1998–99 Football League
| Season | 1998–99 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Sunderland |
| Promoted |
Bradford City Watford |
| Relegated | Scarborough |
|
← 1997–98
|
|
| Season | 1998–99 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Sunderland (3rd second tier title) |
| Direct promotion to FA Premier League |
Sunderland, Bradford City |
| Promoted to FA Premier League through play-offs | Watford |
| Relegated |
Bristol City, Bury, Oxford United |
| Matches played | 552 |
| Goals scored | 1,455 (2.64 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Lee Hughes (West Bromwich Albion), 31 |
|
← 1997–98
|
|
| Season | 1998–99 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Fulham (1st third tier title) |
| Direct promotion |
Fulham, Walsall |
| Promoted through play-offs | Manchester City |
| Relegated |
Lincoln City, Macclesfield Town, Northampton, York City |
| Matches played | 552 |
| Goals scored | 1,358 (2.46 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Jamie Cureton (Bristol Rovers), 25 |
|
← 1997–98
|
|
| Season | 1998–99 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Brentford (2nd fourth tier title) |
| Direct promotion |
Brentford, Cambridge United, Cardiff City |
| Promoted through play-offs | Scunthorpe United |
| Relegated to Conference | Scarborough |
| New club in the league | None |
| Matches played | 552 |
| Goals scored | 1,395 (2.53 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Marco Gabbiadini (Darlington), 23 |
|
← 1997–98
|
|
The 1998–99 Football League (known as the Nationwide Football League for sponsorship reasons) was the 100th completed season of The Football League.
Sunderland were crowned First Division champions with 105 points, then a record, having lost just three games all season, to prove right the many pundits who tipped them for promotion. The two other promotion places were secured by two of the division’s least fancied sides — runners-up Bradford City (back in the top division for the first time in 77 years) and playoff winners Watford (who had won their second successive promotion during Graham Taylor’s second spell as manager).
Bury, Oxford United and Bristol City occupied the three relegation places in the First Division. Oxford’s dismal season was mainly down to £10 million debts which were putting the club in real danger of closure, and had also resulted in the suspension of construction of their new stadium near the Blackbird Leys estate.
Kevin Keegan completed his spell as Fulham manager before taking the England job by guiding the Cottagers to the Second Division championship with a staggering 101 points. Following them up were runners-up Walsall and playoff winners Manchester City.
Going down were York City, Northampton Town, Lincoln City and Macclesfield Town. Narrowly avoiding the drop to the Third Division were Oldham Athletic, who just five years earlier had been a Premiership side who came within a whisker of reaching the FA Cup final.
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