1998–99 Utah Jazz season
The 1998–99 NBA season was the Jazz's 25th season in the National Basketball Association, and 20th season in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Jazz entered the season once again as runner-ups in the NBA Finals, having lost back-to-back NBA Finals to the Chicago Bulls, both in six games.


1998–99 Utah Jazz season
However, with Michael Jordan retiring for a second time, Scottie Pippen being traded to the Houston Rockets, Dennis Rodman signing with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent, and Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the Bulls dynasty that headlined much of the 1990s was dramatically dismantled, and the Jazz hoped to make the NBA Finals for a third time. During the offseason, the team re-signed free agent, and former Jazz forward Thurl Bailey, who came out of his retirement. Bailey last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 1993–94 season.


1998–99 Utah Jazz season
The start of the Jazz season was delayed by a lockout, which cut the season to 50 games. When the season finally started, the Jazz got off to a 19–4 start, and then posted an 11-game winning streak in April. However, they struggled a bit down the stretch as they lost their grip on first place. They finished with a league best record of 37–13. However, their record was tied by the San Antonio Spurs, who won the Midwest Division by a tie-breaker.


1998–99 Utah Jazz season
Karl Malone averaged 23.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, and was named Most Valuable Player of the Year for the second time, while being named to the All-NBA First Team, and NBA All-Defensive First Team. John Stockton provided the team with 11.1 points, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team.


1998–99 Utah Jazz season
In the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Jazz faced elimination as they trailed 2–1 against the 6th–seeded Sacramento Kings. However, they managed to win the series in five games. In the Western Conference Semifinals, they struggled and lost to the Pacific Division champion Portland Trail Blazers in six games. Following the season, Shandon Anderson signed as a free agent with the Houston Rockets, Greg Foster signed with the Seattle SuperSonics, and Bailey retired for the second time.


1998–99 Utah Jazz season
For the season, the Jazz added new black alternate road uniforms that lasted until 2004.


1998–99 Utah Jazz season, Player statistics
NOTE: Please write players statistics in alphabetical order by last name.


1998–99 Utah Utes men's basketball team
The 1998–99 Utah Utes men's basketball team represented the University of Utah as a member of the Western Athletic Conference during the 1998–99 men's basketball season. Led by head coach Rick Majerus, the Utes finished with an overall record of 28–5 (14–0 WAC).


1998–99 Utah Utes men's basketball team
Utah capped an impressive three-season stretch by winning 87 of 100 games overall and 41 of 44 games in conference play.


1998–99 Valencia CF season
Valencia CF had a successful season, finishing in the top four of La Liga and thus qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in almost 30 years, thanks to the extension of the competition to include more teams from the top leagues. Valencia also won the Copa del Rey, ending a long trophy drought and marking a successful end to Italian coach Claudio Ranieri's first spell at the club. Among the main players behind the success included Gaizka Mendieta, Javier Farinós and lethal striker Claudio López.


1998–99 Valencia CF season
At the end of the season, Ranieri left to manage Atlético Madrid; he was replaced by Argentine Héctor Cúper, who had led Mallorca to third place and the Cup Winners' Cup final.


1998–99 Valencia CF season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 Valencia CF season, Squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 Vancouver Canucks season
The 1998–99 Vancouver Canucks season was the team's 29th in the National Hockey League (NHL).


1998–99 Vancouver Canucks season, Regular season
The Canucks led the league in power-play opportunities against, with 450, and short-handed goals, with 17.


1998–99 Vancouver Canucks season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: CEN – Central, PAC – Pacific, NW – Northwest


1998–99 Vancouver Canucks season, Regular season, Final standings
bold – Qualified for playoffs; p – Won Presidents' Trophy; y – Won division


1998–99 Vancouver Canucks season, Transactions, Draft picks
Vancouver's picks at the 1998 NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo, New York.


1998–99 Vancouver Grizzlies season
The 1998–99 NBA season was the Grizzlies' fourth season in the National Basketball Association. The Grizzlies had the second overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, which they used to select Mike Bibby from the University of Arizona, acquired rookie guard Felipe López from the San Antonio Spurs, and signed free agent Cherokee Parks during the offseason. In a lockout-shortened season cut to 50 games, the Grizzlies had a 4–6 record in their first ten games, but then struggled posting a 13-game losing streak between February and March, as Bryant Reeves played just 25 games due to a knee injury.


1998–99 Vancouver Grizzlies season
Tony Massenburg would step into the lineup providing the team with 11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Midway through the season, three-point specialist Sam Mack was traded back to his former team, the Houston Rockets. The Grizzlies lost their final seven games, returning to last place in the Midwest Division with a league worst record of 8–42.


1998–99 Vancouver Grizzlies season
Bibby had a solid rookie season averaging 13.2 points, 6.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game, as he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, Shareef Abdur-Rahim continued to improve posting a career high of 23.0 points per game. Following the season, Massenburg was traded to the Houston Rockets, and Michael Smith and Lee Mayberry were both traded to the Orlando Magic, who then released both players to free agency, as Smith signed as a free agent with the Washington Wizards.


1998–99 Vancouver Grizzlies season, Draft picks
The Grizzlies' first draft pick was Mike Bibby, which was the second overall pick in the draft.


1998–99 Vancouver Grizzlies season, Regular season
Due to the 1998–99 NBA lockout, the NBA would see a shortened schedule for the 1998–99 season, as every team would play 50 games, compared to 82 in a normal season. The Grizzlies began the season with their best start in franchise history, as they had a 3–3 record in their first six games, the latest in a season that the club had a .500 record. Vancouver would fall into a bad streak, losing sixteen of their next seventeen games, which included a thirteen-game losing streak, to fall out of the playoff picture.


1998–99 Vancouver Grizzlies season, Regular season
Wins would be few and far between for the remainder of the season, as the Grizzlies ended the year with a record of 8–42, which represented a .160 winning percentage, the lowest in team history. Vancouver finished with the worst record in the league for the third time in four seasons.


1998–99 Vancouver Grizzlies season, Transactions
The Grizzlies signed free agent Cherokee Parks, who spent the 1997–98 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Parks averaged 7.1 points in 79 games with Minnesota last season.


1998–99 Vancouver Grizzlies season, Transactions
The San Antonio Spurs and Grizzlies made a trade, with Vancouver sending Antonio Daniels to the Spurs for Felipe López and Carl Herrera. Lopez was the Spurs' first round draft pick in the 1998 NBA draft.


1998–99 Venezuelan Primera División season
The 1998–99 season of the Venezuelan Primera División, the top category of Venezuelan football, was played by 12 teams. The national champions were Deportivo Italchacao.


1998–99 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season
The 1998–99 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season (Spanish: Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional or LVBP):


1998–99 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season, Awards
Most Valuable Player (Víctor Davalillo Award): Luis Raven (Los Llanos)


1998–99 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season, Awards
Overall Offensive Performer of the year: Luis Raven (Los Llanos)


1998–99 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League season, Awards
Pitcher of the year (Carrao Bracho Award): Mike Romano (Lara)


1998–99 VfL Bochum season
The 1998–99 VfL Bochum season was the 61st season in club history.


1998–99 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team
The 1998–99 Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team represented the University of Virginia during the 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by first-year head coach Pete Gillen, and played their home games at University Hall in Charlottesville, Virginia as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.


1998–99 Vyshcha Liha
The 1998–99 Vyshcha Liha season was the 8th since its establishment. FC Dynamo Kyiv were the defending champions.


1998–99 Vyshcha Liha, Managers
Notes: Games between Dynamo Kyiv and CSKA Kyiv were played at Republican Stadium.


1998–99 Vysshaya Liga season
The 1998–99 Vysshaya Liga season was the seventh season of the Vysshaya Liga, the second level of ice hockey in Russia. Ten teams participated in the league. Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod finished first, and the top six teams earned the right to participate in the qualification round of the Russian Superleague. Kristall Elektrostal, Dinamo-Energija Yekaterinburg, and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod were promoted to the Superleague.


1998–99 WCHL season
The 1998–99 West Coast Hockey League season was the fourth season of the West Coast Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Nine teams began the regular season, although the Tucson Gila Monsters folded after 21 games. Tucson's unexpected mid-season exit created schedule irregularities, causing some teams to play 70 regular season games while others played 71.


1998–99 WHL season
The 1998–99 WHL season was the 33rd season for the Western Hockey League. Eighteen teams completed a 72-game season. The Calgary Hitmen won the President's Cup.


1998–99 WHL season, Regular season, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes


1998–99 WHL season, Regular season, Goaltending leaders
Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties ; GA = Goals against; SO = Total shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average


1998–99 WHL season, All-Star game
On January 20, the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference 11–9 at Lethbridge, Alberta before a crowd of 5,071.


1998–99 WNBL season
The 1998–99 WNBL season was the 19th season of competition since its establishment in 1981. A total of 8 teams contested the league.


1998–99 WPHL season
The 1998–99 Western Professional Hockey League season was the third season of the Western Professional Hockey League, a North American minor pro league. 17 teams participated in the regular season, and the Shreveport Mudbugs were the league champions.


1998–99 Washington Capitals season
The 1998–99 Washington Capitals season was the Washington Capitals 25th season in the National Hockey League (NHL).


1998–99 Washington Capitals season, Regular season
On January 16, 1999, Kelly Miller scored just nine seconds into the overtime period to give the Caps a 3–2 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes. It would prove to be the fastest overtime goal scored during the 1998–99 regular season.


