2005 - The Highlights

MrJoeSoap

2005: The Highlights

Another cracking year of football over, here are some of the highlights… Feel free to add to the list! I’m sure I’ll leave loads out!

Well its obvious where we begin…

One of the best games of football I have seen in my life. Still can’t decide whether it was better than United-Bayern, watched it at home with 11 mates and can honestly say that every single one of us were cheering for Liverpool, despite the fact that non of us actually support them. I’ve never seen a game like it in my life. We were close to just calling it a day at half time and playing Pro Evo or something, that’s how one-sided it was. For about two hours, however, the likes of Djimi Traore, Vladimir Smicer and Jerzy Dudek became heroes, giants among men. I got a phone call off a mate at half-time saying “Is Gerrard playing?” (messing of course) and we had a laugh about how invisible he had been. Man did we have egg on our face…

Theres not much else I can say about it, would have loved to have been there, so maybe some of the lads who were there could stick in a few stories or memories.

Then of course there was the passing of George Best, one of the greatest footballers the world has ever known, and certainly the best this island has ever produced. A true football legend, regardless of what people think or say about what he did after his playing career ended.

Then of course there was Roy Keane leaving United and eventually joining Celtic, ending an era that spanned more than a decade and won countless trophies. One of the most successful captains in Man Uniteds history. A terrible way for it to end, in fairness, but United fans still sing his name. Will be strange to see him wearing a Celtic jersey.

Teams of the Year

Liverpool, for obvious reasons. Won their fifth European Cup in the most spectacular circumstances.
Chelsea, they may have spent big but Mourinho sure knows how to get the best out of his team. Deserving league champions in 04-05, and have got a ridiculous 52 points from a possible 57 so far in 05-06.
Wigan, promoted in 04-05 and still flying high in 05-06. Fair play, especially good considering they have hardly any fans!
Northern Ireland – For beating England and drawing with Portugal. Ignore every other result though.

People of the Year

Rafa Benitez
Jose Mourinho
George Best
Paul Jewell
Frank Lampard
Steven Gerrard

In the news…

Peter Crouch – When will people stop talking about the guy so much! If I hear “Good touch for a big man” or some cheesy headline about his height once more I may just go insane!
Malcolm Glazer – New owner of Man Utd, similar in many ways to Osama Bin Laden. Hated by many, came into the news with a bang and disappeared from the limelight as quickly as he appeared.
Ashley Cole – Why they did it in a top restaurant still baffles me. And no I’m not talking about Cheryl, I’d do that at any opportunity.
The Daily Mirror - Funniest moment of the year was hearing the story they had about Glen Johnson joining Bilbao. Thought that was hilarious.

Game of the year

Liverpool 3-3 Milan, (Liverpool win 3-2 on pens). Needn’t say any more really.

Boards posts of the year

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2777840&postcount=81

90 minutes please. PLEASE. couldn't take penalties.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2805453&postcount=197

We were ALL thinking it! And it was only 2-0 at that stage!

Game over

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2805492&postcount=210

3-0 bye bye liverpool.... Milian are a class apart.

– Just have a read of that whole thread, it is absolutely priceless.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=2805543&postcount=225

**** it, its making me feel awhole lot better about Utd's season Nothing liek Liverpool losing

Thread of the Year

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=256730

There were 38 posts in about 6 minutes. Unreal. Best soccer thread I’ve ever seen.

Poster of the Year

A very tough one this, in terms of the EPL it would probably have to be Redspider. For the eL its hard to look past Gimmick, even if he did completely pull that Poborsky story out of his arse!

Quotes of the Year (stolen from the beeb!)

I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, they have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks and speaks and speaks about Chelsea. It bothers me because the guy is speaking all the time. We never speak about them.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho opens a war of words with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

Gobsmacked is too small a word. You don't even get a plot like this in Star Wars.
Southampton club director Andrew Cowen on Redknapp's departure from St Mary's.

After his first training session in heaven, George Best, from his favourite right wing, turned the head of God who was filling in at left-back. I would love him to save me a place in his team - George Best that is, not God.
Eric Cantona's interesting tribute to George Best.

People think he goes in and tells jokes with clowns' feet and a rubber nose on, but he has a lot more to offer than that.
Rangers boss Alex McLeish on his attempt to persuade Scotland coach Ally McCoist (Coco to his friends) to take up a position at Ibrox.

When you are a rich man you are proud to own a Rolls Royce and when you are a poor man you are proud to own a Renault.
Eric 'seagulls' Cantona compares winning trophies with Manchester United to his France side's success in the world beach soccer championships.

My ceiling's broken, my car's got a puncture and we've just lost two matches. But I've got my health and I'll ask the big man upstairs why he didn't give us a point.
QPR manager Ian Holloway reflects on a 2-1 defeat by Reading.
Never mind over the moon, we're over Jupiter.
Brighton chairman Dick Knight after the club win the right to build a new stadium.

Forget second - some of my lads are in the showers talking about winning the damned thing!
Wigan boss Paul Jewell after his side's 2-1 defeat of Bolton took them to within two points of second place in the Premiership.

I'm not going to tell him to stop that celebration - you can tell him if you like, he's bigger than me!
Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has no plans to put a stop to striker Shefki Kuqi's belly-flop goal-scoring routine.

Apparently he was eating a lasagne and somehow pulled a hamstring - it has to be a world first.
Coventry boss Micky Adams on defender Andrew Whing's bizarre injury.

I have spoken to him many times - he should work for the Newcastle tourist board when he retires!
Newcastle's new £17m striker Michael Owen on Alan Shearer's persuasive powers.

You should only say good things when somebody leaves. Robert has gone - good!
Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd sheds no tears over the departure of Laurent Robert to Portsmouth.

I stood there all day with a plastic angel in my pocket. I believe in fate - I'm as silly as a bunch of lights!
Redknapp on the lucky mascot given to him by his wife for the trip to Crystal Palace.

John Toshack said it was my way or the highway - well I'm on the M56.
Robbie Savage on his decision to quit international football with Wales.

Frankly I am amazed this could happen in a hotel in the centre of London. Why not do it in the middle of the M25 and then at least everybody knows!
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger on the Ashley Cole/Chelsea hotel allegations.

People are talking about me more than they talk about Eastenders.
Arsenal striker Thierry Henry is sick of all the transfer speculation.

Lifting that trophy has to be the best feeling ever.
Steven Gerrard

Kingp35

Well on a personal point my highlight of the year was Ken Bates buying Leeds United just 7 days before the club I love was due to be declared bankrupt and that would have been the end. Leeds fans were almost resigned to the fact that the club may be going out of existence, suddenly at 2.27am it was announced that Ken Bates, the least likely man any Leeds fan could think of, had bought the club and saved it. I remember seeing the press conference as soon as I got out of bed and I was the happiest man alive. The club has gone from strength to strength since and Leeds are slowly on the way back.

Ken Bates I salute you!

By the way MrJoeSoap great post

Lemlin

No highlight for Ireland which is sad to say. Signing Craig Bellamy was the big moment of the year for any Rovers supporters. There were a few others though, like beating Man Utd at Old Trafford (again).

Hobart

Great post. That CL thread really is hilarious, if only for the bitter bitter postings from the Manc fans in the first half.

MrJoeSoap

I've though of loads of stuff since I posted.

Keane-v-Vieira in the tunnel at Highbury, Pedro Mendes 'goal' against Roy Carroll, Rooneys volley against Newcastle, and of course the excitement of the last day of the season.

As a Saints fan it was pretty devestating, but at the same time was a very proud moment.

Hmmm... all the above involve United in some shape or form...