The year 2020 has been a disappointing one for so many people, especially sport fanatics. Many of us have been unable to watch our favourite teams in the flesh since March.
Still, we at Platform thought we would share some of our favourite moments of the year. Hopefully they bring back some good memories for you as well.
Alex Brinton
Aston Villa 7 – 2 Liverpool
As a long-suffering Aston Villa fan, I watch most of our games with a sense of trepidation about what might be about to unfold. I have seen some truly shocking performances in my time, but this game finally gave me something to really brag about.
Villa started very well, 2-0 up in just 22 minutes. Then Mo Salah pulled a goal back for Liverpool – normal service seemed to resume. We scored two more before half time making it 4-1. The game finished a remarkable 7-2. We had embarrassed this incredible Liverpool team.
It still feels like a dream to be honest, something that didn’t really happen, hopefully it will sink in at some point.
Pete Trifunovic
Tao Geoghegan Hart winning the Giro D’Italia
Most people would’ve had two questions when they heard the news of his grand tour victory. “Who is this guy, and how do I spell his name?”. Well, get practicing because Tao looks like he’s around to stay. You could even suggest that this win was him taking over the proverbial baton from the likes of Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome.
Yet, the brilliance behind the Hackney lad’s achievement was the fact that it was done in a completely different fashion to his compatriots’. There was no Team Ineos domination, instead, Geoghegan Hart and his teammates were plucky, collecting seven stage wins before snatching the Maglia Rosa at the very last second.
Randev Jayasinha
Pierre Gasly winning the Italian Grand Prix
It’s rare that I get emotional over sports, but when Pierre Gasly screamed the ecstatic words, “Oh my god guys we did it again!” over the team radio as he crossed the finish line in Monza to take his maiden victory in Formula 1 was truly a special and heart felt moment for me and so many other fans of the sport.
Especially given the hardships and losses the young French man had to deal with in the adrenaline-fueled circus that is Formula 1.
The moment the 24-year-old lifts the trophy and soaks in what he has achieved on the top step of the podium at Italian Grand Prix will forever be etched in my memory.
Katie Green
Bale’s return
This year the dreams of every Spurs fan came true as Bale made his return. Reminiscing back to my first Spurs game at 10, I remember meeting Bale and being starstruck, so his return to the Lane definitely makes it a standout sport memory of 2020. As a fan, you could genuinely tell Gareth was excited to return to a club where he was wanted – unlike Zidane’s Real Madrid.
Although fans have not been able to see him play a lot, it was still a move that lifted the spirits of fans through what has been a struggling year for everyone.
Matthew Lee
NTU Women’s football team playing in the FA Cup
For the last few years, NTU’s Women’s football team have been grabbing the headlines. Performing at the top of their game, they only recently missed out on promotion due to Covid-19 causing an end to their campaign.
But their team-mates in the fourth team made history by competing in the Emirates Women’s FA Cup for the very first time, entering the competition in the Preliminary Round stage.
Joining with 376 other teams, varying from NTU’s own team to reigning champions Manchester City, the university-based squad were the only university representative in this year’s competition.
A 2-1 defeat at the hands of Lincoln United knocked the Pinks out of the competition, but it does not take away from the achievement by Daniel Corlett and his squad in entering the prestigious cup.
Michael Vince
Ebony Rainford-Brent and Michael Holding’s speeches on racism in cricket
Whilst this year has been a bizarre one for everyone, it has also been an eye-opening experience for many as to injustices that have plagued society since long before Covid-19.
Michael Holding and Ebony Rainford-Brent gave impassioned features before Sky Sports’ coverage of the Test between England and the West Indies. Both features were incredibly affecting, with two of the sports most beloved and respected orators giving deeply personal testimonies about their experiences with racism.
This piece will have inspired and hopefully ruffled the right feathers, if a few minds have been changed and perspectives altered, the piece will have done its job.
Harry Booth
Khabib vs Gaethje
The wider sporting audience may have seen Khabib Nurmagomedov win world sports star of the year at the BBC’s Sports personality awards and been confused, who’s that?
Well, personally my highlight of the years sporting calendar was watching the stone-cold figure from Dagestan bring his career to an unexpected close.
The fight with Justin Gaethje was billed as his potentially biggest challenge yet and what could be the making of the greatest MMA fighter in the short history of the sport.
Well, it only took Khabib 7 minutes to win the fight and I joined the rest of the world in staring at their respective screens with a dropped jaw. Instead of revelling in his “greatest fighter of all time” status Khabib made one simple gesture, he retired. An ode to his late father that he couldn’t fight without.
We hope you enjoyed our little list of favourite moments, hopefully some of us have some ones from inside stadiums and arena’s for you next year.