1998–99 Washington Capitals season, Regular season
On February 3, 1999, the Caps defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning at home by a score of 10–1. Peter Bondra scored four goals in the game. It was the first time that Washington had scored ten goals in a regular-season game since December 17, 1993, when they defeated the Ottawa Senators at home by a score of 11–2.


1998–99 Washington Capitals season, Regular season
The Caps were shut out an NHL-high 11 times. They also tied the St. Louis Blues for the fewest power-play opportunities, with just 301.


1998–99 Washington Capitals season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: ATL – Atlantic Division, NE – Northeast Division, SE – Southeast Division


1998–99 Washington Capitals season, Playoffs
The Capitals missed the playoffs, despite their amazing run to the Stanley Cup Finals the previous year.


1998–99 Washington Capitals season, Draft picks
Washington's draft picks at the 1998 NHL Entry Draft held at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York.


1998–99 Washington Huskies men's basketball team
The 1998–99 Washington Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Washington for the 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by sixth-year head coach Bob Bender, the Huskies were members of the Pacific-10 Conference and played their home games on campus at Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Washington.


1998–99 Washington Huskies men's basketball team
The Huskies were 17–11 overall in the regular season and 10–8 in conference play, fourth in the standings. There was no conference tournament this season; last played in 1990, it resumed in 2002.


1998–99 Washington Huskies men's basketball team
Washington made the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. Seeded seventh in the Midwest regional, they met tenth seed Miami (OH) in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans and lost by a point. Wally Szczerbiak led the scoring for Miami with 43 points; his teammates scored only sixteen. Washington's next NCAA appearance was five years later in 2004.


1998–99 Washington Huskies men's basketball team
Built over seventy years earlier in 1927, Hec Edmundson Pavilion underwent a renovation following this season and reopened in November 2000. The Huskies' home court for the 1999–2000 season was KeyArena at Seattle Center, the home of the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics.


1998–99 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team
The 1998–99 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team represented Washington State University for the 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by fifth-year head coach Kevin Eastman, the Cougars were members of the Pacific-10 Conference and played their home games on campus at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Washington.


1998–99 Washington State Cougars men's basketball team
The Cougars were 10–19 overall in the regular season and 4–14 in conference play, last in the standings. There was no conference tournament this season; last played in 1990, it resumed in 2002.


1998–99 Washington Wizards season
The 1998–99 NBA season was the Wizards' 38th season in the National Basketball Association. Prior to the start of the season, which was delayed by a lockout and cut to 50 games, the Wizards acquired All-Star guard Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe from the Sacramento Kings. However, after a 4–4 start to the season, the Wizards continued to under achieve playing below .500 for the rest of the season.


1998–99 Washington Wizards season
Head coach Bernie Bickerstaff was fired after a 13–19 start, and was replaced with Jim Brovelli midway through the season, and Juwan Howard only played 36 games due to an ankle injury. The team posted a 7-game losing streak in April, and lost nine of their final eleven games finishing sixth in the Atlantic Division with a disappointing 18–32 record.


1998–99 Washington Wizards season
Richmond had a solid season leading the team in scoring averaging 19.7 points per game, while Howard provided the team with 18.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, and Rod Strickland averaged 15.7 points and 9.9 assists per game. Following the season, Thorpe signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat, Calbert Cheaney signed with the Boston Celtics, Terry Davis, Ben Wallace and Tim Legler were all traded to the Orlando Magic, who then released Davis and Legler to free agency, and Brovelli was fired as coach.


1998–99 Washington Wizards season, Player statistics
NOTE: Please write the players statistics in alphabetical order by last name.


1998–99 Watford F.C. season
During the 1998–99 English football season, Watford F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.


1998–99 Watford F.C. season, Season summary
In the 1998–99 season, Watford's second successive promotion was achieved with a 2–0 victory over Bolton Wanderers in the playoff final, securing the club's promotion to the top flight for the first time since 1988.


1998–99 Watford F.C. season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team
The 1998–99 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team represented Weber State College during the 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Wildcats were led by eighth-year head coach Ron Abegglen and played their home games on campus at Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah.


1998–99 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team
The Wildcats were 22–7 overall in the regular season and 13–3 in conference play to finish atop the regular season conference standings. Weber State hosted the conference tournament, and defeated Montana State and Northern Arizona to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Junior Eddie Gill was named MVP of the conference tournament.


1998–99 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team
Seeded 14th in the West region, Weber State met No. 3 seed North Carolina in the first round at KeyArena in Seattle. The Wildcats stunned the Tar Heels, winning 76–74 and becoming the first school to win two first-round games in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 14 seed. In the second, Weber State pushed the Florida Gators to OT before losing 82–74.


1998–99 Weber State Wildcats men's basketball team
Junior forward Harold Arceneaux was named Big Sky Player of the Year. Arceneaux would be named conference player of the year for a second time after his senior season (1999–2000).


1998–99 Welsh Alliance League
The 1998–99 Welsh Alliance League was the 15th season of the Welsh Alliance League after its establishment in 1984. The league was won by Llangefni Town.


1998–99 Welsh Premier Division
The 1998–99 Welsh Premier Division was a rugby union competition for Welsh clubs. It was not contested by Cardiff and Swansea, due to their ongoing dispute with the WRU. Newport and Aberavon were promoted to take their place. Llanelli RFC won the league, despite Pontypridd RFC beginning the season as runaway favourites. Llanelli, Pontypridd, and Neath RFC qualified for the 1999–2000 Heineken Cup, with Ebbw Vale RFC missing out to make space for Cardiff and Swansea. Aberavon RFC were relegated.


1998–99 Welsh Premier Division
The league operated under a round-robin, with each team playing the seven others home and away. The top and bottom four then separated for the second phase, again playing each other home and away to add an extra six games to the season.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season
The 1998–99 rebel season in rugby union occurred when two clubs affiliated to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), Cardiff RFC and Swansea RFC, refused to play in the WRU-sanctioned Welsh Premier Division that season and instead opted to play friendly matches against clubs from the English Premiership.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season
The two clubs' position came about after the WRU rejected requests by the club to pursue changes to the league structure in Welsh club rugby and in particular to set up a cross-border league involving other clubs in Britain, and the two clubs refused to sign up to a loyalty agreement with the WRU committing them to the current league setup.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season
The two clubs were removed from Wales' entry into the 1998–99 Heineken Cup and would later be fined £150,000 each by the WRU for three breaches of their regulations. The English Rugby Football Union (RFU) didn't sanction the rebel games, but were accused by rugby union's world governing body, the International Rugby Board (IRB), of not doing enough to prevent the fixtures taking place and had £60,000 of IRB funding withdrawn.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season
At the end of the season, an agreement was reached between the two clubs and the Welsh Rugby Union that allowed for their return to the Welsh Premier Division, with clauses that would allow them to leave the Welsh league and join the English Premiership in the event a cross-border British league was not set-up by the 2000-01 season. Despite this league not coming to fruition, the two clubs did not exercise their right to leave and remained in the Welsh structure.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Background
Cardiff RFC and Swansea RFC had both been members of the Welsh Premier Division since the formation of the league system in Wales in September 1990. Informal talks had taken place around an Anglo-Welsh league, containing Cardiff, Swansea, Neath and Llanelli, as early as 1993, with the public support of then-Wales coach Alan Davies. In August 1995, rugby union became a professional game, which allowed payment or benefits to be made to players. Following the change to professionalism, several of the clubs playing in the Premier Division began experiencing financial difficulties. Llanelli RFC sold their ground, Stradey Park, to the WRU in 1997 to raise money, Neath RFC were taken over by a WRU-owned subsidiary Gower Park Ltd. in May 1998. Pontypridd RFC and Bridgend RFC were also in financial difficulties.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Background
Against this backdrop, the WRU wished to have clubs in the Premier Division sign 10-year loyalty agreements. These four page agreements would see the clubs assured of their places in the top-flight of the league system for the duration of the agreement, in exchange for their commitment to remain playing in the league system.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Background
However, both Swansea and Cardiff saw insufficient returns available from the Welsh league, and refused to sign up to the loyalty agreements, instead suggesting the setup of a British league involving four clubs from Wales, the clubs that comprised the top division in England and two Scottish regional sides; Edinburgh and Glasgow.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Background
This proposal was supported by both the English Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the clubs that comprised the top two divisions in England, but was rejected by the WRU, owing to ongoing legal action between the RFU and English clubs over commercial rights, and the ongoing legal action taken by Cardiff. The WRU reiterated their requirement that Cardiff and Swansea sign up to the loyalty agreement in order to continue participating in the Premier Division and the European Cup.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Confirmation of Breakaway
Eight days before the 1998–99 Premier Division was due to start, Swansea and Cardiff released a statement that confirmed their position that they would play friendly matches against English clubs rather than participate in the Welsh Premier Division.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Confirmation of Breakaway
The two clubs had organised to play each of the 14 teams of the English Premiership on a home and away basis, with the matches scheduled alongside the Premiership so that each weekend of the season, 12 of the English clubs played league matches while two clubs would have a free weekend in the league to allow them to play the two Welsh clubs. The two clubs sold the television coverage rights to the matches themselves, with the BBC acquiring the rights. By contrast, the rights to cover the Premier Division fixtures were held by HTV and S4C.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Confirmation of Breakaway
At a general committee meeting held on 24 August; the WRU formally acknowledged their withdrawal from the Premier Division and replaced them. Cardiff's position was given to Newport RFC, who had been relegated at the end of the 1997–98 season and Swansea's to Aberavon RFC, who had finished second in Division One, the tier below the Premier Division. The WRU confirmed their position that any matches Cardiff and Swansea played against opponents from England would not be sanctioned. The RFU also refused to sanction the friendly matches, which meant neither union would provide match officials for the games, resulting in retired and junior officials being called upon for these games.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Rebel games
Initially, the friendly games were contested as promised between full-strength teams. Cardiff's first home fixture came against Saracens, with over 10,000 fans attending Cardiff Arms Park to watch Cardiff defeat Saracens by 40-19.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Rebel games
The quality of opposition continued to remain high until the end of the year, however as the season progressed into 1999, the demands of the Premiership season combined with the loss of players to international callups during the 1999 Five Nations tournament led to reduced strength sides being fielded by some Premiership clubs, and blowout scores being recorded as a result, including Cardiff beating a development Richmond side by 96-28 in May. By comparison, Richmond had won the December encounter between the two sides 35-28.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Rebel games
In December 1998, the WRU announced it would be fining Cardiff and Swansea a total of £150,000 each for several breaches of their regulations. The regulations breached were playing in unsanctioned matches, negotiating their own television contracts and playing in matches with unapproved officials, with the first two offences carrying fines of £60,000 and the third resulting in a £30,000 fine. The WRU imposed a deadline of the end of February to pay the fines by, however both clubs announced they would refuse to pay.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Rebel games
Despite not formally sanctioning the games, the English RFU were accused by the governing body of rugby union, the International Rugby Board (IRB) of not doing enough to prevent the fixtures from taking place. A day after the WRU had fined the two Welsh clubs, the IRB announced that the RFU would miss out on £60,000 of funding that they were due to receive from the IRB Trust, effectively imposing a fine on the union for not taking action.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Rebel games
Despite not competing in either the Welsh Premier Division or in the European Cup, both Cardiff and Swansea participated in the WRU organised Challenge Cup competition, which at the time was branded under the name of its sponsor Swalec. Cardiff chief executive Gareth Davies believed that the reason for their inclusion was to appease the sponsor who might otherwise had withdrawn their backing.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Rebel games
This competition saw them compete against other Welsh clubs, and as such, the games took on increased importance as Cardiff and Swansea tried to justify their improved standard following cross-border competition as compared to the clubs that had remained in the Welsh league system. Both teams reached the semi-finals where Cardiff were drawn against Llanelli RFC and Swansea against Cross Keys RFC. In the week prior to the game, Cardiff chairman Peter Thomas spoke to the players following a training session, where he emphasised the importance of winning the game, describing it as "the biggest game in the club's history". Cardiff went on to lose the game. In the other semi-final Swansea recorded a convincing win over Cross Keys. Swansea then beat Llanelli in the final to win the cup.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Reconciliation
An emergency meeting was held by the WRU in May 1999, at which the two sides came to an agreement that would see Cardiff and Swansea return to the Welsh Premier Division for the 1999-2000 season, with an agreement that both sides could join the English Premiership for the 2000-01 season in the event that a British league had not been set up.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Reconciliation
Also as part of the agreement, Cardiff and Swansea signed loyalty agreements with the WRU scheduled to run for the remaining eight years and were also nominated as two of the Welsh representatives in the 1999-2000 European Cup, despite the positions usually being awarded based upon Welsh Premier Division league positions. Cardiff and Swansea's inclusion came at the expense of Ebbw Vale RFC, who would normally have been nominated based on their 1998–99 league position.


