The 1999–2000 FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the eighth season of the FA Premier League, and Manchester United secured their sixth Premiership title. Like the previous season, they lost only three league games all season. Unlike in the 1998–99 season, they won by a comfortable margin – 18 points as opposed to a single point.
Manchester United lost their defence of the European Cup following a 3–2 defeat against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. The club had withdrawn from the 1999–2000 FA Cup to participate in the FIFA World Club Championship at the request of the FA who wanted Manchester United to compete to support England's bid to host the World Cup. Chelsea won the last FA Cup held at Wembley Stadium before its redevelopment. 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 and Arsenal were on the losing side to Galatasaray in the UEFA Cup final.
Only one newly promoted team suffered relegation: Watford, who finished in last place, and achieved a then record Premiership low of just 24 points (a record since broken by multiple teams), 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 on the last day of the season with a 1–0 win over Liverpool. The result meant that Liverpool lost out on a Champions League place, and Wimbledon were relegated after 14 years of top-division football. Second-from-bottom Sheffield Wednesday were relegated in their penultimate game of the season, having spent 15 of the previous 16 seasons in the top division. Wednesday's season included an 8–0 defeat at Newcastle. Amazingly Coventry City went all season without an away win but still managed to secure 14th place due to an impressive home record which saw them win 12 out of their 19 matches.
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 League Cup winners Leicester City.
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.
Teams Twenty teams competed in the league – the top seventeen teams from the previous season and the three teams promoted from the First Division. The promoted teams were Sunderland, Bradford City and Watford, who returned after absences of two, seventy-seven and eleven years respectively. This was also both Bradford City and Watford's first season in the Premier League. They replaced Charlton Athletic, Blackburn Rovers and Nottingham Forest, who were relegated to the First Division. Charlton Athletic and Nottingham Forest were immediately relegated after a season's presence, while Blackburn Rovers' seven-year top flight spell came to an end.
Stadiums and locations
Team Location Stadium CapacityArsenalLondon Arsenal Stadium38,419Aston VillaBirminghamVilla Park42,573Bradford CityBradfordValley Parade25,136ChelseaLondon Stamford Bridge42,055Coventry CityCoventryHighfield Road23,489Derby CountyDerbyPride Park Stadium33,597EvertonLiverpool Goodison Park40,569Leeds UnitedLeedsElland Road40,242Leicester CityLeicesterFilbert Street22,000LiverpoolLiverpool Anfield45,522Manchester UnitedManchesterOld Trafford68,174MiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughRiverside Stadium35,049Newcastle UnitedNewcastle upon TyneSt James' Park52,387Sheffield WednesdaySheffieldHillsborough Stadium39,732SouthamptonSouthamptonThe Dell15,200SunderlandSunderlandStadium of Light49,000Tottenham HotspurLondon White Hart Lane36,240WatfordWatfordVicarage Road19,920West Ham UnitedLondon Boleyn Ground35,647WimbledonLondon Selhurst Park26,074
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorArsenal Arsène Wenger Tony AdamsNikeDreamcast/SegaAston Villa John Gregory Gareth SouthgateReebokLDV VansBradford City Paul Jewell Stuart McCallAsicsJCT600Chelsea Gianluca Vialli Dennis WiseUmbroAutoglassCoventry City Gordon Strachan Gary McAllisterCCFC GarmentsSubaruDerby County Jim Smith Darryl PowellPumaEDSEverton Walter Smith Dave WatsonUmbroOne2OneLeeds United David O'Leary Lucas RadebePumaPackard BellLeicester City Martin O'Neill Matt ElliottFox LeisureWalkers CrispsLiverpool Gérard Houllier Jamie RedknappReebokCarlsberg GroupManchester United Sir Alex Ferguson Roy KeaneUmbroSharpMiddlesbrough Bryan Robson Paul InceErreàBT CellnetNewcastle United Bobby Robson Alan ShearerAdidasNewcastle Brown AleSheffield Wednesday Peter Shreeves (caretaker) Des WalkerPumaSandersonSouthampton Glenn Hoddle Matt Le TissierSaintsFriends ProvidentSunderland Peter Reid Steve BouldAsicsReg VardyTottenham Hotspur George Graham Sol CampbellAdidasHolstenWatford Graham Taylor Rob PageLe Coq SportifPhones4UWest Ham United Harry Redknapp Steve LomasFilaDr. MartensWimbledon Terry Burton Robbie EarleLottoTiny 1 The Dreamcast logo appeared on Arsenal's home shirt while the Sega logo appeared on their away shirt.
Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointmentWimbledon Joe KinnearResigned9 June 1999Pre-season Egil Olsen9 June 1999Newcastle United Ruud Gullit28 August 199919th Bobby Robson2 September 1999Southampton Dave JonesContract terminated27 January 200017th Glenn Hoddle28 January 2000Sheffield Wednesday Danny WilsonSacked21 March 200019th Peter Shreeves (caretaker)21 March 2000Wimbledon Egil Olsen1 May 200018th Terry Burton1 May 2000
League table
Results
Season statistics
Scoring
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Kevin PhillipsSunderland302 Alan ShearerNewcastle United233 Dwight YorkeManchester United204 Michael BridgesLeeds United19 Andy ColeManchester United6 Thierry HenryArsenal177 Paolo Di CanioWest Ham United168 Chris ArmstrongTottenham Hotspur14 Steffen IversenTottenham Hotspur Niall QuinnSunderland
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Ref Leeds United Southampton 3–0 (A) 4 Manchester United Newcastle United 5–1 (H) Sunderland Derby County 5–0 (A) 5 Newcastle United Sheffield Wednesday 8–0 (H) Arsenal Chelsea 3–2 (A) Arsenal Middlesbrough 5–1 (H) 4 P Manchester United Everton 5–1 (H) Everton West Ham United 4–0 (A) Leicester City Sunderland 5–2 (H) Tottenham Hotspur Southampton 7–2 (H) Manchester United Derby County 3–1 (H) Manchester United West Ham United 7–1 (H) Bradford City Derby County 4–4 (H) Note: 5 Player scored 5 goals; 4 Player scored 4 goals; P Player scored a perfect hat-trick; (H) – Home; (A) – Away
Top assists
Rank Player Club Assists 1 David Beckham Manchester United 16 Nolberto Solano Newcastle United 3 Paolo Di Canio West Ham United 13 4 Ryan Giggs Manchester United 12 5 Dennis Bergkamp Arsenal 9 6 Nick Barmby Everton 8 Thierry Henry Arsenal Steffen Iversen Tottenham Hotspur Wim Jonk Sheffield Wednesday Paul Merson Aston Villa
Awards Monthly awards
MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthManagerClubPlayerClubAugust Alex FergusonManchester United Robbie KeaneCoventry CitySeptember Walter SmithEverton Muzzy IzzetLeicester CityOctober Peter ReidSunderland Kevin PhillipsSunderlandNovember Martin O'NeillLeicester City Sami HyypiäLiverpoolDecember Gérard HoullierLiverpool Roy KeaneManchester UnitedJanuary Danny WilsonSheffield Wednesday Gareth SouthgateAston VillaFebruary Bobby RobsonNewcastle United Paul MersonAston VillaMarch Alex FergusonManchester United Dwight YorkeManchester UnitedAprilManchester United Thierry HenryArsenal
Annual awards
Award Winner Club Premier League Manager of the Season Alex Ferguson Manchester United Premier League Player of the Season Kevin Phillips Sunderland PFA Players' Player of the Year Roy Keane Manchester United PFA Young Player of the Year Harry Kewell Leeds United FWA Footballer of the Year Roy Keane Manchester United
PFA Team of the Year Goalkeeper Nigel Martyn (Leeds United) Defence Gary Kelly (Leeds United) Jaap Stam (Manchester United) Sami Hyypiä (Liverpool) Ian Harte (Leeds United) Midfield David Beckham (Manchester United) Roy Keane (Manchester United) Patrick Vieira (Arsenal) Harry Kewell (Leeds United) Attack Andy Cole (Manchester United) Kevin Phillips (Sunderland)
Attendances Source:
No. Club Matches Total attendance Average 1 Manchester United 19 1,102,323 58,017 2 Liverpool FC 19 837,402 44,074 3 Sunderland AFC 19 776,131 40,849 4 Leeds United 19 743,942 39,155 5 Arsenal FC 19 722,630 38,033 6 Newcastle United 19 690,112 36,322 7 Tottenham Hotspur 19 663,324 34,912 8 Everton FC 19 661,728 34,828 9 Chelsea FC 19 656,110 34,532 10 Middlesbrough FC 19 634,474 33,393 11 Aston Villa 19 602,237 31,697 12 Derby County 19 557,678 29,351 13 West Ham United 19 476,769 25,093 14 Sheffield Wednesday 19 472,253 24,855 15 Coventry City 19 395,369 20,809 16 Leicester City 19 376,720 19,827 17 Watford FC 19 352,338 18,544 18 Bradford City 19 342,572 18,030 19 Wimbledon FC 19 325,974 17,157 20 Southampton FC 19 287,499 15,132
References
External links 1999–2000 FA Premier League Season at RSSSF