1997–98 season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Chairman | Francis Lee David Bernstein | |||
Manager | Frank Clark (until 17 February) Joe Royle (from 18 February) | |||
Stadium | Maine Road | |||
First Division | 22nd (relegated) | |||
FA Cup | Fourth round | |||
League Cup | First round | |||
Top goalscorer | League: Paul Dickov (9) All: Paul Dickov (9) | |||
Highest home attendance | 32,040 – (25 April vs Queens Park Rangers, First Division) | |||
Lowest home attendance | 12,563 – (12 August vs Blackpool, League Cup first round) | |||
Average home league attendance | 28,037 | |||
| ||||
The 1997–98 season was Manchester City's second in the First Division following relegation from the Premier League in 1995–96. The 1996–97 season had been a turbulent one; Five different managers took charge of the team over the course of the season (three permanent appointments and two caretakers), including Steve Coppell, who resigned after just 32 days as manager.[1] Frank Clark became manager in December 1996 and was in charge for the start of the 1997–98 season.
Despite speculation that linked him with a transfer, 1996–97 Player of the Season Georgi Kinkladze stayed at the club, and signed a three-year contract that made him the highest-paid player in Manchester City's history.[2] The highest profile signing was striker Lee Bradbury, who joined from Portsmouth for a club record £3 million.[3] Defender Tony Vaughan arrived from Ipswich Town. His transfer free was decided by tribunal and set at £1.35 million, more than double City's valuation.[4] The club also signed Dutch midfielder Gerard Wiekens from BV Veendam for £500,000.[5] Wiekens had agreed to join the club in March, but the move only took place once the previous season had finished.[6] Departing was Peter Beagrie, sold to Bradford City for £200,000.[7] In an early-season interview with the Sunday Times, Frank Clark bemoaned the difficulty of reducing the size of his squad, which contained 40 senior professionals: "This squad is too big, but a lot of the players are on good contracts which other clubs won't match. You can't blame them for staying." "We've got around 12 very good youngsters whose potential is really encouraging, but they can't get a reserve-team game. Because we've got to fill the reserves with senior pros needing match practice or players we're trying to sell, the youngsters' development is held up."[8]
Joe Royle replaced Frank Clark in February 1998.
Off the field, the club introduced a new badge, and changed the colour of the home shirt to a much deeper shade termed "laser blue". The new kit was made by Kappa; this ended a 63-year association with Umbro.[9]
In its preview of the forthcoming season, The Times listed bookmakers odds that put Manchester City as 6/1 joint second favourites to win the division.[10]
Team kit
[edit]![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Home |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Away |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Third |
League
[edit]The league campaign started with a home match against Portsmouth. Bradbury, Vaughan and Wiekens all made their debuts. The match finished 2–2, with a debut goal for Wiekens.[11] The first away match was a trip to Sunderland, a match that was the first competitive fixture at the Stadium of Light. City lost 3–1 to a team spearheaded by their former striker Niall Quinn. Jason van Blerk made his debut in the match, having signed on a free transfer in the run-up to the fixture.[12] The first league win did not arrive until the fifth match, when Nottingham Forest were beaten at the City Ground.[13] Three games later City's second win of the season was emphatic, 6–0 at home to Swindon Town.
Lee Bradbury cracked a vertebra at the start of October, and coupled with an injury to Uwe Rösler, City were left with few options in attack.[11] The team scored just one goal in October. A succession of reserve strikers were tried; Barry Conlon, Chris Greenacre, Ray Kelly and Gerry Creaney all saw their first action of the season.[11] The situation was exacerbated in late October when Kinkladze crashed his Ferrari, sustaining a back injury that required 30 stitches and caused him to miss two matches.[14] By November City lay in the relegation zone with just 3 wins from 16 matches.[15] A home defeat to Huddersfield Town led to open rebellion amongst the club's supporters. On the tenth anniversary of a match in which the same opposition were beaten 10–1, Manchester City succumbed to a defeat that was last-placed club Huddersfield's first away win of the season.[16] Choruses of "You're not fit to wear the shirt" rang out during the match.[17] Afterward two thousand supporters held a demonstration demanding the resignation of chairman Francis Lee.[18] The season hit a new low with 3–1 away defeat to local rivals Stockport County who were having the best season in their history. The club picked up enough wins here and there to at least stay out of the relegation zone, but then a horrific run of form after Christmas saw the club dumped to the bottom of the table following a 2–1 loss to Ipswich Town in February. This proved the end of the road for Clark, who was sacked later that day and replaced by Joe Royle, who had been out of the game since resigning as Everton manager a year prior.