1998–99 Welsh rugby union rebel season, Legacy
A British league wasn't set up for the 2000-01 season, however neither Cardiff nor Swansea entered the English Premiership. The two Scottish District sides joined the Welsh sides in forming a Welsh-Scottish League from the 1999 - 2000 season. For the 2001-02 season, the Celtic League ran alongside the 2001-02 Welsh-Scottish League, involving sides from Wales, Scotland and Ireland in a pool/knockout format competition. The 10 year loyalty agreements, which was scheduled to run through to August 2007 were torn up by the WRU in 2003 to allow introduction of regional rugby. With the creation of the five regional teams from Wales, the Celtic League was changed into a traditional double round-robin league.


1998–99 Wessex Football League
The 1998–99 Wessex Football League was the 13th season of the Wessex Football League. The league champions were Lymington & New Milton, in their first season as a merged club. There was no promotion to the Southern League, and neither was there any relegation this season.


1998–99 Wessex Football League
For sponsorship reasons, the league was known as the Jewson Wessex League.


1998–99 Wessex Football League, League table
The league consisted of one division of 20 clubs, reduced from 21 the previous season, after Andover were promoted to the Southern League, Romsey Town were relegated, Ryde Sports resigned and AFC Lymington merged with New Milton Town of the Hampshire League. Three new clubs joined:


1998–99 Wessex Football League, Wessex League Cup
The Jewson Wessex League Cup was won by Cowes Sports. They beat Lymington & New Milton on penalties after the match finished goalless.


1998–99 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season
During the 1998–99 English football season, West Bromwich Albion competed in the Football League First Division.


1998–99 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season, Season summary
In the 1998–99 season, local lad and lifetime fan Lee Hughes scored 31 times in the league to finish as top goalscorer in all four English divisions, but the Baggies finished only 12th and Smith was sacked in the summer of 1999.


1998–99 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 West Ham United F.C. season
During the 1998–99 English football season, West Ham United F.C. competed in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons).


1998–99 West Ham United F.C. season, Season summary
In the 1998–99 season, the Hammers finished fifth in the Premier League, their second-best placing ever in the top-flight, securing UEFA Cup qualification to mark a return to European competitions after 19 years away.


1998–99 West Ham United F.C. season, Season summary
New additions to the side for the season were goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, defender Neil Ruddock, Marc Keller and Arsenal goalscoring legend Ian Wright, while mid-season arrivals came in the shape of midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé, defender Scott Minto and striker Paolo Di Canio. During the course of the season, several key players left the club, including veteran defender Tim Breacker, unsettled striker John Hartson and winger Andy Impey. April saw the retirement of defender Richard Hall, who had struggled with injuries since his arrival from Southampton in July 1996.


1998–99 West Ham United F.C. season, Season summary
The season also saw the emergence of highly promising midfielder Joe Cole, who played his first eight league games and made a further appearance in the FA Cup.


1998–99 West Midlands (Regional) League
The 1998–99 West Midlands (Regional) League season was the 99th in the history of the West Midlands (Regional) League, an English association football competition for semi-professional and amateur teams based in the West Midlands county, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and southern Staffordshire.


1998–99 West Midlands (Regional) League, Premier Division
The Premier Division featured 15 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with five new clubs.


1998–99 Western Football League
The 1998–99 season was the 97th in the history of the Western Football League.


1998–99 Western Football League
The league champions for the fourth time in their history were Taunton Town, but runners-up Tiverton Town took promotion to the Southern League. The champions of Division One were Minehead Town.


1998–99 Western Football League, Final tables, Premier Division
The Premier Division remained at 20 clubs after Chard Town and Torrington were relegated to the First Division. Two clubs joined:


1998–99 Western Football League, Final tables, First Division
The First Division remained at 19 clubs after Bishop Sutton and Yeovil Town Reserves were promoted to the Premier Division, and Crediton United left the league. Three clubs joined:


1998–99 Wichita Thunder season
The 1998–99 Wichita Thunder season was the seventh season of the CHL franchise in Wichita, Kansas.


1998–99 Willem II season
During the 1998–99 Dutch football season, Willem II competed in the Eredivisie.


1998–99 Willem II season, Season summary
Willem II finished in second, qualifying for the Champions League group stage.


1998–99 Willem II season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 Wimbledon F.C. season
During the 1998–99 English football season, Wimbledon F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.


1998–99 Wimbledon F.C. season, Season summary
Wimbledon started the season well, reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup for the second time in their history, and as March arrived Wimbledon were sixth in the table with 11 matches to go.


1998–99 Wimbledon F.C. season, Season summary
The signing of striker John Hartson from top-five rivals West Ham United for a club record £7.5 million in January looked to be the crucial signing the South London club needed for European qualification, but after his arrival the club suffered a slump in form, winning only one more game all season and taking only 2 points from their last 11 games to fall to 16th in the final table, their lowest finish in 13 seasons of top flight football.


1998–99 Wimbledon F.C. season, Season summary
Manager Joe Kinnear resigned at the end of the season on health grounds after seven years in charge, having suffered heart problems before a match at Sheffield Wednesday in March. He was succeeded by former Norwegian national coach Egil Olsen, who had frequently spoke of his admiration of Wimbledon and had transformed Norway into a leading international side with long-ball tactics similar to those employed by Kinnear.


1998–99 Wimbledon F.C. season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 Wimbledon F.C. season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 Wimbledon F.C. season, Players, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1998–99 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team
The 1998–1999 Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team represented University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 1998–99 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Dick Bennett, coaching his fourth season with the Badgers. The team played their home games at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin and was a member of the Big Ten Conference.


1998–99 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season
The 1998–99 season was the 100th season of competitive league football in the history of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. They played the season in the second tier of the English football system, the Football League First Division.


1998–99 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season
The season began with Mark McGhee as manager but he left "by mutual agreement" on 5 November after a run of two victories from fourteen games; the team having begun with four consecutive league wins. Upon McGhee's departure his assistant Colin Lee was placed in charge of the team and, after taking ten points from a possible twelve, he was handed the post for the remainder of the season.


1998–99 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season
The team finished in seventh place, one position short of the play-offs. Results on the final day, including their own, failed to go in their favour and so they missed out on a chance of promotion to the Premier League. Nonetheless, following the final match, the Wolves board announced that Colin Lee was to be given a permanent contract as manager.


