# 1997–98 Fulham F.C. season

The 1997–98 season was Fulham's 100th season in professional football. They played in the Second Division (previously known as the Third Division).

## Season summary

Manager Micky Adams was sacked in September, soon after Mohammed Al Fayed's take-over. Ray Wilkins and Kevin Keegan were appointed as head coach and director of football respectively. The club managed to make the play-offs despite losing their last three games, but this wasn't good enough for Al Fayed, who sacked Wilkins and promoted Keegan to his position. Keegan was unable to navigate Fulham through the play-offs as they were defeated by Grimsby Town 2–1 on aggregate (1–1 and 1–0 over two legs) in the semi-finals.

## Final league table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 4 | Northampton Town | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 52 | 37 | +15 | 71 | Participated in play-offs |
| 5 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 70 | 64 | +6 | 70 | Participated in play-offs |
| 6 | Fulham | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 60 | 43 | +17 | 70 | Participated in play-offs |
| 7 | Wrexham | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 55 | 51 | +4 | 70 | |
| 8 | Gillingham | 46 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 52 | 47 | +5 | 70 | |

## Results

Fulham's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Second Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 9 August 1997 | Wrexham | H | 1–0 | 8,789 | Conroy |
| 16 August 1997 | Walsall | A | 1–1 | 4,418 | Keister (own goal) |
| 23 August 1997 | Luton Town | H | 0–0 | 8,142 | |
| 30 August 1997 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 0–2 | 6,278 | |
| 2 September 1997 | Bristol City | A | 2–0 | 10,293 | Newhouse, Carpenter |
| 9 September 1997 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 2–0 | 8,961 | Moody (2) |
| 13 September 1997 | Grimsby Town | H | 0–2 | 6,874 | |
| 20 September 1997 | Southend United | A | 0–1 | 5,026 | |
| 27 September 1997 | Wigan Athletic | A | 1–2 | 4,951 | Hayward |
| 4 October 1997 | Oldham Athletic | H | 3–1 | 8,805 | Moody (2), Sinnott (own goal) |
| 11 October 1997 | Blackpool | H | 1–0 | 7,760 | Conroy |
| 18 October 1997 | Bournemouth | A | 1–2 | 7,484 | Vincent (own goal) |
| 21 October 1997 | Watford | A | 0–2 | 11,486 | |
| 25 October 1997 | Northampton Town | H | 1–1 | 9,848 | Peschisolido |
| 1 November 1997 | Chesterfield | H | 1–1 | 7,998 | Blake |
| 4 November 1997 | Millwall | A | 1–1 | 10,291 | Peschisolido |
| 8 November 1997 | Bristol Rovers | A | 3–2 | 6,166 | Carpenter, Scott (2) |
| 18 November 1997 | York City | H | 1–1 | 5,521 | Peschisolido |
| 21 November 1997 | Gillingham | H | 3–0 | 8,274 | Peschisolido (2), Watson |
| 29 November 1997 | Preston North End | A | 1–3 | 9,723 | Scott |
| 2 December 1997 | Brentford | H | 1–1 | 10,767 | Peschisolido |
| 13 December 1997 | Carlisle United | A | 0–2 | 4,574 | |
| 19 December 1997 | Burnley | H | 1–0 | 5,096 | Cullip |
| 26 December 1997 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 4–1 | 9,469 | Moody (2), Hayward, Trollope |
| 28 December 1997 | Bristol City | H | 1–0 | 13,273 | Moody |
| 10 January 1998 | Wrexham | A | 3–0 | 5,338 | Moody, Peschisolido, Trollope |
| 17 January 1998 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 0–0 | 10,468 | |
| 24 January 1998 | Luton Town | A | 4–1 | 8,366 | Moody (3, 1 pen), Hayward |
| 31 January 1998 | Grimsby Town | A | 1–1 | 6,785 | Lightbourne |
| 7 February 1998 | Southend United | H | 2–0 | 9,122 | Peschisolido, Lightbourne |
| 14 February 1998 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–1 | 6,063 | |
| 21 February 1998 | Wigan Athletic | H | 2–0 | 7,791 | Hayward, Peschisolido |
| 24 February 1998 | Bournemouth | H | 0–1 | 7,708 | |
| 28 February 1998 | Blackpool | A | 1–2 | 5,183 | Coleman |
| 3 March 1998 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–0 | 6,843 | Thorpe |
| 7 March 1998 | Chesterfield | A | 2–0 | 5,129 | Morgan, Blake |
| 14 March 1998 | Millwall | H | 1–2 | 12,318 | Thorpe |
| 21 March 1998 | York City | A | 1–0 | 4,871 | Peschisolido |
| 28 March 1998 | Gillingham | A | 0–2 | 10,507 | |
| 4 April 1998 | Preston North End | H | 2–1 | 8,814 | Brazier, Collins |
| 7 April 1998 | Walsall | H | 1–1 | 6,733 | Trollope |
| 11 April 1998 | Brentford | A | 2–0 | 10,510 | Moody (2) |
| 13 April 1998 | Carlisle United | H | 5–0 | 9,243 | Peschisolido (3), Moody (pen), Thorpe |
| 18 April 1998 | Burnley | A | 1–2 | 9,745 | Moody |
| 25 April 1998 | Northampton Town | A | 0–1 | 7,443 | |
| 2 May 1998 | Watford | H | 1–2 | 17,114 | Beardsley |

