Football review of the year

[Pat O' Banton]

Sticking this in world football as it will cover all the matches witnessed by people all over the place this year...

Best match Throughly enjoyed Celtic v Hibs at the start of this month(although I didn't really like the bit where Celtic were behind!) In the second half both teams were intent on open attacking football, a credit to both managers.

Worst game Pre season freindlies really are not the type of place to go for entertainment so step forward Celtic and Fulham; with Stoke and Stockport not far behind (at least there were some goals in that one.)

Best goal On a night where the pubs around Southend were full of people with a new found passion for Chelsea watching Ronaldinio's contender for goal of the season, Bristol Rovers Junior Aggogo managed to control a long upfield punt with the outside of one foot and volley it into the top corner with the other, all this in the in the glamour of an LDV Vans Southern Section final against Southend, (the tv replays do not do the gooal justice.) You can stick your Champions League - well when Arsenal and Celtic are out of it anyway.

Highs Arsenal winning the cup, Celtic stuffing Rangers twice in a forthnight, Cliftonville's mid-table obscurity meaning no relegation play off.

lows Chelsea, Celtic's title collapse, Finn Harps relegation, St Pauli's failure to make and impact and go up. And above all Ireland being so rubbish in all their competitive matches.

Best trips Going to see St. Pauli in April was a superbly funny trip, closely followed by the Faroe's with its slippy steps in the ground (honest it wasn't the beer that made me fall ) and Lopez's Irish coffee's at 10am with no dilluting or fattening cream!

Best fans St. Pauli's fans just keep on singing and partying irrelavent of score lines and are brilliantly welcoming.

Best Stadium Haven't been to that many big new ones this year so I'll be parocihal and say Celtic Park.

Worst Stadium Perhaps not the very worst but how Stockport have the cheek to charge £20 to sit in their shack of an away end with the worst tea not just in football but in the world is something that needs explaining.
Feel free to add in your own catagories.

Wishing all of you a happy new year and some fun in watching the repeating crushing disappointment that tends to be football.

[adamcarr]

Best match City Vs Derry, last game of the season, played some great football and controlled the game and we also won the league that night!

Worst game Ireland Vs Switzerland, we were just never gonna score.

Best goal Behan Vs Shels to end 11 games without a win against them. Robbie Keanes against Israel.

Highs City winning the league, UEFA Cup proper, Shels coming third. Celtic fcuking up.

Lows FAI Cup Final, Brian Kerr, Not beating Waherfurr once.

Best trips Stockholm, Bohs, Cup Final Day, Tolka.

Best fans Derry by a country mile. Friendliest bunch of fans youll ever meet.

Best Stadium Rasunda Stadium, Stockholm.

Worst Stadium RSC, What a dump!

[De Town]

Best match
LTFC: We don't have many to choose from......Will have to think about it.....
Other: Watching Barca whoop Real 3-0 in their own back yard. United winning 4-2 away to Arsenal.

Worst game
LTFC: Carmarthen 5-1 LTFC......no need for me to say anything else.
Other: Ireland v Switzerland. United 1-3 Chelsea.

Best goal
LTFC: Seán Dillon v Waterford (3-0 at home). Stephen Paisley v Carmarthen. Johnnie Martin v Waterford (3-0 away).
Other: Most of Pat McCourts were class. Rooney v Newcastle. Ronaldinho v Real (both).

Highs
LTFC: Winning our first ever game in Europe.
Other: Arsenals demise. Only 1 Dublin team in top 5 of Premier Division.

Lows
LTFC: Losing so heavily in Europe. Losing Sean Dillon.
Other: Chelsea. United sucking. Liverpool winning the Champions League.

Best trips
LTFC: I think I will go with Derry away in the LC, even though we lost, it was great craic in Ballybofey on the way home.
Other: Only went to one. Man U 1-2 Blackburn

Best fans
eL: Derry.
Other: Cadiz.

Best Stadium
eL: Dalyer.
Other: Old Trafford.

Worst Stadium
eL: RSC.
Other: ??

