| 1998–99 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Rupert Lowe | |||
| Manager | Dave Jones | |||
| Stadium | The Dell | |||
| FA Premier League | 17th | |||
| FA Cup | Third round | |||
| League Cup | Second round | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Matt Le Tissier (7) Egil Østenstad (7) All: Egil Østenstad (8) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 15,255 vArsenal (3 April 1999) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 11,645 vFulham (23 September 1998) | |||
| Average home league attendance | 15,140 | |||
| Biggest win | 3–0 vLeeds United (30 January 1999) | |||
| Biggest defeat | 1–7 vLiverpool (16 January 1999) | |||
The1998–99Southampton F.C. season was the club's 98th season of competitive football, their 29th (and 21st consecutive) in the top flight ofEnglish football, and their seventh in theFA Premier League. After a decent first season withDave Jones in charge which saw the club finish 12th in the league table, the Saints had a disappointing second campaign with their new manager as they avoided relegation by just five points, finishing one place above the drop zone. The team's form outside the league was similarly poor, as they were eliminated at the first hurdle of both theFA Cup and theLeague Cup.
After losing strikerKevin Davies in a club record £7.5 million deal in the summer, Jones signed two replacements –James Beattie andMark Hughes – as well as bringing in experienced wingerStuart Ripley. Squad changes continued throughout the season, with the likes ofHassan Kachloul,Chris Marsden andMarians Pahars taking the places of players includingKevin Richardson,Stig Johansen andCarlton Palmer. The Saints spent almost all of the season in the relegation places of the FA Premier League table, thanks in part to a dreadful start in which they picked up just one point in their opening eight games. After picking up just eight wins all season, they saved their top-flight status with three crucial consecutive victories in their final three games.
Outside the league, Southampton's performance was equally woeful. In both the FA Cup and the League Cup, they were drawn in their opening round againstFulham, who had recently won promotion to theSecond Division. In the League Cup, the FA Premier League side were held to a 1–1 draw in the opening second round first leg tie, before suffering a 0–1 defeat at home after playing most of the game a man down due to dismissal. The story was almost identical in the FA Cup, as the ten-man top-flight side scraped through a third round home tie 1–1 with a late goal, before being eliminated by a 1–0 Fulham victory in the replay. This marked the first time Southampton had been eliminated at the first hurdle of both competitions since the1993–94 season.
Southampton used 31 players during the 1998–99 season and had 13 different goalscorers. Norwegian strikerEgil Østenstad finished as the club's top goalscorer for the first time, scoring just eight goals in all competitions (including seven in the league) – the lowest of any Saints top scorer since they started playing league football. Beattie, in his debut season at the club, made the most appearances for the team (39), finished third on goals (6) just behind second-placedMatt Le Tissier (7), and won theSouthampton F.C. Player of the Season award at the end of the year. The average league attendance atThe Dell in 1998–99 was 15,140. The highest attendance was 5,255 againstArsenal in April and the lowest was 11,645 against Fulham in the League Cup in September.
At the beginning of the summer, Southampton sold strikerKevin Davies for a club record fee of £7.5 million toBlackburn Rovers – ten times the amount they had paid for him just over a year earlier.[1] In order to try and replace him up front, they signedJames Beattie in return for £1 million,[2] as well as adding experienced strikerMark Hughes for £650,000 fromChelsea.[3] Other arrivals in the summer included another Blackburn purchase, £1.5 million wingerStuart Ripley,[4] as well as free signingsDavid Howells fromTottenham Hotspur,[5]Scott Marshall fromArsenal,[6] and Mark Paul fromKing's Lynn.[7] Leaving the club during pre-season were full-backLee Todd (£250,000 toBradford City),[8] midfielderKevin Richardson (£75,000 toBarnsley),[9] and wingerDuncan Spedding (£75,000 toNorthampton Town),[10] all of whom had only debuted the previous season.
