Matchday Memories: On This Day 1998 – Last Day L’pool Drama – See CCFC Nearly Down Everton!
Magnus in the Sky Blue
On this last day of the 1997-98 season, on the 10th May in 1998, former CCFC player (and now CCFPA member) Gordon Strachan was ending his first season in full control of the Sky Blues and was doing pretty well with some of his young strikers showing their mettle. City had been beaten only once in the Premier League since the 10th January! Blackburn Rovers had been beaten 2-0 at Highfield Road last time out and today WGS took his team to Goodison to face Everton who were a team desperately in trouble and seemingly needing a home win. The two teams had fought out a goal-less draw in September.
Paul D Williams in the Sky Blue
In a tense and nail-biting atmosphere for Toffees’ fans, in a big crowd of 40,019, nerves were settled somewhat as early as the seventh minute when Gareth Farrelly notched a stunning volleyed goal for the homesters.
It might have been worse for the Sky Blues and guaranteed safety for the Merseysiders when City’s Paul Williams tackled the Toffeemen’s Danny Cadamarteri in the box and referee Paul Alcock awarded a slightly dubious penalty with six minutes to go. Amazingly, the Sky Blues Swedish shot-stopper (now a CCFPA member) Magnus Hedman saved Nick Barmby‘s attempt which obviously increased the pressure on the home side.
Dion in the Sky Blue
Then the Sky Blues made it worse for Everton, with just a minute to go, when City centre-forward Dion Dublin popped up with a headed goal to equalise and presumably condemn the Liverpudlians to relegation from the top flight. To the home team’s great relief, however, when all the results were in and the calculations done the Toffees had survived, but only on goal difference! They finished on the same points as Bolton Wanderers and had scored exactly the same home and away goals as the Lancashire outfit. The saving grace was that, though they had conceded five more home goals than the Trotters, Bolton had conceded ten more goals away from Burnden than they had! Barnsley and Crystal Palace were the other relegated clubs.
Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can watch extensive match highlights by clicking on the image below:-
Strachan’s Sky Blues that day were (CCFPA members underlined):-
Gordon the Gaffer
Magnus Hedman, Roland Nilsson, David Burrows, George Boateng, Gary Breen (sub. Paul D.Williams -51), Richard Shaw, Paul Telfer (sub. Marcus Hall -89), Trond-Egil Soltvedt, Dion Dublin, Darren Huckerby (sub. Simon Haworth -69) and Noel Whelan
Unused subs: Willie Boland and Steve Ogrizovic (gk)
Roland later became a Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ and was our ‘special guest’ at Legends Day 2022. It was great to see Noel and ‘Oggy’ once more at Legends Day 2023 and Steve was back together with debutant ‘Shawsy’ a few days ago at LD24.
Howard Kendall‘s relieved Toffees side that last day of the season was:-
Thomas Myrhe, John O’Kane, Michael Ball, Craig Short, Dave Watson, Carl Tiler, Gareth Farrelly (sub. Gavin McCann -88), Don Hutchison, Duncan Ferguson, Mickael Madar (sub. Danny Cadermarteri -46) and Nick Barmby Unused subs: Paul Gerrard and Peter Beagrie Referee:- Paul Alcock (Surrey)
Seven years later Don Hutchison had a couple of years as a Sky Blue player (initially on loan) and has quite recently become a CCFPA member.
CCFC 1997-98
The Sky Blues finished the 1997-98 Premier League season in a comfortable eleventh place. The Champions that season were Arsenal who pipped Manchester United for the title by a single point!
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.
