Review of the sporting year - January: Month-by-month guide to the stories that had us gripped in 2010

By Sportsmail Reporter
Updated: 08:04 EST, 20 December 2010


Another sporting year is coming to an end, and once again 2010 has delivered the goods. An Olympic Winter Games, a World Cup and so many other marvellous events have kept us enthralled for the past twelve months.

Relive some of those memories with Sportsmail's monthly guide to another year to remember.

 

January

1 Everton manager David Moyes suspended on-loan striker Jo for a breach of club discipline after the Brazilian returned home for Christmas without permission. Defender Steve Finnan admitted Portsmouth players were becoming concerned that the club had once again failed to pay wages on time as the club's financial crisis deepened. Phil Taylor remained on course for his 15th world title after sweeping aside his former apprentice Adrian Lewis in the quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.

2 Coca-Cola Championship strugglers Reading held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at the Madejski Stadium in the FA Cup third round. Coventry and Nottingham Forest also secured replays against Premier League opposition in Portsmouth and Birmingham respectively. Everton were made to battle hard to reach round four but two late goals saw them overcome Carlisle 3-1, while there were comfortable wins for Tottenham, Bolton and Wigan. Speculation over the future of Burnley manager Owen Coyle intensified after he missed the press conference following the Clarets' 2-1 FA Cup win at MK Dons. Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie revealed he hoped the club's players would be paid their December wages on 'Monday or Tuesday'.

3 Jermaine Beckford's strike earned League One Leeds a 1-0 FA Cup third-round win over old rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford. Phil Taylor won the PDC World Championship final with a 7-3 victory over Simon Whitlock at Alexandra Palace to take his 15th world title. The Rugby Football Union confirmed they would investigate whether Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter should face charges of bringing the game into disrepute for his comments about referees following their Guinness Premiership match against Leicester.

Look at what I've won again: Phil Taylor with the trophy after claiming a 15th world title

Look at what I've won again: Phil Taylor with the trophy after claiming a 15th world title

4 Burnley held talks with Owen Coyle about his future at the club with a decision about a switch to Bolton to be made. Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky signed a new contract at the Emirates Stadium, but the club did not announce the length of the deal. Portsmouth pay non-playing staff their December wages, but the players remained unpaid as the Premier League prepared to distribute TV money direct to other clubs still owed money by the struggling south coast outfit.

5 Owen Coyle 'reaffirmed his desire to leave Burnley' and join Bolton, the Clarets said in a statement.
Former Renault team principal Flavio Briatore had his lifetime ban from motor sport, imposed by the FIA, overturned in a French court. Portsmouth failed to pay their players but hoped to do so the following day (January 6), the club admitted.

6 Preston appointed Darren Ferguson as their new manager. Burnley chairman Barry Kilby confirmed first-team coach Steve Davis would take temporary charge of first-team affairs for Burnley's Barclays Premier League match against Stoke on Saturday, January 9. David Beckham made his second AC Milan debut, playing for 75 minutes in a 5-2 Serie A win over Genoa at the San Siro.

7 Portsmouth finally paid their players wages for December. Patrick Vieira flew to England to put the finishing touches to his deal to join Manchester City. Birmingham agree deal to sign Michel from Sporting Gijon.

8 Togo's team bus was attacked as they headed to their African Nations Cup base in Angola, leaving the driver dead and two players among the injured. Captain and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor revealed the team would decide whether to compete in the tournament. Owen Coyle was confirmed as the new manager of Bolton after a compensation agreement was reached with his old club Burnley. Sheffield Wednesday appointed former Preston boss Alan Irvine. Former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira signed a six-month deal with Manchester City in a move from Inter Milan.

Tragedy: Togolese gendarmes carry the coffin of one of the victims of the attack in Angola

Tragedy: Togolese gendarmes carry the coffin of one of the victims of the attack in Angola

9 Two Barclays Premier League matches took place - with five Saturday games and two Sunday games postponed - in a programme decimated by Arctic conditions across the country. Arsenal and Everton drew 2-2 at the Emirates Stadium and Birmingham and Manchester United drew 1-1. Togo withdrew from the African Nations Cup in Angola following the terrorist attack on their team bus.
Great Britain lost 2-1 to Spain in the Hopman Cup final after Andy Murray and Laura Robson were beaten in the decisive mixed doubles.

10 The Togo squad flew home following the terrorist attack on their team bus, although their African Nations Cup future remained shrouded in uncertainty after it emerged they had asked to return to Angola at a later date. In the tournament's opening match, Mali came from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 with hosts Angola. Colin Montgomerie led Europe to an 8 1/2-7 1/2 win over Asia at the Royal Trophy in Bangkok, while Geoff Ogilvy won the opening US PGA Tour event of the season by successfully defending the SBS Championship in Hawaii. The Arizona Cardinals snatched a 51-45 sudden-death overtime win over the Green Bay Packers to keep alive hopes of an instant return to the Super Bowl, while the The Baltimore Ravens outmuscled the New England Patriots 33-14 to advance to the next round of the NFL play-offs.

