10 to remember, 10 to forget

The past 12 months has produced a number of sporting highs and lows. Here we look back at those who had a 2007 to look back on fondly and others who had an annus horribilis

Last updated: 24th December 2007

January Ashes Shane Warne Review 2007 Australia

Take a bow son: Shane Warne says farewell to Test cricket

Related links

News

Feature

Gallery

Article/Blog

10 TO REMEMBER

JOE CALZAGHE

The Welshman was crowned undisputed world super-middleweight champion in Cardiff after a victory over Mikkel Kessler, who was previously unbeaten. It put him up there with the greats.

PREMIER LEAGUE FINALE

Manchester United had snatched the title from Chelsea, winning in style. Then, a Carlos Tevez-inspired West Ham won at Old Trafford to complete the most unlikely of relegation escapes.

LEWIS HAMILTON MAIDEN WIN

A star was born after podium finishes in his first five races as a rookie in Formula One. His maiden victory, in Montreal, raised hope of the drivers' championship, hope the nation held going into the final Grand Prix of the year.

SHANE WARNE QUITS TESTS

England batsmen will want to forget him, but cricket will miss him. He went out at the top, helping Australia win the Ashes back with a 5-0 whitewash.

YUVRAJ SINGH

The World Twenty20 tournament was thrilling, and Yuvraj's six sixes in Stuart Broad's over was the most memorable of many highlights.

PAULA RADCLIFFE'S COMEBACK

Radcliffe issued a statement of intent for the 2008 Olympics as she marked her comeback from injury and childbirth with a memorable win in the New York City Marathon.

FRANCE v ENGLAND

Written off after one game of the World Cup, England's rugby heroes earned a place in the final of the tournament thanks to an early Josh Lewsey try and the boot of Jonny Wilkinson. Sebastien Chabal and co were deflated.

JAMES McFADDEN

McFadden's stunning goal, a 30-yard drive that Mickael Landreau could only help into the top corner, gave Scotland real hope of reaching the European Championships next year.

FLAT JOCKEYS' CHAMPIONSHIP

Seb Sanders and Jamie Spencer shared the title after a titanic battle. Spencer drew level with Sanders' 190 wins in the final race of the season, at Doncaster. Honours were shared for the first time since 1923.

JUSTIN ROSE

Rose won the European Order of Merit and the Volvo Masters after a dramatic final day at Valderrama. Four clear with eight to play, Rose had to come through two holes of a play-off with Simon Dyson and Soren Kjeldsen.

10 TO FORGET

ENGLAND v CROATIA

Having been given a second chance they barely merited by Israel's win over Russia the previous Saturday, England proceed to stuff things up royally on their own time. The Croats played beautifully on a woeful pitch. England were merely woeful as a 3-2 win for the visitors eliminated them from Euro 2008 qualification.

TOUR DE FARCE

The reputation of the "greatest cycle race on earth'' was in tatters after this year's Tour was hit by drug controversies.

MARION JONES

Jones handed back the medals she won at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney after she admitted taking steroids. Athletics, like cycling, had its reputation tarnished.

LEWIS HAMILTON IN BRAZIL

Hamilton started the day on course for the drivers' championship but then hit problems at the start of the race and found himself at the back of the field. He got up to seventh but it was not enough to prevent Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen taking the title.

CRICKET WORLD CUP

Bob Woolmer's death put the "Fredalo'' incident in perspective. The tournament itself was farcical, with empty stands and dull matches.

JELLY BEANS

India's Zaheer Khan felt insulted by England's behaviour at Trent Bridge, with home players throwing sweets on the wicket. He responded with a nine-wicket haul as the tourists won the second Test easily.

AUTOBIOGRAPHIES

Duncan Fletcher's revelations about Andrew Flintoff left a sour taste from his time as England's coach. Lawrence Dallaglio and Mike Catt criticising Brian Ashton highlighted the demands on sportsmen who want to write.

CARLOS TEVEZ SAGA

Tevez inspired West Ham in their amazing relegation campaign - but was he eligible to play? Sheffield United went down and the messy saga continued.

THE ASHES

Australia showed how much England had hurt them in 2005. They scented a whitewash and completed the 5-0 humiliation in Sydney at the start of the year.

JUANDE RAMOS' MEETING

Tottenham officials met Ramos at the Alfonso XIII hotel in Sevilla while Martin Jol was still in charge at White Hart Lane, and the Dutchman was a "dead man walking'' from then.