Football League 100th Championship Challenge

The Football League 100th Championship Challenge was a football match organised by the Football League and played to commemorate the 100th edition of the Football League First Division being completed.[1] It was played between the winners of the competition's 100th edition, and the record winners of the competition at the time. It was held at the Stadium of Light on 18 May 1999,[2] two days after the end of the Premier League season. The match was played between Sunderland, champions of the 1998–99 Football League First Division (the second-tier of English football at the time),[3] and Liverpool, 18-time Football League champions (all first-tier titles).

Football League 100th Championship Challenge
The match programme cover
Sunderland Liverpool
2 3
Date18 May 1999
VenueStadium of Light, Sunderland
RefereeMike Reed
Attendance18,111

Sunderland took an early lead through Allan Johnston's curling effort, but a penalty from Robbie Fowler and a close-range finish from Jamie Redknapp put Liverpool 2–1 in front. Sunderland brought the game back level via a Kevin Phillips header, but the Reds restored their lead within a minute when Paul Ince saw his deflected shot hit the back of the net. This proved to be the decisive goal as Liverpool won 3–2 to claim the glass trophy in front of a crowd of 18,111.[2]

Background

The match was announced in a press conference on 30 April 1999 in the presence of Sunderland manager Peter Reid and Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier, to celebrate 100 editions of the Football League First Division.[4][5] The game was scheduled for 18 May 1999, two days after Liverpool's final match in the 1998–99 Premier League.[6] The match was billed as being Steve McManaman's final game in a Liverpool shirt as he was to join Real Madrid at the end of the season,[7] however McManaman was forced to withdraw due to the death of his mother.[8] The winners of the game were to receive a trophy made from glass, while the match was also given its own logo featuring the colours blue, red and white.[9] Liverpool's line-up for the game was: Brad Friedel, Rigobert Song, Dominic Matteo, Phil Babb, Jamie Carragher, Jamie Redknapp, Paul Ince, David Thompson, Patrik Berger, Karl-Heinz Riedle and Robbie Fowler.

Match

Details
Sunderland2–3Liverpool
Johnston  3'
Phillips  76'		 Report Fowler  38' (pen.)
Redknapp  67'
Ince  77'
Attendance: 18,111
Referee: Mike Reed
Sunderland[10]
Liverpool[11]

Post-match

Sunderland manager Peter Reid expressed worry about the potential length of the injury suffered by their top scorer Kevin Phillips during the game, stating "We are just hoping it's a few torn fibres instead of a full-blown hamstring tear".[8] Phillips was able to recover in time for the following season where he would end up winning the Premier League Golden Boot and the European Golden Shoe.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Games for the 1998-1999 season - LFChistory - Stats galore for Liverpool FC!". www.lfchistory.net. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  2. Spellman, Damian (18 May 1999). "Sunderland 2 Liverpool 3". Press Association.
  3. Felton, Paul (17 July 2000). "England 1998-99". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.
  4. Noble, Phil (30 April 1999). "Sunderland's football manager Peter Reid (left) and Liverpool's manager Gerard Houllier hold the old League Championship trophy at a news conference to announce the 100th Championship Challenge between Sunderland and Liverpool". Getty Images.
  5. Noble, Phil (30 April 1999). "Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier holds the old League Championship trophy at a news conference to announce the 100th Championship Challenge between Sunderland and Liverpool". Getty Images.
  6. "Liverpool FC » Fixtures & Results 1998/1999". World Football. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  7. "MACCA: REIDY HAS GOT IT RIGHT". Wakefield Express. 18 May 1999.
  8. Daley, Kieran (19 May 1999). "Football: Phillips scare for Sunderland". The Independent.
  9. "SUNDERLAND v LIVERPOOL, 100th CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE, 18th MAY 1999".
  10. Botterill, Shaun (18 May 1999). "Gavin McCann of Sunderland in action during the 100th League Championship Challenge match against Liverpool played at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, England". Allsport.
  11. Brunskill, Clive (18 May 1999). "Robbie Fowler of Liverpool takes a penalty and scores during the 100th League Championship Challenge match against Sunderland played at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, England". Allsport.
  12. Fielden, James (2 March 2018). "Super Kevin Phillips goes goal-crazy and bags the Golden Shoe". Four Four Two.
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