The 97/98 season was as memorable for those who left Brunton Park as much as anything else.

The season of the big exodus saw the departures of Mervyn Day, Peter Hampton, Joe Joyce, Matt Jansen, Rory Delap, Warren Aspinall, Owen Archdeacon, Dean Walling and Lee Peacock. It also saw United depart Division Two by the exit door marked 'Relegation'.

Day was sacked just six games into the campaign and Michael Knighton, who had officially "retired" just weeks earlier, took over as head coach with David Wilkes and John Halpin assisting him.

The events of September 10th cast a shadow over the club that never really lifted, and left many fans feeling bitter and betrayed. Whatever, Knighton's immediate impact was to produce two wins and a draw and a fighting Coca Cola Cup exit at the hands of Premiership Tottenham.

Within weeks however, players were leaving in droves. Summer signing Ian Stevens, initially out with glandular fever, made a big impact and almost broke a 36-year-old club goalscoring record as he netted in six successive games over Christmas and the New Year.

Knighton then lifted some of the gloom by signing Nick Wright from Derby County. The Cumbrians, having sunk to the bottom of the division, had climbed out of the bottom four by the time that Knighton quit the UK for tax reasons in March and headed for the Isle of Man.

Believing United to be safe, Knighton looked on as nine of the last ten games were lost and the Blues slipped to a final resting place of 23rd, one off the bottom. Angry fans vowed never to return to Brunton Park, Knighton accepted responsibility for relegation but claimed the club was sunk without him. It was going to be an anxious summer indeed.

Statistics

NATIONWIDE LEAGUE DIVISION TWO
Date      Opponents             Ven   Res     Att   Pts Pos     Scorers
09/08/97  Southend United       A     1-1    4507     1  11     Smart 51
16/08/97  WATFORD               H     0-2    7395     1  19
23/08/97  Bristol Rovers        A     1-3    6044     1  22     Jansen 38
30/08/97  NORTHAMPTON TOWN      H     0-2    6307     1  24
02/09/97  WIGAN ATHLETIC        H     1-0    5352     4  22     McAlindon 89
07/09/97  Blackpool             A     1-2    7259     4  22     Archdeacon pen 89
13/09/97  Wycombe Wanderers     A     4-1    6018     7  18     Couzens 4 Jansen 39,90
                                                                Archdeacon pen 78
20/09/97  PLYMOUTH ARGYLE       H     2-2    5667     8  18     Jansen 2, 45
27/09/97  GILLINGHAM            H     2-1    5063    11  16     Archdeacon 48 Pounewatchy 63
04/10/97  Walsall               A     1-3    3957    11  18     Archdeacon pen 82
11/10/97  Burnley               A     1-3   10687    11  20     Couzens 82
17/10/97  PRESTON NORTH END     H     0-2    6541    11  20
21/10/97  LUTON TOWN            H     0-1    4341    11  21
25/10/97  York City             A     3-4    3700    11  22     Pounewatchy 25 Barr 35
                                                                McAlindon 78
01/11/97  WREXHAM               H     2-2    4464    12  24     Stevens 12 Bowman 17
04/11/97  Brentford             A     1-0    3424    15  23     Jansen 45
08/11/97  Millwall              A     1-1    6959    16  23     Jansen 85
18/11/97  CHESTERFIELD          H     0-2    3591    16  23
22/11/97  Bournemouth           A     2-3    3709    16  24     Barr 24 Stevens 61
29/11/97  BRISTOL CITY          H     0-3    5044    16  24
02/12/97  Oldham Athletic       A     1-3    4449    16  24     Dobie 9
13/12/97  FULHAM                H     2-0    4574    19  24     Stevens 60,84
20/12/97  Grimsby Town          A     0-1    6222    19  24
26/12/97  BLACKPOOL             H     1-1    8010    20  24     Stevens 15
28/12/97  Wigan Athletic        A     2-0    4511    23  22     Stevens 4 McAlindon 88
10/01/98  SOUTHEND UNITED       H     5-0    5389    26  22     Wright 42 Jansen 52,65
                                                                Stevens 81 Wallwork 85
17/01/98  Northampton Town      A     1-2    6327    26  22     Stevens 37
24/01/98  BRISTOL ROVERS        H     3-1    5725    29  20     Stevens 3,44,86
31/01/98  WYCOMBE WANDERERS     H     0-0    6220    30  20
07/02/98  Plymouth Argyle       A     1-2    4540    30  23     Stevens pen 51
14/02/98  WALSALL               H     1-1    4530    31  23     Varty 89
21/02/98  Gillingham            A     0-1    6270    31  23
24/02/98  Preston North End     A     3-0    8985    34  21     Barr 11 Wright 26,62
28/02/98  BURNLEY               H     2-1    7192    37  20     Stevens 18 Smart 81
03/03/98  MILLWALL              H     1-0    5217    40  18     Smart 52
07/03/98  Wrexham               A     2-2    4242    41  18     Wright 37 Stevens 83
14/03/98  BRENTFORD             H     1-2    6021    41  19     Stevens 40
17/03/98  Watford               A     1-2    7274    41  19     Stevens 69
21/03/98  Chesterfield          A     1-2    3967    41  21     Smart 40
28/03/98  BOURNEMOUTH           H     0-1    4951    41  22
04/04/98  Bristol City          A     0-1   12578    41  23
11/04/98  OLDHAM ATHLETIC       H     3-1    4594    44  23     Stevens 9 Anthony 12 
                                                                Smart 90
13/04/98  Fulham                A     0-5    9243    44  23
21/04/98  GRIMSBY TOWN          H     0-1    3956    44  23
25/04/98  YORK CITY             H     1-2    3897    44  23     Smart 36
02/05/98  Luton Town            A     2-3    6729    44  23     Anthony 53 Wright 82                

COCA COLA CUP
Date      Opponents                 Ven  Res     Att        Scorers
12/08/97  Chester City (R1 L1)      A    2-1     2367       Smart 33 Jansen 53
26/08/97  CHESTER CITY (R1 L2)      H    3-0     4208       Walling 21 Jansen 38,70
17/09/97  Tottenham Hotspur (R2 L1) A    2-3    19255       Couzens 40 Aspinall 45
30/09/97  TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (R2 L2) H    0-2    13571


AUTO WINDSCREENS SHIELD
Date      Opponents                 Ven  Res     Att        Scorers
09/12/97  OLDHAM ATHLETIC (R1)      H    1-0     1589       McAlindon 99
06/01/98  ROCHDALE (R2)             H    6-1     2350       Anthony 23 Pounewatchy 39
                                                            Stevens 43,51 Wright 73,78
03/02/98  Burnley (R3)              A    1-4     4573       Prokas 55

FA CHALLENGE CUP
Date      Opponents                 Ven  Res     Att        Scorers
15/11/97  WIGAN ATHLETIC (R1)       H    0-1     5182


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