1998–99 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Results, Football League First Division
A total of 24 teams competed in the Football League First Division in the 1998–99 season. Each team played every other team twice: once at their stadium, and once at the opposition's. Three points were awarded to teams for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats. Teams finishing level on points were firstly divided by the number of goals scored rather than goal difference.


1998–99 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Results, Football League First Division
The provisional fixture list was released on 15 June 1998, but was subject to change in the event of matches being selected for television coverage or police concerns.


1998–99 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Players
Key:  ‡ On loan from another club   * First appearance(s) for the club


1998–99 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Players
Correct as of end of season. Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances in parentheses where applicable.


1998–99 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season, Kit
The season brought a new home kit as the design returned to a plain gold shirt with black collar. The away kit, a white away shirt with a dark green collar and dark green shorts, was retained from the previous season. Both were manufactured by Puma and sponsored by Goodyear.


1998–99 Ystalyfera RFC season
After an early exit from the West Wales Cup at Llangennech, and a 1st Round exit from the Welsh Cup at Blaengarw, a third defeat away in the league at Nelson spurred the side and Ystalyfera began to dominate their opponents. A 19 match consecutive run of league victories followed which completely outpaced our rivals. The side was well balanced and quick handling of the ball  overpowered other teams. Captain for the previous three years Kevin Williams had gone to Cwmllynfell and Peter Abraham was elected in his place.


1998–99 Ystalyfera RFC season
Former players like John Williams and Mark and Kevin McComas had returned. The younger crop of players had matured and top points scorer with 282 - a new club record was Michael Morgan. Damien James had 117 and a try count of 23 – one behind his father Noir James’ record. Wayne Jones won all the player of the year awards. This outstanding season, our Third as champions, was climaxed by our only win of the Swansea Valley Cup, the elusive trophy that had constantly slipped from our grasp.


1998–99 Ystalyfera RFC season
This was achieved at Morriston against Abercrave, who have over time proved to be a bogey side for Ystalyfera, but not this season – ‘Fera won 22-11. Other records this season was an unbeaten run of 18 games between October 98 to May 99,and the longest unbeaten run at home of 22 games between December 97 to October 99.


1998–99 in Argentine football
In 1998-1999 Boca Juniors were the winners of both league championships in Argentine football.


1998–99 in Argentine football, National team
This section covers Argentina's matches from August 1, 1998, to July 31, 1999.


1998–99 in Australian soccer
The 1998–99 season was the 30th season of competitive association football in Australia.


1998–99 in Belgian football
The 1998–99 season was the 96th competitive season in Belgian association football.


1998–99 in Dutch football
The 1998/1999 season in Dutch football was the 43rd season in the Eredivisie, where Feyenoord Rotterdam claimed the title, for the first time since 1993. Ajax Amsterdam won the Dutch National Cup.


1998–99 in English football
The 1998–99 season was the 119th season of competitive football in England.


1998–99 in English football, Overview, Premier League
Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons. They went on to win the treble of the Premiership title, FA Cup and European Cup, an achievement which gained manager Alex Ferguson a knighthood.


1998–99 in English football, Overview, Premier League
Nottingham Forest went down to Division One just one season after winning promotion. They had started the season terribly after manager Dave Bassett was sacked and Dutch striker Pierre van Hooijdonk refused to play after a dispute with the club. Experienced Ron Atkinson was brought in on a temporary contract but could not stave off relegation. Joining Forest in the Premiership drop zone were Blackburn Rovers, who had been Premiership champions just four years earlier, and Charlton Athletic. Southampton avoided relegation on the last day of the season, and their survival also signalled the go-ahead for a new stadium which would be in use for the 2001–02 season.


1998–99 in English football, Overview, Division One
Sunderland were crowned Division One champions with 105 points, then a record, having lost just three games all season. 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 thus won their second successive promotion during Graham Taylor's second spell as manager.


1998–99 in English football, Overview, Division One
Bury, Oxford United and Bristol City occupied the three relegation places in Division One. 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.


1998–99 in English football, Overview, Division Two
Kevin Keegan completed his spell as Fulham manager before taking the England job by guiding the Cottagers to the Division Two championship with 101 points. Following them up were runners-up Walsall and playoff winners Manchester City.


1998–99 in English football, Overview, Division Two
Going down were York City, Northampton Town, Lincoln City and Macclesfield Town. Narrowly avoiding the drop to Division Three were Oldham Athletic, who just five years earlier had been a Premiership side and FA Cup semi-finalists.


1998–99 in English football, Overview, Division Three
Brentford, Cambridge United, Cardiff City and Scunthorpe United occupied the four promotion places in Division Three.


1998–99 in English football, Overview, Division Three
Carlisle United secured their leagues status with seconds to spare in their final game. They entered the game in bottom place, and with 90 minutes on the clock in their home game against Plymouth Argyle they were drawing 1–1 and needed a win to stay up. The referee then allowed 4 minutes of stoppage time and with just seconds to go, goalkeeper Jimmy Glass came upfield and scored from a rebounded corner to preserve his club's place in the league, which had been held since 1928. Scarborough, who had only joined the league in 1987, were relegated instead. Glass, 25, had been signed on loan from Swindon Town after the transfer deadline because an injury crisis had left Carlisle without a goalkeeper for the final few games of the season.


1998–99 in English football, Overview, FA Cup
Manchester United beat Newcastle United 2–0 to secure their third double triumph in six seasons and completed the second part of their treble.


1998–99 in English football, Overview, League Cup
Tottenham Hotspur, under the management of George Graham, won the League Cup by defeating Leicester City in the final. On the way they knocked out Manchester United, stopping Scotman Alex Ferguson emulating his fellow countrymen Celtic's quadruple success of 1967.


1998–99 in English football, Individual awards and records
Tottenham's French midfielder David Ginola was voted PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year after helping his club win the League Cup.


1998–99 in English football, Individual awards and records
19-year-old Arsenal and France striker Nicolas Anelka was voted PFA Young Player of the Year.


1998–99 in English football, Individual awards and records
David Seaman became the most successful goalkeeper in English league history after conceding just 17 league goals in a season with Arsenal.


1998–99 in English football, Successful managers
Alex Ferguson was knighted after guiding Manchester United to the treble of the Premiership title, FA Cup and European Cup.


1998–99 in English football, Successful managers
George Graham gave Tottenham their first successful season for almost a decade by guiding them to League Cup glory.


1998–99 in English football, Successful managers
Peter Reid took Sunderland into the Premiership as Division One champions on 105 points.


1998–99 in English football, Successful managers
Harry Redknapp guided West Ham United to fifth place in the Premiership to secure their first European qualification for nearly 20 years.


1998–99 in English football, Successful managers
Paul Jewell ended Bradford City's 77-year wait for a return to the top division.


1998–99 in English football, Successful managers
Graham Taylor took Watford into the Premiership as they won the Division One playoffs and secured their second successive promotion.


1998–99 in English football, Successful managers
Kevin Keegan finished his spell as Fulham manager by guiding them to the Division Two title with 101 points, before quitting to concentrate on his role as England manager.


1998–99 in English football, Successful managers
Ray Graydon pulled off a major surprise in his first season as Walsall manager by gaining promotion to Division One.


1998–99 in English football, Successful managers
Steve Cotterill, 35, guided Cheltenham Town into the Football League as Conference champions.


1998–99 in English football, Successful managers
Brian Laws took Scunthorpe United out of the league's basement division for the first time in more than a decade after they won the Division Three playoffs.


1998–99 in English football, Events, Ferguson knighted after United's treble
Manchester United completed the treble of the Premiership title, FA Cup and European Cup.


1998–99 in English football, Events, Ferguson knighted after United's treble
Part one of United's treble was completed when they beat Tottenham 2–1 on the last day of the season to ensure that Arsenal did not retain the Premiership title. A week later they completed the second part of the treble with a 2–0 victory over Newcastle United in the FA Cup final.


1998–99 in English football, Events, Ferguson knighted after United's treble
United's treble aspirations seemed to have been thwarted in the European Cup final at Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium, with Bayern Munich leading 1–0 at the end of normal time. Referee Pierluigi Collina allowed 3 minutes of stoppage time and within the first-minute substitute Teddy Sheringham forced an equaliser. Sheringham's goal looked to have forced extra time, but with the last kick of the game Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored a winner and United fans and players went wild.


1998–99 in English football, Events, Ferguson knighted after United's treble
On 12 June, Alex Ferguson received a knighthood in recognition for his services to football, making him the seventh knight of English football and the third knight to be associated with Manchester United after Matt Busby and Bobby Charlton.


1998–99 in English football, Events, Hoddle ousted
On 2 February, the FA terminated Glenn Hoddle's contract as England manager after he appeared in The Times and suggested that disabled people were being punished for sins in previous lives. His comments had sparked outrage amongst disabled people to such an extent that the FA felt they had no option but to sack him.


1998–99 in English football, Events, Hoddle ousted
The hunt began for his successor. A month later, former Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan agreed to take charge of the England team but stayed on as Fulham manager until the end of the season, guiding them to the Division Two title.


1998–99 in English football, Events, New arrivals in Premiership
A year after their playoff final defeat to Charlton Athletic in a penalty shoot-out, Peter Reid's Sunderland returned to the Premiership after winning the Division One championship with a record 105 points. Sunderland, who had moved into their new home – the Stadium of Light – two years earlier, had been widely tipped for promotion to the top flight.


