Saturday
The final day of the English Championship is full of dramas and tears, both of delights and sadness.
Peterborough United suffer probably more than any side when it came to twists of fate, as their manager Darren Ferguson reflected. And for a moment I was almost agreeing with him, just how Lady Luck had deserted him over those closing minutes of the season. Still waiting to see who he blamed over those other 45 games.
Sunday
A busy Sabbath. But I’m drawn to the story of German international Miroslav Klose scoring five goals in only 40 minutes as Lazio beat Bologna 6-0 in Serie A, the first player to do so in the Italian top-flight since 1986. That was when Roberto Pruzzo achieved the same feat for Roma against Avellino, the only Italian to do so. As many news sources revealed, Pruzzo scored in the 1984 European Cup final against Liverpool. What was omitted, was his part in getting them to the Final, something many a Dundee United fan of a certain vintage would be aware of.
And 27 years on, Klose is the player who finally gets around matching that haul again. Of course, the only reason its been quarter of a century and more has passed is that neither Henrik Larsson or Kris Boyd played in Serie A …
Monday
The retiring
Ronnie O’Sullivan
And today, an early front runner for one of the new categories in my end-of-year ‘Weirdos,’ the most-irreverent sports awards on the planet. Favourite now in the Craig Whyte/Charles Green sponsored ‘How To Build On A Good News Day With A Catastrophically Bad News Day’ is Scottish PFA ‘Player of the Year’ Michael Higdon of Motherwell, lifting up awards one day, lifted the next!
I have to mention Ronnie O’Sullivan winning a fifth world snooker title, and wish him ever success for his retirement/comeback/ holiday/break/return/sabbatical/fourth or fifth-coming/time-out/comeback/layoff/rest. Can’t be any more sincere, or accurate, than that …
Tuesday
I can’t say really what fills me with the most apprehension. Word that Willie Collum will referee this season’s Scottish Cup final between double-chasing Celtic and Hibs, or that the match that will feature additional goal-line assistant referees, commonly used in UEFA competitions. This cup final could be remembered for many a thing. Let’s hope its not for someone’s good guess not being good enough.
Wednesday
Sir Alex Ferguson
So Sir Alex Ferguson retires at Manchester United. And again, as it is so regularly these days with rolling sports news, it is impossible to differentiate between tribute and obituary.
So Fergie goes, and another Scot, Everton’s David Moyes emerges favourite to take over. Cut from the same cloth apparently, chiselled from the same granite. Poured from the same bottle of red wine anyone? Similarities yes. Natives of Glasgow, Drumchapel Amateurs, players who didn’t quite make it at the Old Firm, Dunfermline Athletic, wee Broon as an acquaintance, and a socialist, benevolent nature.
So what happened to those who graduated from the Ferguson School?
Ferguson Graduate
Alex McLeish
You know, Gordon Strachan, Mark McGhee, Roy Keane, Mark Hughes, Steve Bruce, Paul Ince, Gordon Strachan, Viv Anderson, Billy Stark, Brian McClair, Bryan Robson, Henning Berg, Laurent Blanc, Alex McLeish, John Hewitt, Willie Miller, Neale Cooper, Darren Ferguson, Mark Robins, Mike Duxbury, Mike Phelan, Jimmy Bone, Tony Fitzpatrick and Eric Black, who at some point or another, and to some degree, were going to be the one.
Thursday
Stiliyan Petrov
Twenty-four hours on from one unexpected retirement, another announcement, though one which perhaps we all knew was inevitable. Former Celt and Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov has retired from football as he continues his fight against acute leukaemia. ‘Stan’ has always been one of the good guys. We can only wish him well for his future …
Friday
Celtic boss Neil Lennon is installed favourite to replace David Moyes as Everton manager. Meanwhile ex-Celt Danny McGrain thinks he should have a Knighthood for achieving what he has this season with Celtic. I can’t wait to see which of those two tales work out …