2007 was a year of wild contrasts and emotional extremes. It was a year of deep disappointment for British sport and there were no shoulders to cry on.

At the beginning of the year England cricket suffered one of its regular breakdowns in communication. Down in the land of Oz England were smashed to pieces by the rampant Aussies. Suddenly, the balmy summer of 2005 seemed like a dizzy daydream.

Once again England had been unravelled by the devilish spin of Shane Warne. When Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff lost his marbles on a pedalo English cricket also succumbed to madness. A 5-0 pasting in the land of koalas and wombats was the least they deserved.

'When Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff lost his marbles on a pedalo English cricket also succumbed to madness.'


Back in dear old Blighty the English football team were experiencing an identity crisis. In the Euro 2008 qualifiers dispiriting draws against Macedonia and Israel were the first steps along the road to rack and ruin.

But here emerged the lasting image of 2007. Sport often offers us many layers and tasty textures. For England boss Steve McClaren, though, football sent him to hell and back. From the moment McClaren pulled on an FA jacket, the job turned into a ticking time bomb.

Nobody wanted McClaren as England coach and, as the best of a bad bunch, the former Oxford United and Derby County defender was the subject of violent vilification.

If McClaren had been England manager during the Middle Ages he’d have been sent to the galllows. Thankfully, we live in more civilised times but the fact remains that McClaren became the ultimate hate figure, a man who could do nothing right.

After the dull and infuriating Sven Goran Eriksson, McClaren took England from functional to foolhardy. True life under Sven was never less than eventful off the pitch, but McClaren took the biscuit.

He sat in his dugout like an English tourist hiding in the shade. With a face as white as a sheet and a permanently glum expression, McClaren was never at ease. He looked as if he’d seen the most frightening ghost and never recovered.

Somehow his face was the most perfect illustration of English football. Only the Wembley victories against Israel and Russia brought a rosy glow to those pasty features. McClaren was a persecuted soul who could never find the right words.

During most of the Euro 2008 qualifiers he went from gaunt to guilt stricken. He may have gone about his job in a business-like fashion but the team always lacked a distinct personality. The glitter and sparkle had gone.

For Lewis Hamilton the year was all about new discoveries and unforgettable experiences. From go-karting whizzkid to adult racing driver, Hamilton was an overnight British sensation. The cut-throat world of Formula One had just stumbled on its hottest property.

Hamilton’s year was an exhilarating 200mph ride around tight roads and hairy chicanes. In that last heartbreaking race, Hamilton’s car just ran out of steam. The F1 championship was not to be his but his first season had been an ecstatic triumph.