1999: Manchester United, the Treble and All That

by Matt. Dickinson

WINNER OF FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDSLONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDIn 1999, Manchester United completed a unique Treble, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League - but more remarkable than that was how they did it, and the stories behind the historic achievement. Matt Dickinson covered the whole story at the time, and now in 99 compelling chapters brings it all vividly to life.When the season began, Manchester United were up for sale, the club's iconic talisman Eric Cantona had gone, rivals Arsenal were the reigning Double winners, David Beckham was a national hate figure after being sent off during the World Cup, and even manager Alex Ferguson 's position was being questioned. Early signs weren't promising, despite record spending to bring in new stars, among them Jaap Stam and Dwight Yorke, but soon things began to change.Driven by the indomitable will of skipper Roy Keane , supported by a nucleus from the Class of 92 - Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, the Nevilles and Paul Scholes - who had grown up at the club, they went on a long unbeaten and unbeatable run, featuring some of the most dramatic games in English football history.Acclaimed football writer Matt Dickinson goes behind the scenes of the legendary Manchester United treble of 1999: a tale full of comebacks, drama and record-breaking feats. So much more than a book for United fans; it is an insight into team building, the will to succeed, a tale of local pride and of history-makers.

Genres: Football, Sports, Nonfiction, Biography

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Diener · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Football, bloody hell!”

Outstanding book gifted to me by my daughter, who found it in a London bookshop over the summer while she was on a study abroad and thought I might like it. Well, I didn’t like it. I loved it.

Unlike many readers of this book, the stories were not a trip down memory lane for me. I did not grow up a soccer, er football, fan, and I really did not start paying attention to the sport until 20 years ago or so, first Liga MX on Telemundo, then the 2010 World Cup in South Africa on Fox, and most recently, the EPL on NBC/USA/Peacock.

Of course I knew who David Beckham and Manchester United were in 1999. I was not living under a rock. I was living in Denton, Texas, making a living, or trying to make a living, writing about American football, the Friday night lights variety that sends folks in places like Celina, Lewisville, Wichita Falls, Justin, and hundreds of other towns across the great expanse that is Texas into a fanatical frenzy on autumn Friday nights not too much different than what I imagine the good folks in towns across England feel on Saturdays and Sundays from August through May when their teams take the pitch.

But outside of Becks and the Man U name, I knew little in 1999 about the game and the historic run unfolding on the other side of the pond. As my football acumen has grown over the years, fed by a combination of exposure from friends, especially during the five years I lived in the soccer-loving Pacific NW, and my own insatiable curiosity and insistence that I learn as much as I can about things I become obsessed with, I have read a number of books that have added to my knowledge and understanding of this game and the passions it stirs in its legions of devotees worldwide. This book fits perfectly in that pantheon. Written by a lad - see what I did there- who appears to be about my age and who, unlike me, has actually made a living writing about sport, including as a reporter on the Man U beat in ‘99 and assistant to footballers in the writing of their autobiographies, this book is not a dull, formulaic, game-by-game rehashing of a remarkable season. Rather, it is a vignette (some as short as a page) driven telling of not just matches, but of the men who figured in those matches, players, coaches, media, management, and other personalities, men in full, the good, the bad, the ugly, the bizarre.

In this book we meet (or the lifelong fans are reacquainted with) the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson (the greatest manager in the Premier League era of English football history, apologies to Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wegner), Roy Keane (the real life Roy Kent), the Neville brothers (not the musicians from New Orleans, but the footballers from Bury), Dwight Yorke (playboy with a golden foot), and numerous others, including yes Becks, that propelled Man U to the treble 25 years ago.

A marvelous read. A masterclass in great sports writing.

[Dylan Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only having been born in 1998 myself, it’s hard to say that this book “invokes memories” for me… but that’s sorta exactly what it does, in a way.

I only wish my late uncle could’ve read this book. He would’ve been in his twenties in 1999. He would’ve absolutely adored this.

[Raheel Khokhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

At times I was moved to tears...nuff said. Lads!! Lads!!! Lads!!!!!

[Matthew Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured the book in a couple of days. Great to revisit one of the greatest sporting achievements and hear the thoughts of those who played a part and those who witnessed it.