11 Togo were disqualified from the African Nations Cup after failing to take the field for their opening game against Ghana. It was rumoured that they had asked to return to Angola at a later date.
Birmingham City completed the signing of Spanish midfielder Michel from Sporting Gijon for £3million.
Tom Hicks Jr, son of Liverpool owner Tom Hicks, resigns as a director of the club and its parent company Kop Holdings.

12 Aaron Mokoena's header at the end of extra time gave Portsmouth a 2-1 win over Coventry in the third round of the FA Cup. Former Arsenal captain Sol Campbell played 45 minutes for the Gunners' reserves against West Ham, with a view to a permanent move back to the club. Wigan signed free agent Ivory Coast defender Steven Gohouri until the end of the season.

13 Shane Long's extra-time header saw Reading win 2-1 at Anfield to dump Liverpool out of the FA Cup. Former Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws was confirmed as the new boss at Burnley.
Martin Johnson named former rugby league stars Shontayne Hape and Chris Ashton in his squad for the RBS 6 Nations while Stade Francais scrum-half Julien Dupuy saw his 24-week ban for eye gouging reduced by a week on appeal.

Heading for a famous win: Shane Long scores Reading's FA Cup winner at Anfield

Heading for a famous win: Shane Long scores Reading's FA Cup winner at Anfield

14 Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp was charged with two counts of cheating the public revenue, his lawyer Ian Burton has confirmed. The Premier League board confirmed they would distribute broadcast fee payments to Portsmouth's football creditors, both domestic and overseas.
Chelsea were ordered to pay Manchester City an initial fee of £3.5million for Daniel Sturridge, the Premier League announced.

15 Stoke confirmed they had ended their interest in signing Portsmouth goalkeeper David James.
The Football Association fined West Ham £115,000 for breaching rules following crowd trouble at their Carling Cup match with Millwall in August. Coach Andy Flower said England would make an official complaint over a controversial not out decision involving South Africa captain Graeme Smith during the second day of the final Test in Johannesburg.

16 Arsenal confirmed the signing of defender Sol Campbell until the end of the season.
Liverpool slipped up in the Barclays Premier League again, held 1-1 by Stoke, while Chelsea hammered Sunderland 7-2. The International Cricket Council announced they were to carry out "a full and comprehensive investigation" into technology issues and the decision review system used during the fourth Test between South Africa and England in Johannesburg after the completion of the match.

17 England lost the fourth Test in Johannesburg by an innings and 74 runs, allowing South Africa to draw the series 1-1. Mark Selby won the PokerStars.com Masters after coming back from 9-6 down to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-9 in the final at the Wembley Arena in London. Arsenal won 2-0 at Bolton in Owen Coyle's first match in charge of the Trotters.

The faces say it all: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad and Paul Collingwood wait for the presentations after South Africa's win in the final Test

The faces say it all: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad and Paul Collingwood wait for the presentations after South Africa's win in the final Test

18 Andy Murray won his first-round match against Kevin Anderson at the Australian Open 6-1 6-1 6-2. Britain's number one woman, Elena Baltacha, also progressed, with Maria Sharapova - beaten 7-6 (7/4) 3-6 6-4 by fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko - the highest-profile casualty on day one. It was announced that England captain Andrew Strauss would be rested for the tour to Bangladesh and United Arab Emirates, with Alastair Cook leading the Test and one-day international teams. Bowler James Anderson was also omitted from the touring party because of a knee injury. FIFA announced they would be taking no disciplinary action against Thierry Henry over his handball in France's World Cup qualification play-off against the Republic of Ireland.

19 Manchester City beat Manchester United 2-1 in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final, with Carlos Tevez scoring both of City's goals. Portsmouth's application for the winding up petition made against them by HM Revenues and Customs struck out was dismissed by a High Court judge. Pompey stated later in the day that they were 'confident that this matter will be resolved in our favour', and that they had been given seven days in which to appeal against the verdict. Former Birmingham owners David Sullivan and David Gold completed a takeover of West Ham.

20 Aston Villa beat Blackburn 6-4 (7-4 on aggregate) to reach the Carling Cup final. Meanwhile, Arsenal went top of the Barclays Premier League on goal difference with a 4-2 win over Bolton.
Portsmouth confirmed they were being sued by Sol Campbell for fees and bonuses their former defender claimed he was owed. Andy Murray beat Marc Gicquel 6-1 6-4 6-3 at the Australian Open to book a third-round match with Florent Serra. Elena Baltacha was also a second-round winner, 6-2 7-5 against 30th seed Kateryna Bondarenko, but Katie O'Brien lost 6-2 6-2 to Jelena Jankovic.

