1997–98 Football League Trophy

1997–98 Football League Trophy
Country England
Wales
Teams 48
Champions Grimsby Town
Runners-up Bournemouth
Matches played 49

The Football League Trophy 1997–98, known as the Auto Windscreens Shield 1997–98 for sponsorship reasons, was the 15th staging of the Football League Trophy, a knock-out competition for English football clubs in Second and Third Division. The winners were Grimsby Town and the runners-up were Bournemouth.

The competition began on 6 December 1997 and ended with the final on 19 April 1998 at the Wembley Stadium.

In the first round, there were two sections: North and South. In the following rounds each section gradually eliminates teams in knock-out fashion until each has a winning finalist. At this point, the two winning finalists face each other in the combined final for the honour of the trophy.

First round

Blackpool, Burnley, Macclesfield, Mansfield Town, Notts County, Rotherham United, Wrexham and York City from the North section all received byes.

Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion, Bristol City, Exeter City, Luton Town, Swansea City and Torquay United from the South section all received byes.

Northern Section

Date Home team Score Away team
6 DecemberShrewsbury Town1–2Hartlepool United
9 DecemberCarlisle United1 – 0[1]Oldham Athletic
9 DecemberChesterfield0–1Grimsby Town
9 DecemberDoncaster Rovers0–1Rochdale
9 DecemberHull City2–1Scarborough
9 DecemberPreston North End3 – 2[1]Darlington
9 DecemberScunthorpe United2–1Chester City
9 DecemberWigan Athletic2–0Lincoln City

Southern Section

Date Home team Score Away team
8 DecemberBristol Rovers1–0Cambridge United
9 DecemberBarnet1–2Walsall
9 DecemberCardiff City0–2Millwall
9 DecemberFulham1–0Watford
9 DecemberGillingham0–1Peterborough United
9 DecemberLeyton Orient1–0Colchester United
9 DecemberNorthampton Town1 – 1[1]Plymouth Argyle
Northampton Town won 5 – 3 on penalties
9 DecemberSouthend United0–1Wycombe Wanderers

Second round

Northern Section

Date Home team Score Away team
6 JanuaryBlackpool1 – 1[1]York City
Blackpool won 10 – 9 on penalties
6 JanuaryCarlisle United6–1Rochdale
6 JanuaryGrimsby Town1–0Hull City
6 JanuaryHartlepool United1–2Scunthorpe United
7 JanuaryMansfield Town1–0Wrexham
13 JanuaryMacclesfield 0–1Preston North End
20 JanuaryWigan Athletic 3–0Rotherham United
27 JanuaryBurnley 2–0Notts County

Southern Section

Date Home team Score Away team
6 JanuaryBournemouth2–0Leyton Orient
6 JanuaryBristol City1–0Millwall
6 JanuaryExeter City1–2Bristol Rovers
6 JanuarySwansea City1–2Peterborough United
6 JanuaryWalsall5–0Brighton & Hove Albion
13 JanuaryFulham3–1Wycombe Wanderers
13 JanuaryLuton Town2–1Brentford
13 JanuaryNorthampton Town5–1Torquay United

Quarter-finals

Northern Section

Date Home team Score Away team
27 JanuaryBlackpool1–0Wigan Athletic
27 JanuaryPreston North End1–0Mansfield Town
27 JanuaryScunthorpe United0–2Grimsby Town
3 FebruaryBurnley4–1Carlisle United

Southern Section

Date Home team Score Away team
27 JanuaryBournemouth1–0Bristol City
27 JanuaryFulham1–2Luton Town
27 JanuaryPeterborough United2–1Northampton Town
28 JanuaryBristol Rovers0 – 1[1]Walsall

Area semi-finals

Northern Section

Date Home team Score Away team
17 FebruaryBurnley1–0Preston North End
17 FebruaryGrimsby Town1–0Blackpool

Southern Section

Date Home team Score Away team
17 FebruaryBournemouth1–0Luton Town
17 FebruaryPeterborough United1–2Walsall

Area finals

Northern Area final

10 March 1998
19:45
Grimsby Town 1–1 Burnley
Groves  78' Payton  23'
Blundell Park, Cleethorpes
Attendance: 6,064

17 March 1998
19:45
Burnley 0–2 Grimsby Town
Nogan  10'
Donovan  57'
Turf Moor, Burnley
Attendance: 10,257

Grimsby Town beat Burnley 3–1 on aggregate.

Southern Area final

10 March 1998
19:45
Walsall 0–2 Bournemouth
Rolling  13'
Beardsmore  30'
Bescot Stadium, Walsall
Attendance: 6,017

17 March 1998
19:45
Bournemouth 2–3 Walsall
Evans  55' (o.g.)
Rolling  82' 		Thomas  47'
Boli  53'
Tholot  80'
Dean Court, Bournemouth
Attendance: 8,972

Bournemouth beat Walsall 4–3 on aggregate.

Final

19 April 1998
15:00 BST
Bournemouth 1–2 Grimsby Town
Bailey  31' Glass  75' (o.g.)
Burnett 112'
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 62,432
Referee: M.E. Pierce
Bournemouth
Grimsby Town
GK 1 Jimmy Glass
DF 2 Neil Young
DF 3 Jamie Vincent
DF 4 Eddie Howe
DF 5 Ian Cox
MF 6 John Bailey
MF 7 Russell Beardsmore  105'
MF 8 Steve Robinson
FW 9 Mark Stein
FW 10Steve Fletcher
MF 11Christer Warren  90'
Substitutes:
DF Franck Rolling
MF Jason Brissett  90'
MF John O'Neil  105'
Manager:
Mel Machin
GK 1 Aidan Davison
DF 2 John McDermott
DF 3 Tony Gallimore  55'
DF 4 Peter Handyside
DF 5 Mark Lever
MF 6 Wayne Burnett
MF 7 Kevin Donovan
MF 8 David Smith
FW 9 Daryl Clare  55'
FW 10Lee Nogan  93'
MF 11Paul Groves (c)
Substitute:
FW 12Steve Livingstone  55'
MF 13Kingsley Black  55'
MF 14Kevin Jobling  93'
Manager:
Alan Buckley

Match rules

  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary
  • Golden goal in extra time
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level
  • Maximum of three substitutions

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 after extra time

External links