During the 1998–99 English football season, Southampton Football Club competed in the FA Premier League.

Season summary

An embarrassing 5–0 defeat at the hands of Premiership debutants Charlton Athletic at The Valley in Southampton's second league game prompted a horrendous start to which would set the tone for a long season for The Saints, seeing them lose their first five games and gaining just two points from their first nine games and winning just three out of their first 20 games, picking up just 14 points from a possible 60. Form gradually improved from mid-December but was ultimately inconsistent and they would not lose again at home after their 2–0 home defeat by Chelsea on Boxing Day. However, their away form continued to be poor; this meant that - in addition to not being helped by their poor start - they were in the relegation zone all season long until April, when a late run of good form saw the Saints draw two and win their final three games and saved them from relegation at the expense of Charlton Athletic. Winning their final game of the season was a double delight, not only because they had attained survival, but because it meant that they would be able to press ahead with a move to a new 32,000-seat stadium on the banks of the River Itchen, knowing that they would only have to play two more seasons at their dilapidated century-old Dell before making the long-awaited move to a capacious new home.^[1]

Final league table

Results summary

Results by round

Results

Southampton's score comes first^[2]

Squad

^[3] 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  WAL Paul Jones 2 DF  ENG Jason Dodd 3 DF  ENG John Beresford 4 MF  ENG Chris Marsden 5 DF  NOR Claus Lundekvam 6 DF  SUR Ken Monkou 7 MF  ENG Matt Le Tissier (captain) 8 MF  ENG Matt Oakley 9 FW  WAL Mark Hughes 10 FW  NOR Egil Østenstad 11 MF  ENG David Howells 12 DF  ENG Richard Dryden 13 GK  ENG Neil Moss 14 MF  ENG Stuart Ripley 15 DF  ENG Francis Benali 16 FW  ENG James Beattie 17 FW  ENG Mark Paul

No. Pos. Nation Player 18 DF  ENG Wayne Bridge 19 DF  SCO Scott Marshall 20 GK  ENG Scott Bevan 21 DF  WAL Andy Williams[4] 22 MF  WAL David Hughes[5] 23 DF  ENG Scott Hiley 24 FW  ENG Steve Basham 25 DF  ENG Garry Monk 27 FW  ENG David Hirst 28 MF  ENG Kevin Gibbens 29 DF  ENG Phil Warner 30 MF  MAR Hassan Kachloul 31 FW  ENG Shayne Bradley 32 GK  DEN Michael Stensgaard 33 DF  FRA Patrick Colleter 35 FW  LVA Marian Pahars - MF  POR Dani Rodrigues

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 4 MF  ENG Carlton Palmer (to Nottingham Forest)

No. Pos. Nation Player 26 FW  ITA Cosimo Sarli (to Eendracht Aalst)

Statistics

Appearances, goals and cards

(Starting appearances + substitute appearances)

No.	Pos.	Name	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Total		Discipline
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK	Paul Jones	31	0	2	0	2	0	35	0	1	1
2	DF	Jason Dodd	27+1	1	2	0	2	0	31+1	1	4	1
3	DF	John Beresford	1+3	0	0	0	0	0	1+3	0	2	0
4	MF	Chris Marsden	14	2	0	0	0	0	14	2	5	0
4	MF	Carlton Palmer	18+1	0	1	0	2	0	21+1	0	8	1
5	DF	Claus Lundekvam	30+3	0	2	0	1+1	0	33+4	0	3	1
6	DF	Ken Monkou	22	1	2	0	0	0	24	1	6	1
7	MF	Matt Le Tissier	20+10	7	0+1	0	2	0	22+11	7	10	0
8	MF	Matt Oakley	21+1	2	2	0	0	0	23+1	2	2	0
9	FW	Mark Hughes	32	1	1+1	0	2	0	35+1	1	15	0
10	FW	Egil Østenstad	27+7	7	2	1	2	0	31+7	8	1	0
11	MF	David Howells	8+1	1	1	0	1	0	10+1	1	2	0
12	DF	Richard Dryden	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	1	0
13	GK	Neil Moss	7	0	0	0	0	0	7	0	0	0
14	MF	Stuart Ripley	16+6	0	0+1	0	1	0	17+7	0	1	0
15	DF	Francis Benali	19+4	0	0	0	2	0	21+4	0	2	0
16	FW	James Beattie	22+13	5	2	0	1+1	1	25+14	6	5	0
18	DF	Wayne Bridge	15+8	0	0	0	1	0	16+8	0	0	0
19	DF	Scott Marshall	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	0
21	DF	Andy Williams	0+1	0	0	0	0	0	0+1	0	0	0
22	MF	David Hughes	6+3	0	0	0	0	0	6+3	0	1	0
23	DF	Scott Hiley	27+2	0	1	0	0	0	28+2	0	2	0
24	FW	Steve Basham	0+4	1	0	0	0+1	0	0+5	1	0	0
25	DF	Garry Monk	4	0	0+1	0	0	0	4+1	0	1	0
27	FW	David Hirst	0+2	0	0	0	0	0	0+2	0	0	0
28	MF	Kevin Gibbens	2+2	0	0	0	2	0	4+2	0	0	0
29	DF	Phil Warner	5	0	0	0	1	0	6	0	0	0
30	MF	Hassan Kachloul	18+4	5	2	0	0	0	20+4	5	5	0
31	FW	Shayne Bradley	0+3	0	0	0	0	0	0+3	0	0	0
33	DF	Patrick Colleter	16	1	2	0	0	0	18	1	4	0
35	FW	Marian Pahars	4+2	3	0	0	0	0	4+2	3	2	0

Transfers

In

Date	Pos.	Name	From	Fee
14 June 1998	MF	David Howells	Tottenham Hotspur	Free transfer
6 July 1998	MF	Stuart Ripley	Blackburn Rovers	£1,500,000
9 July 1998	FW	Mark Paul	King's Lynn	£60,000
10 July 1998	FW	James Beattie	Blackburn Rovers	£1,000,000
11 July 1998	FW	Mark Hughes	Chelsea	£650,000
21 August 1998	DF	Scott Hiley	Manchester City	Free transfer
16 October 1998	MF	Hassan Kachloul	Metz	£250,000
2 December 1998	GK	Michael Stensgaard	Copenhagen	Free transfer
24 December 1998	DF	Patrick Colleter	Marseille	£100,000
1 February 1999	MF	Chris Marsden	Birmingham City	£800,000
16 February 1999	FW	Marian Pahars	Skonto	£800,000
23 February 1999	MF	Dani Rodrigues	Feirense	£170,000

Out

Date	Pos.	Name	To	Fee
1 June 1998	FW	Kevin Davies	Blackburn Rovers	£7,500,000
1 July 1998	MF	Duncan Spedding	Northampton Town	Free transfer
15 July 1998	MF	Kevin Richardson	Barnsley	Signed
1 August 1998	DF	Lee Todd	Bradford City	£250,000
24 August 1998	FW	Stig Johansen	Helsingborgs	£250,000
19 January 1999	MF	Carlton Palmer	Nottingham Forest	£1,100,000
8 February 1999	FW	Cosimo Sarli	Eendracht Aalst	Signed

Transfers in: £5,330,000

Transfers out: £9,100,000

Total spending: £3,770,000

References