# 1997–98 Middlesbrough F.C. season

During the 1997–98 English football season, Middlesbrough F.C. competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

Middlesbrough were promoted to the Premier League, also reaching the League Cup final, where the club lost its third domestic cup final in a year. Just reaching the final was a huge success, though, with the club not playing in the top flight and having lost international star players Fabrizio Ravanelli and Juninho following relegation.
The season also saw the arrivals of well-known players such as Paul Gascoigne from Rangers, Marco Branca from Inter Milan and Paul Merson from Arsenal, with Boro bucking the trend of players only being attracted by top-flight clubs.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Nottingham Forest (C, P) | 46 | 28 | 10 | 8 | 82 | 42 | +40 | 94 | Promotion to the Premier League |
| 2 | Middlesbrough (P) | 46 | 27 | 10 | 9 | 77 | 41 | +36 | 91 | Promotion to the Premier League |
| 3 | Sunderland | 46 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 86 | 50 | +36 | 90 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 4 | Charlton Athletic (O, P) | 46 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 80 | 49 | +31 | 88 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |
| 5 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 77 | 43 | +34 | 83 | Qualification for the First Division play-offs |

## Results

Middlesbrough's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 9 August 1997 | Charlton Athletic | H | 2–1 | 29,414 | Festa, Ravanelli |
| 23 August 1997 | Stoke City | H | 0–1 | 30,122 | |
| 30 August 1997 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 2–0 | 12,095 | Mustoe, Beck |
| 2 September 1997 | Stockport County | A | 1–1 | 8,257 | Merson |
| 13 September 1997 | Bradford City | A | 2–2 | 17,767 | Kinder, Ormerod |
| 20 September 1997 | Birmingham City | H | 3–1 | 30,125 | Kinder, Beck, Emerson |
| 28 September 1997 | Sunderland | A | 2–1 | 35,384 | Emerson, Mustoe |
| 5 October 1997 | Sheffield United | H | 1–2 | 30,000 | Beck |
| 18 October 1997 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–1 | 5,759 | Townsend |
| 21 October 1997 | Oxford United | A | 4–1 | 8,306 | Emerson, Mustoe, Fleming, Merson |
| 25 October 1997 | Port Vale | H | 2–1 | 30,096 | Merson (2 pens) |
| 28 October 1997 | Huddersfield Town | H | 3–0 | 29,965 | Merson, Beck (2) |
| 1 November 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–1 | 26,896 | |
| 5 November 1997 | Portsmouth | H | 1–1 | 29,724 | Townsend |
| 8 November 1997 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 3–0 | 30,067 | Beck, Merson, Ormerod |
| 15 November 1997 | Norwich City | A | 3–1 | 16,011 | Beck, Merson, Ormerod |
| 22 November 1997 | Swindon Town | A | 2–1 | 15,228 | Merson, Emerson |
| 26 November 1997 | Nottingham Forest | H | 0–0 | 30,143 | |
| 29 November 1997 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–0 | 30,164 | Beck |
| 2 December 1997 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–1 | 13,619 | Merson |
| 6 December 1997 | Bury | A | 1–0 | 8,016 | Beck |
| 13 December 1997 | Reading | H | 4–0 | 29,876 | Hignett (2), Beck (2) |
| 20 December 1997 | Manchester City | A | 0–2 | 28,097 | |
| 26 December 1997 | Huddersfield Town | A | 1–0 | 18,820 | Gray (own goal) |
| 28 December 1997 | Stockport County | H | 3–1 | 30,166 | Hignett, Beck (2) |
| 10 January 1998 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0–3 | 15,742 | |
| 17 January 1998 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–1 | 30,081 | Pearson |
| 1 February 1998 | Stoke City | A | 2–1 | 13,242 | Pearson, Moreno |
| 4 February 1998 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 3–0 | 29,540 | Hignett, Merson (2) |
| 7 February 1998 | Birmingham City | A | 1–1 | 20,639 | Festa |
| 14 February 1998 | Bradford City | H | 1–0 | 30,165 | Hignett |
| 21 February 1998 | Sunderland | H | 3–1 | 30,227 | Branca (2), Armstrong |
| 25 February 1998 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–0 | 29,936 | Maddison |
| 1 March 1998 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–4 | 25,286 | |
| 4 March 1998 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–5 | 11,580 | |
| 11 March 1998 | Swindon Town | H | 6–0 | 29,581 | Branca (2), Maddison (2), Armstrong (2) |
| 14 March 1998 | Portsmouth | A | 0–0 | 17,003 | |
| 22 March 1998 | Norwich City | H | 3–0 | 30,040 | Maddison, Armstrong, Beck |
| 4 April 1998 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–2 | 20,620 | Branca |
| 7 April 1998 | Sheffield United | A | 0–1 | 18,421 | |
| 11 April 1998 | Bury | H | 4–0 | 30,218 | Ricard, Branca (3) |
| 13 April 1998 | Reading | A | 1–0 | 14,501 | Branca |
| 17 April 1998 | Manchester City | H | 1–0 | 30,182 | Armstrong |
| 24 April 1998 | Port Vale | A | 1–0 | 12,096 | Merson |
| 29 April 1998 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–1 | 29,878 | Ricard |
| 3 May 1998 | Oxford United | H | 4–1 | 30,228 | Armstrong (2), Hignett (2) |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 3 January 1998 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 2–2 | 13,379 | Hignett, Mustoe |
| R3R | 13 January 1998 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–0 | 21,817 | Campbell, Mustoe |
| R4 | 24 January 1998 | Arsenal | H | 1–2 | 28,264 | Merson |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 First Leg | 16 September 1997 | Barnet | H | 1–0 | 9,611 | Freestone |
| R2 Second Leg | 23 September 1997 | Barnet | A | 2–0 (won 3–0 on agg) | 3,968 | Beck, Merson (pen) |
| R3 | 15 October 1997 | Sunderland | H | 2–0 | 26,451 | Campbell, Hignett |
| R4 | 18 November 1997 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | 22,801 | Summerbell, Hignett |
| R5 | 6 January 1998 | Reading | A | 1–0 | 13,072 | Hignett |
| SF 1st Leg | 27 January 1998 | Liverpool | A | 1–2 | 33,438 | Merson |
| SF 2nd Leg | 18 February 1998 | Liverpool | H | 2–0 (won 3–2 on agg) | 29,828 | Merson (pen), Branca |
| F | 29 March 1998 | Chelsea | N | 0–2 | 77,698 | |

