On 5 August 1997, Nigel Spackman was appointed as permanent manager of Sheffield United and his side had a good start to the season but huge losses and high wages from the previous season's promotion failure led to enforced sales of key personnel.
The final straw being the sale of both of the club's top scoring strikers (Brian Deane – 11 league goals – went to S.L.
Even though leaving midseason, Deane would go on to become the team's top scorer that year, such was the lack of replacements.
Spackman was unhappy over this and resigned in March 1998, leaving Thompson and Slade in caretaker charge until the end of the season.
Sheffield United's score comes first[1] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.