# 1998–99 Oxford United F.C. season

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

## Season summary

During October 1998, the backroom staff at Oxford United were unpaid due to the club's financial situation with the new stadium; the threat of administration caused a group of fans to set up a pressure group called Fighting for Oxford United's Life (FOUL). The group began to publicise the club's plight through a series of meetings and events, including a 'Scarf of Unity', which was a collection of scarfs from various clubs which was long enough to stretch around the perimeter of the pitch. Chairman Robin Herd stepped down to concentrate on his engineering projects, and in April 1999 Firoz Kassam bought Herd's 89.9% controlling interest in Oxford United for £1, with which he also inherited the club's estimated £15 million debt. Kassam reduced the £9 million of the debt to just £900,000, by virtue of a Company Voluntary Arrangement, by which unsecured creditors who were owed over £1,000 were reimbursed with 10p for every pound they were owed. Secured creditors were paid off when Kassam sold the Manor to another of his companies, for £6 million. Kassam set about completing the unfinished stadium, gaining planning permission for a bowling alley, a multiplex cinema, and a hotel to sit next to the stadium, following a series of legal battles which were eventually all settled. The season ended with relegation back to the Second Division.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 20 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 52 | 61 | −9 | 47 | |
| 21 | Port Vale | 46 | 13 | 8 | 25 | 45 | 75 | −30 | 47 | |
| 22 | Bury (R) | 46 | 10 | 17 | 19 | 35 | 60 | −25 | 47 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 23 | Oxford United (R) | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 48 | 71 | −23 | 44 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 24 | Bristol City (R) | 46 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 57 | 80 | −23 | 42 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## Results

Oxford United's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 8 August 1998 | Bristol City | A | 2–2 | 13,729 | Murphy, Windass |
| 15 August 1998 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–2 | 7,521 | |
| 22 August 1998 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–2 | 14,827 | |
| 29 August 1998 | Grimsby Town | H | 0–0 | 5,587 | |
| 31 August 1998 | Barnsley | A | 0–1 | 15,328 | |
| 6 September 1998 | Portsmouth | H | 3–0 | 6,626 | Marsh, Windass (2, 1 pen) |
| 9 September 1998 | Swindon Town | A | 1–4 | 8,305 | Banger |
| 12 September 1998 | Ipswich Town | H | 3–3 | 6,632 | Banger, Windass, Thomson |
| 19 September 1998 | Sunderland | A | 0–7 | 34,567 | |
| 26 September 1998 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 4–1 | 7,489 | Beauchamp, Murphy, Thomson, Windass |
| 29 September 1998 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 3–0 | 7,437 | Beauchamp, Powell, Marsh |
| 3 October 1998 | Huddersfield Town | A | 0–2 | 10,968 | |
| 10 October 1998 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 1–2 | 5,862 | Windass |
| 17 October 1998 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | 17,064 | Thomson |
| 20 October 1998 | Bury | A | 0–1 | 3,436 | |
| 24 October 1998 | Sheffield United | H | 0–2 | 6,586 | |
| 31 October 1998 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–1 | 5,607 | Windass |
| 7 November 1998 | Watford | A | 0–2 | 10,137 | |
| 14 November 1998 | Birmingham City | A | 1–0 | 18,216 | Murphy |
| 21 November 1998 | Port Vale | H | 2–1 | 5,964 | Windass (pen), Powell |
| 29 November 1998 | Norwich City | A | 3–1 | 17,851 | Wilsterman, Windass, Thomson |
| 5 December 1998 | Bradford City | H | 0–1 | 5,969 | |
| 12 December 1998 | Birmingham City | H | 1–7 | 7,189 | Windass |
| 19 December 1998 | Stockport County | A | 0–2 | 6,500 | |
| 26 December 1998 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–3 | 8,375 | Windass |
| 28 December 1998 | Portsmouth | A | 2–2 | 12,604 | Banger (2) |
| 9 January 1999 | Bristol City | H | 0–0 | 9,434 | |
| 16 January 1999 | Grimsby Town | A | 0–1 | 6,626 | |
| 30 January 1999 | Barnsley | H | 1–0 | 6,174 | Windass |
| 6 February 1999 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | 20,811 | Windass |
| 13 February 1999 | Swindon Town | H | 2–0 | 8,179 | Windass (2, 1 pen) |
| 20 February 1999 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–2 | 16,920 | Rémy |
| 27 February 1999 | Sunderland | H | 0–0 | 9,044 | |
| 3 March 1999 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–1 | 9,040 | |
| 6 March 1999 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–2 | 13,875 | |
| 9 March 1999 | Huddersfield Town | H | 2–2 | 6,034 | Cook, Beauchamp |
| 13 March 1999 | Watford | H | 0–0 | 8,137 | |
| 20 March 1999 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–3 | 4,791 | Thomson |
| 26 March 1999 | Sheffield United | A | 2–1 | 14,115 | Thomson, Banger |
| 3 April 1999 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 0–0 | 7,547 | |
| 5 April 1999 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 2–2 | 7,837 | Weatherstone, Gilchrist |
| 10 April 1999 | Bury | H | 0–1 | 6,358 | |
| 17 April 1999 | Port Vale | A | 0–1 | 7,393 | |
| 24 April 1999 | Norwich City | H | 2–4 | 7,345 | Wilsterman, Francis |
| 1 May 1999 | Bradford City | A | 0–0 | 15,064 | |
| 9 May 1999 | Stockport County | H | 5–0 | 6,830 | Gilchrist, Powell, Beauchamp, Murphy, Thomson |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 2 January 1999 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 3–1 | 4,207 | Windass, Murphy (2) |
| R4 | 25 January 1999 | Chelsea | H | 1–1 | 9,059 | Windass |
| R4R | 3 February 1999 | Chelsea | A | 2–4 | 32,106 | Gilchrist, Windass (pen) |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 1st Leg | 11 August 1998 | Luton Town | A | 3–2 | 3,165 | Murphy (2), Weatherstone |
| R1 2nd Leg | 18 August 1998 | Luton Town | H | 1–3 (lost 4–5 on agg) | 5,099 | Whelan |

