I will repeat that statement, Manchester City Football Club are champions of England.
For those of you who do not appreciate the sheer insanity of that statement, can you honestly say, hand on heart, that ten years ago you could have EVER imagined being able to say that in your lifetime?
That a football club that spent most of the nineties and noughties trying to secure its place in the top division, is now sat on top of it, looking down on the rest, a smug grin from cheek to cheek.
However, this is a fact, and it is evidence of crazy end to a crazy premier league season. One that must surely be judged as the greatest ever.
It is also evidence of a crazy transformation of a football club where to be crazy is a requirement to be a supporter. Whereas once City fans would say Shaun Goater was their favourite striker, they now say Sergio Aguero. Once they would say their favourite midfielder was Ali Benarbia, now they say Yaya Toure or David Silva.
I remember as a school boy, the first Manchester derby of the 2002-2003 season. It was 8th November 2002. I went to school in Manchester so this was a very big deal. It was the last ever derby at Maine Road, City’s famous old ground. City won 3-1 and their fans celebrated as though they had won a championship. To beat United was enough in itself back then. Little did those fans know that 10 years later, beating United would effectively secure them a championship.
But that is enough about City, they are champions and deservedly so. Anybody who thinks otherwise should seriously wisen up to what a league table is meant to achieve, i.e. to establish who the best are over a given period.
The fact of the matter is that this season just gone was the best one ever. Or at least the best one in my life time. The end of the season was merely the icing on the cake. Those crazy five minutes at Eastlands simply providing a fitting end to a thrilling season’s football.
For this season provided us with so many memorable moments, and not just in the premier league. The overall football season, officially, is not over as the Champions League Final and Playoff Finals promise to provide more thrills and spills.
Away from the Premier League we saw the end of Barcelona’s dominance, both in Europe and Spain, as rivals Real Madrid clinched the Spanish title and Chelsea provided one of the shocks of the season with a hard fought victory over two legs in the champions league.
For those who follow Italian football, Juventus announced their return to the big table by finishing the Serie A season unbeaten, the first Italian team to do so in the current 38 game format.
What’s more Southampton are returning to the Premiership along with Reading for next year after stella seasons in the Championship.
But the Premier League season was just mental. It began crazy and just carried on in a similar vein.
Remember the beginning of the season? Manchester United beat Arsenal 8-2. EIGHT – TWO. Manchester City beat Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford. Liverpool (you know, that team that are the second most successful in English football history) conspired to lose at home to such teams as Wigan, West Brom and Fulham. Blackburn, who eventually were relegated, beat Manchester United at Old Trafford. Newcastle went to Stamford Bridge and played Chelsea off the park winning 2-0 and the list just goes on and on.
It was a mental season.
But as well as this, the 2011-2012 season displayed a positive side to football fans, seldom seen. I am of course alluding to the reaction of fans of all colours to the plight of Fabrice Muamba and to the tragic death of Gary Speed.
The response to these horrific moments in the season really did warm the heart and reminded people that there really are more important things in life than football.
However, football is still important. And it’s as exciting and crazy as it has ever been. Here’s to two great games on Saturday and another insane season next year.
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