Shortly after the start of the league season, the Saints signed full-backScott Hiley on a free transfer fromManchester City, as backup forJason Dodd andFrancis Benali on either flank.[11] They also sold Norwegian strikerStig Johansen, who had failed to make an impact in his one season in England, to Swedish clubHelsingborg for £200,000 – a loss of £400,000 on his signing a year earlier.[12] With the team struggling to make it out of the relegation zone in the league, Southampton continued adding to their squad throughout the first half of the season. In October, they brought in Moroccan midfielderHassan Kachloul from French sideMetz for £250,000, following a short trial earlier in the month.[13] They looked to the French leagues again in December, when full-backPatrick Colleter was signed fromMarseille for £300,000, again after a short trial.[14] The same month, Danish goalkeeperMichael Stensgaard was signed fromCopenhagen as backup forPaul Jones,[15] while strikerSteve Basham was loaned out toPreston North End (he later joined permanently).[16]
In the new year, Southampton soldCarlton Palmer toNottingham Forest for £1.1 million, after the midfielder reportedly fell out with some of his teammates.[17] He was effectively replaced byChris Marsden, who signed fromBirmingham City for £800,000 a few weeks later.[18] Also released in February was Italian strikerCosimo Sarli, who had joined the previous March but failed to make the step up from reserves to the first team.[19] Later that month, the club signed Portuguese wingerDani Rodrigues for £170,000 fromFeirense, having seen him play during a short loan spell at nearbyBournemouth.[20] The Saints' final signing of 1998–99 came on transfer deadline day, 26 March, when Latvian strikerMarians Pahars signed following months of negotiations related to his work permit, with the club payingSkonto £800,000 for his services to help in their battle against relegation.[21]
Players transferred in
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Howells |  England | MF | Tottenham Hotspur | 14 June 1998 | Free | [5] |
| Stuart Ripley | England | MF | Blackburn Rovers | 6 July 1998 | £1,500,000 | [4] |
| Mark Paul | England | FW | King's Lynn | 9 July 1998 | £75,000 | [7] |
| James Beattie | England | FW | Blackburn Rovers | 10 July 1998 | £1,000,000 | [2] |
| Mark Hughes |  Wales | FW | Chelsea | 11 July 1998 | £650,000 | [3] |
| Scott Marshall |  Scotland | DF | Arsenal | 14 July 1998 | Free | [6] |
| Alan Blayney |  Northern Ireland | GK | Glentoran | July 1998 | Free[a] | [22] |
| Scott Hiley | England | DF | Manchester City | 21 August 1998 | Free | [11] |
| Stephen Jenkins | England | DF | none (free agent) | August 1998 | Free[b] | [23] |
| Hassan Kachloul |  Morocco | MF |  Metz | 16 October 1998 | £250,000 | [13] |
| Michael Stensgaard |  Denmark | GK | Copenhagen | 2 December 1998 | Free | [15] |
| Patrick Colleter | France | DF | Marseille | 24 December 1998 | £300,000 | [14] |
| Chris Marsden | England | MF | Birmingham City | 1 February 1999 | £800,000 | [18] |
| Dani Rodrigues |  Portugal | FW | Feirense | 23 February 1999 | £170,000 | [20] |
| Marians Pahars |  Latvia | FW | Skonto | 26 March 1999 | £800,000 | [21] |
Players transferred out
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Davies | England | FW | Blackburn Rovers | 1 June 1998 | £7,500,000 | [1] |
| Duncan Spedding | England | MF | Northampton | 1 July 1998 | £75,000 | [10] |
| Kevin Richardson | England | MF | Barnsley | 15 July 1998 | £75,000 | [9] |
| Lee Todd | England | DF | Bradford City | 1 August 1998 | £250,000 | [8] |
| Stig Johansen |  Norway | FW |  Helsingborg | 24 August 1998 | £200,000 | [12] |
| Carlton Palmer | England | MF | Nottingham Forest | 19 January 1999 | £1,100,000 | [17] |
| Cosimo Sarli |  Italy | FW |  Eendracht Aalst | 8 February 1999 | Free | [19] |
Players loaned in
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date from | Date to | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Hiley | England | DF | Manchester City | 1 August 1998 | 20 August 1998 | [11] |
Players loaned out
| Name | Nationality | Pos. | Club | Date from | Date to | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Basham | England | FW | Preston North End | 4 December 1998 | 18 December 1998 | [16] |
| 4 February 1999 | 9 May 1999 | |||||
| Scott Marshall | Scotland | DF | Celtic | 19 March 1999 | End of season | [6] |
Notes
Ahead of the 1998–99 season, Southampton played five pre-seasonfriendlies. The club's pre-season period started with a 0–2 defeat at localSecond Division sideBournemouth, which was followed by 1–1 draws at recently-promotedFirst Division sideBristol City andThird Division sideBarnet.[24] The Saints' first pre-season win came againstSouthern League sideBashley, who they beat 3–0, before a short trip to Belgium saw the FA Premier League side draw 2–2 withLierse (new strikersJames Beattie andMark Hughes scoring for the visitors).[24]
