1997–98 Hibernian F.C. season

Season 1997–98 was an unqualified disaster for Hibs, as the club was relegated to the First Division by finishing bottom of the Premier Division. There was also disappointment in the cup competitions, as the club were beaten by First Division club Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup, and Dundee United in the League Cup. Manager Jim Duffy was sacked and replaced by Alex McLeish midway through the season.

Hibernian
1997–98 season
ManagerJim Duffy
(until 2 February)[1]
Alex McLeish
(from 11 February)[1]
Premier Division10th (relegated)
Scottish CupR3
League CupR3
Top goalscorerLeague: Crawford, 9
All: Crawford, 9
Lavety, 9
Highest home attendance15565[2]
Lowest home attendance9126[2]
Average home league attendance12025[2] (up 1464)

League season

Hibs got off to a good start to the season, winning 2–1 against Celtic on the opening day, with Chic Charnley scoring a memorable winning goal.[3] The season "rapidly turned into a nightmare", however.[3] With the club four points adrift at the bottom of the league, manager Jim Duffy was sacked after a 6–2 defeat by Motherwell.[4] Alex McLeish was hired as Duffy's replacement, but he was unable to save the club from relegation to the First Division,[3] despite improved levels of performance and determination.[5]

Results
3 August 1997 Premier DivisionHibernian2 – 1CelticEaster Road, Edinburgh
Power  24'
Charnley  75'		 Mackay  29' Attendance: 13,051
17 August 1997 Premier DivisionDundee United1 – 1HibernianTannadice Park, Dundee
Winters  22' Tosh  77' Attendance: 7,344
23 August 1997 Premier DivisionHibernian4 – 0KilmarnockEaster Road, Edinburgh
Crawford  6'
Lavety  24'
Baker  64' (o.g.)
McGinlay  90'		 Attendance: 9,559
30 August 1997 Premier DivisionHibernian0 – 1Heart of MidlothianEaster Road, Edinburgh
McCann  7' Attendance: 15,550
13 September 1997 Premier DivisionHibernian5 – 2Dunfermline AthleticEaster Road, Edinburgh
Charnley  25', 79'
Lavety  31'
Crawford  38'
McGinlay  55'		 Millar  16' (pen.)
Petrie  80'		 Attendance: 10,070
20 September 1997 Premier DivisionMotherwell1 – 1HibernianFir Park, Motherwell
Coyne  80' Rougier  46' Attendance: 7,420
27 September 1997 Premier DivisionHibernian1 – 1St JohnstoneEaster Road, Edinburgh
Crawford  2' Farquhar  16' Attendance: 11,172
4 October 1997 Premier DivisionHibernian3 – 4RangersEaster Road, Edinburgh
McGinlay  28'
Lavety  43'
Crawford  46'		 Negri  26' (pen.), 58'
Gascoigne  51'
Albertz  52'		 Attendance: 15,237
18 October 1997 Premier DivisionAberdeen2 – 0HibernianPittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen
Glass  5'
Dodds  37' (pen.)		 Attendance: 11,708
25 October 1997 Premier DivisionKilmarnock2 – 1HibernianRugby Park, Kilmarnock
Roberts  54'
Nevin  57'		 Larusson  80' Attendance: 7,541
1 November 1997 Premier DivisionHibernian1 – 3Dundee UnitedEaster Road, Edinburgh
Crawford  85' Olofsson  26', 88'
McSwegan  90'		 Attendance: 10,110
8 November 1997 Premier DivisionHeart of Midlothian2 – 0HibernianTynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh
Robertson  17'
Quitongo  88'		 Attendance: 16,739
15 November 1997 Premier DivisionDunfermline Athletic2 – 1HibernianEast End Park, Dunfermline
Smith  17', 81' Crawford  90' Attendance: 6,952
22 November 1997 Premier DivisionSt Johnstone1 – 0HibernianMcDiarmid Park, Perth
Scott  2' Attendance: 5,403
29 November 1997 Premier DivisionHibernian1 – 1MotherwellEaster Road, Edinburgh
Dods  75' Coyle  90' Attendance: 9,999
7 December 1997 Premier DivisionRangers1 – 0HibernianIbrox Stadium, Glasgow
Negri  51' Attendance: 48,070
13 December 1997 Premier DivisionHibernian2 – 2AberdeenEaster Road, Edinburgh
Walker  2', 83' Dodds  43'
Jess  68'		 Attendance: 10,001
20 December 1997 Premier DivisionCeltic5 – 0HibernianCeltic Park, Glasgow
Burley  23', 90'
Wieghorst  38'
McNamara  48'
Larsson  64'		 Attendance: 49,094
27 December 1997 Premier DivisionHibernian0 – 1KilmarnockEaster Road, Edinburgh
Wright  43' Attendance: 10,543
1 January 1998 Premier DivisionHeart of Midlothian2 – 2HibernianTynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh
Fulton  6', 10' Walker  51'
McGinlay  67'		 Attendance: 17,564
10 January 1998 Premier DivisionHibernian1 – 0Dunfermline AthleticEaster Road, Edinburgh
McGinlay  36' Attendance: 10,616
17 January 1998 Premier DivisionHibernian0 – 1St JohnstoneEaster Road, Edinburgh
Grant  83' Attendance: 9,126
31 January 1998 Premier DivisionMotherwell6 – 2HibernianFir Park, Motherwell
Arnott  10'
Weir  23'
Garcin  43'
McCulloch  81', 89'
Coyne  88'		 Crawford  4'
Lavety  8'		 Attendance: 6,169
7 February 1998 Premier DivisionAberdeen3 – 0HibernianPittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen
Newell  40'
Jess  57'
Miller  59'		 Attendance: 12,043
21 February 1998 Premier DivisionHibernian1 – 2RangersEaster Road, Edinburgh
Lavety  19' Negri  35'
Albertz  88'		 Attendance: 13,968
24 February 1998 Premier DivisionDundee United1 – 1HibernianTannadice Park, Dundee
Dow  73' (o.g.) Hughes  75' Attendance: 7,989
28 February 1998 Premier DivisionHibernian0 – 1CelticEaster Road, Edinburgh
Rieper  25' Attendance: 15,137
14 March 1998 Premier DivisionSt Johnstone1 – 1HibernianMcDiarmid Park, Perth
McQuillan  62' Rougier  90' (pen.) Attendance: 6,472
Referee: McCluskey
21 March 1998 Premier DivisionHibernian1 – 0MotherwellEaster Road, Edinburgh
Lavety  34' Attendance: 10,582
28 March 1998 Premier DivisionHibernian1 – 1AberdeenEaster Road, Edinburgh
Rougier  90' (pen.) Jess  68' Attendance: 12,966
1 April 1998 Premier DivisionRangers3 – 0HibernianIbrox Stadium, Glasgow
McCoist  56'
Thern  58'
Durie  75'		 Attendance: 48,488
11 April 1998 Premier DivisionHibernian2 – 1Heart of MidlothianEaster Road, Edinburgh
Lavety  56'
Harper  80'		 Robertson  71' Attendance: 16,200
18 April 1998 Premier DivisionDunfermline Athletic1 – 1HibernianEast End Park, Dunfermline
Brebner  48' (o.g.) Welsh  90' Attendance: 12,749
25 April 1998 Premier DivisionCeltic0 – 0HibernianCeltic Park, Glasgow
Attendance: 49,500
2 May 1998 Premier DivisionHibernian1 – 2Dundee UnitedEaster Road, Edinburgh
Brebner  31' Olofsson  72', 78' Attendance: 13,413
9 May 1998 Premier DivisionKilmarnock1 – 1HibernianRugby Park, Kilmarnock
Roberts  15' Crawford  90' Attendance: 12,393

