# 1997–98 Barnsley F.C. season

During the 1997–98 English football season, Barnsley competed in the Premier League.

## Season summary

1997–98 was the first top-flight season in Barnsley's 102-year history, and, despite some courageous performances, their stay among the elite lasted just one season. They suffered from horrendous defeats and the leakiest defensive record in the division, conceding 82 goals. Their start to the season was OK, losing two and winning two of their first four games at Crystal Palace and against Bolton Wanderers. However, they were in the bottom three virtually for the remainder of the season after the 1–4 defeat at Wimbledon, though they did enjoy some success in the FA Cup, knocking out Manchester United in the fifth round before bowing out to eventual runners-up Newcastle United in the quarter-final. Their relegation was confirmed a few weeks later, and manager Danny Wilson then moved to South Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday. 35-year-old striker John Hendrie was appointed player-manager following Wilson's departure.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 16 | Sheffield Wednesday | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 52 | 67 | −15 | 44 | |
| 17 | Everton | 38 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 41 | 56 | −15 | 40 | |
| 18 | Bolton Wanderers (R) | 38 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 41 | 61 | −20 | 40 | Relegation to the Football League First Division |
| 19 | Barnsley (R) | 38 | 10 | 5 | 23 | 37 | 82 | −45 | 35 | Relegation to the Football League First Division |
| 20 | Crystal Palace (R) | 38 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 37 | 71 | −34 | 33 | Intertoto Cup third round and relegation to the First Division |
* ↑ Crystal Palace qualified for the 1998 Intertoto Cup as they were the only English team who applied.

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source: 1997–98 FA Premier League table

### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
| Ground | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H |
| Result | L | W | L | W | L | L | L | L | L | L | W | L | D | L | W | L | L | D | L | D | W | L | W | L | D | L | W | W | W | L | L | L | W | L | D | L | L | L |
| Position | 15 | 8 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 |

## Results

Barnsley's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### FA Premier League