A run of three wins from Royle's first four matches seemed to get things back on track for City, but then the club's form slumped again, and most damagingly they lost virtually all of their matches against the other teams involved in the relegation struggle. Francis Lee finally resigned during this poor run-in, with David Bernstein replacing him as chairman. A failure to beat Queens Park Rangers in their penultimate match left the Blues needing to defeat Stoke City and hope that at least one of Port Vale and Portsmouth would fail to win their own final matches to preserve their First Division status. In the end, City were able to beat Stoke, however both Port Vale and Portsmouth also won that day to send City into the third tier for the first time in their history.
Table
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
20 | Portsmouth | 46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 51 | 63 | −12 | 49 | |
21 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 10 | 19 | 17 | 51 | 63 | −12 | 49 | |
22 | Manchester City (R) | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 56 | 57 | −1 | 48 | Relegation to the Second Division |
23 | Stoke City (R) | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 44 | 74 | −30 | 46 | |
24 | Reading (R) | 46 | 11 | 9 | 26 | 39 | 78 | −39 | 42 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goals scored; 3) Goal difference
(R) Relegated
Results summary
[edit]Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 56 | 57 | −1 | 48 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 28 | 26 | +2 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 28 | 31 | −3 |
Source: [1]
Matches
[edit]9 August 1997 1 | Manchester City | 2-2 | Portsmouth | Manchester |
Rösler ![]() Wiekens ![]() |
Aloisi ![]() Hall ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 30,474 Referee: David Laws |
15 August 1997 2 | Sunderland | 3–1 | Manchester City | Sunderland |
Quinn ![]() Phillips ![]() Clark ![]() |
Kinkladze ![]() |
Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 38,827 Referee: Eddie Wolstenholme |
22 August 1997 3 | Manchester City | 1-1 | Tranmere Rovers | Manchester |
Horlock ![]() |
Jones ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 26,336 Referee: John Brandwood |
29 August 1997 4 | Charlton Athletic | 2–1 | Manchester City | London |
Van Blerk ![]() Jones ![]() |
Wiekens ![]() |
Stadium: The Valley Attendance: 14,009 Referee: Rob Harris |
3 September 1997 5 | Nottingham Forest | 1-3 | Manchester City | Nottingham |
Campbell ![]() |
Brannan ![]() Dickov ![]() |
Stadium: City Ground Attendance: 23,681 Referee: Stephen Finch |
12 September 1997 6 | Bury | 1–1 | Manchester City | Bury |
Johnson ![]() |
Morley ![]() |
Stadium: Gigg Lane Attendance: 11,216 Referee: Phil Richards |
20 September 1997 7 | Manchester City | 1-2 | Norwich City | Manchester |
Bradbury ![]() |
Adams ![]() Coote ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 27,258 Referee: Alan Butler |
27 September 1997 8 | Manchester City | 6-0 | Swindon Town | Manchester |
Kinkladze ![]() Casper ![]() Horlock ![]() Dickov ![]() Bradbury ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 26,646 Referee: Roy Pearson |
4 October 1997 9 | Ipswich Town | 1-0 | Manchester City | Ipswich |
Mathie ![]() |
Stadium: Portman Road Attendance: 14,322 Referee: Mike Bailey |
18 October 1997 10 | Manchester City | 0-0 | Reading | Manchester |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 26,488 |
22 October 1997 11 | Manchester City | 0-1 | Stoke City | Manchester |
Wallace ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 25,333 Referee: Anthony Leake |
26 October 1997 12 | Queens Park Rangers | 2-0 | Manchester City | Shepherd's Bush, London |
Ready ![]() Peacock ![]() |
Stadium: Loftus Road Attendance: 14,451 Referee: Rob Harris |
29 October 1997 13 | Manchester City | 1-0 | Crewe Alexandra | Manchester |
Greenacre ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 27,384 Referee: Kevin Lynch |
1 November 1997 14 | Oxford United | 0-0 | Manchester City | Oxford |
Stadium: Kassam Stadium Attendance: 8,592 Referee: David Orr |
4 November 1997 15 | Manchester City | 2-3 | Port Vale | Manchester |
Wiekens ![]() Dickov ![]() |
Snijders ![]() Talbot ![]() Naylor ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 24,554 Referee: John Brandwood |
7 November 1997 16 | Manchester City | 0-1 | Huddersfield Town | Manchester |
Edwards ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 24,425 Referee: Graham Frankland |
15 November 1997 17 | Sheffield United | 1-1 | Manchester City | Sheffield |
Deane ![]() |
Horlock ![]() |
Stadium: Bramall Lane Attendance: 23,850 Referee: Paul Rejer |
22 November 1997 18 | Manchester City | 1–0 | Bradford City | Manchester |
Vaughan ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 29,746 Referee: Guy Stretton |
21 November 1998 19 | Stockport County | 3-1 | Manchester City | Stockport |
Cook ![]() Armstrong ![]() Angell ![]() |
Brannan ![]() |
