| 1998-99 In English Football |
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OVERVIEW Premier League Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30million which netted Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke , Parma winger Jesper Blomqvist and PSV defender Jaap Stam . They went on to win a unique treble of the Premiership title, FA Cup and European Cup , which gained manager Alex Ferguson a knighthood. Nottingham Forest went down to Division One just one season after winning promotion. They had started the season terribly after manager Dave Bassett was sacked and Dutch striker Pierre Van Hooijdonk went AWOL . Experienced Ron Atkinson was brought in on a temporary contract but could not stave off Relegation . Joining Forest in the Premiership drop zone were Blackburn Rovers (Premiership champions just four years earlier) and Charlton Athletic . Southampton were the lucky team to avoid relegation on the last day of the season, and their remarkable survival also signalled the go-ahead for a new Stadium which would be in use for the 2001-02 season. Division one Sunderland were crowned Division One champions with 105 points, then a record, having lost just three games all season, to prove right the many pundits who tipped them for Promotion . The two other promotion places were secured by two of the division's least fancied sides - runners-up Bradford City (back in the top division for the first time in nearly 80 years) and playoff winners Watford (who had won their second successive promotion during Graham Taylor 's second spell as manager). Bury , Oxford United and Bristol City occupied the three relegation places in Division One. Oxford's dismal season was mainly down to £10 million debts which were putting the club in real danger of closure, and had also resulted in the suspension of construction of their new stadium near the Blackbird Leys estate. Division two Kevin Keegan completed his spell as Fulham manager before taking the England job by guiding the Cottagers to the Division Two championship with a staggering 101 points. Following them up were runners-up Walsall and playoff winners Manchester City . Going down were York City , Northampton Town , Lincoln City and Macclesfield Town . Narrowly avoiding the drop to Division Three were Oldham Athletic , who just a few seasons earlier had been a Premiership side who came within a whisker of reaching the FA Cup final. Division Three Brentford , Cambridge United , Cardiff City and Scunthorpe United occupied the four promotion places in Division Three . Carlisle United kept their league status in remarkable fashion. They entered the final game of the season in bottom place, and with 90 minutes on the clock in their home game against Plymouth Argyle they were drawing 1-1 and needed a win to stay up. The referee then allowed 4 minutes of Stoppage Time and with just seconds to go, Goalkeeper Jimmy Glass came upfield and headed in a corner to preserve his club's place in the league which had been held since 1928 . Scarborough , who had only joined the league in 1987 , were relegated instead. Glass, 25, had been signed on loan from Swindon Town after the transfer line because an injury crisis had left Carlisle without a goalkeeper for the final few games of the season. FA Cup Manchester United beat Newcastle United 2-0 to secure their third double triumph in six seasons and completed the second part of their treble glory. League Cup Tottenham Hotspur finally had something to shout about as their new Manager George Graham guided them to League Cup glory at the expense of Leicester City . SUCCESSFUL PLAYERS Tottenham 's classy French Midfielder David Ginola was voted PFA Player Of The Year and FWA Player Of The Year after helping his employers win the League Cup. 19-year-old Arsenal and France striker Nicolas Anelka was voted PFA Young Player Of The Year after his exciting form almost saw his employers repeat their double triumph of the previous season. Despite having his first-team opportunities limited by the arrival of Dwight Yorke , 33-year-old Teddy Sheringham was able to get into the Manchester United line-up for the FA Cup final to score one of his side's two goals. Four days later he scored an injury time equaliser in the European Cup final followed two minutes later by a last-gasp winner scored by Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer , who had maintained his reputation as a top class goalscorer despite being included as a substitute for most of United's games during the season. SUCCESSFUL MANAGERS Alex Ferguson was knighted after guiding Manchester United to a unique treble of the Premiership title, FA Cup and European Cup . George Graham gave Tottenham their first good season for almost a decade by guiding them to League Cup glory. Peter Reid took Sunderland into the Premiership as Division One champions on 105 points. Paul Jewell ended Bradford City 's 77-year wait for a return to the top division. Graham Taylor took Watford into the Premiership as they won the Division One playoffs and secured their second successive Promotion . BIGGEST RISE Bradford City finished as Division One runners-up and reached the Premiership to end a 77-year absence from the top flight. BIGGEST FALL Blackburn Rovers were relegated to Division One just four years after being Premiership champions. They crossed paths with Bradford City, who had narrowly avoided the Division Two drop zone during Blackburn's championship season. DEATHS
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