Inside the BPL - with joel Crosskill
WE STARTED off the BPL and FA Cup season with four experts on the Prediction Panel. Adriel McKay, the fan, warned the experts - the professional, the commentator and the writer - that he would put them all to shame; and that he did. McKay won round three and eclipsed rounds one and two winner, Shaka Hislop, to take it all for St Jago High. McKay now looks back at the BPL season:
'Scintillating, nail-biting and controversial' would all but sum up the 2007-08 Barclay's Premier League season.
Still savouring the sweet taste of triumph from last season, seeing Manchester United wrestle the Community Shield away from Chelsea had created an appetite for what was to be a great season.
My prediction was for the Red Devils to retain the title. To see one of the club's greatest players - Giggs - score the winning goal in the title decider against Wigan and in emphatic fashion was the icing on the cake.
The league held true to form, delivering on some special moments. Fernando Torres graced the stage like a wonder child and pretty much looked like the best player in the league. He, however, had to play second fiddle to Cristiano Ronaldo, whose leadership and sheer brilliance this season was more than the Red Devils could have asked for. Ronaldo is now arguably the world's greatest player.
Sensational football
Manchester City's rise to the top 10 couldn't go unnoticed, as well as Arsenal's display of sensational football and the emergence of Adebayor, although he suffered a blow to his goal tally after Eduardo's injury.
If I were to select a game of the season, it has to be Tottenham's classic 4-4 draw with Chelsea; it was electrifying from start to finish.
All in all an excellent season of top-class football on SportsMax ... in my opinion, the BPL has cemented itself as the best league in the world.
Tips on getting your football fix
Adriel Richards (left) and 'friend', Manchester United's Wayne Rooney. - Contributed
FIRST OF all, let me congratulate Adriel on his victory. It's been a long season and he managed to keep his focus right down to the wire, much like the '08 premiership title race itself. So, with the season at its end and many of our BPL fans wondering what to do with themselves, here's what I'll be doing to get my football fix.
First up it's the Champions League final between Chelsea and then it's the big Kahuna - the Euro Championships to be held in Switzerland and Austria, starting on June 7 and running until June 29, with a ton of actual and potential premiership players on display. June 18 is another massive international date with Argentina versus Brazil in South American qualifiers. The beach soccer World Cup is pure entertainment and it goes from July 17-27. This takes us to Saturday, August 16, when the Premier League 2008/2009 season officially kicks off.