Stadium: Edgeley Park Attendance: 11,351 Referee: Eddie Wolstenholme |
28 November 1998 20 | West Bromwich Albion | 0-1 | Manchester City | West Bromwich |
Dickov ![]() |
Stadium: The Hawthorns Attendance: 17,904 Referee: John Kirkby |
6 December 1997 21 | Manchester City | 0-1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Manchester |
Symons ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 28,999 Referee: Clive Wilkes |
13 December 1997 22 | Birmingham City | 2–1 | Manchester City | Birmingham |
O'Connor ![]() Forster ![]() |
Shelia ![]() |
Stadium: St Andrew's Attendance: 21,014 Referee: Andy D'Urso |
20 December 1997 23 | Manchester City | 2-0 | Middlesbrough | Manchester |
Rösler ![]() Dickov ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 28,097 Referee: Mike C Bailey |
26 December 1997 24 | Crewe Alexandra | 1-0 | Manchester City | Crewe |
Holsgrove ![]() |
Stadium: Alexandra Stadium Attendance: 5,759 Referee: Trevor Jones |
28 December 1997 25 | Manchester City | 2-3 | Nottingham Forest | Manchester |
Shelia ![]() Dickov ![]() |
van Hooijdonk ![]() Campbell ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 31,839 Referee: Alan Wiley |
10 January 1998 26 | Portsmouth | 0-3 | Manchester City | Portsmouth |
Russell ![]() Kinkladze ![]() Rösler ![]() |
Stadium: Fratton Park Attendance: 13,512 Referee: Paul Taylor |
17 January 1998 27 | Manchester City | 0-1 | Sunderland | Manchester |
Phillips ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 31,715 Referee: Matt Messias |
28 January 1998 28 | Manchester City | 2-2 | Charlton Athletic | Manchester |
Dickov ![]() Symons ![]() |
Jones ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 24,058 Referee: Phil Richards |
31 January 1998 29 | Tranmere Rovers | 0–0 | Manchester City | Birkenhead |
Stadium: Prenton Park Attendance: 12,830 Referee: Clive Wilkes |
7 February 1998 30 | Norwich City | 0–0 | Manchester City | Norwich |
Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 15,274 Referee: Barry Knight |
14 February 1998 31 | Manchester City | 0-1 | Bury | Manchester |
Butler ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 28,885 Referee: Terry Heilbron |
18 February 1998 32 | Manchester City | 1-2 | Ipswich Town | Manchester |
Symons ![]() |
Mathie ![]() Dyer ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 27,156 Referee: Graham Frankland |
21 February 1998 33 | Swindon Town | 1-3 | Manchester City | Swindon |
Cowe ![]() |
Rösler ![]() Bradbury ![]() |
Stadium: County Ground Attendance: 12,280 Referee: Brian Coddington |
24 February 1998 34 | Reading | 3-0 | Manchester City | Reading |
Hodges ![]() Houghton ![]() Asaba ![]() |
Stadium: Elm Park Attendance: 11,513 Referee: Anthony Bates |
28 February 1998 35 | Manchester City | 1-0 | West Bromwich Albion | Manchester |
Rösler ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 28,460 Referee: Alan Butler |
3 March 1998 36 | Huddersfield Town | 1-3 | Manchester City | Huddersfield |
Dalton ![]() |
Wiekens ![]() Briscoe ![]() Tskhadadze ![]() |
Stadium: Alfred McAlpine Stadion Attendance: 15,694 Referee: George Cain |
7 March 1998 37 | Manchester City | 0-2 | Oxford United | Manchester |
Beauchamp ![]() Cook ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 28,720 Referee: William Burns (referee) |
14 March 1998 38 | Port Vale | 2-1 | Manchester City | Stoke-on-Trent |
Foyle ![]() Ainsworth ![]() |
Wiekens ![]() |
Stadium: Vale Park Attendance: 13,122 Referee: Roger Furnandiz |
21 March 1998 39 | Manchester City | 0-0 | Sheffield United | Manchester |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 28,496 Referee: Roy Pearson |
28 March 1998 40 | Bradford City | 2-1 | Manchester City | Bradford |
Pepper ![]() Edinho ![]() |
Whitley ![]() |
Stadium: Valley Parade Attendance: 17,099 Referee: Eddie Wolstenholme |
4 April 1998 41 | Manchester City | 4-1 | Stockport County | Manchester |
Goater ![]() Jobson ![]() Bradbury ![]() |
Wilbraham ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 31,855 Referee: Rob Harris |
11 April 1998 42 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2-2 | Manchester City | Wolverhampton |
Margetson ![]() Simpson ![]() |
Pollock ![]() Horlock ![]() |
Stadium: Molineux Stadium Attendance: 24,458 Referee: Mark Halsey |
13 April 1998 43 | Manchester City | 0-1 | Birmingham City | Manchester |
Adebola ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 29,569 Referee: Terry Heilbron |
17 April 1998 44 | Middlesbrough | 1-0 | Manchester City | Middlesbrough |
Armstrong ![]() |
Stadium: Riverside Stadium Attendance: 30,182 Referee: Alan Wiley |
25 April 1998 45 | Manchester City | 2-2 | Queens Park Rangers | Manchester |
Kinkladze ![]() Bradbury ![]() |
Sheron ![]() Pollock ![]() |
Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 32,040 |
3 May 1998 46 | Stoke City | 2-5 | Manchester City | Stoke-on-Trent |
Thorne ![]() |
Goater ![]() Dickov ![]() Bradbury ![]() Horlock ![]() |
Stadium: Britannia Stadium Attendance: 28,000 Referee: Mike C Bailey |
FA Cup
