Scott Wilson column: A year of football gold (From The Northern Echo)

Scott Wilson column: A year of football gold

10:16am Friday 23rd December 2011 in Scott Wilson By Scott Wilson

WITH another year drawing to a close, here's a personal take on the footballing highs and lows from the last 12 months

Best Game Seen

I'm limiting this to games I actually attended, so Newcastle's sensational 4-4 draw with Arsenal doesn't count because while Cheik Tiote was creating history with his last-gasp equaliser, I was pulling into a petrol station on the M62 having watched Sunderland lose at Stoke. Typical.

As a result, I'm going to go for Newcastle's Carling Cup defeat to Blackburn in October. Two goals down in the 90th minute, into stoppage time thanks to dramatic long-range strikes from Danny Guthrie and Yohan Cabaye, down again, level again through Peter Lovenkrands, then beaten in the 120th minute by Gael Givet.

In terms of live deadlines, it was an absolute nightmare. It terms of footballing drama, it takes some beating.

Worst Game Seen

This is normally a hard-fought category, but in fairness, the last 12 months has been reasonably short of North-East non-events.

Another Newcastle vs Blackburn game stands out - February's 0-0 draw in the league - but I'm going to go for Sunderland's goalless draw with Fulham in Steve Bruce's penultimate match. The following weekend's defeat to Wigan was the end of the line, but this bore draw surely helped seal Bruce's fate.

Best Player (North-East)

Newcastle have quite a few contenders in this category, most notably Fabricio Coloccini, who has been excellent since taking over the captain's armband, Tiote, who was magnificent in the second half of last season, and Demba Ba, who has made an immediate impact in the first half of this.

I'm going to head to Teesside though and choose Rhys Williams. Every time he plays at Championship level, the Australian oozes class. Equally comfortable at centre-half or in central midfield, Williams will surely be playing in the Premier League next season. Hopefully, he will still have a Boro shirt on his back.

Worst Player (North-East)

Always keenly contested, once again there are plenty of candidates for this gong. At Newcastle, Stephen Ireland was a disastrous loan signing, while Shefki Kuqi's unexpected arrival was a remarkable turn of events even by the Magpies' standards. For Boro, Maximilian Haas and Mikael Tavares were unwanted reminders of the disastrous Gordon Strachan regime.

It's Sunderland who have really struggled in the last 12 months though, and Marcos Angeleri heads the roll of dishonour despite only making two first-team appearances in 2011. With a £1.5m price tag, the Argentinian was a costly mistake.

Best Opposition Performance (Player)

Given that, as a North-East journalist, I only see opposition players two or three times a year at most, this category has to relate to a one-off display.

There have been a few impressive ones, but Nicolas Anelka's performance in Chelsea's 4-2 win at Sunderland in February was stunning. Playing in a somewhat unorthodox position in the hole, the Frenchman tortured the Black Cats defence all night long.

Best Opposition Performance (Team)

Chelsea's overall performance in the same game would be up there, as would Manchester City's display as they put five past Sunderland in April. Similarly, Stoke massacred Newcastle en route to a 4-0 win at the Britannia in March.

But while Middlesbrough haven't lost many games this season, they were comprehensively outclassed as a rampant Southampton won 3-0 in October. Even given Newcastle's performances as they became second-tier champions, it was the best Championship display I've seen in a long while.

Best Ground Visited

Should I go for the quality of the stadium or the things that really matter to a journalist - wireless internet access, decent TV replay facilities and some free food? I tell you what, why not combine the two and go for Manchester City's Etihad Stadium?

No expense has been spared, whether for the paying public, who now have superb facilities surrounding the ground, or the press, who are generally more than happy with their three-course meal. Notable mentions for the staff at Burton's Pirelli Stadium, who could hardly have been friendlier as they welcomed Middlesbrough in the FA Cup in January, and the faggots that are often on the menu at Swansea's Liberty Stadium.

Worst Ground Visited

With two of three sides I cover in the Premier League, things aren't as bad as they used to be. Although Bolton on a snowy February evening can still be pretty miserable, especially when you've got the A66 to face to get home.

I'm going to head down to the Championship for the worst ground to work at though and choose Crystal Palace. Selhurst Park is a nightmare to get to, the press box is behind glass so you don't have a clue what's going on, and you're lucky if you get a cup of tea and a biscuit. Then if it's a night game, you invariably miss the last train back to Victoria.

Best Atmosphere

I always like visiting tight, old-fashioned grounds, so generally feel places like Goodison Park, Anfield, White Hart Lane and Upton Park are conducive to a good old-fashioned sing-song.

Looking further afield this year though, September's trip to Sofia's Levski Stadium to watch England beat Bulgaria 3-0 stands out. Yes, there was some unsavoury chanting. But the sight of flares and fireworks exploding over an old-fashioned Soviet-era bowl will still live long in the memory.

Best Press Conference Gaffe

With Roy Keane and Gordon Strachan having left the region, press conferences aren't quite as explosive or humorous as they used to be.

Alan Pardew raised a chuckle after Newcastle beat Blackburn in September though, when he was asked if his side had shown a different side to their game.

"We're not just a one-trick monkey," he said. "Hang on a minute, did I just say monkey? Scratch that. We're not one-trick ponies - we might be one-trick monkeys for all I know."