THE SOCCER YEAR IN QUESTION....

2009
By BRIAN McNALLY of the SUNDAY MIRROR
Brian tests your powers of recall on the football year that was 2009. Discover j
ust how you rate in the soccer knowledge league.

1.Why did Serbian Mariana Kovacevic make Premier League news this autumn?
2.Which well-known broadcaster said: "I want to be the Wayne Rooney of Radio Two
"?
3.Middlesbrough lost to Everton in the FA Cup quarter final in March. What is un
ique about the manner of Boro's FA Cup exits in the last five seasons.?
4.Who said after his club's relegation from the Premier League in May: " Newca
stle have got what they deserved."?
5.Which Premier League club did Hartlepool knock out of the FA Cup in January?
6.Who is the only player to have scored a goal in every one of the Premier Leagu
e's 18 seasons
7.Whose January sale made him the most expensive English striker in history with
aggregate transfer fees of around £35million?
8.Which superstar wrote off his Ferrari in a January car crash?
9.Which side ended Manchester City's quest for the UEFA Cup at the quarter final
stage?
10.Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar took his clean sheet record to 1,031 mi
nutes and 11 games against West Brom. Whose Premier League record did the Dutchm
an beat?
11.North London rivals Arsenal and Spurs both made dramatic late signings as the
January transfer window closed. Name the two players involved.
12.Who scored the Everton goal- initially missed by the ITV cameras- that knocke
d Liverpool out of the FA Cup in February?
13.A goal-less home draw against which out-of-form Premier League outfit signal
led the end of L:uiz Felipe Scolari's reign at Chelsea?
14.Who hit a hat-trick in Guus Hiddink's first game in charge of Chelsea in an F
A Cup win over Watford?
15.Manchester United beat Spurs in a Carling Cup Final penalty shoot-out. What w
as the score after extra time?
16.Which Manchester United player was sent off as they crashed 4-1 to Liverpool
at Old Trafford after Cristiano Ronaldo had given them the lead?
17.Manchester City's Robinho threatened to sue which famous former player over
allegations that he had a drug problem?
18.Twenty two fans died at a World Cup qualfying match in which African country
?
19.Which two Rangers stars were booted out of the Scotland squad after insulting
the |Tartan Army and being involved in a drinking session?
20.How many goals did Chelsea's classic Champions League quarter final against L
iverpool produce?
21.Ryan Giggs was PFA Player of the Year but who took the Football Writer Associ
ation award?
22.Arsenal suffered their worst defeat in 32 yeaars- 4-1- against which Premier
League opponents?
23.Manchester United's third Premier League title in a row equalled Liverpool's
all-time record of how many top-flight Championship successes?
24.Everton's Louis Saha scored the fastest goal in FA Cup Final history. What as
the official time of the record-breaking strike?
25. Ryan Giggs is the first footballer to become BBC Sports Personality of the Y
ear since 2001. Who was the previous football winner?
26.David Beckham became England's most capped outfield player in a 4-0 win over
Slovakia at Wembley. Whose record did he beat?
27.Who scored the Barcelona goals in their 2-0 Champions League Final success ov
er Manchester United?
28.The world transfer record was smashed twice in a matter of weeks by Real Madr
id in June. Who cost more Kaka or Cristiano Ronaldo?
29.Brazil came from 2-0 down to beat which nation in the Confederations Cup Fina
l?
30. Who is the 2009 European Footballer of the Year?

ANSWERS
1.She is the housewife Arsenal's Robin van Persie has turned to for placenta tre
atment on his ankle injury
2. Chris Evans
3.They have been knocked out every season since 2004/05 by the eventual beaten
finalists.
4.Toon interim boss Alan Shearer
5.Stoke City
6. Ryan Giggs
7.Jermain |Defoe when he moved from Pompey to Spurs
8.Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo
9.Manchester City
10.Petr Cech of Chelsea
11.Andrei Arshavin and Robbie Keane
12.Dan Gosling
13.Hull City
14.Nicolas Anelka
15.0-0
16.Nemanja Vidic
17.Pele
18.Ivory Coast (during a game against Malawi)
19.Barry Ferguson and Alan McGregor
20.12- Chelsea won 7-5 on aggregate
21.Steven Gerrard of Liverpool
22.Chelsea
23.18
24. 25 seconds
25. David Beckham
26.Bobby Moore (108 caps)
27.Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi
28.Ronaldo who cost £80million,Kaka was £56million.
29.USA
30. Lionel Messi
How did you rate as a Premier League expert?
25-30 Wow! Gold Trafford standard
20-25 Very good-In the Champions League places
15-20 Average- Marooned in mid table
10-15 Below par- Just enough to survive another season
Below 10- Oh dear! Down among the dead men
This article was first published in the Sunday Mirror in December 2009.
You can read Brian McNally every week in the Sunday Mirror or at www.mirrorfoot
ball.co.uk