The grand and bland of 2010

January

• Cold economic climate hits the second transfer window as most clubs, particularly those in the lower divisions, sign players on loan only.

• The Football Association state that the weekend’s FA Cup average attendances for round three have been the highest since 1980.

• Crystal Palace, of the Championship, are docked 10 points as the club goes into administration.

• The Champions League final tops the chart of the most-watched annual sporting event for the first time as the duel between Barce-lona and Manchester United, in Rome, in May 2009, drew a TV audience of 109 million.

February

• John Terry is stripped of the England captaincy after a series of lurid allegations about his private life. Rio Ferdinand takes over the responsibility.

• Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard becomes the top British goalscorer in Europe, taking his tally to 33 after his netting against Romanian side Urziceni. Gerrard surpasses Alan Shearer’s record of 32.

• Debt-laden Portsmouth become the first Premier League club to go into administration. They are docked nine points.

• Manchester United beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Wembley to lift the League Cup for the fourth time in their history.

March

• The FA Premier League shelves plans to introduce a play-off to decide which club takes England’s fourth and final place in the Champions League.

• FA chief executive Ian Watmore resigns after just nine months in the role.

• The sacking of Phil Brown from his managerial job at Hull City brings the total of dismissals to five for the 2009-10 season in the top echelon.

• Portsmouth have been given special permission to sell players outside the transfer window (cannot play for another Premier League club) to ease their financial crisis.

April

• Luton Town lose their Football League status after a 0-0 home draw against Chesterfield.

• For a record third season running, English clubs reach the last four of the Champions League − Chelsea (Liverpool 7-5 on aggregate), Arsenal (Villarreal 4-1) and Manchester United (Porto 3-2).

• Southampton will be relegated from the Championship after being hit by a 10-point deduction by the Football League as the club’s parent company goes into administration.

• Ryan Giggs, of Manchester United, is named PFA Player of the Year. The Young Player award goes to Aston Villa’s Ashley Young.

May

• Tottenham’s Harry Redknapp is named Premier League Manager of the Year.

• Chelsea are crowned champions, one point ahead of Manchester United, after beating Wigan 8-0 at Stamford Bridge on the final day.

• Chelsea claim their first ‘double’ after defeating Portsmouth 2-0 at Wembley in the final of the FA Cup.

• Blackpool stun English football by gaining promotion to the Premier League, defeating favourites Cardiff 3-2 in the play-offs final at Wembley.

June

• A new rule requiring clubs to have at least 10 ‘home grown’ players in their squads is agreed to by the Football League.

• In their opening World Cup match, England are held to a 1-1 draw by the US.

• John Terry apologises to England manager Fabio Capello for suggesting at a press conference that there was unrest among the players.

• As they bow out of the World Cup, England suffer their most humiliating defeat, going down 1-4 to Germany in the first knock-out stage.

July

• The English FA announce that Capello will stay as England manager at least until the Euro 2012 finals.

• Premier League referee Howard Webb shows a record tally of yellow and red cards in an abrasive World Cup final between Spain and Holland (1-0) in Johan-nesburg.

• England slump to 13th in the FIFA rankings after their disastrous appearance in South Africa.

• The Ballon d’Or and World Cup Player of the Year awards are to merge. FIFA Ballon d’Or will be the name for both prizes.

August

• Premier League clubs share a record revenue of £1.26 billion for season 2009-10. The 18 per cent rise is largely due to a huge increase in the value of overseas television rights, which have doubled to exceed £1 billion over three years for the first time.

• The Premier League agree a three-year funding deal with the Football League clubs worth £372 million.

• Capello issues an apology for England’s dismal World Cup... 40 days after their elimination.

• Aiden McGeady, of Celtic, becomes the most expensive export for Scottish football, joining Spartak Moscow for £9.5m.

September

• Ghana World Cup forward Asamoah Gyan signs for Sunderland for a club record fee of £13.1m from French club Stade Rennes.

• In Colchester, England’s Under-21 side qualify for the UEFA European Championship play-offs with a 3-0 (Welbeck 2, Albrighton) win over Lithuania. Scotland also reach the deciders following their 2-1 victory over Austria in Aberdeen.

• Capello stuns England by confirming his intention to quit the scene after Euro 2012.

October

• England’s U-21 team, led by Stuart Pearce, qualifies for the European Championship finals for the third consecutive time.

• Manchester City report losses of £121 million for the financial year that ended in May 31, spending more on wages than their entire turnover.

• The owners of the Boston Red Sox baseball team take over at Liverpool.

• A number of players and staff are to lose their jobs as Dundee FC have been officially been put into administration after failing to negotiate the payment of £365,000 tax bill. This is the second time in seven years that Dundee had been forced into administration.

November

• Scottish First Division side Dundee receive a massive 25-point deduction for entering administration.

• Tottenham announce record revenue of £119.8 million for the year ending June 30, 2010.

• Capello hands debut to forwards Andy Carroll, of Newcastle United, and Jay Bothroyd, of Cardiff, and to Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson in the 1-2 (Crouch) friendly upset to France at Wembley.

• Jose Mourinho, now at the helm of Primera Liga giants Real Madrid, has been indicted into the League Managers Association’s Hall of Fame, joining fellow colleagues Alex Ferguson, Matt Busby, Bob Paisley and Arsene Wenger.

December

• Manchester City and Liverpool, the only two survivors in the Europa League, progress to the knock-out stage of the 2010-11 tournament.

• Pepe Reina becomes the ‘quickest’ Liverpool goalkeeper to chalk up 100 clean sheets in the league, reaching his landmark in 127 matches.

• Ex-Sheffield United manager Gary Speed is named national coach of Wales.