Final table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
6 Aberdeen 36 9 12 15 39 53 −14 39
7 Dundee United 36 8 13 15 43 51 −8 37
8 Dunfermline Athletic 36 8 13 15 43 68 −25 37
9 Motherwell 36 9 7 20 46 64 −18 34
10 Hibernian (R) 36 6 12 18 38 59 −21 30 Relegation to the First Division
Source: Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(R) Relegated.

Scottish League Cup

Results
9 August 1997 Scottish League CupHibernian3 – 1Alloa AthleticEaster Road, Edinburgh
Lavety  9'
Charnley  29'
McGinlay  49'		 Irvine  50' Attendance: 6,807
20 August 1997 Scottish League CupDundee United2 – 1
AET		HibernianTannadice Park, Dundee
Zetterlund  90'
McSwegan  92'		 Lavety  3' Attendance: 7,692
Referee: McCluskey

Scottish Cup

Results
24 January 1998 Scottish CupHibernian1 – 2Raith RoversEaster Road, Edinburgh
McGinlay  22' Millar  10', 21' Attendance: 11,481

Transfers

Player stats

During the 1997–98 season, Hibs used 32 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.[6]

No. Pos Nat Player TotalPremier DivisionScottish CupLeague Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK Olafur Gottskalksson 1701600010
GK Bryan Gunn 1201200000
GK Chris Reid 100801010
DF Jean-Marc Adjovi-Bocco 3202901020
DF Shaun Dennis 60501000
DF Darren Dods 3212911020
DF David Elliot 40400000
DF John Hughes 2712510020
DF Stuart McCaffrey 20200000
DF Jamie McQuilken 10100000
DF Willie Miller 3403101020
DF Michael Renwick 60600000
DF Brian Welsh 1711710000
MF Scott Bannerman 10100000
MF Grant Brebner 91910000
MF Chic Charnley 2342031021
MF Graeme Donald 40400000
MF Andy Dow 3503201020
MF Brian Grant 70500020
MF Kevin Harper 2912711010
MF Chris Jackson 1601501000
MF Bjarni Larusson 71710000
MF Pat McGinlay 3663341121
MF Greg Miller 40300010
MF Eric Paton 10000010
MF Tony Rougier 3133030010
FW Stephen Crawford 3893591020
FW Barry Lavety 2992671022
FW Kenny Miller 70700000
FW Lee Power 61510010
FW Paul Tosh 1611510010
FW Andy Walker 93831000

See also

Notes
  1. "Manager History for Hibernian". Soccerbase. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  2. "Average Home League Game Attendances". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  3. Hardie, David (21 November 2009). "Chic Charnley slams old boss Alex McLeish over time at Hibs". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  4. "Football: Duffy is sacked by Hibernian". The Independent. 3 February 1998. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  5. McGarry, Ian (16 March 1998). "McLeish peers over precipice; Another escape act looks unlikely for Hibs manager". Daily Mail. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  6. "Hibernian 1997/1998 player appearances". Soccerbase. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
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