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 9 August 1997 | West Ham United | H | 1–2 | 18,667 | Redfearn |
| 12 August 1997 | Crystal Palace | A | 1–0 | 21,547 | Redfearn |
| 24 August 1997 | Chelsea | H | 0–6 | 18,170 | |
| 27 August 1997 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 2–1 | 18,661 | Tinkler, Hristov |
| 30 August 1997 | Derby County | A | 0–1 | 27,232 | |
| 13 September 1997 | Aston Villa | H | 0–3 | 18,649 | |
| 20 September 1997 | Everton | A | 2–4 | 32,659 | Redfearn, Barnard |
| 23 September 1997 | Wimbledon | A | 1–4 | 7,668 | Tinkler |
| 27 September 1997 | Leicester City | H | 0–2 | 18,660 | |
| 4 October 1997 | Arsenal | A | 0–5 | 38,049 | |
| 20 October 1997 | Coventry City | H | 2–0 | 17,463 | Ward, Redfearn (pen) |
| 25 October 1997 | Manchester United | A | 0–7 | 55,142 | |
| 1 November 1997 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 1–1 | 18,665 | Bosančić |
| 8 November 1997 | Southampton | A | 1–4 | 15,018 | Bosančić (pen) |
| 22 November 1997 | Liverpool | A | 1–0 | 41,011 | Ward |
| 29 November 1997 | Leeds United | H | 2–3 | 18,690 | Liddell, Ward |
| 8 December 1997 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1–2 | 29,086 | Redfearn |
| 13 December 1997 | Newcastle United | H | 2–2 | 18,687 | Redfearn, Hendrie |
| 20 December 1997 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0–3 | 28,232 | |
| 26 December 1997 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | 25,000 | Hristov |
| 28 December 1997 | Derby County | H | 1–0 | 18,686 | Ward |
| 10 January 1998 | West Ham United | A | 0–6 | 23,714 | |
| 17 January 1998 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–0 | 17,819 | Ward |
| 31 January 1998 | Chelsea | A | 0–2 | 34,442 | |
| 7 February 1998 | Everton | H | 2–2 | 18,672 | Fjørtoft, Barnard |
| 21 February 1998 | Coventry City | A | 0–1 | 20,265 | |
| 28 February 1998 | Wimbledon | H | 2–1 | 17,102 | Fjørtoft (2) |
| 11 March 1998 | Aston Villa | A | 1–0 | 29,519 | Ward |
| 14 March 1998 | Southampton | H | 4–3 | 18,368 | Ward, Jones, Fjørtoft, Redfearn (pen) |
| 28 March 1998 | Liverpool | H | 2–3 | 18,684 | Redfearn (2) |
| 31 March 1998 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1–2 | 24,179 | Hristov |
| 4 April 1998 | Leeds United | A | 1–2 | 37,749 | Hristov |
| 11 April 1998 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 2–1 | 18,692 | Ward, Fjørtoft |
| 13 April 1998 | Newcastle United | A | 1–2 | 36,534 | Fjørtoft |
| 18 April 1998 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 1–1 | 18,692 | Redfearn |
| 25 April 1998 | Arsenal | H | 0–2 | 18,691 | |
| 2 May 1998 | Leicester City | A | 0–1 | 21,293 | |
| 10 May 1998 | Manchester United | H | 0–2 | 18,694 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 3 January 1998 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1–0 | 15,042 | Barnard |
| R4 | 24 January 1998 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–1 | 28,722 | Redfearn (pen) |
| R4R | 4 February 1998 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 3–1 | 18,220 | Ward, Redfearn, Barnard |
| R5 | 15 February 1998 | Manchester United | A | 1–1 | 54,700 | Hendrie |
| R5R | 25 February 1998 | Manchester United | H | 3–2 | 18,655 | Hendrie, Jones (2) |
| QF | 8 March 1998 | Newcastle United | A | 1–3 | 36,695 | Liddell |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 1st Leg | 16 September 1997 | Chesterfield | A | 2–1 | 6,318 | Redfearn (pen), Ward |
| R2 2nd Leg | 30 September 1997 | Chesterfield | H | 4–1 (won 6–2 on agg) | 8,417 | Liddell, Redfearn, Sheridan, Hristov |
| R3 | 14 October 1997 | Southampton | H | 1–2 | 9,019 | Liddell |

## Players
### First-team squad

    Squad at end of 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 |
| 1 | GK | ENG | David Watson |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Nicky Eaden |
| 3 | MF | ENG | Matty Appleby |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Darren Sheridan |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Adie Moses |
| 6 | DF | NED | Arjan de Zeeuw |
| 7 | FW | SCO | John Hendrie |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Neil Redfearn (captain) |
| 10 | FW | TRI | Clint Marcelle |
| 11 | DF | ENG | Neil Thompson |
| 12 | MF | SCO | Andy Liddell |
| 13 | GK | GER | Lars Leese |
| 14 | MF | ENG | Martin Bullock |
| 15 | MF | SCG | Jovo Bosančić |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 17 | FW | NED | Laurens ten Heuvel |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Scott Jones |
| 19 | DF | ENG | Peter Shirtliff |
| 21 | MF | RSA | Eric Tinkler |
| 22 | FW | MKD | Georgi Hristov |
| 23 | DF | SVN | Aleš Križan |
| 24 | DF | WAL | Darren Barnard |
| 25 | FW | ENG | Ashley Ward |
| 26 | GK | ENG | Tony Bullock |
| 27 | DF | ENG | Chris Morgan |
| 28 | FW | ENG | Luke Beckett |
| 29 | DF | SWE | Peter Markstedt |
| 30 | FW | NOR | Jan Åge Fjørtoft |
| 31 | MF | ENG | Sean McClare |

### Left club during 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 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Paul Wilkinson (to Millwall) |
| 16 | DF | ENG | Steve Davis (to Oxford United) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 20 | FW | ENG | Dave Regis (to Leyton Orient) |