1998–99 in English football, Events, New arrivals in Premiership
Bradford City, led by manager Paul Jewell, had been outside the top division since 1922. Their only silverware had been an FA Cup triumph in 1911. But the inexperienced Jewell surprised many observers by putting together a strong Bradford side who cruised to second place in Division One and booked their place in the Premiership.


1998–99 in English football, Events, New arrivals in Premiership
The third and final place in the Premiership went to playoff winners Watford, managed by Graham Taylor for the second time (he had previously been in charge from 1976 until 1987). Taylor had finally achieved some success the previous year in form of the Division Two championship, having endured a torrid time with England and then Wolves. Watford secured a second successive promotion by beating Bolton Wanderers 2–0 in the playoff final.


1998–99 in English football, Events, Glass's last gasp goal keeps Carlisle in league
Carlisle United went into the final game of the 1998–99 Division Three campaign knowing that they had to beat Plymouth Argyle to hang on to the Football League place they had held since 1928. In April, an injury crisis had forced Carlisle to bring in goalkeeper Jimmy Glass on loan from Swindon and the Football League gave permission for the transfer to go ahead despite the transfer deadline having already passed.


1998–99 in English football, Events, Glass's last gasp goal keeps Carlisle in league
With 90 minutes on the clock for Carlisle's home fixture against Plymouth, the referee allowed 4 minutes of stoppage time. 10 seconds before the end of stoppage time, Jimmy Glass ran upfield after a corner was given and slammed the ball into the back of the net to keep Carlisle in the league and send Scarborough down to the Conference.


1998–99 in English football, Events, Blackburn go down
Blackburn Rovers, Premiership champions in 1995, were relegated from the Premiership in 1999 with a side which had lost almost all of its title winning players. Roy Hodgson had arrived as manager in 1997 and achieved UEFA Cup qualification in his first season as manager, only to be sacked the following November as Blackburn found themselves caught up in a relegation battle. Manchester United's successful assistant manager Brian Kidd was brought in as his successor. But Blackburn's relegation fight was finally lost after they drew 0–0 at home to Manchester United in the penultimate game of the season. Chairman Jack Walker was now faced with finding the funds to build a side that could win promotion back to the Premiership, 12 months after he handed an open cheque book to Roy Hodgson in hope of winning the league.


1998–99 in English football, Events, Cheltenham promoted
Cheltenham Town won the Conference with Steve Cotterill guiding the Robins to the Football League. They had won the FA trophy the previous season but were beaten to promotion by Halifax Town. They replaced Scarborough.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, FA Premier League
The seventh season of the FA Premier League saw Manchester United finish champions for the fifth time, one point ahead of the previous season's champions Arsenal. United also ended Arsenal's defence of the FA Cup, going on to defeat Newcastle United in the final to become the first English team to win the league title and FA Cup double on three occasions, having already won the double in 1994 and 1996. They then went on to win the European Cup to become only the second English club to win three major trophies in the same season. This made them the first English club to win the European Cup in 15 years, and manager Alex Ferguson was knighted.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, FA Premier League
Chelsea's revival continued with a third-place finish in the league, although they failed to add any more silverware to the three cups won in the previous two seasons. Following the loss of manager George Graham to Tottenham in the autumn, Leeds United finished fourth under their new manager David O'Leary. Fifth place went to West Ham United, who qualified for Europe for the first time in nearly 20 years. Aston Villa, who had topped the table for much of the first half of the season, could only finish sixth, while Liverpool's seventh-place finish was a disappointing start for new manager Gérard Houllier.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, FA Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur finished 11th under new manager George Graham, but won the League Cup to end their eight-year wait for a major trophy and a place in Europe. They also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, FA Premier League
Newly promoted Nottingham Forest were relegated in bottom place, their third relegation in seven seasons prompting manager Ron Atkinson (only appointed in January) to announce his retirement from management. Blackburn Rovers, league champions just four years earlier, were the next team to go down; the appointment of long-serving Manchester United assistant Brian Kidd as manager appeared to have turned the corner after a terrible start to the season, but a failure to win any of their final eight matches saw them relegated. Newly promoted Charlton Athletic were the last side to lose their top flight status, going down on the final day of the season as Southampton survived.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, FA Premier League
Leading goalscorer: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Leeds), Michael Owen (Liverpool) and Dwight Yorke (Manchester United) – 18


1998–99 in English football, League tables, Division One
After the play-off final disappointment of the previous year, Sunderland returned to the top-flight in record breaking fashion, earning 105 points; then a new record under the 3 points for a win system. Bradford City, who had only narrowly avoided relegation in the previous two seasons, returned to the top-flight for the first time in over 80 years, as Paul Jewell enjoyed a highly successful first full season as manager. Watford beat out pre-season favourites Bolton Wanderers in the play-off final, earning them their second successive promotion and also earning manager Graham Taylor the joint record for most promotions earned by a single manager.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, Division One
Wolves just missed out on the playoffs after the dismissal of Mark McGhee in November paved the way for his assistant Colin Lee to take over and oversee a strong run of form which lifted the side into the top half of the table to finish seventh. Steve Bruce began his managerial career by guiding Sheffield United to an eighth-place finish before succeeding Peter Jackson at Huddersfield Town.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, Division One
Mark Goldberg's dream of turning Crystal Palace into a major footballing force quickly turned into a nightmare as financial problems almost put the club out of business, with head coach Terry Venables quitting halfway through the season and Steve Coppell taking charge for the fourth time in 15 years to steer Palace to 14th place.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, Division One
Bristol City finished bottom and suffered immediate relegation back to Division Two, as the club's decision to replace promotion-winning manager John Ward with Benny Lennartsson just a few weeks into the season failed to pay off. Oxford United finished second-bottom amid increasing financial turmoil, and Bury were relegated on the last day due to the League's usage of goals scored over goal difference to separate sides on the same number of points (Port Vale would otherwise have been relegated due to their considerably worse goal difference). Adding to Bury's frustration, goal difference was reinstated the following season.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, Division Two
Despite manager Kevin Keegan juggling his job with the England manager's job for the second half of the season, Fulham won the divisional title and earned their second promotion in three seasons, though Keegan departed after the season ended. Walsall proved the surprise package of the division, and entered the second tier for only the third time in their history. Manchester City, who had suffered a spectacular fall from grace over the last few years, immediately won promotion during their first-ever season at this level, defeating Gillingham in a dramatic play-off final.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, Division Two
Ambitious Reading could only manage an 11th-place finish in their first season at the impressive new Madejski Stadium, while Stoke City's early promise under Brian Little was short-lived and an eighth-place finish wasn't enough for an even a playoff place. Stoke then turned to Gary Megson in their quest to get back into Division One.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, Division Two
This season proved a step too far for Macclesfield, who had been promoted from the Conference and Division Three in successive years, and they were relegated in bottom place. Lincoln City were unable to recover from a dreadful start to the season and occupied the second-bottom spot, also returning to Division Three after just a year. Northampton Town suffered a massively disappointing season after finishing fourth the previous year, and were relegated in third-bottom place. York City cruelly went down on the last day, after experiencing a disastrous second half of the season and falling into the relegation zone with mere seconds remaining of their final match.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, Division Two
Oldham Athletic finished one place and point clear of the relegation zone and avoided a third relegation in six seasons.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, Division Three
Brentford chairman Ron Noades' unorthodox decision to appoint himself as manager paid off in surprising fashion, and they won promotion back to Division Two as champions. Cambridge United had actually led the division for most of the season, but suffered from drawing too many games as in the final months of the season and thus had to settle for second place. Cardiff City took the final automatic promotion spot, as Frank Burrows brought immediate success to the club in his second spell as manager. Scunthorpe United won the play-offs, earning their first promotion since 1983, giving them football above the fourth tier for the first time at Glanford Park.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, Division Three
In one of the most dramatic ends to a season in recent memory, Scarborough were relegated to the Football Conference. They had been bottom for most of the second half of the season, but appeared to have turned the corner by earning two wins and a draw from their last three matches; unfortunately Carlisle United, who had been below them prior to the final match of the season, earned a shock injury time winner by goalkeeper Jimmy Glass, saving their League status and sending Scarborough down.