21 Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez lashed out at Gary Neville on Argentinian radio, calling his former United team-mate an 'idiot' and a 'boot-licker' for saying Sir Alex Ferguson was right not to keep him at Old Trafford. Ferguson revealed United defender John O'Shea was expected to miss the rest of the season with a leg injury. Sunderland confirmed the signing of defender Matthew Kilgallon from Sheffield United for an undisclosed fee on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

Hard lines, my friend: Andy Murray with Rafael Nadal in Melbourne

Hard lines, my friend: Andy Murray with Rafael Nadal in Melbourne

22 Andy Murray beat Florent Serra 7-5 6-1 6-4 in the third round of the Australian Open to set up a fourth-round clash with John Isner. Elena Baltacha, meanwhile, lost 6-1 6-2 to second seed Dinara Safina, while US Open champion Kim Clijsters was beaten 6-0 6-1 by Nadia Petrova. Chelsea announced that midfielder Michael Essien would be out of action for up to six weeks after returning from the African Nations Cup with a knee injury. Munster beat Northampton 12-9 to book a 12th successive quarter-final appearance in the Heineken Cup.

23 Jermaine Beckford scored an injury-time penalty to earn Leeds a 2-2 draw at Tottenham in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Reading beat Premier League Burnley 1-0, Notts County led Wigan 2-0 before the Latics claimed a draw, Accrington Stanley went down 3-1 to Fulham and Chelsea eased through at Preston. Wayne Rooney scored all four goals as Manchester United beat Hull 4-0 to go top of the Premier League. Everton agreed a deal to take Arsenal defender Phillipe Senderos on loan to Goodison Park until the end of the season.

24 Andy Murray beat American John Isner 7-6 6-3 6-2 in the fourth round of the Australian Open to set up a quarter-final with Rafael Nadal. Two goals from Ricardo Fuller helped Stoke beat Arsenal 3-1 in their FA Cup fourth-round tie, which also marked Sol Campbell's second Gunners debut. Manchester City beat Scunthorpe 4-2 with a goal from Robinho, on the day the forward told Brazilian radio he was set to leave the club.

25 Saracens announced they will sign England prop Matt Stevens when his drug suspension expires on January 19, 2011. Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood was ruled out of action for up to three months after breaking a metatarsal in training. Bolton confirmed the loan signing of Manchester City midfielder Vladimir Weiss until the end of the season.

26 Rafael Benitez suffered another blow to his hopes of leading Liverpool back into the Champions League as his side were held to a 0-0 draw by Wolves. Crystal Palace's financial crisis came to a head as they were placed into administration. Manchester United confirmed Fulham defender Chris Smalling had agreed terms with the club and would join for the 2010-11 season. Birmingham also completed the signing of midfielder Craig Gardner for £3million from city rivals Aston Villa. Andy Murray beats Rafael Nadal to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Murray was  6-3, 7-6, 3-0 ahead when Nadal retired hurt.

27 Manchester United beat Manchester City 3-1 in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Old Trafford for a 4-3 aggregate success to secure a final date with Aston Villa at Wembley on February 28. Burnley signed defender Leon Cort on three-and-a-half-year contract and goalkeeper Nicky Weaver until the end of the season. Tottenham defender Michael Dawson signed a new contract to keep him at White Hart Lane until 2015.

Heading for Wembley: Wayne Rooney score Manchester United's winner against neighbours City in the Carling Cup semi-finals

Heading for Wembley: Wayne Rooney score Manchester United's winner against neighbours City in the Carling Cup semi-finals

28 Andy Murray reached the final of the Australian Open with a 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-2 win over Marin Cilic in the semi final in Melbourne. British record signing Robinho left Manchester City for a six-month loan with Santos. Crystal Palace were deducted 10 points after going into administration.

29 England captain John Terry was named as the sportsman behind a gagging injunction involving his private life following a High Court hearing. Hearts sacked Csaba Laszlo as manager and moved swiftly to name former Jambos boss Jim Jeffries as his successor. Eidur Gudjohnsen moved from Monaco to Tottenham on loan, Burnley signed Danny Fox from Celtic, Jamie O'Hara returned to Portsmouth on loan from Tottenham and Jack Wilshere joined Bolton on loan from Arsenal.

30 Tottenham reach an agreement with Portsmouth to re-sign defender Younes Kaboul. Serena Williams won the women's Australian Open final, beating Belgium's Justine Henin 6-4 3-6 6-2 in Melbourne. Ospreys full-back Lee Byrne announces he will appeal his two-week ban imposed on him for entering the field as an illegal 16th player during a game with Leicester.

31 Andy Murray is outclassed by Roger Federer in the men's Australian Open final, losing to the Swiss 6-3 6-4 7-6 (13/11). England give bowling coach Ottis Gibson permission to talk to the West Indies Cricket Board about their vacant head coach's position. Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi suspended for two Twenty20 internationals after being found guilty of biting the ball.

Compare and contrast: Andy Murray looks dejected as Roger Federer celebrates victory in the Australian Open

Compare and contrast: Andy Murray looks dejected as Roger Federer celebrates victory in the Australian Open


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