The Story of a Premiership Season

December 1999

Manchester United crush Everton and are second, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer becoming the second United player, this campaign, to hit four goals in a game. Sunderland hit their highest score of the season in avenging their opening day defeat at Chelsea, with a pair of goals, each, for Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips, who takes his tally to 17, but The Black Cats are static in fourth place. Arsenal are one place higher after beating Leicester, who drop to sixth. Watford suffer their worst defeat of the season, at Wimbledon, and remain 19th.

Leeds retain top spot but it takes a stoppage-time Ian Harte penalty to win at Derby, who stay 18th as a consequence. Sheffield Wednesday concede four goals for the second match running as they are crushed at Liverpool, after taking a 1–0 lead in just 17 minutes. Midfielders Danny Murphy and Steven Gerrard net their first goals of the campaign as Liverpool climb a place to fifth leaving Wednesday rock-bottom.

Roy Keane breaks the £50,000 per week barrier when he signs a new four-year contract at Manchester United.

After recent high-profile players Alan Shearer and Michael Owen being accused of ‘diving’ the players’ union, the PFA urges managers to stop their players from indulging in the practise.
Sunderland pay £2.5 million for West Brom winger Kevin Kilbane and another wingman, Jason Wilcox leaves Blackburn, in a £3 million transfer, for Leeds United while struggling Derby County pay Genk £3 million for striker Branko Strupar.

Off the field, Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards is quoted as saying that Alex Ferguson is a troublemaker and is useless with money!

Derby County win for the first time in five outings as Darryl Powell’s first goal for three years earns a win over Leicester, but The Rams stay 18th. Sheffield Wednesday lose again, to Aston Villa, and continue to prop up the Premiership and the two strugglers still have Watford separating them after The Hornets lose to Everton. Villa then reveal that Dion Dublin broke his neck in the game at Villa Park.

At the other end of the table Arsenal lose ground and drop to fourth following the draw with Wimbledon while Manchester United go to town at West Ham with a brace each for Dwight Yorke and Ryan Giggs that keeps United second while Kevin Phillips scores a brace, for the third game in a row, as Sunderland beat Southampton and move back up to third. Liverpool’s sixth consecutive Anfield victory, over Coventry, moves them up to fifth.

Leeds continue to head the Premiership when a pair of Stephen McPhail goals is too much for Chelsea, who have Frank Leboeuf sent off.

There’s a Christmas Eve thespian takeover at Everton where former Coronation Street actor, now theatre impresario, Bill Kenwright announces a £20 million deal to buy his beloved club from Peter Johnson.

Another takeover, of sorts, occurs at The Dell were history is made when Chelsea face Southampton without a single British player in their starting line-up. Norwegian Tore Andre Flo scores twice to move Chelsea up a place to ninth. A little higher Leeds maintain top spot with victory over Leicester and Manchester United crush Bradford with a four-goal blast in the last quarter-hour to stay second. Sunderland remain third despite their shock hammering at Everton.

There’s Boxing Day cheer for Sheffield Wednesday who record their first win in eight games when a Peter Atherton goal beats Middlesbrough but The Owls are still bottom. Watford’s goals-against record rises to 12 in just three games when they are swamped at White Hart Lane. David Ginola is on the scoresheet for the first time in the campaign but he then sees the board showing number 11 and the Frenchman is substituted, for the 11th time, by manager George Graham. Watford stay 19th and there’s no Christmas joy, either, for Derby who are still 18th, for the second complete month, following defeat by Aston Villa.

A Stadium of Light record 42,026 attendance sees Sunderland go 2–0 up against Manchester United, inside 13 minutes. Roy Keane reduces the arrears but it takes an 86th minute Nicky Butt goal to earn United a draw, which keeps them second and pushes Sunderland down a place to fourth. Goals from Henry and Ljunberg end a winning run by Leeds, who field nine players under the age of 22 at Highbury. But David O’Leary’s side stay top while The Gunners move up a slot to third.

Robbie Fowler nets his 150th goal for Liverpool as they beat Wimbledon but heir-apparent to Fowler’s crown, Michael Owen also nets, for the third game running and Liverpool remain fifth.
Chelsea once again start a Premiership game with a ‘Foreign XI’ but it takes Anglo-Saxon Dennis Wise, who replaces French World Cup winning captain Didier Deschamps, to inspire the team to victory over Sheffield Wednesday that means The Owls end the year bottom of the table.

Story of a Premiership Season - December 1999

Story of a Premiership Season -
December 1999