1998–99 in English football, League tables, Division Three
Hull City were in the relegation battle up to the penultimate game of the season, soon after Southend United won their battle against a third successive relegation.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
16 July 1998 – Former French national coach Gérard Houllier is appointed joint manager of Liverpool to work alongside Roy Evans. It is the first time in the club's 106-year history that two managers have been placed in charge of the first team.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
19 July 1998 – Manchester United deny reports that they will be joining a proposed European Super League of up to 32 clubs.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
3 August 1998 – Newcastle United pay £5.25million for Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann from Bayern Munich.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
9 August 1998 – Arsenal claim their third trophy of 1998 with a 3–0 win over Manchester United in the Charity Shield.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
12 August 1998 – Newcastle United sign Nolberto Solano, the Peruvian midfielder, from Boca Juniors for £2.48million.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
15 August 1998 – The Premier League season begins with champions Arsenal beating newly promoted Nottingham Forest 2–1 at Highbury. Chelsea begin with a surprise 2–1 defeat at Coventry City. Manchester United are held to a 2–2 home draw by Leicester City. Wimbledon take the lead of the Premier League on the opening day with a 3–1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur. Charlton Athletic mark their return to the elite by drawing 0–0 at Newcastle.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
20 August 1998 – Manchester United pay a club record £12.6million for Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
22 August 1998 – Charlton Athletic demolish Southampton 5–0 at The Valley. Tottenham's dismal start continued when they lose 3–0 at home to Sheffield Wednesday. Manchester United are held to a draw again, this time 0–0 against West Ham United at Upton Park. Newcastle United lose 4–1 at home to Liverpool.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
27 August 1998 – Kenny Dalglish is sacked after 19 months as manager of Newcastle United.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
31 August 1998 – Newcastle United appoint Ruud Gullit as their new manager, the day before his 36th birthday. The first month of the league season ends with newly promoted Charlton Athletic top of the Premier League, but the end-of-month table has little significance as only two games have been played so far. Sunderland head the race for a place in next season's Premier League as Division One leaders, with Wolverhampton Wanderers in second place. Hopes are high of a successful season for Midlands clubs as West Bromwich Albion are third and Birmingham City stand fourth.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
Norwich City, rebuilding under new manager Bruce Rioch occupy fifth, while the top six is completed by a Watford side who are searching for a second successive promotion. Just outside the playoff zone are Bury, whose excellent start to the season has sparked speculation that they might match Swansea City and Wimbledon's record of three promotions in four seasons.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
6 September 1998 – Christian Gross is sacked after nine months as manager of Tottenham Hotspur.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
8 September 1998 – Aston Villa pay Middlesbrough £6.75million for midfielder Paul Merson.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
19 September 1998 – Newcastle United show signs of a return to their old form with a 5–1 away win over Coventry City. Newly promoted Charlton Athletic hold Liverpool to a 3–3 draw at Anfield.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
20 September 1998 – Arsenal beat Manchester United 3–0 in the league at Highbury – the fourth defeat they have inflicted upon Alex Ferguson's team in less than a year.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
23 September 1998 – Everton sign 22-year-old goalkeeper Steve Simonsen from Tranmere Rovers for £3.3million.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
30 September 1998 – September ends with Aston Villa as Premier League leaders 5 points above second-placed Derby County are putting up a surprise title challenge after being predicted by many to struggle in the battle against relegation. Manchester United, Liverpool and Wimbledon complete the top five. Southampton prop up the top flight with one point from their opening six games, while Coventry City and Blackburn Rovers completing the relegation zone. Sunderland remain top of Division One, level on points with surprise promotion challengers Huddersfield Town. Bolton Wanderers, Watford, Birmingham City and Norwich City occupy the playoff places, while surprise promotion contenders Bury are keeping up the pressure on the top six.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
1 October 1998 – George Graham quits Leeds United after two years as manager to take over at Tottenham Hotspur.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
3 October 1998 – Middlesbrough's return to the top flight continues with a 4–0 home win over Sheffield Wednesday.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
9 October 1998 – Everton sign Ivorian striker Ibrahima Bakayoko from Montpellier for £4.5million.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
15 October 1998 – Steve Watson, Newcastle United's longest serving player (who joined the club on leaving school in 1990), is sold to Aston Villa for £4.5million.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
25 October 1998 – Leicester City confirm that manager Martin O'Neill will not be moving to Leeds United. Caretaker David O'Leary, formerly assistant manager at Elland Road, gets the manager's job on a permanent basis.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
28 October 1998 – Chelsea player-manager Gianluca Vialli scores a hat-trick in the 4–1 League Cup third round win over Aston Villa. Making his debut as a late substitute is 17-year-old defender John Terry. On the same day, striker Brian Laudrup's departure from Chelsea is announced after just four months at the club.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
31 October 1998 – Ron Reeves, a 55-year-old steward, is killed outside Highfield Road stadium after being crushed by the Arsenal team coach just before a game with Coventry City. The month ends with Aston Villa still top, a point ahead of second placed Manchester United, while Arsenal are close behind in third place. A wide gap is beginning to open up between the top three and the rest of the division, with Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Chelsea, Leicester City and West Ham United putting up the nearest competition.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
Southampton, still only with one win to their name, occupy bottom place and are joined in the relegation zone by Coventry City and Nottingham Forest. Sunderland and Huddersfield Town continue to head the race for Premier League football, with the top six being completed by Birmingham City, Ipswich Town, Watford and Norwich City. Grimsby Town (eighth) have emerged as surprise contenders for a second successive promotion, but Bury's challenge is falling away and they now occupy 15th place. Wolverhampton Wanderers fare little better after their dismal start to the season, now occupying 12th place.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
5 November 1998: Wolverhampton Wanderers sack manager Mark McGhee after three years at the helm.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
12 November 1998 – Peter Schmeichel, goalkeeper of Manchester United since 1991, announces his intention to leave the club at the end of this season. Roy Evans resigns as joint manager of Liverpool after nearly five years in charge and more than 30 years on the club's payroll, leaving Gérard Houllier in sole charge.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
14 November 1998 – Colchester United fall victim to arguably the biggest upset of the FA Cup fourth round when they are defeated 4–1 by non-league Bedlington Terriers. Other Football League clubs to be eliminated by non-league counterparts include Barnet, Southend United and Shrewsbury Town.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
21 November 1998 – Blackburn Rovers lose 2–0 at home to Southampton, leaving them bottom of the Premier League with a mere nine points from their opening 14 games. Manager Roy Hodgson resigns within hours of the defeat. Long-serving coach Tony Parkes is put in charge of the first team on a temporary basis. On the same day, Manchester United suffer a shock 3–1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
30 November 1998 – November draws to a close with Aston Villa still leading Manchester United by a single point, but a surprise title challenge is creeping upon them from a West Ham United side with no previous top division titles to their name, and who haven't finished in the top five for more than a decade. Arsenal and Chelsea complete the top five. Blackburn Rovers now prop up the top flight, having started the season among the teams tipped by many to challenge for the title. Southampton and Nottingham Forest remain in the drop zone. Sunderland continue to lead Division One, their nearest threat coming from Ipswich Town. Watford, Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United complete the top six, with Wolverhampton Wanderers providing the closest competition for the top six after a rejuvenation under new manager Colin Lee.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
4 December 1998 – Brian Kidd steps down as Manchester United assistant manager to succeed Roy Hodgson as manager of Blackburn Rovers.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
5 December 1998 – Blackburn beat Charlton 1–0 in their first game under Brian Kidd at Ewood Park.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
8 December 1998 – Five years after leaving them from Blackburn Rovers, David Batty returns to Leeds United in a £4.4 million move from Newcastle United.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
16 December 1998 – Brian McClair, who was among the names linked with succeeding Brian Kidd as assistant manager at Manchester United, is appointed as Kidd's assistant at Blackburn.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
19 December 1998 – Manchester United lost 3–2 at home to Middlesbrough – their first home defeat for nine months. United are managed by coach Jimmy Ryan, as Alex Ferguson misses the game on compassionate grounds following the death of his sister-in-law, and United have yet to find a permanent successor to Brian Kidd as assistant manager.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
23 December 1998 – The Independent reports that up to ten Premier League clubs could break away to join a European Super League if the Premier League loses its forthcoming High Court case with the Office of Fair Trading. The case will see the Office of Fair Trading bring a case against the Football League, BSkyB and the BBC in the hope of ending collective bargaining for television deals by Premier League clubs.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
26 December 1998 – The key drama on Boxing Day sees defender Ronny Johnsen score twice in Manchester United's 3–0 home win over Nottingham Forest,