[Aran Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book about one of the greatest years of my life

The memories it brought back were memories that defined my childhood

I read the last 200 pages in 2 sittings. Even though I knew the results and what happened, I still read it with growing excitement, anxiety and joy. A full roller-coaster of emotions

Superbly researched and written incredibly well. Thank you Matt

[Jonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I’ve read since having a child and absolutely perfect for reading late at night when you’re waiting to sleep! The characters, narrative and ending are all gloriously familiar but Dickinson brings it together with the perfect blend of insight (how little coaching and how much “managing” Ferguson did is fascinating, even though well-documented); love for his subject; and the sense of exhilarating momentum that everyone who lived through it remembers as the Treble Season built to a climax. It is strange but fun reading it as the prime demographic for a book this nostalgic (I was 11 on 26th May 1999, and it feels like yesterday).

[Ryan Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Being a lifelong United fan probably both helped and hurt my enjoyment of this book. On the plus side, how could I not be swept up in a chronicle of what was probably the club's greatest season. On the downside, I was already so steeped in the legend of the treble that most of the detail in the book was already well-known to me. That said, there were some elements and stories in the book that were new to me and naturally enough they were the bits I enjoyed the most.

The author, Matt Dickinson, is an experienced and esteemed football journalist who was on the Manchester United beat during the 1999 season. This naturally makes him a suitable authority on the subject matter. His career has also allowed him to build up an extensive list of contacts in the game - giving him access to interview a number of the main players in the 1999 United team.

The book is made up of 99 short chapters. Each chapter focuses on a certain player, match or storyline as the season progresses. I think this format works well, allowing the author to focus on different characters at different stages of the season. The brevity of the chapters also enables the reader to quickly breeze through them and make progress through the book feel pleasurable.

My favourite parts of the book were:
- A couple of the introductory chapters giving the cultural and political backdrop in both the UK and Manchester at the start of the season. New Labour, Oasis vs. blur etc.
- The chapters concerning Ferguson's fractious relationship with club chairman Martin Edwards. I found Edwards in particular a very intriguing character - a man who inherited ownership of one of the greatest sporting institutions in the world and seemed dead-set on monetising his position to the fullest extent. His words of just wanting the best for the club seemed completely at odds with his actions. He made for a great antagonist in the narrative and his conflict with Ferguson seemed to foreshadow the Glazer takeover and even the wider commercialisation of football.
- Teddy Sheringam's chapter. He has spent countless hours since his retirement answering questions about the treble - his supposed great career highlight. Only problem is he was miserable the whole time! Interesting to hear him explain that the 1999 season was actually a bit of a low point for him. A true London boy marooned up in Manchester with no friends in the squad and struggling for form and gametime. He only scored 5 goals in the whole season! But at least a couple of them were in the FA Cup and Champions League finals.

A couple of gripes:
- I know it is hard to resist when writing about a football season as dramatic as this, but the endless mythologising prose the author indulges in did make me roll my eyes a few times.
- It can't be avoided but the match report style descriptions of football matches can leave me cold.

Overall, I found 1999 to be a very enjoyable, nostalgia-driven trip through 'the greatest season English football has ever known'.

[Alastair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew I was onto a winner with this book about a third of the way in when I found out about the unlikely life of a player I had not thought of in 25 years:

Jesper Blomqvist can predict the reaction, especially in football’s world of conformity, when anyone finds out that he is running a pizzeria in Stockholm. ‘They look down a bit on me,’ he says. ‘They think I’ve fallen on hard times.’

Such is the access Matt Dickinson has with the 1999 Manchester Uunited treble-winning side, sitting down with the mostly forgotten winger in his Swedish kitchen, or household names like David Beckham in his.

In fact, there is only one intransigent sourpuss who sits out the interviews (yes, of course it’s the obstreperous Irishman). All the other stars are accounted for, some of whom live incredible sedate lives. We meet down-to-Earth Dennis Irwin in a pub in Cheshire, chatting to the locals, and the retiring Paul Scholes. We hear from Teddy Sheringham in the slightly-less down-to-Earth Essex mansion he christened Camp Nou. There is a lot of humour in these interviews: Dwight York chuckles at a quotation the author reads him: “Did I really say that?”, to his 1998 statement “Making love and scoring goals is there a better way of spending your time on this planet?”.

