester CityH0–113,679
286 February 1999BournemouthA0–47,637
2920 February 1999MillwallA0–27,855
3027 February 1999WrexhamH1–310,765Sigurðsson 82'
316 March 1999BlackpoolA1–05,504Lightbourne 34'
3210 March 1999ReadingH0–48,218
3313 March 1999Luton TownA2–15,221Kavanagh 10', 17'
3416 March 1999FulhamH0–112,298
3520 March 1999Notts CountyH2–39,565Oldfield 68', Keen 90'
3627 March 1999Wigan AthleticA3–24,133Thorne 54', Kavanagh 80', Strong 88'
373 April 1999Lincoln CityH2–012,845Thorne 21', 65'
385 April 1999ChesterfieldA1–15,290Oldfield 32'
3910 April 1999Bristol RoversH1–417,823Thorne 41'
4014 April 1999Wycombe WanderersH2–26,569Wallace 38, Oldfield 61'
4117 April 1999York CityA2–24,142Kavanagh 10', 85'
4224 April 1999BurnleyH1–410,965Crowe 31'
4327 April 1999Macclesfield TownA2–13,825Oldfield 31', Crowe 50'
441 May 1999GillinghamA0–48,289
454 May 1999Oldham AthleticA0–15,015
468 May 1999WalsallH2–012,091Connor 24', 50'

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R114 November 1998ReadingA1–010,095Lightbourne 27'
R25 December 1998Swansea CityA0–17,460

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R1 1st Leg11 August 1998Macclesfield TownA1–32,963Kavanagh 10'
R1 2nd Leg19 August 1998Macclesfield TownH1–06,152Thorne 78'

League Trophy

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R18 December 1998BlackpoolA2–01,759Kavanagh 10', Thorne 76'
R22 February 1998RochdaleH1–27,661Crowe 88'

Squad statistics