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
30 December 1998 – French defender Didier Domi joins Newcastle United in a £4 million move from Paris Saint-Germain.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
31 December 1998 – 1998 draws to a close with Aston Villa still leading the Premier League, but with Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Leeds United and West Ham United all posing a fairly close threat. Nottingham Forest, Southampton and Charlton Athletic occupy the bottom three places. Sunderland and Ipswich Town continue to lead the way in the race for a Premier League place, with the playoff zone being occupied by Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers, Watford and an ever-improving Bradford City.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
4 January 1999 – Arsenal began their defence of the FA Cup by beating Preston North End 2–0 in the third round at Deepdale, while last year's runners-up Newcastle United win 2–1 at home to Crystal Palace. Manchester United, many people's favourites for the trophy, get off to a good start in the competition by beating Middlesbrough 3–1 at Old Trafford. However, Leeds United are held to a goalless draw at Conference side Rushden & Diamonds.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
5 January 1999 – Nottingham Forest, bottom of the Premier League and winless for 17 games, sack manager Dave Bassett after less than two years in charge. Micky Adams, former Swansea City and Brentford manager, is placed in temporary charge of Forest.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
8 January 1999 – 15-year-old Notts County schoolboy forward Jermaine Pennant signs for Arsenal's academy in a £2 million deal.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
9 January 1999 – The first Premier League games of 1999 include Coventry City's 4–0 home win over Nottingham Forest – the 18th successive league game that the visitors have failed to win. Southampton beat fellow relegation strugglers Charlton Athletic 3–1 at The Dell.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
11 January 1999 – Ron Atkinson is appointed manager of Nottingham Forest until the end of the season.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
13 January 1999 – Leeds United avoid what would have been one of the biggest FA Cup upsets of modern times and beat Rushden and Diamonds 3–1 in the third round replay at Elland Road.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
14 January 1999 – Wimbledon pay a club record £7.5 million for West Ham United striker John Hartson, who six months ago was a transfer target for Manchester United.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
16 January 1999 – Two high scoring games in the Premier League sees Dwight Yorke and Robbie Fowler score hat tricks for their respective clubs as Manchester United thrash Leicester City 6–2 at Filbert Street, while Liverpool crush Southampton 7–1 at Anfield.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
18 January 1999 – Bryan Kidd boosts his Blackburn Rovers side in their battle against relegation by signing Crystal Palace striker Matt Jansen for £4.1 million.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
23 January 1999 – Aston Villa suffer a shock FA Cup exit at home to Division Two leaders Fulham in the fourth round.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
24 January 1999 – Two late goals see Manchester United overturn Liverpool's 1–0 lead and win 2–1 in the fourth round tie at Old Trafford.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
25 January 1999 – Cash-strapped Division One strugglers Oxford United hold Chelsea to an impressive 1–1 draw at the Manor Ground.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
27 January 1999 – Two midfielders change clubs for £4 million – Marc-Vivien Foé from Lens to West Ham United and Jason McAteer from Liverpool to Blackburn Rovers.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
28 January 1999 – Steve McManaman agrees to sign for Real Madrid from Liverpool at the end of the season.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
30 January 1999 – Glenn Hoddle appears in an interview in The Sunday Times in which he suggests that disabled people are paying for their sins in a previous life. Nottingham Forest end their 19-match winless run in the league with a 1–0 away win over Everton.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
31 January 1999 – January ends with Manchester United now top of the Premier League, but former leaders Aston Villa still only a point behind bracketed on points with Chelsea. Arsenal, meanwhile, have crept into the title frame and now stand fourth – just two points off the top. West Ham United's challenge has crumbled and they now stand ninth, with 11 points separating them from top spot. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, have gone from bad to worse and now prop up the table.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
They are joined in the drop zone by Southampton and Charlton Athletic after Brian Kidd guided Blackburn Rovers out of the bottom three. Sunderland and Bradford City lead the way in Division One, with Bolton Wanderers, Ipswich Town, Watford and Birmingham City completing the top six. Grimsby Town are back in form and giving the top six a serious run for their money.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
2 February 1999 – Glenn Hoddle is sacked as England manager two days after his controversial remarks.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
3 February 1999 – Oxford United's luck in the FA Cup runs out: 17-year-old Mikael Forssell bags a brace on his first start for 4–2 victors Chelsea in the fourth round replay at Stamford Bridge.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
4 February 1999 - Tim Sherwood signs for Tottenham Hotspur from Blackburn Rovers for £4 million, and Silvio Marić joins Newcastle United from Croatia Zagreb for $5.8 million.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
5 February 1999 - Derby County assistant manager Steve McClaren is named as Manchester United's new assistant manager.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
6 February 1999 – Manchester United record the highest ever away win in the Premier League by beating Nottingham Forest 8–1 at the City Ground. Substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjær scores four times.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
28 February 1999 – February draws to a close with Manchester United now top of the Premier League four points, although nearest rivals Chelsea have a game in hand. Arsenal, Aston Villa and Leeds United complete the top five. Nottingham Forest remain bottom and are now ten points adrift of safety, while Southampton remain in the bottom three but Charlton Athletic have jumped clear at the expense of Blackburn Rovers. Sunderland are still top of Division One, their nearest competition coming from Bradford City and Ipswich Town who are level on points. Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Watford complete the top six. Wolverhampton Wanderers, Grimsby Town and West Bromwich Albion continue to keep up the pressure in the push for a playoff place.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
5 March 1999 – Former Doncaster Rovers chairman Ken Richardson is sentenced to four years in prison for paying a friend to start a fire at the club's Belle Vue ground in 1995. The arsonist, 41-year-old Alan Kristiansen, receives a one-year prison sentence, while two other men receive suspended sentences for their part in the fire, which caused £100,000 worth of damage.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
7 March 1999 – Manchester United draw 0–0 with Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford, with Paul Scholes being sent off for United and Roberto Di Matteo for Chelsea in a game which kicked off just hours after the death was announced of legendary former United striker Dennis Viollet from cancer at age 65.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
10 March 1999 – Dwight Yorke keeps Manchester United in line for the treble as he scores both their goals in the 2–0 quarter-final replay win at Chelsea.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
11 March 1999 – Aston Villa sign midfielder Steve Stone from Nottingham Forest for £5.5 million.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
13 March 1999 – Nottingham Forest keep their faint survival hopes alive with a 3–1 away win over Wimbledon, only their third league win of the season.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
16 March 1999 – Barnsley, the only non-Premier League team to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals, bow out at Oakwell when David Ginola scores the only goal of the game for Tottenham Hotspur, who remain in contention for a cup double.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
17 March 1999 – The Monopolies and Mergers Commission vetoes BSkyB's takeover of Manchester United.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
21 March 1999 – Tottenham Hotspur end their eight-year wait for a major trophy (and European qualification) thanks to a 1–0 win over Leicester City in the League Cup final.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
22 March 1999 – Blackburn Rovers pay Derby County £3.4 million for midfielder Lee Carsley.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
31 March 1999 – March ends with Manchester United still top of the Premier League by a four-point margin, with Arsenal and Chelsea as their nearest contenders. Leeds United, occupying fourth place, are still within a shout of the league title. West Ham United complete the top five, competing with most of the rest of the "safe" Premier League teams for a UEFA Cup place. Nottingham Forest's dreadful run of form has continued and they now need a miracle to escape relegation. Charlton Athletic and Southampton complete the bottom three. Sunderland are now 12 points ahead of their nearest rivals Ipswich Town at the top of Division One. Bradford City, Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers remain in the playoff zone, where they are joined by a Wolverhampton Wanderers side whose form is continuing to improve.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
3 April 1999 – Both league-leaders Manchester United and second-placed Arsenal drop points as they are both held, by Wimbledon and Southampton respectively. Elsewhere, Liverpool win the Merseyside derby 3–2, and Leeds United rack up their seventh win on the bounce–a club record–by beating Nottingham Forest.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
11 April 1999 – Manchester United and Arsenal, competing head to head for both the Premier League title and the FA Cup, draw 0–0 at Villa Park in the FA Cup semi-final. In other semi-final, at Old Trafford, two goals in extra time from Alan Shearer send Newcastle United through to the final for the second year running and spell an end to Tottenham's hopes of a cup double.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
14 April 1999 – One of the most thrilling games so far this season sees Manchester United beat Arsenal 2–1 in extra time in the FA Cup semi-final replay. United had taken the lead after 17th minutes thanks to David Beckham, only for Dennis Bergkamp to equalise after 69 minutes. Bergkamp could have won the game for Arsenal with just a minute remaining, but Peter Schmeichel saved his penalty shot and forced extra time, in which Ryan Giggs won it for United with a spectacular 109th-minute goal.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
21 April 1999 – Manchester United reach their first European Cup final for 31 years – and only their second of all time – by recording a 4–3 aggregate win over Juventus. They won 3–2 in tonight's clash in Turin, having been 2–0 down at half-time. They drew 1–1 in the first leg at Old Trafford on 7 April.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
23 April 1999 – UEFA rejects calls from English clubs for four, rather than three, Champions League qualification places to be available for next season's competition – this will only happen in the unlikely event of Manchester United winning the European Cup next month and finishing outside the top three of the Premier League.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
24 April 1999 – Nottingham Forest's Premier League relegation is confirmed with a 2–0 defeat to Aston Villa, after which manager Ron Atkinson announces that he will retire at the end of this season.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
30 April 1999 – April draws to a close with Arsenal now leading the Premier League, but Manchester United are a point behind with a game in hand. Chelsea and Leeds United remain in distant contention, while the final European place is being contested by Aston Villa, West Ham United, Middlesbrough, Derby County, Liverpool and Leicester City. Nottingham Forest's inevitable relegation has now been confirmed, with Southampton, Charlton Athletic, Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City, Everton and Sheffield Wednesday all in the battle of avoid going down as well.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
Sunderland are definitely in the Premier League next season, as champions of Division One. Bradford City and Ipswich Town are level on points in the race for second place, with Birmingham City now the only team who can catch either of them. Bolton Wanderers and Wolverhampton Wanderers complete the top six, but Watford are pushing hard for a playoff place.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
6 May 1999 – Blackburn Rovers are relegated to Division One just four years after being Premier League champions.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
8 May 1999 – On-loan goalkeeper Jimmy Glass scored an injury-time winner for Carlisle United on the final day of the season to save their Football League status, and relegate Scarborough to the Conference.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
9 May 1999 – Sunderland's 2–1 win over Birmingham City on the final day of the Division One season has given them an English league record of 105 points this season. They will be joined in the elite next season by Bradford City, whose second-place finish has given them top flight football for the first time since 1922. Ipswich Town, Birmingham City, Watford and Bolton Wanderers will contest the playoffs. Meanwhile, Manchester United go back on top of the Premier League with a 1–0 win at Middlesbrough.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
11 May 1999 – Arsenal lose their penultimate league game of the season 1–0 at Leeds United, losing their chance to go top of the Premier League – meaning that a win for Manchester United against Blackburn Rovers on Thursday will make it almost certain (regardless of final day results) that the league title will return to Old Trafford.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
13 May 1999 – Manchester United are held to a goalless draw by former assistant manager Brian Kidd's Blackburn at Ewood Park – a result which confirms Blackburn's relegation (just four years after being champions) and allows the title destiny to remain firmly in United's hands.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
16 May 1999 – Manchester United clinch their fifth Premier League title in seven seasons after beating Tottenham 2–1 at home on the final day of the season, rendering Arsenal's 1–0 home win over Aston Villa useless. Third placed Chelsea beat Derby County 2–1, while Leeds United end David O'Leary's first season in management in fourth place with a 2–2 draw at Coventry. West Ham's 4–0 home win over Middlesbrough secures them a fifth-place finish and a place in the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, their highest finish for 13 years and their first European campaign in 19 years. The last relegation place goes to Charlton Athletic, who lose 1–0 at home to 12th placed Sheffield Wednesday, while Southampton confirm their survival with a 2–0 win over Everton.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
18 May 1999 – Liverpool sign Finnish defender Sami Hyypiä from Dutch side Willem II for £3 million.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
22 May 1999 – Manchester United complete a unique third 'double' of the league title and FA Cup with a 2–0 win over Newcastle United at Wembley. Teddy Sheringham opens the scoring in the 11th minute and Paul Scholes adds to United's tally in the 53rd minute. In four days' time, they will be competing in the European Cup final to challenge for a unique treble.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
26 May 1999 – Two late goals (the equaliser from Teddy Sheringham and the winner from Ole Gunnar Solskjær) save Manchester United from the jaws of defeat and they beat Bayern Munich 2–1 in the Champions League final at the Camp Nou to complete a unique treble.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
30 May 1999 – Watford seal promotion to the Premier League with a 2–0 win over Bolton Wanderers in the Division One playoff final at Wembley. They are first team since Notts County in 1991 to reach the top flight with two successive promotions.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
31 May 1999 – Two late goals save Manchester City from the jaws of defeat as they pull Gillingham back to 2–2 in the Division Two Play-Off Final at Wembley. They go on to win 3–1 on penalties to attain their first promotion in ten years.