| 28 July 1998Friendly | Bournemouth | 2–0 | Southampton | Bournemouth |
| Stadium:Dean Court |
| 1 August 1998Friendly | Bristol City | 1–1 | Southampton | Bristol |
Howells | Stadium:Ashton Gate |
| 4 August 1998Friendly | Barnet | 1–1 | Southampton | London |
| Le Tissier | Stadium:Underhill Stadium |
| 6 August 1998Friendly | Bashley | 0–3 | Southampton | Bashley |
| Bridge Hindmarsh Le Tissier | Stadium:Bashley Road |
Lierse v Southampton| 9 August 1998Friendly | Lierse | 2–2 | Southampton | Lier, Belgium |
| Beattie M. Hughes | Stadium:Herman Vanderpoortenstadion |
Southampton had their worst start to a league season ever in 1998–99, losing all five of their opening matches and dropping immediately to the bottom of the FA Premier League table.[25] They hostedLiverpool on the opening day, who had finished third the previous season,[26] losing 1–2 whenMichael Owen scored a second-half winner after a first half that saw the hosts hold the visitors level at 1–1.[25] This was followed the next week by a "hammering" at newly promoted sideCharlton Athletic, who thrashed the Saints 5-0, withClive Mendonca scoring a second-half hat-trick. The game also saw Southampton goalkeeperPaul Jones sent off shortly after the hour mark, which forcedDavid Howells to go in goal as his side had already used all three permitted substitutions.[25] Further defeats againstNottingham Forest (another promoted side) andLeeds United were followed by another away thrashing in which the Saints went down to ten men – they lost 0–4 atNewcastle United and sawJason Dodd sent off just before half-time for a deliberate handball.[25]
The club finally picked up their first point in mid-September at home toTottenham Hotspur, when they salvaged a 1–1 draw in the second half throughMatt Le Tissier's first goal of the campaign from open play.[25] They remained bottom, however, with further defeats againstWest Ham United andManchester United leaving them four points adrift ofCoventry City in 19th and seven points away from safety, after just eight games.[27] After another 1–1 draw, withArsenal, the Saints picked up their first win of the season when they beat Coventry 2–1 atThe Dell – goals coming in the first half from Le Tissier andEgil Østenstad.[25] A goalless draw withSheffield Wednesday was followed by a dramatic 3–3 stalemeate hostingMiddlesbrough. After an uneventful first half, Middlesbrough found themselves 2–1 up just after the hour mark, despite losingRobbie Mustoe to a red card; 20 minutes later, the Saints had reversed the advantage to 3–2, beforePhil Stamp's dismissal saw the visitors go from ten to nine men. Despite this, Southampton were unable to hold on for the final few minutes, conceding a final goal fromGianluca Festa.[25] The club remained bottom with another home loss, 1–4 toAston Villa, in which new signingDion Dublin netted a hat-trick.[15]
Southampton finally made it off the foot of the league table with a 2–0 win overBlackburn Rovers atEwood Park in late November (goals scored byMatt Oakley andSteve Basham – his only goal for the Saints), leapfrogging the Lancashire side into 19th.[15][28] They remained there only briefly, however, and returned to 20th place after three more straight losses: 0–1 at home toDerby County, 0–2 atLeicester City and 0–1 atEverton.[15] The week before Christmas, the club picked up their third win of the campaign when they beatWimbledon 3–1 at home, with further goals prevented by the woodwork three times and goalkeeperNeil Sullivan.[15] 1998 ended with a 0–2 loss at home to league leadersChelsea and a 1–1 draw with Nottingham Forest, the only side below them in the table.[15]
The new year started with a 3–1 win over Charlton Athletic, who were just a few points above the relegation zone, in which new signingsHassan Kachloul,Patrick Colleter andJames Beattie all scored.[15] The win saw Southampton move up to 18th in the table for the first time since their second game.[29] It was followed, however, by the club's second six-goal defeat in three seasons, as they lost 1–7 to opening day opposition Liverpool atAnfield. The hosts were 3–0 up by half-time and were 5–1 up within an hour, afterRobbie Fowler completed a hat-trick and Østenstad scored the visitors' sole consolation; goals fromMichael Owen andDavid Thompson later on completed the thrashing, which managerDave Jones described as his "lowest point as a manager" to date.[15] Despite this setback, the Saints beat 5th-place Leeds United 3–0 in their next game a couple of weeks later, with goals from Kachloul, Oakley and Østenstad helping them keep hold of 18th place over Charlton.[15][30] Chelsea won again the next week as they continued to head the table.[15]