The author, who trailed around after the United squad in the 90s and 00s, has not only maintained his relationship with players; he has clearly not forgotten his incredible access to the team during their annus mirabilis. The book, which tells the story of this legendary season, eponymously, across 99 chapters, chronologically details the events of that season. Those brief 99 chapters are the perfect vehicle for journalist Dickinson, offering punchy, article-esque commentary rather than overblown prose.

Two things shine through the authors description of his time on tour with the team. Firstly, this is a bygone age. The author seems nostalgic for a time when journalists, managers and players rubbed shoulders. Time and again the author recounts some incredible detail, clearly standing in a dressing room or being given unusual access to players and staff.

‘Old Vinegar Face,’ Ferguson called Wenger one day as we asked him about the Frenchman. ‘That’s off the record,’ he added, with a growl.

The book is full of these colourful anecdotes, from punch-ups on the team bus to hazing on the training pitch. In Blomqvist’s words: “In Sweden it was about lifting people and trying to encourage them. At United, they tested you to see if you can handle the pressure, to be their teammate in the middle of the heat of a game.” The borderline abuse players doled out to each other seems unthinkable today.

Probably no bad thing. Yet, the second facet of the 99 season that shines through is the almost warlike conditions, the impossible odds, the sheer epic-ness of the whole season. Reading this book reminds me of watching the behind-the-scenes footage from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. A bunch of actors decamped to New Zealand for 18 months, put themselves through hell (sometimes with similarly aggressive bonding rituals) and produced a film for the ages. One with an authenticity and vitality to put more recent computer-generated fare to shame.

Man U’s season has just this sense of gritty determination and fortitude. David Beckham entering the season as bête noire from his World Cup red card; Murdoch trying to buy the club halfway through the season; dry spells for major players; the two alphas – Schmeichel and Keane – at loggerheads; Cole and Yorke’s threesome [?!]; and, bestriding all the mayhem is Ferguson, somehow more titanic in this up-close retelling than his media image.

Indeed, Ferguson is the centre of this work. Yet he is a complex protagonist. Like hazing rituals that one doesn’t want to endorse but which seem to have gelled a team together, Ferguson is an impossible individual to come to terms with. At times, ruthlessly uncaring and devastatingly short with his players. At others, he shows an unbelievable compassion for those around him. In an incredible episode, he dragged the whole team to Scotland to play a testimonial for a groundskeeper. In January 1999. He met Blomqvist at the airport when he arrived. Another player had to retire from professional football having moved teams and received a caring call from the angry Glaswegian offering his sympathies. The same man who had sold him with little thought following his run of injuries.

I was 10 when United won the Treble, so a lot of the detail has been lost to me. For those, like me, who remember this season primarily from a handful of games (read: 99% of the season was at the Nou Camp), this book offers an inspiring account of the year (covering all three competitions) as well as its major players with unprecedented, nowadays unthinkable access. More than a sporting history has any right to, this book raises surprisingly challenging questions about the means versus ends, mental health in elite sport and what constitutes greatness.

Any reader (even, dare I say, the non-United fan) would struggle not to be sucked in by the trials and tribulations suffered across the 59 games of this campaign (the military cliché carrying far more weight here usual). I’m prepared to be wrong, but I cannot imagine a similar account of Manchester City’s 22-23 treble season could be as engaging, could have such colour or chaos.

I suspect Matt Dickinson would say the same. The game has simply become too corporate for that. This is surely a good thing, for the players if no one else. Yet what price for these characters, this melodrama? Which is why this book, recounting a time when football was on the brink of becoming a mega-industry but whose actors still had a studded boot in a more parochial past, is such exciting reading.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously you have to be a United fan to read this, and have witnessed the Treble season. A book about that season will always get lapped up by the fans, regardless of whether it's any good or not. It's actually probably quite difficult to produce something bad about that season, because the drama is already there, it basically writes itself. Not just the ridiculous results and the ludicrous comebacks, but the characters involved: Keane, Beckham, Schmeichel, Neville, Giggs, and of course at the heart of it all, Ferguson.

