6. Chelsea’s failure to defend their Champions League Trophy:
I could have done a whole top ten on Chelsea’s fails this year, but this topped the list for me. Chelsea won the Champion’s League under new but now old manager, Roberto Di Matteo in May, after a shock turn around during what was becoming a disaster season for them. Their 2012-13 campaign started off really well, but their Champions League status took a huge knock after they became the first team ever in history to win Champion’s League Cup and then get knocked out in the group stages in the competition after. This is a fail of epic proportions.
5. Manchester United’s final minutes of the season:
The finale to the 11-12 season was probably one of the most exciting I have watched in years. It all came down to two minutes and during those two minutes I watched two screens, one of which saw Man United’s game finish, with the fans and players clapping and celebrating and on the other screen you see City still playing and then they scoring twice. At Old Trafford everyone’s face including Fergie’s changes in sync with hearing the news. It was an epic fail to see that instant change in expression on Man United fan’s faces, when they realised their rivals had won the league in Fergie time… Epic fail
4. Tottenham and “Mind the gap”:
In November last year Spurs had a pretty good point lead on Arsenal. I think it was 11 points to start with and going up to 13 at one point in the season. Thus arrived the ‘Mind the Gap’ saying,which Tottenham fans posted around social network sites to various gooners. All Arsenal fans heard for a while, was ‘mind the gap’. But Arsenal fans got the last laugh when Tottenham slipped up and had a bad run of results, which led to Arsenal overtaking them in the league and giving Arsenal fans the chance to get revenge and use the phrase back at them.
3. John Terry:
I don’t think we need many words to explain why John Terry is on this list. After the racism incident towards the end of last year, all focus was on JT for the first 7 months of the year. Terry had his court case in July, in which he was found not guilty of Racism, which really wasn’t the verdict everyone was thinking he would get. The whole incident was a stupid one and it should never have got the press attention that it did. But the Epic fail lies with John Terry… there is no way he should have said what he said REGARDLESS of the intention.
2. The F.A:
The F.A have been one of the biggest epic fails this year. The manner in which they have dealt with some of the major issues in football has been detrimental to themselves and the game. Bad refereeing decisions and goal-line technology are some of the incidents in which they have failed completely. The England Managerial position was a disaster, after the F.A once again interfered with the England team, causing Fabio Capello to resign and leave us manager-less for a few months, right before a major tournament. All football decisions are meant in the manager’s hands and they took that away from Capello.
That is why they employed Hodgson, the ‘yes man’ now, he will always do what they say. Both the John Terry racism and Mikel/Clattenburg racism cases were dealt with awfully by the F.A. But the Epic fail of this year has to be the F.A’s ‘Kick it Out’ campaign team. 18 people, all of whom are white… Epic fail.
1. Football:
The world of football was a complete epic fail this year. In all the years of football I have watched, I think this was one of worse. It has especially been escalated by the coverage in the media. The racism issues in football have been despicable and probably the biggest epic fail. Racism has occurred amongst players and fans across the world in many games and tournaments, and it is shocking that this narrow-minded opinion even exists, but to have it affecting football is horrendous.
Racism should not be getting this much coverage at all and it should be dealt with in a better manner and definitely more privately away from the media. FIFA and UEFA and other Footballing associations have been involved in the incidents and have been in charge of the sanctions and punishments. I think they have handled all situations badly, after failing to have an appropriate system in place to deal with it.
There were other occurrences that marred our games this year: footballer’s behaviour on and off the pitch, managers have been a little more heated, violence on and off the pitch at games, racist and abusive chants. In a year where we gathered and united to watch the World partake in Olympics proudly and with camaraderie, happiness and peace, you have to wonder: when did this disappear from football?
So thats my Epic Fails from 2012… Do you agree or have any different ones that you would have added?
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