Back in the middle of the three relegation places, Southampton edged past Newcastle United in late-February, holding onto their first-half lead to win 2–1 over the mid-table side.[15] Two more defeats, at Manchester United (1–2) and Tottenham Hotspur (0–3), however, kept them in the same position, four points away from safety.[31] Two slender 1–0 wins in March over West Ham United and Sheffield Wednesday came either side of a 0–3 loss at Middlesbrough, as the Saints continued to try and escape the drop zone.[15] They were handed a lifeline on transfer deadline day at the end of March when, after nearly two months of trying to sign him, they were granted a work permit and given permission to sign Latvian strikerMarians Pahars.[15] The next three games, however, saw the Saints pick up just one point (from a goalless draw with Arsenal) and drop back down to 19th spot in the table.[32]
After spending the whole season in the bottom three, Southampton embarked on a five-game unbeaten run at the end of the 1998–99 season which ultimately saved their FA Premier League status. The first match of this spell was a crucial tie against Blackburn Rovers, who were two places and one spot ahead of the Saints.[32]Ashley Ward opened the scoring for Rovers early on, butChris Marsden responded within ten minutes with his first goal for the club; by half-time the Hampshire club were trailing 1–2 thanks toDarren Peacock, and shortly after the break it was a two-goal lead whenJason Wilcox scored. Shortly after the hour mark, however, summer signingMark Hughes scored his first Southampton goal (in his 32nd game), and in the last ten minutes Pahars – in his second substitute appearance – headed in to make it 3–3.[33]
A goalless draw at Derby County the week after the Blackburn game (the club's first point on the road all season) was followed by three straight wins. The first saw the Saints overcome a 0–1 deficit at home to Leicester City, with Marsden and Beattie scoring either side of half-time to help their side get out of the relegation zone for the first time all season, as Blackburn and Charlton drew.[33] A week later, Southampton picked up their first and only away win of the campaign when they beat Wimbledon 2–0 atSelhurst Park, with late substitute Le Tissier credited for creating both goals.[33] With Charlton just two points behind Southampton, it came down to the final day of the season to decide both clubs' fates. The Saints ultimately won their final match of the campaign 2–0 against Everton, with Pahars scoring both goals either side of half-time, both of which were set up by Beattie.[33] Many commentators credited Pahars with saving Southampton's Premier League status, withThe Independent noting that his goals had made him a "local hero" in the city.[34] The season's end result was dubbed a "great escape" by commentators,[35] which had been a term previously used to refer to the club's1992–93,1993–94,1995–96 and1996–97 seasons.[36]
| 16 August 19981 | Southampton | 1–2 | Liverpool | Southampton |
| 16:00BST | Østenstad 37' | Report | Riedle 39', Owen 72'Harkness Heggem | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,202 Referee:Paul Alcock |
| 22 August 19982 | Charlton Athletic | 5–0 | Southampton | London |
| 15:00BST | Robinson 3', Redfearn 46'Mendonca 65' (pen.),81',90'Newton | Report | Jones 65'Beattie Dodd M. Hughes Palmer | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 16,488 Referee:Rob Harris |
| 29 August 19983 | Southampton | 1–2 | Nottingham Forest | Southampton |
| 15:00BST | Le Tissier 89' (pen.) M. Hughes Ripley | Report | Darcheville 52' Stone 68', | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,942 Referee:Dermot Gallagher |
| 8 September 19984 | Leeds United | 3–0 | Southampton | Leeds |
| 19:45BST | Marshall 38' (o.g.) Harte 52'Wijnhard 86', | Report | Dodd M. Hughes Palmer | Stadium:Elland Road Attendance: 30,637 Referee:Alan Wilkie |
| 12 September 19985 | Newcastle United | 4–0 | Southampton | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| 15:00BST | Shearer 8',38' (pen.), Marshall 89' (o.g.)Ketsbaia 90'Lee | Report | Dodd 38' Hiley M. Hughes Marshall | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 36,454 Referee:Mike Riley |
| 19 September 19986 | Southampton | 1–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Southampton |
| 15:00BST | Le Tissier 64' Benali | Report | Fox 25' Calderwood Tramezzani | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,204 Referee:Keith Burge |
| 28 September 19987 | West Ham United | 1–0 | Southampton | London |