[edit]Manchester City entered the FA Cup in the third round, the starting point for all clubs in the top two divisions. Drawn at home to fellow First Division club Bradford City, Manchester City won 2–0.[19] Another home tie followed in the fourth round, against Premier League club West Ham United. City trailed 1–0 at half time, but a solo goal from Georgi Kinkladze levelled the score. A penalty gave City the chance to take the lead, but Uwe Rösler's kick went high over the crossbar.[20] Two minutes later, former City player Steve Lomas scored for West Ham.[21] City lost 2–1 and exited the competition.
Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A |
Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 January 1998 | Third round | Bradford City | H | Maine Road | 2 – 0 | Brown, Rösler | 23,686 |
25 January 1998 | Fourth round | West Ham United | H | Maine Road | 1 – 2 | Kinkladze | 26,495 |
League Cup
[edit]Manchester City entered the League Cup in the first round for the first time. In previous years, the club's league position had been sufficient to gain a bye into the second round. Blackpool were the opposition in the first round, for which ties were played over two legs. In the first leg, at Bloomfield Road, City lost 1–0.[22] The return leg was chosen for live television coverage.[23] Kevin Horlock scored with two minutes of normal time remaining to make the score 1–1 on aggregate and take the tie to extra time.[24] No goals were scored in extra time, so the result was decided by a penalty shootout. Horlock and Bradbury's kicks missed, and Blackpool won the shootout 4–2.[25]
Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A |
Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 August 1997 | First round first leg | Blackpool | A | Bloomfield Road | 0 – 1 | 8,084 | |
26 August 1997 | First round second leg | Blackpool | H | Maine Road | 1 – 0 (aet, 2 – 4 pens) | Horlock | 12,563 |
Squad
[edit]Appearances for competitive matches only, substitute appearances in brackets
Source:[26]
Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
GK | ![]() |
28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
GK | ![]() |
18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
4 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 (3) | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
19 (2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 23 (2) | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
DF | ![]() |
3 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (2) | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
DF | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
1 (2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2) | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
DF | ![]() |
42 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 2 |
DF | ![]() |
10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
DF | ![]() |
10 (9) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 10 (11) | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
DF/MF | ![]() |
35 (2) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 (2) | 5 |
MF | ![]() |
5 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 (1) | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
4 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 (2) | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
27 (5) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 (5) | 3 |
MF | ![]() |
18 (8) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 (8) | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 6 |
MF | ![]() |
29 (1) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33 (1) | 5 |
MF | ![]() |
6 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 6 (2) | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
MF | ![]() |
1 (8) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (8) | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
4 (5) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 (5) | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
14 (3) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 (3) | 1 |
MF | ![]() |
17 (2) | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 (3) | 0 |
FW | ![]() |
23 (4) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 (4) | 7 |
FW | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
FW | ![]() |
1 (6) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (6) | 0 |
FW | ![]() |
21 (9) | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 23 (10) | 9 |
FW | ![]() |
7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
FW | ![]() |
2 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (2) | 0 |
FW | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
FW | ![]() |
23 (6) | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 27 (6) | 7 |
FW | ![]() |
17 (7) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 (7) | 1 |
Transfers
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Buckley, Andy; Burgess, Richard (2000). Blue Moon Rising: The Fall and Rise of Manchester City. Bury: Milo. ISBN 0-9530847-4-4. p. 132.
