1: Ipswich 5 Bolton Wanderers 3 (2000) Simply the most exciting football match I have ever had the privilege to watch. Funnily enough, both teams were nervous and the quality of football was rather poor, although we conveniently forget that. Here’s what I wrote at the time: What a night. WHAT A NIGHT. Where to [...]
5: David Beckham curls in a free kick, a nation goes mental (2001) The time, the place …how can any team leave World Cup qualification to the 93rd minute and then do this? Like all of the top five here, a sporting moment when I can remember exactly where I was and who I was [...]
10: Europe win the Ryder Cup in Oakland Hills (2004) There was just something about his one. Watched it in a packed bar full of Dads who’d got away from their families for a joyous evening. 9: Usain Bolt saunters past the world 100m record (2008) It was the fastest anyone had ever run, and [...]
15: Michael Phelps wins eight gold medals in Beijing (2008) When a sport you’re not usually that interested in totally grabs you for a few hours or days, it can only be because something extraordinary is happening. And good grief, this guy was worth getting up early in the morning to watch at the Beijing [...]
I should point out, of course, that these are my twenty most memorable moments in sport from 2000-2009. They won’t be yours. But my goodness, there are some moments here that make those long winter nights in between worth persevering with. 20: David Beckham scores against Argentina from the penalty spot (2002) A nation holds [...]
At last, you get to discover if it was worth the wait. Frankly, no, it wasn’t. If you missed numbers 10 to 6 yesterday, they were here. 5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Peter Jackson, 2002) My favourite of the three, if only because of the astonishingly unsettling scene where everyone was [...]
OK, there was a lot of jostling to get into these coveted slots, but here are the lucky few which made it. The trophies are on their way to some doubtless pleasantly-surprised directors. 10. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuarón, 2006) Wow. Chilling tale, wonderful pacing, a relatively unrecognised gem. In 2027, in a chaotic world [...]
I liked these movies a lot. Just not quite enough to make my top ten of the decade. I’m sure the directors will be distraught. 20. Zoolander (Ben Stiller, 2001) Of course it’s silly. But very, very funny. 19. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004) I had no idea where this was [...]
A bit more fantasy in this bunch, and several selections from the many series of films (Potter, Pirates, Star Wars, LotR) which dominated the decade… 30. Bend It Like Beckham (Gurinder Chadh, 2002) Football! Keira Knightley! And very British too! 29. Kung Fu Panda (Mark Osborne, John Stevenson, 2008) My son watched this four times, [...]
…in which the kids’ movies start to make more of an appearance. Who’d have thought, 10 years ago, this would have happened to me? 40. A Christmas Carol (Robert Zemeckis, 2009) Original Dickens text, a suitably scary ghost …who’d have thought it from Disney? 39. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (Steve Box, [...]
