Source: Daily_Mail
THE LIST: The 50 memorable moments of the season, Nos 20-11
HAVE YOUR SAY... What will be your abiding memory of this season? Sportsmail are remembering the top 50 moments of the English football season for the latest edition of The List. But what will be your abiding memory? The madness at Notts County? Fulham's heroics? Or how about Jermaine Beckford seeing off Manchester United in the FA Cup? TELL US WHAT YOU THINK It's that time of year again when football fans up and down thecountry can sit back, take a breather before the World Cup and reflecton another action-packed season.[LNB]The campaign got off to a flyerlast August as a rampant Arsenal side hammered Everton while Norwichlooked nothing like potential League One champions as they crumbled 7-1at home to Colchester on the opening day.[LNB]Performances on thepitch amazed and disgusted us in equal measure, while some of thebehaviour off the field left us shaking our heads in disbelief. [LNB]The latest edition of The List outlines Sportsmail's magic moments of the past 10 months and we'll count them down every day this week before revealing the top 10 on Friday.[LNB]It's all in here - from the big, big stories at little Notts County to the success/failure of English clubs on the continent. [LNB]And, as always, if you think we've missed anything out, make sure you let us know.[LNB]Enjoy...[LNB]Read Nos 50-41Read Nos 40-31Read Nos 30-21Read Nos 20-11 10. Sven appointed Notts County director of footballThe news of Sven's arrival in east Midlands in July rocked football and proved to be a was a massive coup for the Meadow Lane minnows.[LNB]The move for the former England manager was heralded as the start of a new era for the oldest club in football. [LNB]And a seven year plan was put in place to take the club into the Premier League! [LNB]But were we really surprised to see the Swede depart just a few months later as the promises of a bottomless pot of cash, new stadium, training facilities and the rest turned out to be somewhat over-ambitious? No, no we weren't.[LNB]9. Chelsea beat Wigan to seal titleThe Blues already had a fantastic scoring record coming into the crunch title decider with Wigan - they had scored seven goals on three occasions no less. [LNB]However with United breathing down their necks and the shock 3-1 defeat to the Latics earlier in the season in mind - there was no sense that victory was a full gone conclusion for Chelsea. [LNB]But Nicolas Anelka's early goal settled the nerves and there was a hat-trick for golden boot winner Didier Drogba as Carlo Ancelotti's smashed eight to become Premier League champions for the third time in six years. [LNB]8. Sir Bobby Robson His love of the game, sense of fair play and youthful vigour - even into his 70s - are memories we all treasure of Sir Bobby. [LNB]For one generation he'll be remembered as the manager who brought the FA Cup and UEFA Cup to Ipswich Town. Another will remember his ecstatic jig as Bobby's Boys went so close to World Cup glory at Italia 90. [LNB]And he was a hero his native Newcastle where he returned to manage and restore pride to a club which had lost its way. [LNB]So it was real sadness that we saw a man with so much drive and energy being pushed around the St James' Park pitch in a wheelchair at a charity fund raiser - just days before he passed away. We miss you, Sir Bobby. [LNB]7. Leeds beat Manchester United For so long one of the first contests to look out for when the fixture list was released. Leeds v Manchester United - two teams separated by the Pennines, joined by a mutual loathing you can trace back through the annals of the English game.[LNB]However, following the Yorkshire club's financial implosion and subsequent relegation to the third tier of English football we had been denied the enthralling spectacle. [LNB]So it was with open-mouthed shock that we watched as the League One outfit triumphed via Jermaine Beckford's first-half strike to dump Sir Alex's side out of the FA Cup and secure Leeds' first win at Old Trafford since 1981. [LNB]6. Lionel Messi 4 Arsenal 1There's being taught a football lesson and then there's being taught a Messi lesson. [LNB]The writing was on the wall for Arsenal in the first leg as Barcelona threatened to run riot. But the diminutive Argentine was strangely subdued at the Emirates.[LNB]Not so in the second leg as the Catalan's No 10 tricked and dazzled his way to four fabulous goals which sent the Gunners crashing out of the Champions League. [LNB]3. Tom Hicks JnrThe litany of failures at Anfield this season could fill one of our Lists on its own. But this effort from co-owner Tom Hicks' son was pretty special.