1. Spain wins Euro 2008
Spain cruised through their group stage matches with three wins and a +5 goal difference. After knocking out Italy 4-2 on penalties, Spain then defeated Russia 3-0 in the semis. Fernando Torres scored the winner in their 1-0 victory over Germany in the final. David Villa was the tournament's leading goal scorer with 4.

2. Man United defeat Chelsea on penalties to win Champions League
Probably the most poignant memory of 2008 was John Terry's penalty kick miss that would have won the title for Chelsea. The Chelsea captain slipped and shot wide left. Two kicks later, United were champions. Football can be cruel sometimes. Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo's spot kick was saved by Petr Cech. But all we remember now is Terry's miss and United lifting the trophy.

3. Chelsea defeat Liverpool in Champions League semi-final
Finally, after losing to the Reds twice in the semi-final stage, Chelsea finally advanced to the final. It was 1-1 after the first leg, and level on aggregate after 90 minutes of the second leg. But Frank Lampard, playing only days after his mother's death, scored the crucial penalty kick in added time. A defining moment for Lampard and Chelsea.

4. Manchester United retain Premier League Crown
Behind Cristiano Ronaldo's player of the year performance, United fought off Chelsea for the second straight season to capture the Premier League title.

5. Fabio Capello Era begins
Capello took over as England manager in January and positive results would soon follow. England are well on the way to qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. McClaren who?

6. New Teams on the Premiership Block
Stoke City and Hull City crashed the Premier League party for the first time in 2008 and so far so good. Hull City remain in the top half of the table and Rory Delap's long throws have been the Premiership phenomenon of the first half of the season.

7. New Faces in FA Cup Final
None of the big four clubs made the FA Cup final in 2008. In fact, only one team from the Premiership, eventual winners Portsmouth, made the semi-finals. Barnsley dispatched Chelsea in the quarter-finals after knocking out Liverpool in the previous round. Pompey won a controversial match against Man United in the quarters, which set up a final four of Portsmouth, Barnsley, Cardiff, and West Brom. Portsmouth defeated Cardiff in the final with Kanu scoring the only goal.

8. Managerial Merry-Go-Round Continues
In a disturbing trend, managers are shown the door at an increasingly alarming rate. Currently, there are only five managers who have been at their clubs more than 5 years: Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, David Moyes, Graham Turner (Herford), and John Coleman (Accrington Stanley). By contrast, 40 clubs have hired a new manager within the past year. I'm afraid the "win now" philosophy of instant gratification or else has resulted in a short sighted, trigger happy approach to football. Surely, a manager deserves at least two or three seasons to prove what he can do, doesn't he? But the prospect of relegation makes owners and sometimes fans less patient. Still, we are approaching the territory of the absurd. Since the 2008-09 Premier League season began in August, five of the twenty clubs (or 25%) have appointed new managers. The five mangers who are no longer employed: Ince (fired at Blackburn), Ramos (fired at Spurs), Keegan (left by "mutual consent at Newcastle), Keane (quit at Sunderland), and Redknapp (left Pompey for Spurs).

9. Avram Axed, Scolari hired at Chelsea
Avram Grant faced the unenviable task of replacing Jose Mourinho, and all he did was lead the Blues to their first ever Champions League final. In fact, he was a John Terry slip away from winning the whole thing. And he led the Blues to a runners-up finish in the Premier League and the League Cup. That would be the best-ever season for 95% of English clubs, but what did it get Grant? The axe! And former World Cup winning manager Luiz Felipe Scolari was brought in to right the ship. I could be wrong, but I think Scolari is the first World Cup winning manager to guide an English club in the Premier League era.

10. Luton Town got screwed
After already being docked points and suffering two relegations (from the Championship to League One to League Two), Luton Town were docked a further whopping 27 points to start the 2008-09 season in League two. The penalty virtually ensures that the Hatters will be relegated out of the Football League all together by season's end. Their crime? Illegal payments to agents (self-reported by their manager) and going into administration (that's bankruptcy for American readers). The penalty seems incredibly harsh, especially since West Ham were not docked any points (only fined) for the illegal signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano the season before last. Apparently fortune favors not the brave but London clubs with money.

Note: as this list is based not on considerable research but rather my fallible recollection as midnight approaches on New Year's Eve, please feel free to share your comments. I'm sure I've missed some of your favorite memories of 2008. Happy New Year!