Crystal Palace 1997–98 football season
During the 1997–98 English football season, Crystal Palace competed in the FA Premier League.
Season summary
Experienced Italian midfielder Attilio Lombardo was one of the most famous names to wear a Palace shirt when he arrived at Selhurst Park early in the season, and his influential form looked to have secured Palace's top flight status as they stood 10th as late as November. Within the first 14 games of the season, they were enjoying reasonable mid-table form, losing and winning five each and drawing four games; all of their wins at the time were away from home. Their 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur cumulated their good form though and from then on, they would struggle. Lombardo's fellow countryman Michele Padovano was also signed, but proved to be a complete flop, as did Swedish forward Tomas Brolin , and Palace were soon deep in relegation trouble.
With a takeover by computer tycoon Mark Goldberg on the horizon, Steve Coppell relinquished his managerial duties to become Director of Football.[ 1] Lombardo and Brolin became joint player-managers on a short-term contract,[ 2] but were unable to stave off relegation, which was confirmed on 27 April after a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United and they were soon on their way out of the club and Ray Lewington was appointed for the final three league games of the season. It was a season to forget for the club which saw them win just two home league games all season and it took them a staggering eight months to record their first home league win: against Derby County in April.
When the Goldberg takeover was completed, Terry Venables returned to the manager's seat after an eventful 18 years away, with the new chairman boasting that Palace would be a European force by 2003.[ 3]
Kit
Palace retained the previous season's home kit, manufactured by German company Adidas and sponsored by TDK .
Final league table
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|-bgcolor="FFCCCC"
|rowspan="2"|20
|rowspan="2" align="left"|Crystal Palace (R)
|rowspan="2"|38
|rowspan="2"|8
|rowspan="2"|9
|rowspan="2"|21
|rowspan="2"|37
|rowspan="2"|71
|rowspan="2"|–34
|rowspan="2"|33
|rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;font-size:92.5%;" bgcolor=CCCCFF|1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup Third round 3
|-
|rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;font-size:92.5%;" bgcolor=FFCCCC|Relegation to the 1998–99 Football League First Division
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Results Summary
Overall
Home
Away
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
38
8
9
21
37
71
−34
33
2
5
12
15
39
−24
6
4
9
22
32
−10
Results by round
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Results
Crystal Palace's score comes first [ 4]
Legend
FA Premier League
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Scorers
9 August 1997
Everton
A
2–1
35,716
Lombardo , Dyer (pen)
12 August 1997
Barnsley
H
0–1
21,547
23 August 1997
Leeds United
A
2–0
29,076
Warhurst , Lombardo
27 August 1997
Southampton
A
0–1
15,032
30 August 1997
Blackburn Rovers
H
1–2
20,849
Dyer
13 September 1997
Chelsea
H
0–3
26,186
20 September 1997
Wimbledon
A
1–0
16,747
Lombardo
24 September 1997
Coventry City
A
1–1
15,900
Fullarton
27 September 1997
Bolton Wanderers
H
2–2
17,134
Warhurst , Gordon
4 October 1997
Manchester United
A
0–2
55,143
18 October 1997
Arsenal
H
0–0
26,180
25 October 1997
Sheffield Wednesday
A
3–1
22,072
Hreidarsson , Rodger , Shipperley
8 November 1997
Aston Villa
H
1–1
21,097
Shipperley
24 November 1997
Tottenham Hotspur
A
1–0
25,634
Shipperley
29 November 1997
Newcastle United
H
1–2
26,085
Shipperley
3 December 1997
West Ham United
A
1–4
23,335
Shipperley
6 December 1997
Leicester City
A
1–1
19,191
Padovano
13 December 1997
Liverpool
H
0–3
25,790
20 December 1997
Derby County
A
0–0
26,590
26 December 1997
Southampton
H
1–1
22,853
Shipperley
28 December 1997
Blackburn Rovers
A
2–2
23,872
Dyer , Warhurst
10 January 1998
Everton
H
1–3
23,311
Dyer (pen)
17 January 1998
Barnsley
A
0–1
17,819
31 January 1998
Leeds United
H
0–2
25,248
9 February 1998
Wimbledon
H
0–3
14,410
21 February 1998
Arsenal
A
0–1
38,094
28 February 1998
Coventry City
H
0–3
21,810
11 March 1998
Chelsea
A
2–6
31,917
Hreidarsson , Bent
14 March 1998
Aston Villa
A
1–3
33,781
Jansen
18 March 1998
Newcastle United
A
2–1
36,565
Lombardo , Jansen
28 March 1998
Tottenham Hotspur
H
1–3
26,116
Shipperley
11 April 1998
Leicester City
H
0–3
18,771
13 April 1998
Liverpool
A
1–2
43,007
Bent
18 April 1998
Derby County
H
3–1
18,101
Jansen , Ćurčić , Bent