[LNB]Hicks Jnr responded to correspondence from Stephen Horner, a member of the influential Spirit of Shankly fans' group with abusive replies. [LNB]In the first, he called him an 'idiot', the second said: 'Blow me, f***face. Go to hell, I'm sick of you.' [LNB]The barrage of embarrassing headlines which followed left Hicks no option but to exit the building - for good. [LNB]4. Mourinho returns to ChelseaWith a handful of biscuits and sharp wit, Jose Mourinho returned like a whirlwind into our lives at Stamford Bridge in April. [LNB]The Special One predicted he would be 'lucky' on his return to the Kings Road but he didn't need luck. [LNB]After picking up back-to-back titles during his three years working for Roman Abramovich he returned to sink the Russian billionaire's Champions League dream with Inter Milan. [LNB]The Portuguese marshalled his side well from the touchline. Wesley Sneijder linked with Samuel Eto'o to score the winning goal and Mourinho celebrated with such vigour in the dressing room that he injured his hand. [LNB]3. Beach ball-gateLife really can be a... beach! The young Liverpool fan who punched the inflatable ball onto the pitch during the game with Sunderland could never imagine what was going to happen next. [LNB]Darren Bent's shot cannoned off said ball thus deceiving Pepe Reina - the match ball hit the back of the net. [LNB]To compound the matter referee Mike Jones allowed to goal to stand when it should have been struck off. And sales of beach balls In the Manchester area have since rocketed.[LNB]2. John Terry/Wayne Bridge affair - the handshakeThe moment was so huge that Sky Sports rescheduled their adverts so they wouldn't miss it. [LNB]Would Wayne Bridge accept John Terry's handshake during the pre-match Fair Play ritual?[LNB]The tabloids had gone into affair-overdrive after allegations about an alleged affair between Terry and lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel, the mother of Bridge's three-year-old son. [LNB]And the two came face-to-face days later when Chelsea face Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. But it was Bridge's day in the end -he snubbed his former team-mate and City ran out comprehensive 4-2 winners.[LNB]1. Fulham 4 Juventus 1It was been a remarkable 10-month, 19-game and 20,000-mile journey for Fulham. Roy Hodgson's boys failed to overcome Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final - but what a journey it had been. [LNB]A rollercoaster ride to the final in Hamburg included superb victories over Italian giants Roma, the holders Shakhtar Donetsk, German champions Wolfsburg, and Hamburg. [LNB]But the highlight must surely be the destruction of Juventus at Craven Cottage in March. [LNB]The Whites started the second of the last 16 clash facing a mountain to climb - beaten 3-1 in the away leg, the odds were stacked against them. [LNB]And David Trezeguet scored inside the opening two minutes many shrugged their shoulder 'oh well, haven't little Fulham done well anyway.' [LNB]Yes, they'd done well but they were about to do better. Zamora fired them level on the night and goals either side of half time from Zoltan Gera brought parity on aggregate.[LNB]But the best was saved for last - £1.5m signing Clint Dempsey, the American signed from New England Rebvolution conjured up a delightful chipped finish that any of the Old Lady's famous faces would be glad to have scored. [LNB]And the Whites went marching on... only to lose the final in extra-time. [LNB] The best of the rest of The ListSportsmail's top 50 players to have never won the titleSportsmail's top 50 signings of the seasonSportsmail's top 50 most entertaining teams in historySportsmail's top 50 of golf's major miraclesSportsmail's top 50 National Hunt HorsesSportsmail's top 50 Premier League players of the decadeSportsmail's top 50 last-gasp goals in British footballSportsmail's top 50 footballers never to play at the World CupSportsmail's top 50 sporting feuds of all timeSportsmail's 50 great sports photographsSportsmail's top 50 commentators of all timeSportsmail's top 50 sporting venuesSportsmail's top 50 performers of the season so farSportsmail's top 50 all-time managers in BritainSportsmail's top 50 goal poachersSportsmail's top 50 footballing traitorsSportsmail's top 50 FA Cup heroesSportsmail's greatest Wembley finals in historySportsmail's top 50 biggest hitters in cricketSportsmail's top 50 British & Irish LionsSportsmail's top 50 Ashes heroesSportsmail's top 50 players of the Premier League season [LNB]