1998–99 in English football, Diary of the season
12 June 1999 – Alex Ferguson receives a knighthood just over two weeks after guiding Manchester United to the treble.


1998–99 in English football, Famous debutants
The season saw several future England players make their first-team debuts.


1998–99 in Portuguese football
The 1998/99 season of the Portuguese First Division began on August 21 and ended on May 30. FC Porto became champions for the fifth time in a row.


1998–99 in Portuguese football, Promoted teams
These teams were promoted from the Portuguese Second Division of Honour at the start of the season:


1998–99 in Portuguese football, Relegated teams
These teams were relegated to the Portuguese Second Division of Honour at the end of the season:


1998–99 in Portuguese football, Cup
The final of the Cup was surprisingly between two minnows, SC Beira-Mar – who had just been relegated – beating SC Campomaiorense 1–0, after the precocious elimination of all stronger clubs, with FC Porto and S.L. Benfica being eliminated in the round of 32 and Sporting CP in the round of 64.


1998–99 in Scottish football
The 1998–99 season was the 102nd season of Scottish league football.


1998–99 in Scottish football, League competitions, Scottish Premier League, Summary
The 1998–99 SPL season was one that ended in success for Rangers. Dutchman Dick Advocaat was brought in to replace Walter Smith at Rangers and made major changes, bringing in many players.


1998–99 in Scottish football, League competitions, Scottish Premier League, Summary
Rangers were comfortable for most of the season, being top for most of it. Their main low of the season was a 5–1 defeat to Celtic at Parkhead. After beating Aberdeen 3–1 at Ibrox on 25 April, Rangers had a chance to clinch the title at Parkhead on 2 May. Rangers did what they wanted to do with a 3–0 victory. Two goals from Neil McCann and a Jorg Albertz penalty gave Rangers their 100th league victory over Celtic. The match was overshadowed by the controversy during and after the game. Three players were sent off and referee Hugh Dallas was hit by a coin thrown from the Celtic end.


1998–99 in Scottish football, League competitions, Scottish Premier League, Summary
Rangers were presented with the trophy the following week at home to Hearts. The match ended 0–0. Dunfermline Athletic were relegated to the First Division.


1998–99 in Scottish football, Other honours, Cup honours
The Scottish League Cup (CIS Insurance Cup) began in August and ended in November. Eventual winners Rangers defeated Alloa Athletic, Ayr United and Airdrieonians en route to the final which was held at Celtic Park. Rangers defeated SPL side St Johnstone 2–1 to give Dick Advocaat his first trophy as Rangers manager.


1998–99 in Scottish football, Other honours, Cup honours
The (Tennents) Scottish Cup began in January and ended in May. Eventual winners Rangers defeated Stenhousemuir, Hamilton Academical, Falkirk and St Johnstone en route the final. At the new Hampden Park, Rangers met Old Firm rivals Celtic. A Rod Wallace goal clinched a domestic treble for Rangers in Dick Advocaat's first season as manager.


1998–99 in Venezuelan football
The following article presents a summary of the 1998-99 football season in Venezuela.


1998–99 snooker season
The 1998–99 snooker season was a series of snooker tournaments played between June 1998 and May 1999. The following table outlines the results for the ranking and the invitational events.


1998–99 snooker season, Official rankings
The top 16 of the world rankings, these players automatically played in the final rounds of the world ranking events and were invited for the Masters.


1998–99 Élite Ligue season
The 1998–99 Élite Ligue season was the 78th season of the Élite Ligue, the top level of ice hockey in France. 10 teams participated in the league, and HC Amiens Somme won their first league title.


1998–99 Úrvalsdeild karla
The 1998–99 Úrvalsdeild karla was the 47th season of the Úrvalsdeild, the top tier men's basketball league on Iceland. The season started on October 1, 1998 and ended on April 22, 1999. Keflavík won its fifth title by defeating Njarðvík 3–2 in the Finals.


1998–99 Úrvalsdeild karla, Competition format
The participating teams first played a conventional round-robin schedule with every team playing each opponent once "home" and once "away" for a total of 22 games. The top eight teams qualified for the championship playoffs whilst the bottom team was relegated to Division 1.


1998–99 Úrvalsdeild kvenna (basketball)
The 1998–1999 Úrvalsdeild kvenna was the 41st season of the Úrvalsdeild kvenna, the top tier women's basketball league in Iceland. The season started on October 3, 1998 and ended on April 3, 1999. KR won its eleventh title by defeating Keflavík 3–0 in the Finals.


1998–99 Úrvalsdeild kvenna (basketball), Competition format
The participating teams first played a conventional round-robin schedule with every team playing each opponent twice "home" and twice "away" for a total of 20 games. The top four teams qualified for the championship playoffs whilst the bottom team was relegated to Division I.


1998–99 Ýokary Liga
The 1998-99 Turkmenistan Higher League (Ýokary Liga) season was the seventh season of Turkmenistan's professional football league. Nine teams competed in 1998.


1999
1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1999th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 999th  year of the 2nd millennium, the 99th  year of the 20th century, and the  10th  and last year of the 1990s decade.


1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.


1999 (Cassius album)
1999 is the debut studio album by French electronic music duo Cassius, released on 25 January 1999 by Virgin Records.


1999 (Cassius album), Writing and recording
The album was written and produced by Cassius members Philippe Zdar and Boombass.


1999 (Cassius album), Release
1999 was released on 25 January 1999 by record label Virgin. It reached number 28 in the UK Albums Chart.


1999 (Cassius album), Release
Three singles were released from the album: "Cassius 1999" (the remix version), which reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart and hit the top 10 in the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart; "Feeling for You", which reached number 16 in the UK and also charted in the top 10 in the US; and "La Mouche", which reached number 53 in the UK.


1999 (Cassius album), Release
As of September 2006 the album has shipped 260,000 units worldwide according to their label.


1999 (Cassius album), Reception
John Bush of AllMusic qualified the album as "A sleek and intelligent dance record", while James P. Wisdom of Pitchfork wrote: "Maybe I need some coke to truly delight in the seething vacancy of 1999, but I'm pretty sure that it's clearly not happening."


1999 (Cassius album), Track listing
All tracks are written by Cassius, except where samples are used, as indicated, and where noted.


1999 (Charli XCX and Troye Sivan song)
"1999" is a song by English singer and songwriter Charli XCX and Australian singer Troye Sivan, released as the lead single from the former's third studio album Charli on 5 October 2018. The single cover was inspired by the 1999 film The Matrix. It follows several singles released earlier in 2018 by Charli XCX and Sivan's 2018 album Bloom. The track reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart dated 22 November 2018, becoming Charli XCX's tenth top 40 single and first top 15 single since 2015, as well as Sivan's fourth top 40 single and his first top 20 single.


1999 (Charli XCX and Troye Sivan song)
A sequel to the track, "2099", was released as a promotional single in September 2019.


1999 (Charli XCX and Troye Sivan song)
"1999" is playable in Just Dance Unlimited on Just Dance 2020.


1999 (Charli XCX and Troye Sivan song), Background and composition
The song contains nostalgic lyrical references to the titular year along with a snare-heavy beat, "fuzzy sawtooth bass and sparking Eurodance keys". Sasha Geffen of Pitchfork stated that the track is "more concerned with the act of remembering than with the specifics of the year it calls up itself" and "fits alongside the rest of Charli XCX's sleek, forward-looking pop songs". The song also references Britney Spears' 1998 debut single, "...Baby One More Time".


1999 (Charli XCX and Troye Sivan song), Background and composition
The song is written in the key of B minor, with an allegro tempo of 124 BPM in 44 common time. Sivan's and Charli XCX's voices span between the notes B3 and F#5.


1999 (Charli XCX and Troye Sivan song), Artwork
The cover art references the 1999 film The Matrix, with Sivan dressed as Neo, wearing dark sunglasses, a black overcoat, and dyed black hair against a bright green background. Charli XCX, who is dressed as Trinity, flanks him. Billboard also noted its similarity to Aaliyah in the music video for her 2000 song "Try Again".


1999 (Charli XCX and Troye Sivan song), Promotion
Charli XCX and Sivan shared a "cryptic" exchange on Twitter before both shared the cover art and title of the song.