| 20:00BST | Wright 61', Ferdinand Ruddock | Report | Benali M. Hughes Le Tissier Monkou | Stadium:Boleyn Ground Attendance: 23,153 Referee:Uriah Rennie |
| 3 October 19988 | Southampton | 0–3 | Manchester United | Southampton |
| 15:00BST | Palmer | Report | Yorke 11' Cole 59'Cruyff 74'Keane | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,251 Referee:David Elleray |
| 17 October 19989 | Arsenal | 1–1 | Southampton | London |
| 15:00BST | Anelka 34' Overmars | Report | Howells 67', M. Hughes Le Tissier Monkou | Stadium:Arsenal Stadium Attendance: 38,027 Referee:Jeff Winter |
| 24 October 199810 | Southampton | 2–1 | Coventry City | Southampton |
| 15:00BST | Le Tissier 23', Østenstad 44' | Report | Dublin 60' Boateng Whelan | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,152 Referee:Rob Harris |
| 31 October 199811 | Sheffield Wednesday | 0–0 | Southampton | Sheffield |
| 15:00GMT | Report | M. Hughes | Stadium:Hillsborough Stadium Attendance: 30,078 Referee:Mike Riley |
| 7 November 199812 | Southampton | 3–3 | Middlesbrough | Southampton |
| 15:00GMT | Monkou 61', Beattie 82'Østenstad 85'M. Hughes Palmer | Report | Gascoigne 47', Mustoe  62'Lundekvam 66' (o.g.)Stamp 87'Festa 90'Ricard Townsend | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,202 Referee:Paul Alcock |
| 14 November 199813 | Southampton | 1–4 | Aston Villa | Southampton |
| 15:00GMT | Le Tissier 53', | Report | Dublin 3',56',85' Merson 77'Collymore | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,242 Referee:Neale Barry |
| 21 November 199814 | Blackburn Rovers | 0–2 | Southampton | Blackburn |
| 15:00GMT | Marcolin | Report | Oakley 4' Basham 89'Dryden Hiley | Stadium:Ewood Park Attendance: 22,812 Referee:Steve Dunn |
| 28 November 199815 | Southampton | 0–1 | Derby County | Southampton |
| 15:00GMT | Beattie Oakley Palmer | Report | Carbonari 33', Bohinen Laursen | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,762 Referee:Stephen Lodge |
| 5 December 199816 | Leicester City | 2–0 | Southampton | Leicester |
| 15:00GMT | Heskey 61' Walsh 63' | Report | M. Hughes | Stadium:Filbert Street Attendance: 18,423 Referee:Dermot Gallagher |
| 12 December 199817 | Everton | 1–0 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| 15:00GMT | Bakayoko 31' Ball Unsworth | Report | M. Hughes Kachloul | Stadium:Goodison Park Attendance: 32,073 Referee:Alan Wilkie |
| 19 December 199818 | Southampton | 3–1 | Wimbledon | Southampton |
| 15:00GMT | Østenstad 11',68' Kachloul 64', | Report | Gayle 76' Perry Thatcher | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 14,354 Referee: Mike Reed |
| 26 December 199819 | Southampton | 0–2 | Chelsea | Southampton |
| 12:00GMT | Colleter | Report | Flo 20' Poyet 48'Babayaro Morris | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,253 Referee:David Elleray |
| 28 December 199820 | Nottingham Forest | 1–1 | Southampton | Nottingham |
| 15:00GMT | Chettle 54' (pen.) Freedman Stone | Report | Kachloul 48', Jones Palmer | Stadium:City Ground Attendance: 23,456 Referee: Mike Reed |
| 9 January 199921 | Southampton | 3–1 | Charlton Athletic | Southampton |
| 15:00GMT | Kachloul 8' Colleter 52'Beattie 89',M. Hughes | Report | Hunt 13', Mills Youds | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,222 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 16 January 199922 | Liverpool | 7–1 | Southampton | Liverpool |
| 15:00GMT | Fowler 22',37',47' Matteo 35'Carragher 55',Owen 63'Thompson 73'Ince | Report | Østenstad 59' Colleter M. Hughes Monk | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 44,011 Referee:Uriah Rennie |
| 30 January 199923 | Southampton | 3–0 | Leeds United | Southampton |
| 15:00GMT | Kachloul 31' Oakley 62'Østenstad 86'Dodd M. Hughes Lundekvam | Report | Bowyer Haaland Smith Woodgate | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,236 Referee:Steve Dunn |
| 6 February 199924 | Chelsea | 1–0 | Southampton | London |
| 15:00GMT | Zola 11' Di Matteo | Report | Marsden Oakley | Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 34,920 Referee:Rob Harris |
| 20 February 199925 | Southampton | 2–1 | Newcastle United | Southampton |
| 15:00GMT | Beattie 16' Dodd 43' (pen.)Kachloul Lundekvam | Report | Hamann 86' Domi Howey Shearer Speed | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,244 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 27 February 199926 | Manchester United | 2–1 | Southampton | Manchester |
| 15:00GMT | Keane 79' Yorke 83' | Report | Le Tissier 90', Colleter | Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 55,316 Referee:Peter Jones |
| 2 March 199927 | Tottenham Hotspur | 3–0 | Southampton | London |
