# 1998–99 Swansea City A.F.C. season

During the 1998–99 English football season, Swansea City A.F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division.

## Season summary

In the summer of 1998, John Hollins was appointed as Swansea manager and things soon started to improve. In the 1998–99 season, the club reached the Third Division play-offs, only to lose in extra time at Scunthorpe United. The season was also notable for a third round FA Cup victory over Premiership opponents West Ham United, whose team included Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand and John Hartson. Swansea thus became the first bottom division team to defeat a Premiership club in the FA Cup since the re-organisation of the league structure in 1992.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 5 | Rotherham United | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 79 | 61 | +18 | 73 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 6 | Leyton Orient | 46 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 68 | 59 | +9 | 72 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 7 | Swansea City | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 56 | 48 | +8 | 71 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 8 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 19 | 10 | 17 | 60 | 58 | +2 | 67 | |
| 9 | Peterborough United | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 72 | 56 | +16 | 66 | |

## Results

Swansea City's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Third Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 8 August 1998 | Exeter City | H | 2–0 | 5,809 | Thomas, Watkin |
| 15 August 1998 | Cambridge United | A | 1–2 | 3,074 | Casey |
| 22 August 1998 | Leyton Orient | H | 1–1 | 4,629 | Bird |
| 29 August 1998 | Mansfield Town | A | 0–1 | 2,421 | |
| 31 August 1998 | Scunthorpe United | H | 1–2 | 4,024 | Alsop |
| 5 September 1998 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 0–1 | 2,931 | |
| 8 September 1998 | Carlisle United | A | 2–1 | 2,816 | Howard, Watkin |
| 12 September 1998 | Scarborough | H | 2–0 | 3,360 | Watkin (pen), Price |
| 19 September 1998 | Torquay United | A | 1–1 | 2,527 | Smith |
| 26 September 1998 | Southend United | H | 3–1 | 3,890 | Alsop, Watkin, Bird |
| 3 October 1998 | Darlington | A | 2–2 | 3,046 | Watkin, Price |
| 9 October 1998 | Rotherham United | H | 1–1 | 5,180 | Thomas |
| 17 October 1998 | Chester City | A | 1–1 | 3,926 | Alsop |
| 20 October 1998 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 0–1 | 2,328 | |
| 31 October 1998 | Halifax Town | A | 0–2 | 2,383 | |
| 7 November 1998 | Peterborough United | H | 0–0 | 3,771 | |
| 10 November 1998 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 2–1 | 4,517 | Watkin, Alsop |
| 22 November 1998 | Cardiff City | H | 2–1 | 7,757 | Thomas, Bound |
| 28 November 1998 | Hartlepool United | A | 2–1 | 2,051 | Alsop (2) |
| 12 December 1998 | Rochdale | H | 1–1 | 4,010 | Alsop |
| 19 December 1998 | Hull City | A | 2–0 | 4,280 | Appleby, Watkin |
| 26 December 1998 | Leyton Orient | A | 1–1 | 5,343 | Alsop |
| 28 December 1998 | Barnet | H | 2–1 | 6,514 | Smith, Watkin |
| 9 January 1999 | Exeter City | A | 0–4 | 3,213 | |
| 30 January 1999 | Barnet | A | 1–0 | 2,259 | Appleby |
| 5 February 1999 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 2–2 | 6,563 | Jones, Watkin |
| 13 February 1999 | Carlisle United | H | 1–1 | 4,753 | Roberts |
| 16 February 1999 | Brentford | H | 2–1 | 5,109 | Appleby, Watkin |
| 20 February 1999 | Scarborough | A | 1–2 | 1,512 | Smith |
| 23 February 1999 | Mansfield Town | H | 1–0 | 4,361 | Alsop |
| 27 February 1999 | Torquay United | H | 0–0 | 5,594 | |
| 6 March 1999 | Southend United | A | 0–2 | 3,713 | |
| 9 March 1999 | Darlington | H | 2–0 | 4,078 | O'Leary, Watkin |
| 13 March 1999 | Peterborough United | A | 1–0 | 4,182 | Roberts |
| 20 March 1999 | Halifax Town | H | 1–2 | 4,974 | Cusack |
| 23 March 1999 | Scunthorpe United | A | 2–1 | 3,631 | Watkin (2) |
| 3 April 1999 | Chester City | H | 1–1 | 5,994 | Roberts |
| 5 April 1999 | Rotherham United | A | 0–1 | 4,257 | |
| 9 April 1999 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 1–1 | 5,113 | Bound |
| 13 April 1999 | Hartlepool United | H | 1–0 | 4,429 | Smith |
| 18 April 1999 | Cardiff City | A | 0–0 | 10,809 | |
| 24 April 1999 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 2–3 | 5,660 | O'Leary, Jones |
| 1 May 1999 | Rochdale | A | 3–0 | 1,654 | Price (2), Alsop |
| 4 May 1999 | Brentford | A | 1–4 | 7,156 | Bird |
| 6 May 1999 | Cambridge United | H | 2–0 | 6,086 | Watkin (2, 1 pen) |
| 8 May 1999 | Hull City | H | 2–0 | 9,226 | Watkin (2) |

