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| Keegan's heart-on-sleeve management style and the unnecessary signing of Faustino Asprilia eventually led to the silliest and most famous cock-up in Premier League history | |
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Newcastle United
Near-miss: Premier League title 1995/6
Under the stewardship of Geordie hero Kevin Keegan, Newcastle United emerged as serious title contenders in the 1995-96 Premier League season, establishing a 12-point lead by January 1996. However, Keegan's heart-on-sleeve management style and the unnecessary signing of Faustino Asprilia eventually led to the silliest and most famous cock-up in Premier League history.
As Keegan’s team gradually fell to pieces, Alex Ferguson’s gathered strength and momentum. When the teams met in early March, Eric Cantona giving Manchester United a 1-0 win, the gap was reduced to a single point. And, by the last Premier League game, Ferguson's men were ahead by two.
Then came the famous Keegan rant. He was a man on the brink and Alex Ferguson was winning the mind games. Newcastle drew 1-1 with Spurs in the final game, their title bid over.
Jana Novotna
Near-miss: 1993 Wimbledon Women’s Final
One of the greatest chokes in tennis history, the 1993 Wimbledon final saw Jana Novotna chuck away the match from what looked an un-losable position. Leading Stefi Graf 4-1 and 40-30 in the final set, the Czech completely lost her bottle, failing to win another game in the entire match. As Graf bagged her fifth title, Novotna broke down in tears on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent. Bit embarrassing really.
South Africa
Near-miss: 1999 Cricket World Cup
A truly painful one to watch, this. With Lance Klusener and Allan Donald in the middle, South Africa needed nine runs from the final over to reach the final. When Klusener creamed the first two balls for four, it looked as good as won. Sadly for him, his partner had other ideas. As Klusener prodded away the second delivery for a quick single, Donald remained glued to his crease until it was far too late. The Aussies gleefully ran him out, dumping the Saffers out of the competition. Klusener’s expression is priceless.
Bayern Munich
Near-miss: Champions League title 1998/9
Despite leading since the sixth minute of the game, in injury time at the Camp Nou Bayern concede two late goals from Manchester United’s super-subs, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and are defeated.
Ferguson’s Sheringham substitution was countered by Hitzfeld’s introduction of Mehmet Scholl, whose deft chip hit the post and fell kindly back into Schmeichel’s hands. Moments later Carsten Jancker’s elaborate overhead kick also came crashing back off the United woodwork. United were lucky to only be 1-0 down, but the rest, as they say, is history. On 91:27 Solskjaer pokes the ball into the roof of the Bayern goal for United to take an astonishing lead, and Bayern lose the match 2-1.
Devon Loch
Near-miss: 1956 Grand National
Never work with children or animals. With his mount Devon Loch leading the 1956 Grand National by a good five lengths, with a mere 100ft left to run, Dick Francis must have been preparing his victory speech. Until out of the blue his nag promptly downed tools, dropping onto its stomach to allow ESB through to victory. The Queen Mum chipped in with a few words of sympathy for the stricken jockey, exclaiming “Oh, that’s racing”. We’re surprised he didn’t chin her.
Marlon Harewood
Near-miss: 2006 FA Cup Final
Everyone remembers the 2006 Cup final for the last-gasp screamer from Steven Gerrard that levelled things up at 3-3. Happily for Marlon Harewood, nobody seems to remember that the cone-headed one missed an absolute sitter just seconds later. Pepe Reina had turned a Nigel Reo-Coker drive onto the post, only to see it trickle out to Harewood with the goal gaping. Suffering from cramp, the striker seemed to lose his balance as the ball came to him, screwing it agonisingly wide. West Ham lost the ensuing shoot-out, and Harewood now spends his days warming the Villa bench.
Steve Davis
Near-miss: Snooker World Championship Final 1985
Snooker normally bores us more than watching our grandma slurping a yoghurt with a shaky spoon, but the 1985 Final was a belter, with ball-potting invincible Steve Davis chucking away a third consecutive title in spectacular fashion. After trailing 8-0, Taylor fought back like a madman to 17-17, and in a final frame that lasted 68 nervous minutes, the ginger-headed potter over-cut a simple final black that would’ve sealed victory. Mortified, the Nugget then watched in horror as bespectacled opponent popped up to slam the final ball into the pocket and win the Championship. 18.5 million watched it. 18.5 million laughed at Steve Davis.
See it here
Bernhard Langer
Near-miss: The 1991 Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is the golfing equivalent of the Ashes, and beating the Yanks is more satisfying than licking out the bowl of your mum’s chocolate fudge cake. In 1985, however, a German going by the name of Bernhard Langer denied us this sweet victory when he cocked-up a simple 5-foot putt on the final match of the Championship. After his opponent Hale Irwin drove into a spectator and got a bogey, the mane-headed European simply had to putt in to seal a famous victory. As he went to hit the ball, however, the ‘yips’ that had plagued his career struck, causing him to spasm the shot wide. The match was halved, the US reclaimed the Cup and the rest of Europe was gutted.
Paul Gascoigne
Near-miss: A victory over Germany and a place in the Euro ’96 final
Just over eight minutes into Extra Time in a brilliantly dramatic, hard-fought and even game between the Auld Enemies, and England’s creative talisman, Paul Gascoigne, looks odds-on to score the Golden Goal that will take us through to the final in front of our home crowd. But because he's unsure of getting to Shearer’s cross-shot and the goalkeeper Andreas Kopke is in his line of sight, he pauses, only very momentarily, and misses the opportunity to walk the ball into the net unopposed. 40 years of hurt, and counting.
Jean Van de Velde
Near-miss/Massive Cock-up: 1999 Open at Carnoustie
Another tragi-comedy this one, but this time with an embarrassing French twist. Jean Van de Velde is on the 18th tee of the final day at Carnoustie and four shots ahead. He opts to use the driver from the tee and veers into the burn. He then goes fror the green instead of laying up with his second, hits the grandstands and ends up in knee-deep rough. His third ends up in the Barry Burn whereupon he removes his shoes and socks and in front of thousand of supporters, his embarrassed wife and millions of TV viewers, gets in the Burn and deliberates hitting the ball out of the water. He doesn’t. He takes a drop and then blasts his ball into the bunker. He chips out and holes the putt, losing all his shot advantages and entering a three-way play-off. Whiich he loses. He’d birdied the 18th on two prior rounds that week.
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