It’s been an incredible season which has seen Germany become World Champions, Barcelona win the treble and Harry Redknapp finally being questioned for his job performance. Over the next couple of weeks, Scottish Comedy FC’s writers are going to be recounting their top moments from the 2014 World Cup and the 2014/15 season.
Who has been your signing of the season?
Craig Gordon (Celtic) – Andy Todd
Imagine picking up Messi on a free. Or Ronaldo. It’s never going to happen. Not unless Messi or Ronaldo played in goals and suffered a career threatening injury…
When Craig Gordon left Hearts to join Sunderland for £9 million his transfer fee was the highest any British club had ever paid for a goalkeeper. If transfer fees are any indication, he was the best goalkeeper in the Premiership and, therefore, one of the best in Europe. Unfortunately, injuries curtailed his career and he couldn’t play for almost three years.
Last summer Celtic took a chance. They needed a replacement for Fraser Forster, a keeper they’d picked up from the reserves at Newcastle and turned into an England international before selling him onto Southampton, and they turned to Gordon. He didn’t let them down.
He played in nearly every game and he showed exactly why Sunderland had once paid so much for him. The highest compliment he can be paid is that if you ask Celtic fans if they would rather an England international goalkeeper or Craig Gordon, they would say “Fraser who?”.
Luis Suarez (Barcelona) – Eddie Cassidy
Signed while serving a ban for biting an opponent last summer (you might not have heard) and finishing the season scoring a goal in the Champions League final, helping Barcelona complete a historic treble, for me the signing of the season has to be Luis Suarez.
His addition to the Barcelona frontline not only added another truly world class striker to the team but once he, Neymar and Messi clicked, they became one of the best front threes of modern times, and that’s only after one season! So for a combination of his contribution to the team and his personal redemption story, Suarez gets my vote for signing of season, crazy to think his supposed replacement at Liverpool was Mario Balotelli!
Angel Di Maria (Manchester United) – Iain Todd
Yes – I know he cost £75 million. Yes – I know he only scored four goals in 32 appearances. Yes – I know he’s got a girl’s name but can anyone say they thought this move would fail? Manchester United were crying out for a superstar with creativity and pace and they got one.
Di Maria ticked all the correct boxes. He should have been the signing of the season. The fact he wasn’t shows no one can guarantee anything in football other than Stoke City will always be on last on Match of the Day.
Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea) – Michael Park
Lukasz Fabianski for Swansea. He kept 12 clean sheets which was the 4th best in the league behind only Thibault Courtois, Joe Hart and Simon Mignolet who were all playing for significantly bigger clubs. In fact, the Polish ‘keeper was, without a doubt, one of the biggest contributing factors in Swansea finishing with their best ever points tally.
The best thing for Swans fans is that they got him on a free, looking to replace what they’d lost when they sold Michel Vorm to Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs got Ben Davies, who has failed to stake a claim for a place in the side, while Swansea got Gylfi Sigurdsson as part of that deal and it’s safe to say Swansea came out of it best.
Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) – Daniel Downie
He’s not actually started yet, but since he signed his pre-contract agreement during the 2014/15 season I’m sticking with Graeme Shinnie. It has been a long time since Aberdeen have played with two actual recognised full-backs as opposed to make-shift centre backs trying – and usually failing – in that position.
Playing with Logan and McGinn on the right, and Shinnie and Hayes on the left, opposition defences are going to be quivering in their boots facing such potent wide-men. I can’t wait to see Shinnnie team up with Hayes down that left side. I do feel a little sorry for Andy Considine however, he might finally be surplus to requirements after a career of being surplus to requirements.
Greg Stewart (Dundee) – Teddy Craig
Having made Greg Stewart my player of the season (spoiler alert!), I guess I have to stick with him as signing of the season too. As this has somehow turned into a Dundee striker-fest though, let me flag up something weird; David Clarkson and his streaks.
Surely few players can have had a career based on such extended ‘hot and cold’ runs as Clarkson? Early in his career, one season he’d look like a world beater and the next like there was nothing there. This season he signed for Dundee and scored 8 goals in his first matches.
By the end of the season? He was being released, having managed 1 goal in the 15 matches that followed.
Bizarre.
Who is your signing of the season? Let us know in the comments!
He is the editor of this fine site and a regular on the Scottish Comedy FC Podcast despite refusing to go anywhere near Owen's house.
He supports Kilmarnock and is a comedian to no-one but himself.