### Third Division play-offs

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| SF 1st Leg | 16 May 1999 | Scunthorpe United | H | 1–0 | 7,828 | Bound |
| SF 2nd Leg | 19 May 1999 | Scunthorpe United | A | 1–3 (lost 2–3 on agg) | 7,089 | Bird |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 13 November 1998 | Millwall | H | 3–0 | 5,728 | Price, Thomas, Alsop |
| R2 | 5 December 1998 | Stoke City | H | 1–0 | 7,460 | Appleby |
| R3 | 2 January 1999 | West Ham United | A | 1-1 | 26,039 | Smith, Dicks |
| Replay | 13 January 1999 | West Ham United | H | 1–0 | 10,116 | Martin Thomas |
| R4 | 23 January 1999 | Derby County | H | 0–2 | | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 1st Leg | 11 August 1998 | Norwich City | H | 1–1 | 3,803 | Cusack |
| R1 2nd Leg | 18 August 1998 | Norwich City | A | 0–1 (lost 1–2 on agg) | 13,146 | |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1S | 8 December 1998 | Barnet | H | 4–1 | 1,017 | Appleby, Smith, Bird (2) |
| R2S | 5 January 1999 | Gillingham | H | 0–1 | 5,126 | |

## 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 | WAL | Roger Freestone |
| - | DF | ENG | Matthew Bound |
| - | DF | ENG | Jason Smith |
| - | DF | ENG | Michael Howard |
| - | DF | ENG | Steve Jones |
| - | MF | ENG | Nick Cusack |
| - | MF | ENG | Richard Appleby |
| - | MF | ENG | Martin Thomas |
| - | MF | WAL | Kristian O'Leary |
| - | FW | WAL | Steve Watkin |
| - | FW | ENG | Julian Alsop |
| - | FW | WAL | Jonathan Coates |
| - | MF | WAL | Stuart Roberts |
| - | FW | WAL | Jason Price |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | GK | WAL | Jason Jones |
| - | FW | WAL | Tony Bird |
| - | MF | WAL | Damien Lacey |
| - | MF | WAL | Lee Jenkins |
| - | FW | IRL | Ryan Casey |
| - | FW | ENG | Aidan Newhouse |
| - | FW | ENG | Dave O'Gorman |
| - | DF | ENG | Mark Clode |
| - | DF | SCO | Keith Walker |
| - | MF | WAL | Gareth Phillips |
| - | FW | WAL | Jamie Davies |
| - | MF | ENG | Karl Munroe |
| - | FW | WAL | Danny Barwood |

### 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 |
| - | GK | ENG | Matt Gregg (on loan from Crystal Palace) |