AND so this Christmas, and what have you done? Well, if you’re a sports writer in the North-East, you’ve probably spent the last 12 months watching some pretty average football matches.

It hasn’t all been doom and gloom though, so for the final column of the year, here’s a look back at some personal highlights from 2015

 

BEST MATCH

The vast majority of my time here at the Echo is spent covering football, but every now and then a different sport dominates the landscape for a while and I get the chance to branch out.

So my game of the year is Scotland’s win over Samoa in the final Rugby World Cup game to be staged at St James’ Park.

The previous two games on Tyneside had already been a huge success, but this took things to another level with Scotland needing to win to reach the quarter-finals.

The Northern Echo:

The atmosphere in Newcastle was electric, and the action on the pitch lived up to the mood in the stands and Fan Zone. With both sides trading tries from the start, the cumulative first-half points total of 49 was a World Cup record, and Scotland eventually hung on to claim a thrilling 36-33 win.

 

BEST FOOTBALL MATCH

Newcastle’s win over West Ham on the final day of last season was crucial in so many ways, while Sunderland’s FA Cup defeat at Bradford City lingers in the memory because of the remarkable atmosphere inside Valley Parade.

Middlesbrough’s play-off matches against Brentford, particularly the second leg at a euphoric Riverside, were landmark events, but my favourite football game this year came from much lower down the pyramid.

Darlington’s Evo-Stik play-off semi-final win over Spennymoor was a remarkable affair, full of drama, incident and no little skill.

The Northern Echo:

Darlington led, fell behind, and then claimed two late goals to secure a dramatic victory that ultimately led to promotion. Spennymoor played their part though, and the evening was a superb advertisement for the North-East non-league game.

 

WORST MATCH

As you can imagine, there have been a few. Newcastle’s traditional FA Cup defeat at Leicester at the start of the year was a grim affair, and for sheer mind-numbing boredom, you’ll do well to beat Sunderland’s goalless draw with West Brom from February or a similarly nondescript game with Leicester on the penultimate weekend of last season.

In terms of the biggest disappointment though, Middlesbrough’s play-off final with Norwich City stands out by a mile.

It should have been a wonderful occasion with more than 30,000 Teessiders packed into Wembley, but instead it was a complete non-event.

The Northern Echo:

Boro conceded two goals in the opening 15 minutes, and never looked like getting back into the game. No drama, no passion, no fight. And no Premier League football to look forward to this season.

 

MOST MEMORABLE PRESS CONFERENCE

This is an easy one to decide. Newcastle’s 3-0 hammering at Leicester towards the end of last season was notable enough for what happened on the field, but as us newspaper journalists were sitting in the press room waiting for John Carver, news filtered through that he had accused Mike Williamson of deliberately getting himself sent off in his television interview.

Normally, if a manager says something incendiary in front of the cameras, he tends to try to backtrack with the written press. Not Carver. Asked to explain his comments, he tore Williamson apart, repeating his assertion that the defender had deliberately picked up a red card.

The Northern Echo:

It was jaw-dropping stuff, and Carver went on to admit that Newcastle’s players were probably not listening to him. It was the sound of a season unravelling in front of our eyes.

 

BEST PERSON TO INTERVIEW

We’re lucky in the North-East at the moment in terms of interviewees. Newcastle’s overseas contingent are all pretty approachable, especially Daryl Janmaat and Georginio Wijnaldum, who are a pleasure to work with.

Sunderland have a good bunch too, with Jack Rodwell and Lee Cattermole standing out for their approachability and honesty.

Middlesbrough sit at the top of the tree though, and in George Friend, the Teessiders boast a wonderful ambassador who is friendly, down-to-earth and always interesting to listen to. One day, he’ll make a fantastic boss.

The Northern Echo:

It’s also worth a word for Sam Allardyce. He could be difficult to deal with during his time at Newcastle, but he’s been a pleasure to work with since taking over at Sunderland – open, engaging and just about on time!

 

BEST GROUND TO VISIT

The obvious stadiums stand out, with the Emirates, the Etihad and Stamford Bridge topping the pile. They’re all great places to visit, with superb working environments. And the pre-match food isn’t bad either!

I’m going to go for a couple of different venues this year though. The first is Leicester’s King Power Stadium, which is excellent in terms of press facilities and equally as good when it comes to the atmosphere generated from the stands.

The Northern Echo: Leicester City's King Power Stadium

I’m also going to throw in Upton Park. I made my last visit there with Newcastle in September, and with the Hammers preparing to move to the Olympic Stadium, it’ll be a shame to see another of England’s historic grounds disappear.

 

WORST TRIP

Crystal Palace has to be up there because no matter how you try to negotiate it, Selhurst Park is a pain in the backside to get to.

It’s a long way to Norwich and Ipswich too, but both clubs are really welcoming when you arrive, and the same is true of Southampton and Bournemouth on the south coast.

So I’m going to go for Stoke. It’s just about far enough away to make it a full-day excursion, it’s always freezing cold, and no matter whether it’s Newcastle or Sunderland I’m covering, they invariably seem to lose when they get there.

The Northern Echo: Brek Shea looks set to be the next new arrival at the Britannia Stadium

 

HOPES FOR 2016

First and foremost, it would be great to have all three of the North-East’s big boys back in the Premier League. Newcastle and Sunderland should have enough to stay up this season, so let’s hope Middlesbrough can maintain their current form and finish in the top two.

It would be nice if 2016 witnessed Darlington’s return to their home town, and after months of wrangling about a switch to Blackwell Meadows, the signs are starting to look positive again.

Beyond that, a bit more access would be nice, although to be fair to the clubs we cover, they generally still value their relationship with the regional press. Even Newcastle. Having said that mind, the return of some pre-match food at St James’ would really make for a Happy New Year!