### Second Division play-offs

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| SF 1st Leg | 9 May 1998 | Grimsby Town | H | 1–1 | 13,954 | Beardsley (pen) |
| SF 2nd Leg | 13 May 1998 | Grimsby Town | A | 0–1 (lost 1–2 on agg) | 8,689 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 16 November 1997 | Margate | A | 2–1 | 5,100 | Carpenter, Scott |
| R2 | 6 December 1997 | Southend United | H | 1–0 | 8,537 | Blake (pen) |
| R3 | 5 January 1998 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–3 | 27,909 | Smith |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 1st Leg | 12 August 1997 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 2–1 | 4,360 | Newhouse, Conroy |
| R1 2nd Leg | 26 August 1997 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 4–4 (won 6–5 on agg) | 5,055 | Newhouse (2), Carpenter, Conroy |
| R2 1st Leg | 16 September 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–1 | 5,933 | |
| R2 2nd Leg | 24 September 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–1 (lost 0–2 on agg) | 17,862 | |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| SR1 | 9 December 1997 | Watford | H | 1–0 | 3,364 | Moody |
| SR2 | 13 January 1998 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 3–1 | 4,319 | Thomas (2), Freeman |
| SQF | 27 January 1998 | Luton Town | H | 1–2 | 5,103 | Lightbourne |

## Players
### First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | NIR | Maik Taylor |
| — | GK | RSA | Andre Arendse |
| — | GK | WAL | Mark Walton |
| — | DF | ENG | Jimmy Aggrey |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark Blake |
| — | DF | ENG | Rufus Brevett |
| — | DF | ENG | Danny Cullip |
| — | DF | WAL | Chris Coleman |
| — | DF | ENG | Robbie Herrera |
| — | DF | ENG | Matt Lawrence |
| — | DF | IRL | Shaun Maher |
| — | DF | SCO | Steve McAnespie |
| — | DF | ENG | Simon Morgan |
| — | DF | GER | Alan Neilson |
| — | DF | ENG | Rob Scott |
| — | DF | ENG | Simon Stewart |
| — | DF | ENG | Martin Thomas |
| — | DF | ENG | Paul Watson |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Bracewell |
| — | MF | ENG | Matt Brazier |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Brooker |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Richard Carpenter |
| — | MF | ENG | Glenn Cockerill |
| — | MF | ENG | Wayne Collins |
| — | MF | ENG | Nick Cusack |
| — | MF | ENG | Sean Davis |
| — | MF | ENG | Steve Hayward |
| — | MF | NIR | Rod McAree |
| — | MF | ENG | Ian Selley |
| — | MF | ENG | Neil Smith |
| — | MF | WAL | Paul Trollope |
| — | FW | ENG | Andy Arnott |
| — | FW | ENG | Peter Beardsley (on loan from Bolton Wanderers) |
| — | FW | ENG | Luke Cornwall |
| — | FW | SCO | Mike Conroy |
| — | FW | ENG | Darren Freeman |
| — | FW | BER | Kyle Lightbourne (on loan from Coventry City) |
| — | FW | ENG | Leon McKenzie (on loan from Crystal Palace) |
| — | FW | ENG | Paul Moody |
| — | FW | ENG | Aidan Newhouse |
| — | FW | CAN | Paul Peschisolido |
| — | FW | ENG | Tony Thorpe |

