The Story of a Premiership Season

November 1998

Much-wanted Coventry striker Dion Dublin turns down Blackburn and Leeds to sign for Aston Villa in £5.75 million, five and a half year deal, then celebrates his debut with two goals as Villa beat Spurs 3–2 to remain top. Kop fans jeer Liverpool as they crash 2–1 at home to Derby. Arsenal move to within two points of Villa with a Nicolas Anelka goal, his fifth in consecutive games, that earns a home win over Everton.

Peter Schmeichel announces his retirement at the end of the season and the managerial duo that no one in football thought would work didn’t and ‘joint manager’ Roy Evans leaves Anfield, after 34 years, leaving Gerard Houllier in sole charge.

Dion Dublin continues his scoring spree with a hat-trick that helps beat struggling Southampton, 4–1 and Villa stay top despite following up with a 4–2 home defeat to Liverpool, in which Robbie Fowler hits a hat-trick and former team mates Stan Collymore and Liverpool’s Steve Harkness are sent off for a physically frank exchange of ‘views’. Chelsea extend their unbeaten run to 17 with a win at Leicester while Blackburn, who sink to the bottom after losing 2–0 at home to fellow strugglers Southampton, 19th, sack Roy Hodgson after just 16 months at the helm. The former manager of the Swiss national side says he ‘never saw the axe coming’. Two days later Blackburn announce perennial caretaker Tony Parkes as temporary manager, for the fourth time in 12 years.

Forest’s draw with Derby sees them top the bottom three and although Forest then lose to Spurs, to remain 18th, they end the month by drawing at home to Villa but John Gregory’s team still finish November top of the table. But Manchester United close the gap as they go second with a home win over Leeds. Blackburn stay bottom with a defeat at Liverpool but then announce they are to make an official bid for Alex Ferguson’s assistant, Brian Kidd.

Story of a Premiership Season - November 1998

Story of a Premiership Season -
November 1998