But weirdly, there isn't very much about the actual games during the season. You get a few pages dedicated to the big games, but I'd have liked to have seen more detail included, especially on the Champions League games where I can remember a real sense of something special happening from the very start of the group games.

The real strength of the book is in the reminiscences from the players and staff, which Dickinson smartly weaves in alongside his and other journalists' recollections of Ferguson. But this leaves it feeling more like an anthology and gives the book a collage-like quality I felt, patching together snippets from various sources rather than focusing on Dickinson's own take.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't feel like a 3 or 4 is justified, so I'll lean towards the latter. There's a lot of research here but the format lets it down. This format, borrowed from a Beatles book acknowledged in the credits, is 98 often very short chapters. It comes across as needlessly disjointed, especially because Dickinson is clearly very good at writing this into a narrative. I think if he had committed fully to a diary format in chronological order, or abandoned it altogether for a traditional chapter length, it might have worked better.

Still, the short chapters do at least mean that you'll fire through the book, and as it progresses it does tend to flow more naturally. It's a shame that relatively few games are covered in any real depth, although the interviews he has are much better than the average footballer interviews. There's also a good 30 points of statistics at the back that seems like a lot of points that were never fleshed out. This could be an excellent book, but it is simply pretty good.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

First thing is first, short chapters. In 2024, they are key.
I don’t believe many people have the time to invest in 14/15 page chapters (sadly) so the epic (and well thought out) 99 short chapters hooked me immediately.

I nearly settled on a 4 star review here but the only reason I could think of was that I’m not a United fan. (Up the Owls) However, it simply doesn’t matter and the book reminded me of just how incredible the team and that time period was.

I’ve bought Roy Keane and Sir Alex’s books off the back of this. The book, rightly, gave the two of them a ton of credit but I especially really appreciated the real respect the author had for Beckham who at the time (and to some extent still now) never seemed to get the respect he deserved for being a top top quality player who was so important in this treble.

Absolutely wishing for another book in the same fashion and format from the author.

[Jerry Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s possible that I loved this book because I’m a Man Utd fan and I was at many of the games in 1998/99 including the last league game , the FA Cup Final and the climatic match in Barcelona where the Treble was secured in the most amazing 100 seconds, ever! But I think I really enjoyed it because it is an exceptionally well written account of an unforgettable season. It sets the context, beautifully describes the many pivotal moments that occurred as the season progressed and brings to life the many characters in and around that legendary team. Thank you for bringing back so many happy memories of that year and especially the day I still describe as the greatest of my life. (But don’t tell my wife or my children.)

[Iarfhlaith O'Scannaill · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If I hadn’t seen such riches/I could live with being poor”

This book does a phenomenal job capturing an amazing 9 months for an exceptional football team with the best British manager of all time.

The 99 chapters means that the book is pickupable any chapter: a game, a player, a comeback reads as it’s own story as part of the greater tale of a team that won the lot.

A chapter highlight: chapter 50, bisecting the entire narrative, gives an insight into the man who pulled it all together and how he balanced absolute power and total control of the entire club with an ability to understand and manage the complex and conflict-ridden personalities who enacted his principles on the field.

What a manager. What a team. What a book.

[Darren Keighley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brings back memories

What a fantastic book & it brought back so many memories of that amazing season & everything it involved.
Meeting my then girlfriend now wife in 1998, I can remember the games & what we were doing at that time.
Ole’s 4 goals v Forest.
The Liverpool away draw when I proposed.
The Arsenal replay when it went from despair to joy.
Spurs at home, Newcastle at Wembley & then on to Barcelona.
I had goosebumps & a tear in my eye reading about that final.
Remembering where I was (at my father in law’s house in Manchester),
It brings back some amazing memories & a come back that I doubt we will ever see in a final again.
Going down to Deansgate for the parade & being lost in a sea of red.
We partied like it was 1999.

[Michelle Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Great read on the 98/99 season of Manchester United. It was in the style of the Last Dance documentary but in book version. It set the scene, gave lots of background information, lots of interviews with the players to give their memories of the season, viewpoints from other people and the memories of the author himself who had a ringside seat to all the things happening at the time. It really was a remarkable season and the fact that I can remember it and the excitement it brought makes the read all the more enjoyable. Great read and helps bring the memories of the season altogether.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I'm a Man United fan and was 10 when we won the treble. For any UTD fan, this is a must-read to relieve the glory days and how wonderful and character-rich the team was.

