# 1997–98 Bradford City A.F.C. season

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

## Season summary

In the 1997–98 season, Bradford started well with 13 points from a possible 15 which saw the Bantams top of the table after five games, but results declined and chairman Geoffrey Richmond sacked Kamara on 6 January, three days after a 2–0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.
Richmond turned to Jewell, who was by now Kamara's assistant, and he won his first game 2–1 to Stockport County. In his 21 games in charge, Jewell won six games and drew five to guide Bradford to 13th, their highest position since Jewell had joined the club. He was rewarded with a permanent contract when others expected Richmond to turn to a big name.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 11 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 18 | 5 | 23 | 58 | 65 | −7 | 59 |
| 12 | Oxford United | 46 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 60 | 64 | −4 | 58 |
| 13 | Bradford City | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 46 | 59 | −13 | 57 |
| 14 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 54 | 57 | −3 | 56 |
| 15 | Norwich City | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 52 | 69 | −17 | 55 |

## Results

Bradford City's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 9 August 1997 | Stockport County | H | 2–1 | 14,312 | Edinho, Steiner |
| 15 August 1997 | Stoke City | H | 0–0 | 13,823 | |
| 23 August 1997 | Ipswich Town | H | 2–1 | 13,913 | Steiner, Cundy (own goal) |
| 30 August 1997 | Reading | A | 3–0 | 7,163 | Lawrence, Pepper (2) |
| 2 September 1997 | Huddersfield Town | A | 2–1 | 13,159 | Edinho, Blake |
| 5 September 1997 | Sunderland | H | 0–4 | 16,484 | |
| 13 September 1997 | Middlesbrough | H | 2–2 | 17,767 | Steiner, Edinho |
| 21 September 1997 | Charlton Athletic | A | 1–4 | 11,583 | Edinho |
| 27 September 1997 | Oxford United | A | 0–0 | 6,468 | |
| 4 October 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–0 | 15,236 | Steiner, Kulcsar |
| 18 October 1997 | Port Vale | A | 0–0 | 7,148 | |
| 21 October 1997 | Portsmouth | A | 1–1 | 6,827 | Edinho |
| 25 October 1997 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–0 | 15,333 | Edinho |
| 1 November 1997 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 0–0 | 16,212 | |
| 4 November 1997 | Birmingham City | A | 0–0 | 14,552 | |
| 8 November 1997 | Swindon Town | A | 0–1 | 10,029 | |
| 15 November 1997 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 0–1 | 16,494 | |
| 18 November 1997 | Sheffield United | H | 1–1 | 16,127 | McGinlay |
| 22 November 1997 | Manchester City | A | 0–1 | 29,746 | |
| 29 November 1997 | Norwich City | H | 2–1 | 16,637 | Steiner (2) |
| 6 December 1997 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2–2 | 17,943 | Steiner, Pepper |
| 13 December 1997 | Bury | H | 1–0 | 15,812 | McGinlay |
| 21 December 1997 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–1 | 8,853 | |
| 26 December 1997 | Sunderland | A | 0–2 | 40,055 | |
| 28 December 1997 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1–1 | 17,842 | Blake |
| 10 January 1998 | Stockport County | A | 2–1 | 8,460 | Jacobs, Blake |
| 16 January 1998 | Stoke City | A | 1–2 | 10,459 | McGinlay |
| 24 January 1998 | Swindon Town | H | 1–1 | 15,130 | Edinho |
| 27 January 1998 | Reading | H | 4–1 | 13,021 | Lawrence, Edinho (2), Blake |
| 31 January 1998 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–2 | 11,864 | Blake |
| 7 February 1998 | Charlton Athletic | H | 1–0 | 14,851 | Blake |
| 14 February 1998 | Middlesbrough | A | 0–1 | 30,165 | |
| 18 February 1998 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–2 | 21,510 | Blake |
| 21 February 1998 | Oxford United | H | 0–0 | 14,190 | |
| 24 February 1998 | Port Vale | H | 2–1 | 13,293 | Melville, Pepper |
| 28 February 1998 | Sheffield United | A | 1–2 | 17,848 | Steiner |
| 7 March 1998 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–1 | 13,281 | Steiner |
| 14 March 1998 | Birmingham City | H | 0–0 | 16,392 | |
| 21 March 1998 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 1–3 | 9,463 | Youds |
| 28 March 1998 | Manchester City | H | 2–1 | 17,099 | Pepper, Edinho |
| 4 April 1998 | Norwich City | A | 3–2 | 13,260 | Jacobs, Lawrence, Blake (pen) |
| 11 April 1998 | Nottingham Forest | H | 0–3 | 17,248 | |
| 13 April 1998 | Bury | A | 0–2 | 6,570 | |
| 19 April 1998 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1–1 | 14,871 | Steiner |
| 25 April 1998 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–5 | 5,054 | |
| 3 May 1998 | Portsmouth | H | 1–3 | 15,890 | Ramage |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 3 January 1998 | Manchester City | A | 0–2 | 23,686 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 First Leg | 12 August 1997 | Huddersfield Town | A | 1–2 | 8,720 | Steiner |
| R1 Second Leg | 26 August 1997 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1–1 (lost 2–3 on agg) | 8,065 | Edinho |

## 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 | Gary Walsh |
| — | GK | ENG | Mark Prudhoe |
| — | GK | AUS | Robert Zabica |
| — | DF | ENG | Chris Wilder |
| — | DF | ENG | Eddie Youds |
| — | DF | ENG | Wayne Jacobs |
| — | DF | IRL | Andy O'Brien |
| — | MF | JAM | Jamie Lawrence |
| — | MF | ENG | Nigel Pepper |
| — | MF | ENG | Peter Beagrie |
| — | MF | ENG | Shaun Murray |
| — | FW | BRA | Edinho |
| — | FW | SWE | Robert Steiner |
| — | MF | ENG | Craig Ramage |
| — | MF | ENG | Robbie Blake |
| — | DF | JAM | Darren Moore |
| — | DF | ENG | John Dreyer |
| — | MF | AUS | George Kulcsar |
| — | FW | SCO | John McGinlay |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | ENG | Lee Sinnott (on loan from Oldham Athletic) |
| — | DF | SCO | Steve McAnespie (on loan from Fulham) |
| — | DF | WAL | Andy Melville (on loan from Sunderland) |
| — | DF | ENG | John O'Kane (on loan from Manchester United) |
| — | DF | ENG | Bryan Small |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Bolland |
| — | FW | WAL | Lawrence Davies |
| — | FW | ENG | Gareth Grant |
| — | DF | ENG | Mark Bower |
| — | FW | NOR | Ole Bjørn Sundgot |
| — | FW | NED | Dennis Sepp |
| — | FW | ENG | Craig Midgley |
| — | DF | ENG | Danny Verity |
| — | DF | ENG | Richard Liburd |
| — | FW | ENG | Gordon Watson |
| — | DF | ENG | Nicky Mohan |
| — | DF | ENG | Ian McLean |
| — | MF | SCO | Andrew Patterson |