[M@ttitude]

Liverpool, istanbul.. Best game of 2005

[Plastic Paddy]

Well done boys, an entertaining read.

I'd like to nominate my match of 2006 already. Hearts - Celtic today. The funniest game of football I've seen for ages. Brilliant.

PP

[De Town]

Well done boys, an entertaining read.

I'd like to nominate my match of 2006 already. Hearts - Celtic today. The funniest game of football I've seen for ages. Brilliant.

PP

Didn't see the game so care to elaborate.....Did it finish 2-2 yeah

[gustavo]

Best match
SRFC: beating Pats 2-1 in the cup
Other: real v barca the 0 3 one . Champions League Final

Worst game
SRFC : The Athlone Game was pretty poor even though it didnt matter
Other: the Switzerland one
Best goal
Paul McT's against Galway United or Rooneys against Newcastle

Highs
winning the league ....


Lows
not getting to the world cup

Best trips
Cork away in the Cup

Best fans
Pats fans

Best Stadium
Turners Cross

[Plastic Paddy]

Didn't see the game so care to elaborate.....Did it finish 2-2 yeah

3-2 to Celtic. And the Bhoys had a goal disallowed and a stonewall penalty turned down. It could easily have been 5-2 but in truth Celtic were played off the park. Daylight robbery. Anyway, we should save this for another thread...

PP

[Redtop]

best match of 2005- champions league final

[Gerrit]

Best match
Shels-Derry confrontations were nice, with a good atmosphere in both camps. And Northern Ireland-Germany was, despite NI's loss, a nice game.
And of course Liverpool-Milan and NI-England.

Worst game
Everton-Bolton. Although somewhat compensated by beautiful Goodison Park.

Best goal
Pure technically: Ronaldinho scording the 3-2 vs Chelsea. Also worth mentioning because of the nationwide joy and pride it brought up here: David Healy's winning goal in Northern Iron-England.

Highs
Not too many, football was crap this season for my favourite clubs. Well, Rosenborg qualifying for the CL and surviving winter in Europe is the high (and it greatly compensates our bad domestic season)
Again, NI-England needs to be mentioned, especially because of the celebrations I saw after the game.

lows
Rosenborg not winning the championship, Ostend relegating, Shels not renewing their title, Norway not reaching the World Cup, arrogant Aussies going to Germany,...

Best trips
NI-Germany (was 1 month before I moved to Belfast), Everton-Bolton (I adore Liverpool city !), Derry-Shelbourne.

Best fans
Northern Ireland (bar the very few who are sectarian. The vast majority these days are top class fans)
Barnet (very loud, very nice people, and big in numbers when I saw Man U-Barnet on a Wednesday evening - most of them booked hotels for a game they knew they would lose)

Worst Fans
Shamrock Rovers (sorry lads, but twice problems during Shels-SRFC is too much in one season) and Man United (made no more noise than the people in a movie theatre)

Best Stadium
Brandywell (Derry), Windsor Park (Belfast), Goodison Park (Liverpool), Belfield Park (Dublin).
Yes, Belfield, in some way I do like the place. I'm not drunk while typing this.

Worst Stadium
The 'stadium' of H&W Welders, although mostly I like charming small cosy stadiums (like Belfield) this one was just a bit too basic.

Feel free to add in your own catagories.

[Gerrit]

Best Stadium
eL: Dalyer.
Other: Old Trafford.

Really?

I didn't like Old Trafford. One of those soulless modern stadiums with no traces left of the past, and the staff was very unfriendly. Only good thing I remember from attending Man U-Barnet were the great Barnet fans.

[De Town]

Really?

I didn't like Old Trafford. One of those soulless modern stadiums with no traces left of the past, and the staff was very unfriendly. Only good thing I remember from attending Man U-Barnet were the great Barnet fans.

Yeah, I have to say I really like OT. I'm more into the "modern" stadiums rather than your "old skool" ones!

[Gerrit]

Well, let's say tastes vary and that keeps it exciting to meet now people!