| 19:45GMT | Armstrong 19' Iversen 68'Dominguez 90'Young | Report | Le Tissier | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 28,580 Referee:Alan Wilkie |
| 6 March 199928 | Southampton | 1–0 | West Ham United | Southampton |
| 15:00GMT | Kachloul 10' | Report | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,240 Referee:Dermot Gallagher |
| 14 March 199929 | Middlesbrough | 3–0 | Southampton | Middlesbrough |
| 16:00GMT | Beck 44' Ricard 45'Vickers 62' | Report | Kachloul Le Tissier Marsden Monkou | Stadium:Riverside Stadium Attendance: 33,387 Referee: Mike Reed |
| 20 March 199930 | Southampton | 1–0 | Sheffield Wednesday | Southampton |
| 15:00GMT | Le Tissier 41', Marsden | Report | Booth | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,201 Referee:Rob Harris |
| 3 April 199931 | Southampton | 0–0 | Arsenal | Southampton |
| 15:00BST | Colleter M. Hughes Monkou | Report | Vieira | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,255 Referee:Peter Jones |
| 5 April 199932 | Coventry City | 1–0 | Southampton | Coventry |
| 15:00BST | Boateng 64', McAllister Whelan Williams | Report | Dodd | Stadium:Highfield Road Attendance: 21,404 Referee:Uriah Rennie |
| 10 April 199933 | Aston Villa | 3–0 | Southampton | Birmingham |
| 15:00BST | Draper 13' Joachim 66'Dublin 88' | Report | Lundekvam 40' Monkou | Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 32,203 Referee:Neale Barry |
| 17 April 199934 | Southampton | 3–3 | Blackburn Rovers | Southampton |
| 15:00BST | Marsden 22' M. Hughes 61'Pahars 85'D. Hughes Le Tissier | Report | Ward 14' Peacock 25'Wilcox 47'Gillespie McAteer | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,209 Referee:Graham Barber |
| 24 April 199935 | Derby County | 0–0 | Southampton | Derby |
| 15:00BST | Burton Delap Prior | Report | Beattie Pahars | Stadium:Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 26,557 Referee:Alan Wilkie |
| 1 May 199936 | Southampton | 2–1 | Leicester City | Southampton |
| 15:00BST | Marsden 36' Beattie 74'Østenstad | Report | Marshall 17' Elliott Lennon | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,228 Referee:Dermot Gallagher |
| 8 May 199937 | Wimbledon | 0–2 | Southampton | London |
| 15:00BST | Roberts | Report | Beattie 72' Earle 84' (o.g.)Marsden | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 24,068 Referee:Steve Dunn |
| 15 May 199938 | Southampton | 2–0 | Everton | Southampton |
| 16:00BST | Pahars 24',68', Le Tissier Marsden | Report | Hutchison | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,254 Referee:Graham Barber |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Coventry City | 38 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 39 | 51 | −12 | 42 | |
| 16 | Wimbledon | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 40 | 63 | −23 | 42 | |
| 17 | Southampton | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 37 | 64 | −27 | 41 | |
| 18 | Charlton Athletic(R) | 38 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 41 | 56 | −15 | 36 | Relegation toFootball League First Division |
| 19 | Blackburn Rovers(R) | 38 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 38 | 52 | −14 | 35 |
Southampton entered the 1998–99 FA Cup in the third round againstFulham, who had knocked the Saints out of theLeague Cup just over three months earlier, and were by now leading theSecond Division.[37] Despite being the visiting side, the Cottagers opened the scoring within ten minutes, whenSteve Hayward scored from just outside the penalty area.[37] Fulham defended strongly to keep the increasingly frustrated Premier League side at bay, which culminated in them going down to ten men in the 70th minute, when centre-backKen Monkou was shown a straight red card for an allegedly two-footed tackle onRufus Brevett.[37] The fight for an equaliser continued and eventually resulted in a goal for the hosts, whenEgil Østenstad forced in from close range after a previously deflected effort.[37] Fulham dominated the replay atCraven Cottage, although it took until the 85th minute for them to break the deadlock, eventually finding success whenBarry Hayles took advantage of a deflection in the box to send his side through.[38]
| 2 January 1999Round 3 | Southampton | 1–1 | Fulham | Southampton |
| Monkou 70' Østenstad 89'Palmer | Hayward 9', Horsfield Symons | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 12,549 Referee:Dermot Gallagher |
| 13 January 1999Round 3 Replay | Fulham | 1–0 | Southampton | London |
| Hayles 85' Coleman Symons | Beattie | Stadium:Craven Cottage Attendance: 17,448 Referee:Dermot Gallagher |