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Pos. | Name | From | Fee |
| 1 August 1997 | DF | Jimmy Aggrey | Chelsea | Free transfer |
| 1 August 1997 | FW | Andy Arnott | Leyton Orient | £23,000 |
| 1 August 1997 | MF | Neil Smith | Gillingham | Transfer |
| 1 August 1997 | GK | Andre Arendse | Cape Town Spurs | £200,000 |
| 1 August 1997 | FW | Paul Moody | Oxford United | £200,000 |
| 1 August 1997 | DF | Ian McGuckin | Hartlepool United | £75,000 |
| 1 August 1997 | MF | Steve Hayward | Carlisle United | £175,000 |
| 10 October 1997 | MF | Paul Bracewell | Sunderland | £75,000 |
| 17 October 1997 | MF | Ian Selley | Arsenal | £500,000 |
| 24 October 1997 | FW | Paul Peschisolido | West Bromwich Albion | £1,100,000 |
| 14 November 1997 | GK | Maik Taylor | Southampton | £700,000 |
| 26 November 1997 | DF | Alan Neilson | Southampton | £250,000 |
| 27 November 1997 | MF | Steve McAnespie | Bolton Wanderers | £100,000 |
| 27 November 1997 | MF | Paul Trollope | Derby County | £600,000 |
| 1 December 1997 | DF | Chris Coleman | Blackburn Rovers | £2,000,000 |
| 1 December 1997 | MF | Shaun Maher | Bohemians | £35,000 |
| 22 January 1998 | MF | Wayne Collins | Sheffield Wednesday | £400,000 |
| 30 January 1998 | DF | Rufus Brevett | Queens Park Rangers | £375,000 |
| 26 February 1998 | FW | Tony Thorpe | Luton Town | £800,000 |
| 20 March 1998 | MF | Matt Brazier | Queens Park Rangers | £65,000 |

### Out

| Date | Pos. | Name | To | Fee |
| 1 August 1997 | DF | Terry Angus | Slough Town | Free transfer |
| 1 August 1997 | DF | John Hamsher | Rushden & Diamonds | Free transfer |
| 1 August 1997 | MF | Michael Mison | Rushden & Diamonds | Free transfer |
| 31 October 1997 | FW | Aidan Newhouse | Swansea City | £30,000 |
| 31 October 1997 | MF | Nick Cusack | Swansea City | £50,000 |
| 7 November 1997 | MF | Glenn Cockerill | Brentford | Free transfer |
| 19 December 1997 | DF | Paul Watson | Brentford | £50,000 |
| 6 February 1998 | GK | Mark Walton | Gillingham | £40,000 |
| 18 February 1998 | DF | Danny Cullip | Brentford | £75,000 |
| 26 March 1998 | FW | Mike Conroy | Blackpool | £50,000 |
    Transfers in: £7,473,000
    Transfers out: £295,000
    Total spending: £7,178,000