## 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 | ENG | Paul Gerrard (on loan from Everton) |
| - | DF | ENG | Les Robinson |
| - | DF | ENG | Phil Gilchrist |
| - | DF | CAN | Mark Watson |
| - | MF | ENG | Paul Powell |
| - | MF | ENG | Martin Gray |
| - | MF | ENG | Joey Beauchamp |
| - | FW | ENG | Matt Murphy |
| - | FW | SCO | Andy Thomson |
| - | FW | ENG | Nicky Banger |
| - | MF | ENG | Paul Tait |
| - | GK | SWE | Pål Lundin |
| - | DF | ENG | Phil Whelan |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | FW | SKN | Kevin Francis |
| - | DF | NED | Brian Wilsterman |
| - | FW | WAL | Rob Folland |
| - | DF | FRA | Christophe Rémy |
| - | FW | ENG | Jamie Cook |
| - | MF | ENG | Simon Weatherstone |
| - | MF | ENG | Tony Wright |
| - | DF | ENG | Mark Warren (on loan from Leyton Orient) |
| - | MF | ENG | Mickey Lewis |
| - | DF | ENG | Steve Davis |
| - | DF | ENG | Andrew Rose |
| - | FW | ENG | Mike Williams |
| - | GK | ENG | Elliot Jackson |

### Left club during the season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | MF | ENG | Danny Hill (to Cardiff City) |
| - | GK | ENG | Phil Whitehead (to West Bromwich Albion) |
| - | DF | ENG | Simon Marsh (to Birmingham City) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | GK | ENG | Mike Salmon (on loan from Charlton Athletic) |
| - | MF | ENG | David Smith (to Stockport County) |
| - | FW | ENG | Dean Windass (to Bradford City) |