Southampton entered the 1998–99 League Cup in the second round againstSecond Division sideFulham. The first leg, atCraven Cottage, finished 1–1 whenChris Coleman's 54th-minute opener was matched byJames Beattie just after the hour mark.[39] The Saints lost the second leg 0–1 thanks to an earlyDirk Lehmann goal, withCarlton Palmer sent off ten minutes before the end of the first half.[39]
| 15 September 1998Round 2 Leg 1 | Fulham | 1–1 | Southampton | London |
| Coleman 54' Bracewell Hayward Morgan | Beattie 62' Howells M. Hughes | Stadium:Craven Cottage Attendance: 10,222 Referee: Mike Reed |
| 23 September 1998Round 2 Leg 2 | Southampton | 0–1 (1–2agg.) | Fulham | Southampton |
| Palmer 36' | Lehmann 10' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 11,645 Referee:Paul Durkin |
Outside the league and cup competitions, Southampton played two additional matches during the early stages of the 1998–99 season. The first, on 2 September, saw the Saints beatConference sideMorecambe 3–0, in a game to mark the opening ofChristie Park's new North Stand.[24] In the second, just over a month later, the FA Premier League side agreed to playKing's Lynn of theSouthern League in exchange for the £75,000 signing of Mark Paul.[25] After a good start for the hosts, the Saints went 2–0 up in the first half through anEgil Østenstad double, beforeWayne Bridge scored a third after the break to secure a 3–0 win.[40]
| 2 September 1998Friendly | Morecambe | 0–3 | Southampton | Morecambe |
| Le Tissier Wallace (o.g.) | Stadium:Christie Park |
| 7 October 1998Friendly | King's Lynn | 0–3 | Southampton | King's Lynn |
| Østenstad Bridge | Stadium:The Walks Attendance: 1,525 Referee: Steve Cling |
Southampton used 31 players during the 1998–99 season, 13 of whom scored during the campaign.[41] 13 players made their debut appearances for the club, including ten of their 13 first team signings (James Beattie,[2]Patrick Colleter,[14]Scott Hiley,[11]David Howells,[5]Mark Hughes,[3]Hassan Kachloul,[13]Chris Marsden,[18]Scott Marshall,[6]Marians Pahars,[21] andStuart Ripley[4]) and three players making the step up from youth to the first team (Shayne Bradley,[42]Wayne Bridge,[43] andGarry Monk[44]). Two of these – Howells[5] and Marshall[6] – also made their last appearances for the Saints during the campaign, as did mid-season departeesSteve Basham[16] andCarlton Palmer,[17] plus three players sold the next season (David Hirst,[45]Ken Monkou,[46] andAndy Williams[47]), one sold in a future season (Phil Warner[48]), and one who later retired (David Hughes[49]). New striker Beattie made the most appearances for Southampton during the season, playing in 39 of the side's 42 games in all competitions.[41]Egil Østenstad finished as the club's top goalscorer with eight goals in all competitions, equal on seven league goals withMatt Le Tissier.[41] Beattie, who finished third on six goals in all competitions, won theSouthampton F.C. Player of the Season award for 1998–99.[33]
| No. | Name | Pos. | Nat. | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | Discipline | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps. | Goals | Apps. | Goals | Apps. | Goals | Apps. | Goals |  |  | ||||
| 1 | Paul Jones | GK | | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Jason Dodd | DF | | 27(1) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31(1) | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 3 | John Beresford | DF | | 1(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Chris Marsden | MF | | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | Claus Lundekvam | DF | | 30(3) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 33(4) | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 6 | Ken Monkou | DF |  | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| 7 | Matt Le Tissier | MF | | 20(10) | 6 | 0(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22(11) | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| 8 | Matt Oakley | MF | | 21(1) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23(1) | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | Mark Hughes | FW | | 32 | 1 | 1(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35(1) | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| 10 | Egil Østenstad | FW | | 27(7) | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 31(7) | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | David Howells | MF | | 8(1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10(1) | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 12 | Richard Dryden | DF | | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Neil Moss | GK | | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Stuart Ripley | MF | | 16(6) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17(7) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Francis Benali | DF | | 