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | GK | AUS | Mark Schwarzer |
| - | GK | ENG | Ben Roberts |
| - | GK | ENG | Marlon Beresford |
| - | GK | WAL | Andy Dibble |
| - | DF | ITA | Gianluca Festa |
| - | DF | ENG | Steve Vickers |
| - | DF | IRL | Curtis Fleming |
| - | DF | ENG | Nigel Pearson |
| - | DF | SVK | Vladimír Kinder |
| - | DF | ENG | Craig Harrison |
| - | DF | SCO | Derek Whyte |
| - | DF | ENG | Steve Baker |
| - | DF | ENG | Craig Liddle |
| - | DF | SCO | Robbie Stockdale |
| - | DF | IRL | Jason Gavin |
| - | DF | ENG | Alan White |
| - | MF | ENG | Paul Merson |
| - | MF | IRL | Andy Townsend |
| - | MF | ENG | Robbie Mustoe |
| - | MF | BRA | Emerson |
| - | MF | ENG | Neil Maddison |
| - | MF | ENG | Michael Thomas |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | MF | ENG | Anthony Ormerod |
| - | MF | ENG | Phil Stamp |
| - | MF | ENG | Paul Gascoigne |
| - | MF | ENG | Mark Summerbell |
| - | MF | IRL | Alan Moore |
| - | MF | WAL | Clayton Blackmore |
| - | MF | POR | Fabio Moreira |
| - | MF | IRL | Ronnie O'Brien |
| - | MF | IRL | Micky Cummins |
| - | MF | ENG | Paul Connor |
| - | MF | ENG | Andrew Swalwell |
| - | MF | IRL | John O'Loughlin |
| - | FW | DEN | Mikkel Beck |
| - | FW | ENG | Craig Hignett |
| - | FW | ITA | Marco Branca |
| - | FW | ENG | Alun Armstrong |
| - | FW | ENG | Andy Campbell |
| - | FW | COL | Hámilton Ricard |
| - | FW | ITA | Fabrizio Ravanelli |
| - | FW | BOL | Jaime Moreno |
| - | FW | ENG | Chris Freestone |
| - | FW | ENG | Kris Trevor |