# 1997–98 Football Conference

The Football Conference season of 1997–98 was the nineteenth season of the Football Conference, also known as the Vauxhall Conference for sponsorship reasons.

## Changes since the previous season

* Hereford United (relegated from the Football League 1996–97)
* Cheltenham Town (promoted 1996–97)
* Leek Town (promoted 1996–97)
* Yeovil Town (promoted 1996–97)

## Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | HW | HD | HL | HGF | HGA | AW | AD | AL | AGF | AGA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Halifax Town | 42 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 51 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 28 | +31 | 87 | Football Conference Champions, promoted to Football League Division Three |
| 2 | Cheltenham Town | 42 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 39 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 24 | 28 | +20 | 78 | FA Trophy winners |
| 3 | Woking | 42 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 47 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 24 | +26 | 74 | |
| 4 | Rushden & Diamonds | 42 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 44 | 26 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 35 | 31 | +22 | 74 | |
| 5 | Morecambe | 42 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 35 | 30 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 42 | 34 | +13 | 73 | Conference League Cup winners |
| 6 | Hereford United | 42 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 30 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 26 | 30 | +7 | 67 | Relegated from The Football League |
| 7 | Hednesford Town | 42 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 31 | 38 | +9 | 66 | |
| 8 | Slough Town | 42 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 34 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 24 | 28 | +9 | 64 | Demoted to Isthmian League. |
| 9 | Northwich Victoria | 42 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 34 | 24 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 29 | 35 | +4 | 60 | |
| 10 | Welling United | 42 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 39 | 27 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 25 | 35 | +2 | 60 | |
| 11 | Yeovil Town | 42 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 45 | 24 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 28 | 39 | +10 | 59 | |
| 12 | Hayes | 42 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 36 | 25 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 26 | 27 | +10 | 58 | |
| 13 | Dover Athletic | 42 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 34 | 29 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 26 | 41 | −10 | 55 | |
| 14 | Kettering Town | 42 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 29 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 24 | 31 | −7 | 52 | |
| 15 | Stevenage Borough | 42 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 35 | 27 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 36 | −4 | 51 | |
| 16 | Southport | 42 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 32 | 26 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 24 | 32 | −2 | 50 | |
| 17 | Kidderminster Harriers | 42 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 32 | 31 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 32 | −7 | 47 | |
| 18 | Farnborough Town | 42 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 37 | 27 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 43 | −14 | 44 | |
| 19 | Leek Town | 42 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 34 | 26 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 18 | 41 | −15 | 44 | |
| 20 | Telford United | 42 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 25 | 31 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 28 | 45 | −23 | 42 | |
| 21 | Gateshead | 42 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 32 | 35 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 19 | 52 | −36 | 35 | Relegated to the Northern Premier League |
| 22 | Stalybridge Celtic | 42 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 33 | 38 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 55 | −45 | 29 | Relegated to the Northern Premier League |
* 1 2 3 New club in the Conference
* ↑ Slough Town were demoted because their ground did not meet Conference National requirements. They were demoted to the Isthmian League Premier Division.

## Results

| Home \ Away | CHL | DOV | FAR | GAT | HAL | HAY | HED | HER | KET | KID | LEE | MOR | NOR | R&D | SLO | SOU | STL | STB | TEL | WEL | WOK | YEO |
| Cheltenham Town | | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 |
| Dover Athletic | 3–0 | | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–4 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 4–0 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 6–3 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 |
| Farnborough Town | 1–2 | 1–0 | | 4–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 6–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–2 |
| Gateshead | 0–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–3 |
| Halifax Town | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–3 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 6–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 |
| Hayes | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | | 4–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 6–4 |
| Hednesford Town | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| Hereford United | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | | 3–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 |
| Kettering Town | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 1–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 4–1 | | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| Leek Town | 0–0 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 0–0 | | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 |
| Morecambe | 1–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 |
| Northwich Victoria | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 5–0 | | 2–4 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 |
| Rushden & Diamonds | 4–1 | 4–1 | 5–5 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 3–3 | 0–1 | | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 |
| Slough Town | 1–2 | 2–4 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–0 | 1–2 | | 1–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 |
| Southport | 1–2 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 1–2 | | 4–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| Stalybridge Celtic | 1–4 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–4 | 2–1 | 6–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–4 | 0–1 | 1–3 | | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 3–2 |
| Stevenage Borough | 1–2 | 2–2 | 5–0 | 6–1 | 1–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| Telford United | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 4–4 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | | 0–3 | 0–3 | 1–4 |
| Welling United | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 6–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–5 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| Woking | 2–0 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 5–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 5–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | | 2–0 |
| Yeovil Town | 3–1 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 6–3 | 0–1 | 4–3 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 5–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | |

## Top scorers in order of league goals

| Rank | Player | Club | League | FA Cup | FA Trophy | League Cup | Total |
| 1 | Geoff Horsfield | Halifax Town | 30 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 34 |
| 2 | Darren Collins | Rushden & Diamonds | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 32 |
| 3 | Darran Hay | Woking | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| 4 | Mark Cooper | Welling United | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| = | John Norman | Morecambe | 18 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21 |
| 6 | Neil Grayson | Hereford United & Cheltenham Town | 17 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 22 |
| 7 | Owen Pickard | Yeovil Town | 17 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 24 |
| = | Dale Watkins | Cheltenham Town | 17 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 29 |
| = | Mike Bignall | Kidderminster Harriers | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| = | Brendan Burke | Stalybridge Celtic | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
| = | Jason Eaton | Cheltenham Town | 16 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 22 |
| = | David Mehew | Rushden & Diamonds | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| = | Warren Patmore | Yeovil Town | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 |
| 14 | Ritchie Hanlon | Welling United | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| = | Martin Randall | Hayes | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 19 |
| 16 | Jamie Paterson | Halifax Town | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| = | Grant Payne | Woking | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| = | Chris Pearson | Kettering Town | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 19 | Andy Milner | Morecambe | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 |
| 20 | Steve Bowey | Gateshead | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| = | Jimmy Strouts | Dover Athletic | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
* Footballtransfers.co.uk contains information on many players on whom there is not yet an article in Wikipedia.