19(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21(4) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | James Beattie | FW | | 22(13) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1(1) | 1 | 25(14) | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 17 | Mark Paul | FW | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Wayne Bridge | DF | | 15(8) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16(8) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Scott Bevan | GK | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Andy Williams | MF | | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | David Hughes | MF | | 6(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6(3) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Scott Hiley | DF | | 27(2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28(2) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 24 | Steve Basham | FW | | 0(4) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(5) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Garry Monk | DF | | 4 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | David Hirst | FW | | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Kevin Gibbens | MF | | 2(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Phil Warner | DF | | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Hassan Kachloul | MF | | 18(4) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20(4) | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 31 | Shayne Bradley | FW | | 0(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Patrick Colleter | DF | | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 35 | Marians Pahars | FW | | 4(2) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(2) | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Squad members who left before the end of the season | |||||||||||||
| 4 | Carlton Palmer | MF | | 18(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21(1) | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 26 | Cosimo Sarli | FW | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Squad members who ended the season out on loan | |||||||||||||
| 19 | Scott Marshall | DF | | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Rank | Name | Pos. | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starts | Subs | Starts | Subs | Starts | Subs | Starts | Subs | Total | |||
| 1 | James Beattie | FW | 22 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 14 | 39 |
| 2 | Egil Østenstad | FW | 27 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 7 | 38 |
| 3 | Claus Lundekvam | DF | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 4 | 37 |
| 4 | Mark Hughes | FW | 32 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 36 |
| 5 | Paul Jones | GK | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 35 |
| 6 | Matt Le Tissier | MF | 20 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 11 | 33 |
| 7 | Jason Dodd | DF | 27 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 32 |
| 8 | Scott Hiley | DF | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 30 |
| 9 | Francis Benali | DF | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 4 | 25 |
| 10 | Ken Monkou | DF | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 24 |
| Matt Oakley | MF | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 24 | |
| Hassan Kachloul | MF | 18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 24 | |
| Wayne Bridge | DF | 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 24 | |
| Rank | Name | Pos. | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | GPG | |||
| 1 | Egil Østenstad | FW | 7 | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 38 | 0.21 |
| 2 | Matt Le Tissier | MF | 6 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 33 | 0.18 |
| 3 | James Beattie | FW | 5 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 39 | 0.15 |
| 4 | Hassan Kachloul | MF | 5 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 0.21 |
| 5 | Marians Pahars | FW | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0.50 |
| 6 | Chris Marsden | MF | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0.14 |
| 7 | Matt Oakley | MF | 2 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 0.08 |
| 8 | Steve Basham | FW | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0.20 |
| David Howells | MF | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 0.09 | |
| Patrick Colleter | DF | 1 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 0.06 | |
| Ken Monkou | DF | 1 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 0.04 | |
| Jason Dodd | DF | 1 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 32 | 0.03 | |
| Mark Hughes | FW | 1 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 36 | 0.03 | |