27 April 1998
Manchester United
H
0–3
26,180
2 May 1998
Bolton Wanderers
A
2–5
24,449
Gordon , Bent
5 May 1998
West Ham United
H
3–3
19,129
Bent , Rodger , Lombardo
10 May 1998
Sheffield Wednesday
H
1–0
16,876
Morrison
FA Cup
League Cup
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Goalscorers
R2 1st Leg
16 September 1997
Hull City
A
0–1
9,323
R2 2nd Leg
30 September 1997
Hull City
H
2–1 (lost on away goals)
6,407
Veart , Ndah
First-team squad
Squad at end of season [ 5]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Transfers
In
Date
Pos
Name
From
Fee
12 June 1997
GK
Kevin Miller
Watford
£1,550,000
1 August 1997
MF
Attilio Lombardo
Juventus
£1,600,000
1 August 1997
GK
Gareth Ormshaw
Ramblers
Free transfer
1 August 1997
DF
Paul Warhurst
Blackburn Rovers
Signed
1 August 1997
DF
Hermann Hreiðarsson
ÍBV
Unknown
1 August 1997
MF
Jamie Fullarton
SC Bastia
Free transfer
12 August 1997
MF
Neil Emblen
Wolverhampton Wanderers
£2,000,000
19 August 1997
MF
Itzik Zohar
Beitar Jerusalem
£1,200,000
21 October 1997
DF
Jamie Smith
Wolverhampton Wanderers
£1,000,000
12 November 1997
FW
Michele Padovano
Juventus
£1,700,000
8 January 1998
FW
Marcus Bent
Brentford
£300,000
15 January 1998
DF
Valérien Ismaël
Strasbourg
£2,750,000
10 February 1998
FW
Matt Jansen
Carlisle United
£1,000,000
26 March 1998
MF
Saša Ćurčić
Aston Villa
£1,000,000
Out
Date
Pos
Name
To
Fee
15 July 1997
MF
Ray Houghton
Reading
Free transfer
21 July 1997
MF
David Hopkin
Leeds United
£3,250,000
1 August 1997
DF
Andy Cyrus
Exeter City
Free transfer
1 August 1997
GK
Chris Day
Watford
Swap
10 August 1997
MF
Tony Scully
Manchester City
£200,000
26 September 1997
FW
Jason Harris
Leyton Orient
£25,000
2 October 1997
DF
Dean Wordsworth
Bromley
Free transfer
21 October 1997
DF
Kevin Muscat
Wolverhampton Wanderers
£200,000
21 October 1997
FW
Dougie Freedman
Wolverhampton Wanderers
£800,000
30 October 1997
MF
Ivano Bonetti
Genoa
Free transfer
21 November 1997
FW
George Ndah
Swindon Town
£500,000
11 December 1997
FW
Carl Veart
Millwall
£100,000
9 March 1998
MF
Andy Roberts
Wimbledon
£2,000,000
26 March 1998
MF
Neil Emblen
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Signed
Transfers in: £14,100,000
Transfers out: £7,075,000
Total spending: £7,025,000
Statistics
Appearances and goals
References
^ "Palace target Venables as Coppell steps aside" . BBC News. 25 February 1998. Retrieved 6 August 2015 .
^ "Lombardo rules at Palace" . BBC News. 13 March 1998. Retrieved 6 August 2015 .
^ Haylett, Trevor (10 June 1998). "Football: Venables launches new era at Palace" . The Independent. Retrieved 6 August 2015 .
^ http://www.statto.com/football/teams/crystal-palace/1997-1998/results
^ http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/eng/1997-1998/faprem/cpalace.htm
^ Quinn was born in London , England , but also qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally and has represented them at U-21 and B level.
^ Burton was born in Birmingham , England , but also qualified to represent Saint Kitts and Nevis internationally and would make his international debut for Saint Kitts and Nevis in June 2004.
^ Boxall was born in Croydon , England , but also qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally and has represented them at U-21 level.
^ Morrison was born in Wandsworth , England , but also qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally through his grandmother and would make his international debut for the Republic of Ireland in August 2001.
^ Folan was born in Lewisham , England , but also qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally and has represented them at U-17 , U-19 and U-21 level.
^ Davies was born in Hereford , England , but was raised in Wales and has represented them at U-21 level.
History Owners Grounds Rivalries Subsidiary teams
National teams
League competitions
Level 1 Levels 2–4 Level 5 Levels 6–7 Levels 8–9
Isthmian League (Two , Three )
Combined Counties League (level 8 only )
Eastern Counties League (Premier , One )
Essex Senior League (level 8 only )
Hellenic League (Premier , One )
Kent League (level 8 only )
Midland Alliance (level 8 only )
Midland Football Combination (level 9 only )
North West Counties League (One , Two )
Northern Counties East League (Premier , One )
Northern League (One , Two )
Spartan South Midlands League (Premier North , Premier South , Senior )
Sussex County League (One , Two )
United Counties League (Premier , One )
Wessex League (level 8 only )
West Midlands (Regional) League (level 9 only )
Western League (Premier , One )
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FA cups Football League cups
European competitions