| Club: | Hibernian |
| Season: | 1997–98 |
| Manager: | Jim Duffy (until 2 February)[1] Alex McLeish (from 11 February) |
| League: | Premier Division |
| League Result: | 10th (relegated) |
| Cup1: | Scottish Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | R3 |
| Cup2: | League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | R3 |
| League Topscorer: | Crawford, 9 |
| Season Topscorer: | Crawford, 9 Lavety, 9 |
| Prevseason: | 1996–97 |
| Nextseason: | 1998–99 |
| Highest Attendance: | 15565[2] |
| Lowest Attendance: | 9126 |
| Average Attendance: | 12025 (up 1464) |
Season 1997–98 was an unqualified disaster for Hibs, as the club was relegated to the First Division by finishing bottom of the Premier Division. There was also disappointment in the cup competitions, as the club were beaten by First Division club Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup, and Dundee United in the League Cup. Manager Jim Duffy was sacked and replaced by Alex McLeish midway through the season.
Hibs got off to a good start to the season, winning 2–1 against Celtic on the opening day, with Chic Charnley scoring a memorable winning goal.[3] The season "rapidly turned into a nightmare", however.[3] With the club four points adrift at the bottom of the league, manager Jim Duffy was sacked after a 6–2 defeat by Motherwell.[4] Alex McLeish was hired as Duffy's replacement, but he was unable to save the club from relegation to the First Division.[3]
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Rougier | Raith Rovers | £250,000 |
 Jean-Marc Adjovi-Bocco | RC Lens | Free |
 Olafur Gottskalksson | Keflavik | £200,000 |
| Stephen Crawford | Millwall | £360,000 |
| Justin Skinner | Bristol Rovers | Free |
| Player | From |
|---|---|
| Andy Walker | Sheffield United |
| Bryan Gunn | Norwich City |
| Grant Brebner | Manchester United |
| Player | To |
|---|---|
| John Martin | Berwick Rangers |
| Eric Paton | Stenhousemuir |
| Ian McDonald | Stenhousemuir |
During the 1997–98 season, Hibs used 32 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.[5]
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