- ^ "Fergie's £15m for Fab Gab". Sunday Mirror. 18 May 1997.
- ^ Manchester City F.C. Official Handbook 1997-98, p. 19.
- ^ a b "Football". Independent. 17 July 1997.
- ^ Manchester City F.C. Official Handbook 1997-98, p. 33.
- ^ a b Adam Szreter (14 March 1997). "Merson to be out of action for six weeks". Independent.
- ^ a b "Football Round-up". Independent. 3 July 1997.
- ^ Louise Taylor (17 August 1997). "Clark attempting to rekindle City's lights". Sunday Times.
- ^ James, Gary (2012). Manchester The City Years. Halifax: James Ward. pp. 454–5. ISBN 978-0-9558127-7-4.
- ^ "Club-by-Club guide to the Nationwide League - First Division". The Times. 7 August 1997.
- ^ a b c Buckley & Burgess, Blue Moon Rising, p. 145.
- ^ a b "Stockport chase Robins". Independent. 12 August 1997.
- ^ John Lawson (4 September 1997). "Brannan double eases Clark woe". The Guardian. p. 22.
- ^ Clayton, David (2005). Kinkladze: The Perfect 10?. Manchester: Parrs Wood Press. p. 113. ISBN 1-903158-60-5.
- ^ "English Division One 1997-1998 : Table 09.11.1997". Statto organisation. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
- ^ Derek Potter (8 November 1997). "Edwards volley sinks City". The Guardian. p. A12.
- ^ David Maddock (8 November 1997). "Huddersfield add to City's gloom". The Times.
- ^ Derick Allsop (8 November 1997). "City suffer another humiliation". Independent.
- ^ "Clark's on the up n' up". Sunday Mirror. 4 January 1998.
- ^ Ian Ross (26 January 1998). "Rosler boots a win into the air". The Guardian. p. A3.
- ^ Ian Ross (26 January 1998). "Lomas returns to City with interest". The Times.
- ^ "Unconvincing City slip up at Blackpool". Independent. 13 August 1997.
- ^ "Manchester City 's Coca-Cola Cup first round second leg with Blackpool brought forward". Independent. 14 August 1997.
- ^ Mark Pierson (27 August 1997). "Mellon on the spot to see Blackpool through". Independent.
- ^ Ian Whittell (27 August 1997). "Kinkladze's injury adds to woe for City". The Times.
- ^ James, Manchester City – The Complete Record, pp. 462–3.
- ^ "Football Round-Up". Independent. 20 April 1997.
- ^ Alan Nixon (31 July 1997). "Kendall poised to offer £7m for Cole". Independent.
- ^ Rupert Metcalf (16 August 1997). "Saints dispense with Van Gobbel". Independent.
- ^ a b c d "On the move". Independent on Sunday. 15 March 1998.
- ^ a b c "On the move". Independent on Sunday. 22 March 1998.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Yesterday's deadline-day deals". Independent. 27 March 1998.
- ^ "Spurs ponder action on Iversen". Independent. 12 September 1997.
- ^ "Shearer set for New Year return". Guardian. 20 September 1997. p. 12.
- ^ "On the move". Independent. 21 September 1997.
- ^ Gordon Simpson (27 December 1997). "Back in line". Daily Record.
- ^ "Pressure mounts for Waddle and his men". Lancashire County Publications. 5 January 1998.
- ^ "Sidelines: Gers trade with Hearts flowers". Independent. 28 February 1998.
- ^ Richard Burgess (16 March 1998). "Blues boss targets double swoop". Manchester Evening News.