FA Premier League 1999-00
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The FA Premier League 1999-00 season was the eighth season of the FA Premier League, and Manchester United secured their sixth Premiership title. Like last season, they lost only three league games all season. Unlike last season, they won by a comfortable margin - 18 points as opposed to last year's single point.
Their only disappointment of the season came when they lost their defence of the European Cup following a 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid in the quarter finals. United had withdrawn from the 1999-2000 FA Cup in order to concentrate on the FIFA World Club Championship, so the 2000 F.A Cup final (the last at Wembley Stadium before its redevelopment) was won by Chelsea. The League Cup final was won by Leicester City, for the second time in four seasons. In Europe, Leeds United reached the UEFA Cup semi final (where two leeds fans Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight were stabbed to death preceding a game against Turkish side Galatasaray in Istanbul) and Arsenal were on the losing side to Galatasaray in the UEFA Cup final.
This season, only one newly promoted team suffered relegation. Watford, who finished in last place, and achieved a record Premiership low of just 24 points, despite a decent start to their campaign which saw them beat both Liverpool (at Anfield) and Chelsea. The most successful promoted team was Sunderland, who finished seventh in the final table and spent much of the season pushing for a place in European competition. Bradford City, back in the top division for the first time since 1922, secured their Premiership survival with a 1-0 win over Liverpool who surrendered a Champions League place. That result also spelled the end for Wimbledon, who relegated on the last day of the season after 14 years of top division football. Second-from-bottom Sheffield Wednesday were relegated after failing to beat Arsenal in their penultimate game of the season, having spent 15 of the last 16 seasons in the top division. The worst moment of the season for Danny Wilson's men came with an 8-0 defeat at Newcastle - who were now being managed by the 66-year-old Bobby Robson.
As well as Premiership champions Manchester United and runners-up Arsenal, third placed Leeds United qualified for the 2000-01 Champions League. UEFA Cup places went to fourth placed Liverpool, F.A Cup winners Chelsea and eventually to Intertoto Cup participants Aston Villa.
Promoted to the Premiership for 2000-01 were First Division champions Charlton Athletic, runners-up Manchester City and playoff winners Ipswich Town. For the first time since the formation of the Premiership, all of the promoted teams had been members of the Premiership before.
Managerial changes
Leicester City manager Martin O'Neill moved to Celtic at the end of the season and was replaced by Gillingham's Peter Taylor.
Newcastle United manager Ruud Gullit quit in early September and was replaced by former England manager Sir Bobby Robson, who at 66 was the oldest manager in Premiership history.
Southampton manager Dave Jones quit in January to concentrate on clearing his name in connection with child abuse charges and was replaced by former England manager Glenn Hoddle.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Wilson was sacked in March and assistant Peter Shreeve took over until the end of the season, after which he reverted to the assistant manager's job and the managerial duties were took on by Paul Jewell of Bradford City, who named Jewell's assistant Chris Hutchings as their new manager.
Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear resigned before the start of the season after seven years in charge, and was replaced by former Norway coach Egil Olsen. Olsen was sacked just before the end of the season and replaced by coach Terry Burton, who was given the job on a permanent basis despite failing to prevent relegation.
Final League Table
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 38 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 97 | 45 | 91 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 38 | 22 | 7 | 9 | 73 | 43 | 73 |
| 3 | Leeds United | 38 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 58 | 43 | 69 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 38 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 51 | 30 | 67 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 38 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 53 | 34 | 65 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 38 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 46 | 35 | 58 |
| 7 | Sunderland | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 57 | 56 | 58 |
| 8 | Leicester City | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
| 9 | West Ham United | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 52 | 53 | 55 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 57 | 49 | 53 |
| 11 | Newcastle United | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 63 | 54 | 52 |
| 12 | Middlesbrough | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 46 | 52 | 52 |
| 13 | Everton | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 59 | 49 | 50 |
| 14 | Coventry City | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 47 | 54 | 44 |
| 15 | Southampton | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 45 | 62 | 44 |
| 16 | Derby County | 38 | 9 | 11 | 18 | 44 | 57 | 38 |
| 17 | Bradford City | 38 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 38 | 68 | 36 |
| 18 | Wimbledon | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 46 | 74 | 33 |
| 19 | Sheffield Wednesday | 38 | 8 | 7 | 23 | 38 | 70 | 31 |
| 20 | Watford | 38 | 6 | 6 | 26 | 35 | 77 | 24 |
P = Games Played; W = Games Won; D = Games Drawn; L = Games Lost; F = Goals For; A = Goals Against; Pts = Points
Top goal scorers
| Scorer | Goals | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Phillips | 30 | Sunderland A.F.C. |
| Alan Shearer | 23 | Newcastle United F.C. |
| Dwight Yorke | 20 | Manchester United F.C. |
| Andy Cole | 19 | Manchester United F.C. |
| Michael Bridges | 19 | Leeds United F.C. |
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