The following are the most significant events in UK football that brought joy and heartache to the fans in 2011.
January
• Three records are set on the last day of the transfer window − Chelsea pay £50m to sign Fernando Torres from Liverpool and Liverpool break the club record on two occasions as they acquire Luis Suarez from Ajax for £22.7m and Andy Carroll from Newcastle for £35m.
• Celtic boss Neil Lennon is handed a six-match touchline ban by the Scottish FA for an excessive misconduct charge.
• Bolton’s Nat Lofthouse (The Lion of Vienna) dies, aged 85.
• Man. United keeper Edwin van der Sar, 40, declares that he will hang up his boots at the end of the 2010-11 campaign.
February
• Manchester United defender Gary Neville announces his retirement with immediate effect as a result of a series of niggling injuries.
• Ashley Cole, of Chelsea, is voted England’s Player of the Year by the fans.
• West Ham win the backing of Olympic bosses to take over the 2012 stadium in east London after the Games.
• At Wembley, Birmingham surprise Arsenal 2-1 to lift the League Cup for the first time since 1963.
March
• In the Champions League, Tottenham hold Milan to a 0-0 draw in the second leg at White Hart Lane to proceed to the quarter-finals of the competition.
• Alex Ferguson, of Manchester United, is hit with a five-match ban for his comments about FA referee Martin Atkinson.
• At Hampden Park, Rangers topple Celtic 2-1 after extra time to claim the Scottish League Cup.
• England beat Wales 2-0 (Lampard pen, Bent) in Cardiff in a European Champion-ship qualifier.
April
• Newcastle United return to the Premier League after one season following a 2-1 home victory over Sheffield United.
• At Wembley, Chelsea beat Aston Villa 2-1 and Portsmouth defeat Tottenham 2-0 after extra-time to reach the FA Cup final.
• The PFA awards are picked by Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, Player of the Year) and James Milner (Aston Villa, Young Player). Rooney also grabs the football writers’ yearly prize.
• Rangers retain the Scottish Premier League title.
May
• Manchester United make English footballing history by claiming a record 19th league title.
• Manchester City beat Stoke 1-0 to win the FA Cup for the first time in 35 years.
• In the play-off final for a place in the Premiership, Swansea beat Reading 4-2.
• Manchester United lose 1-3 to Barcelona in the final of the Champions League at Wembley Stadium.
June
• In Ireland’s 2-0 win in Macedonia, captain Robbie Keane becomes the first British and Ireland player to reach the 50-goal mark with his opening strike.
• Chelsea name Porto’s Andre Villas-Boas as manager.
• England move to fourth place in the FIFA rankings for the first time since 1977.
• England are ousted from the U-21 Championship finals after a 1-2 upset to the Czech Republic.
July
• Manchester City’s ground is named ‘Etihad Stadium’ in a £150m deal.
• Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira hangs up his boots and takes up a coaching job with the club’s youngsters.
• The Scottish FA launch a historic Performance Awards Scheme, a £500,000 initiative to encourage clubs to develop and promote young players.
• Man. City fork out a record fee of £38m for Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid.
August
• Share analysts reveal that £710m was spent over the course of the year on transfers, a 2011 record for Premier clubs.
• Budweiser named as the first US sponsor of England’s FA Cup in a three-year deal.
• Man. United lift the Community Shield, beating Man. City 3-2 at Wembley.
• The friendly between England and the Netherlands, scheduled for Wembley, is called off due to riots in London.
September
• Ashley Young’s goal at Wembley against Wales sends England to the brink of qualification for the European Championship finals.
• Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs scores in the 1-1 draw at Benfica, breaking his own Champions League record as the oldest scorer in the competition at 37 years. Giggs overtakes Raul’s feat to become the only player to score in 16 seasons of the tournament.
• In the 3-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford, United claim their fifth consecutive home win – a record for best opening and top winning run under Ferguson.
• Manchester City suspend Carlos Tevez and fine him £500,000. The club also open an investigation after the Argentine striker allegedly refused to come on as a substitute in the Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.
October
• Unbeaten England secure a place in the 2012 European Championship finals after a 2-2 draw in Montenegro where striker Wayne Rooney is sent off.
• The Football Association recognise Chelsea for having the best disciplinary record during the 2010-11 season
• Ireland progress to the Euro 2012 play-offs after a 2-1 home win over Armenia.
• The 6-1 defeat of Manchester United by Manchester City at Old Trafford is the worst Premier League loss for the Reds and the heaviest defeat for Ferguson in his 54-year career as a player and manager.
November
• England beat world champions Spain 1-0 in a friendly match at Wembley.
• Alex Ferguson celebrates 25 years as manager of Manchester United.
• Ireland reach the Euro 2012 finals after outsmarting Estonia 5-1 on aggregate.
December
• Stoke set a milestone in Europe as they qualify for the Europa League knock-out stage for the first time.
• England are drawn in Group D with France, Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine in the Euro 2012 finals.
• Manchester City create a club record after stretching their unbeaten start to 14 Premier League games.
• Sunderland appoint Martin O’Neill as manager following the sacking of Steve Bruce.