I've read Roy Keane's first autobiography and also a SAF book (Can't remember which one) but this book really highlights the difference in characters within the squad with rich anecdotes directly from other players in the squad.

There were many chapters where I was either close to tears with happiness or smiling/laughing at a particular quote.

[Verity · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMFG am I a United fan now!?

I LIVED every second of this book. I don’t know if it was the structure of the book (with 99 very short chapters), all the ridiculous characters & drama (Fergie, Beckham, Keane, the Neville brothers and more), or the undeniably contagious enthusiasm from the writer for the Beautiful Game but I was totally gripped by this book.

💯 would recommend.

Also it made me nostalgic for being a 20 something in 90s Manchester (which is strange because I was 0-8 years old and in Kent at the time).

[Chris Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED this book! As a primary school child during the treble winning season, and a boyhood United fan, the treble winning season is one of my formative football memories. In this book Matt Dickinson brings this season back to life, somehow not only telling the story of a remarkable season but capturing the emotions too. Personally, when I was reading this book I also made a visit to the United museum and made my way through the Treble exhibition, watching videos of those key moments Dickinson describes, making fond memories even more vivid. I read a lot of sports books, and this is easily one of the best I’ve ever read.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 1998/99 season was a defining one for me in terms of my childhood and getting really into football. I have been a big fan of Man Utd since about 1997 and relished the opportunity to relive some of these memories through this book.

It was good and certainly brought a smile to my face with some of the small details, but I think any hardcore United fan will already know most of what's contained within, whilst anyone who doesn't like them surely won't care all that much. Unsure exactly who the book is aimed at, and would likely struggle to recommend.

[Lavjot · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the retelling of Man Utd's famous treble-winning season in 1999 is excellent in terms of what happened on and off the pitch, it's actually the cultural and political context of 90s Britain that Matt Dickinson weaves throughout that really makes this a compelling read. Recommended reading for any football fan, let alone a United fan.

[Eoin Conroy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This probably isn’t actually that bad but I guess I wanted something more insightful or analytical of the key matches or offer some sort of interesting perspective but this is just a journalist who is mates with Piers Morgan waxing nostalgia about a happier time for him (New Labour, Oasis, being screamed at by Alex Ferguson)

[Shane O · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book,a really great book which really captures the excitement of the achievement of the 1999 treble and goings om of that year as well not just about the football and the amazing achievement of one of the greatest Manchester united teams ever this book is so well written and all facts in the book are correct and excellent read I highly recommend this book

[Sharon S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manchester United, the Treble and All That brilliantly captures one of football’s most historic seasons. Matt Dickinson combines behind the scenes insights, vivid storytelling, and dramatic match narratives to deliver a must read for football fans and anyone inspired by teamwork, resilience, and historic achievement.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent chronicle of the 1999 season and so much more. Contains lots of facts that I didn't know and insights from many of the players (but not Roy Keane!), staff and opponents of United in that season. I would definitely recommend this book to all United fans.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book worthy of such a historic time

A lesson in great sports writing, Dickinson tells the story of the 1999 treble winning season with great personal insight. Packed with incredible detail, this is a must read for all United fans.

[Ben Fish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A trip down memory lane, with some fascinating insights from former players and members of the coaching staff.

United fans will score this higher than non-United fans, but still a well written book for anybody who remembers that season, or those who never lived it and want a glimpse of it.

[Tommy Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Manchester United version of Craig Brown’s 1, 2, 3, 4 on The Beatles, which is perfect for me (possibly my two favourite subject matters). Vignettes and anecdotes that are gradually painting a whole picture. Brilliant, would read again.

[Ian Pickford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super read. A nostalgic return to the hay day of Manchester United, an impossible dream, and the promised land.

[Aprameya Hebbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliantly written and journalised version of the greatest time in English football ! Thoroughly engaging and interesting read even for those who are unaware of the sport.

[Dan Howarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superbly written and brilliantly narrated.