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12 moments that defined 2012

(FIFA.com) Wednesday 26 December 2012

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Football has thrilled, enthralled and stirred the emotions over the course of 2012. Here,FIFA.com singles out 12 moments that have made it a year to remember in the beautiful game.

Zambia’s poignant prize 

12 February 

Zambia winning their first-ever CAF Africa Cup of Nations title in February would have been remarkable enough. That they beat heavy favourites Cote d’Ivoire to claim the trophy added shock value. But it was the fact that the game was their first in Libreville since the 1993 plane crash that killed all but one of their national team following a refuelling stop in the Gabonese capital that made this the most emotion-laden victory of the year.

Muamba’s miracle 

17 March

Tears were shed for a very different reason later that month when a sell-out crowd and worldwide TV audience watched aghast as Fabrice Muamba fought for his life on the White Hart Lane turf. It quickly became clear that Bolton Wanderers’ Congolese-born midfielder had suffered a cardiac arrest and yet, despite the fact his heart stopped for an incredible 78 minutes, he lived to tell the tale and has since written a book about his brush with death.

Stoppage-time Sergio 

13 May 

The battle for the English Premier League title went down to the final minute of the final game of the season... and beyond. It was, after all, five minutes into stoppage time against Queens Park Rangers, with Manchester United’s match at Sunderland already over, that Sergio Aguero struck the shot that clinched Manchester City’s first championship in 44 years.

Drogba’s final fling 

19 May 

Didier Drogba’s place among Chelsea’s all-time greats was already assured by the time he headed them level in a UEFA Champions League final in which they had been second-best throughout. Yet that equaliser merely set the stage for the Ivorian’s crowning moment, a coolly dispatched penalty with his final kick for the Blues that secured the club’s first-ever European crown.

Tahiti conquer continent 

10 June 

Before this year, the OFC Nations Cup had never left the Antipodes. It was, therefore, a major shock when New Zealand, fresh from their FIFA World Cup heroics, failed to even reach the final in the Solomon Islands. Instead, the continental title was fought over by Tahiti and New Caledonia, and it was a solitary goal from Steevy Chong Hue that secured the title, and a place at the FIFA Confederations Cup, for the French Polynesians.

Rangers go under 

14 June

Rangers’ perilous financial position had been an open secret but there was still shock when, after 140 years of history and a world record 54 league titles, the club was consigned to liquidation in mid-June. The Glasgow giants were subsequently reformed as a new company and granted entry to the Third Division, Scotland’s fourth tier, which they currently lead by nine points with a game in hand.

From Official Celtic website. see April last line. http://www.celticfc.net/newsstory?item=3518

The story behind 2012

By: Newsroom Staff on 31 Dec, 2012 10:26

AS we approach the dawning of the New Year and the halfway point in the season in which Celtic celebrate 125 years of unbroken history, we take a look back at the previous 12 months of action.

There have been many highs and we look forward to celebrating a few more over the coming 12 months.

 

JANUARY

HAVING finished 2011 with a 1-0 victory over Rangers to go top of the SPL table, Celtic kicked off the New Year with a comprehensive 3-0 win against Dunfermline at East End Park, with Victor Wanyama, Anthony Stokes and Charlie Mulgrew on the scoresheet. The following week featured a trek north to face Peterhead in the Scottish Cup, and Neil Lennon’s side recorded their second consecutive 3-0 victory, courtesy of a Stokes hat-trick. Two successive league wins followed, a 2-1 home win against Dundee United and a 2-0 away win against St Mirren, which featured another great Scott Brown goal, before January’s fixtures were completed with a trip to Hampden for the semi-final of the Scottish Communities League Cup. First Division Falkirk were the opponents, and Celtic, thanks to goals from Scott Brown with a penalty, and an Anthony Stokes double, won the match 3-1 to book their place in the final.

FEBRUARY

HAVING booked a place in the League Cup final, Celtic turned their attentions to the other domestic final at the beginning of February. And it was a potentially tricky tie as the Hoops travelled to Inverness. However, Neil Lennon’s side produced a dominant performance, with goals from Georgios Samaras and another Scott Brown penalty giving Celtic a 2-0 win. And the Hoops followed that up with a stunning 4-0 victory at Tynecastle against Hearts. Celtic raced into a 3-0 lead inside the first half-hour and they remained in control of proceedings until the final whistle. February proved to be a very successful month for the Celts, with six victories recorded, 15 goals scored and none conceded. That tally also included a 1-0 home win over Inverness in the league, another emphatic capital display to beat Hibernian 5-0, and successive home wins over Dunfermline (2-0) and Motherwell (1-0).

MARCH

IF February produced a perfect report card from the six fixtures, then March’s four games were more disappointing. The month began with a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie, which signalled an end to Celtic’s impressive run of domestic victories, which stretched all the way back to November 2011 and which amounted to 20 consecutive wins. Normall service was resumed eight days, later, however, with an impressive Scottish Cup win at Tannadice. Four second-half goals gave the Hoops an emphatic 4-0 victory and set them up for the League Cup final the following week. It was to prove a day of disappointment at Hampden, however, as Celtic lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock, conceding a goal with six minutes remaining. There was late controversy as the Hoops appeared to be denied a penalty, but it was the blue and white ribbons of Killie which were on the trophy. And the following week saw an even more controversial game as nine-man Celtic lost 3-2 at Ibrox.

APRIL

CELTIC bounced back from two consecutive defeats to beat St Johnstone 2-0 on April Fool’s Day, though it took two second-half goals to sink the Saints. The significance of the victory, however, was that it meant Celtic travelled to Rugby Park the following weekend, knowing that a victory would deliver the SPL title back to Paradise. It was the same ground where, back in October 2011, Celtic had trailed 3-0 at half-time and their title challenge seemed on the verge of collapse. A second-half comeback rescued a point that day, and now Neil Lennon’s side were intent on sealing the title. It was another six-goal thriller against Kilmarnock, but this time all the goals were scored by Celtic. Neil Lennon’s side were now the champions, and deservedly so, and the three stands at Rugby park which were packed with Celtic fans celebrated the triumph. Any hope of a double was ended the following week, with a 2-1 defeat in the Scottish Cup semi-final to Hearts, but Celtic followed that up with consecutive 3-0 victories – against Motherwell at Fir Park and in the last ever derby against Rangers at Paradise.