1998–99 Football League Trophy

The Football League Trophy 1998–99, known as the Auto Windscreens Shield 1998–99 for sponsorship reasons, was the 18th staging of the Football League Trophy, a knock-out competition for English football clubs in Second and Third Division. The winners were Wigan Athletic who beat Millwall 1–0 in the final.

1998–99 Football League Trophy

Auto Windscreens Shields
Tournament details
Country	England Wales
Teams	48
Final positions
Champions	Wigan Athletic
Runners-up	Millwall
Tournament statistics
Matches played	49
← 1997–98 1999–00 →

The competition began on 5 December 1998 and ended with the final on 18 April 1999 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 to determine the winners of the Football League Trophy.

First round

Carlisle United, Chesterfield, Halifax Town, Lincoln City, Rochdale, Scarborough, Scunthorpe United and York City from the North section all received byes.

Brighton & Hove Albion, Cambridge United, Exeter City, Fulham, Luton Town, Northampton Town, Southend United and Torquay United from the South section all received byes.

Northern Section Date Home team Score Away team 8 December Blackpool 0–2 Stoke City 8 December Burnley 0–1 Preston North End 8 December Macclesfield Town 0–1 Wrexham 8 December Chester City 1–2 Hartlepool United 8 December Manchester City 1–2 Mansfield Town 8 December Oldham Athletic 0–1 Darlington 8 December Rotherham United 0–3 Wigan Athletic 22 December Notts County 0–1 Hull City

Southern Section Date Home team Score Away team 5 December Colchester United 1–5 Gillingham 8 December AFC Bournemouth 2–0 Reading 8 December Brentford 2–0 Plymouth Argyle 8 December Peterborough United 3–0 Leyton Orient 8 December Shrewbury Town 0–1 Wycombe Wanderers 8 December Swansea City 4–1 Barnet 8 December Walsall 2–2 Bristol Rovers Walsall won 5 – 4 on penalties 9 December Millwall 2–0 Cardiff City

Second round

Northern Section Date Home team Score Away team 5 January Halifax Town 4–2 York City 5 January Hull City 1–2 Wrexham 5 January Lincoln City 1–0 Mansfield Town 12 January Chesterfield 2-1 Darlington 19 January Hartlepool United 2–2 Preston North End Hartlepool United won 4 – 3 on penalties 19 January Scunthorpe United 1–1 Carlisle United Carlisle United won 4 – 3 on penalties 19 January Wigan Athletic 3–0 Scarborough 2 February Stoke City F.C. 1-2 Rochdale

Southern Section Date Home team Score Away team 5 January AFC Bournemouth 5–1 Peterborough United 5 January Brighton & Hove Albion 1–5 Millwall 5 January Cambridge United 3–2 Northampton Town 5 January Exeter City 3–1 Southend United 5 January Luton Town 0–3 Walsall 5 January Swansea City 0–1 Gillingham 5 January Torquay United 2–1 Fulham 5 January Wycombe Wanderers 1–4 Brentford

Quarter-finals

Northern Section Date Home team Score Away team 19 January Wrexham 3–2 Chesterfield 26 January Carlisle United 0–3 Wigan Athletic 26 January Hartlepool United 0–3 Lincoln City 23 February Halifax Town 1-2 Rochdale

Southern Section Date Home team Score Away team 19 January Brentford 0–0 Walsall Walsall won 4 – 3 on penalties 19 January Cambridge United 1–1 Exeter City Cambridge United won 5 – 3 on penalties 23 January Torquay United 0–1 Gillingham 2 February AFC Bournemouth 1–1 Millwall Millwall won 4 – 3 on penalties

Area semi-finals

Northern Section Date Home team Score Away team 16 February Lincoln City 1–2 Wrexham 8 March Rochdale 0–2 Wigan Athletic

Southern Section Date Home team Score Away team 16 February Millwall 1–0 Gillingham 16 February Walsall 1–1 Cambridge United Walsall won 4 – 3 on penalties

Area finals

Northern Area final

16 March 1999

19:45

Wigan Athletic	2–0	Wrexham
Sharp 59' Barlow 71'

Springfield Park, Wigan

Attendance: 4,938

23 March 1999

19:45

Wrexham	2–3	Wigan Athletic
Brammer 37' Edwards 59' Ridler		Haworth 2' 52' O'Neill 88'

Racecourse Ground, Wrexham

Attendance: 4,941

Wigan Athletic beat Wrexham 5–2 on aggregate.

Southern Area final

9 March 1999

19:45

Millwall	1–0	Walsall
Cahill 4'	Report

The Den, London

Attendance: 11,626

16 March 1999

19:45

Walsall	1–1	Millwall
Eyjólfsson 88'		Sadlier 37'

Bescot Stadium, West Midlands

Attendance: 9,158

Millwall beat Walsall 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

18 April 1999

14:00 BST

Millwall	0–1	Wigan Athletic
	Report[dead link]	Rogers 90+3'

Wembley, London

Attendance: 55,349

Referee: C.R.Wilkes

Millwall

Wigan Athletic

MILLWALL: GK Ben Roberts DF Gerard Lavin DF Jamie Stuart DF Stuart Nethercott DF Joe Dolan MF Tim Cahill MF Paul Ifill MF Ricky Newman MF Steven Reid FW Neil Harris FW Richard Sadlier Substitutes: MF Paul Shaw MF Bobby Bowry MF Marc Bircham Manager: Keith Stevens

WIGAN ATHLETIC: GK Roy Carroll DF Carl Bradshaw (c) DF Pat McGibbon DF Stuart Balmer DF Kevin Sharp MF Colin Greenall MF Paul Rogers MF Michael O'Neill FW Andy Liddell FW Simon Haworth FW Stuart Barlow  88' Substitute: DF Scott Green MF David Lee  88' FW Graeme Jones Manager: Ray Mathias

MATCH RULES 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Penalty shoot-out if scores still level. Maximum of 3 substitutions.

External links

• Official website
• Auto Windscreens Shield – 1998/99