England remain unbeaten in 2011

England, under the guidance of Italian manager Fabio Capello, qualified for the Euro 2012 finals and managed to stay unbeaten throughout the year.

England played nine internationals in 2011 and the outcomes read:
February 9 − Denmark (friendly, Copenhagen) 2-1 (Bent, Young).
March 26 − Wales (Euro qualifier, Cardiff) 2-0 (Lampard pen., Bent).
March 29 − Ghana (friendly, Wembley) 1-1 (Carroll).
June 4 − Switzerland (Euro qualifier, Wembley) 2-2 (Lampard pen., Walcott).
September 2 − Bulgaria (Euro qualifier, Sofia) 3-0 (Cahill, Rooney 2).
September 6 − Wales (Euro qualifier, Wembley) 1-0 (Young).
October 7 − Montenegro (Euro qualifier, Podgorica) 2-2 (Young, Bent).
October 12 − Spain (friendly, Wembley) 1-0 (Lampard).
October 15 − Sweden (friendly, Wembley) 1-0 (Barry).

Other news of interest for October:

• Man. City topple Villarreal 3-0 in Spain. Other Champions League group matches: Genk-Chelsea 1-1, Arsenal-Marseille 0-0, Man. United-Otelul Galati 2-0.

• Fulham beat Wisla Krakow 4-1 at Craven Cottage. More Europa League group phase results: Rubin Kazan-Tottenham 1-0, Maccabi Tel Aviv-Stoke 1-2, Birmingham-Club Brugge 2-2, Celtic-Rennes 3-1.

• Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is voted Manager of the Month and Arsenal’s Robin van Persie takes the players’ prize.

• Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates 25 years as manager of Manchester United with a 1-0 win over Sunderland at Old Trafford.

• Scottish Premier League side Hibernian sack manager Colin Calderwood.

• Burnley legend Jimmy Adamson dies aged 82.

• In an Under-21 Euro Championship qualifier in Doncaster, England trounce Iceland 5-0 (Sordell, Kelly, Dawson, Gardner 2).

• England players get go-ahead to wear memorial poppies on armbands as FIFA move to draw a line under a row that had drawn angry protests.

• In a Euro 2012 play-off, Ireland beat Estonia 4-0 (Andrews, Walters, R. Keane 2, 1 pen.) in Tallinn.

• In a friendly international, Scotland edge Cyprus 2-1 (Miller, Mackie) away.

• Newcastle rename St James’s Park as Sports Arena after owner Mike Ashley’s company.

• Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque remarks that the players in the national side have been helped by their experience in the Premier League.

• In a friendly at Wembley, England beat world champions Spain 1-0 (Lampard). The last time England won against the world champions was in 1980 against Argentina at Wembley.

• In another friendly, Wales beat Norway 4-1 (Bale, Bellamy, Vokes 2).

• England suffer their first defeat in U-21 Euro championship, going down 1-2 (Kelly) away in Belgium.

• Ireland reach the finals of Euro 2012, defeating Estonia 5-1 on aggregate after the home 1-1 (Ward) draw.

• Non-League sides Fleetwood Town and Luton Town reach the second round of the FA Cup at the expense of Football League sides.

• At Wembley, England break a 43-year jinx, defeating Sweden 1-0 (Barry) in a friendly.

• Terry Butcher becomes the first Englishman to be inducted into Scottish football’s Hall of Fame.

• Premier League leaders Manchester City announce annual losses of £194 million, the highest ever recorded in English football.

• Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is on the 10-strong shortlist of FIFA 2011 Goal of the Year following his wonder goal against City last February.

• In the Champions League, Arsenal topple Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates. Other results: Napoli-Man. City 2-1, Man. United-Benfica 2-2, Bayer Leverkusen-Chelsea 2-1.

• England move up two places to fifth in the latest FIFA rankings.

• Hibernian appoint Pat Fenlon as new manager.

• Wales manager Gary Speed is found dead at his home.

• Premier League sides Blackburn (away at Cardiff 0-2) and Manchester United (home to Crystal Palace 1-2) are ousted from the League Cup quarter-finals by Championship sides.

• In the Europa League group matches Tottenham go down at home to PAOK Salonika 1-2. Other results: Braga-Birmingham 1-0, Celtic-Atletico Madrid 0-1.

Top scorers

Premier League
14 − Van Persie (Arsenal).
11 − Aguero (Man. City).
10 − Dzeko (Man. City).

The Championship
12 − Lambert (Southampton).
10 − McCormack (Leeds).
9 − Henderson (Millwall).

Scottish Premier
10 − Jelavic (Rangers).
9 − Hooper (Celtic); Naismith (Rangers).
8 − Stokes (Celtic).

Average attendances