### Reserve 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 |
| — | DF | NZL | Jonathan Perry |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Bagshaw |
| — | MF | ENG | Rory Prendergast |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | ENG | Andrew Gregory |
| — | FW | ENG | Karl Rose |

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Pos | Name | From | Fee |
| 1 June 1997 | GK | Lars Leese | Bayer Leverkusen | £250,000 |
| 13 June 1997 | FW | Georgi Hristov | FK Partizan | £1,500,000 |
| 1 July 1997 | MF | Eric Tinkler | Cagliari | £650,000 |
| 2 July 1997 | FW | Aleš Križan | NK Maribor | £500,000 |
| 5 August 1997 | DF | Darren Barnard | Bristol City | £750,000 |
| 4 September 1997 | FW | Ashley Ward | Derby County | £1,300,000 |
| 31 October 1997 | GK | Paul Heritage | Sheffield United | Signed |
| 15 January 1998 | FW | Jan Åge Fjørtoft | Sheffield United | £800,000 |

### Out

| Date | Pos | Name | To | Fee |
| 1 August 1997 | MF | Carel van der Velden | Scarborough | Free transfer |
| 1 August 1997 | GK | Glyn Clyde | Macclesfield Town | Free transfer |
| 1 August 1997 | FW | Darran Clyde | Gateshead | Undisclosed |
| 18 September 1997 | FW | Paul Wilkinson | Millwall | £150,000 |
| 31 October 1997 | FW | Dave Regis | Leyton Orient | Free transfer |
| 18 March 1998 | DF | Steve Davis | Oxford United | Signed |
| 15 May 1998 | FW | Luke Beckett | Chester City | Free transfer |
    Transfers in: £5,750,000
    Transfers out: £150,000
    Total spending: £5,600,000

## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Premier League | Premier League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||||
| 1 | GK | ENG | David Watson | 37 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | GER | Lars Leese | 11 | 0 | 8+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Defenders ||||||||||||
| 2 | DF | ENG | Nicky Eaden | 42 | 0 | 32+3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Adie Moses | 43 | 0 | 32+3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | NED | Arjan De Zeeuw | 33 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | DF | ENG | Neil Thompson | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Scott Jones | 13 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | ENG | Peter Shirtliff | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | SVN | Aleš Križan | 16 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 24 | DF | WAL | Darren Barnard | 43 | 4 | 33+2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 27 | DF | ENG | Chris Morgan | 14 | 0 | 10+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | DF | SWE | Peter Markstedt | 8 | 0 | 6+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Midfielders ||||||||||||
| 3 | MF | ENG | Matty Appleby | 19 | 0 | 13+2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Darren Sheridan | 33 | 1 | 20+6 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Neil Redfearn | 46 | 14 | 37 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 14 | MF | ENG | Martin Bullock | 40 | 0 | 23+10 | 0 | 3+2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | SCG | Jovo Bosančić | 21 | 2 | 13+4 | 2 | 3+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | RSA | Eric Tinkler | 29 | 2 | 21+4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Forwards ||||||||||||
| 7 | FW | SCO | John Hendrie | 24 | 3 | 7+13 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Paul Wilkinson | 4 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | TRI | Clint Marcelle | 26 | 0 | 9+11 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 |
| 12 | FW | SCO | Andy Liddell | 33 | 4 | 13+13 | 1 | 1+4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 17 | FW | NED | Laurens ten Heuvel | 3 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | MKD | Georgi Hristov | 28 | 5 | 11+12 | 4 | 1+1 | 0 | 1+2 | 1 |
| 25 | FW | ENG | Ashley Ward | 38 | 10 | 28+1 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 30 | FW | NOR | Jan Åge Fjørtoft | 15 | 6 | 12+3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players transferred out during the season ||||||||||||
Last updated: 15 May 1998 Source: Competitions