The Scoop

As we usher in 2023 it seems a reasonable time to reflect on another remarkable sporting year. Our team of Sport Writers at The Scoop have picked their favourite sporting moments from 2022 and outlined their reasons, so sit back and relax as we go back in time to relive some of the most historic and enjoyable moments of the year.

Lauren McCann, Sport Editor: NIFL League Cup Final

My favourite sporting moment of the year is a biased one as a Cliftonville fan, the League Cup win in a thrilling final over Coleraine in March. This is for a number of reasons.

Without wanting to sound like a modern-day entitled fan, as a supporter of the Reds in the last few years there hasn’t been much tangible success in terms of trophy winning after a golden age, including a period of winning the League Cup four years on the bounce. The dramatic County Antrim Shield win in 2020 was fun, but it is not really a big trophy to win is it?

This League Cup success was also very different for a number of reasons, the date being one of them. Historically, and bravely from NIFL, they decided to host the game on a Sunday afternoon for the first time ever and had affordable ticket prices, ensuring that they met their target of having the highest ever attendance at a League Cup final as over 10,000 Cliftonville and Coleraine fans packed into Windsor Park and created a raucous atmosphere from start to finish.

Our Sport Editor Lauren McCann with the League Cup trophy

The soap opera-esque drama of the football on the pitch was the main highlight, although it didn’t feel like it would be from a Cliftonville perspective after 63 minutes. Cliftonville falling 2-0 behind to Coleraine in a cup final gave horrible 2018 Irish Cup flashbacks. Yet, unlike that day the Reds staged the greatest of comebacks. The evergreen Joe Gormley scored to get the Reds back in the game before fellow substitute Paul O’Neill turned the ball home to force extra time and send the Cliftonville end wild.

The Reds would go on to win 4-3 in extra time, to spark bedlam, and watching long serving captain Chris Curran hoist the trophy in the air and the rest of the squad celebrate with the fans, was a moment I’ll cherish forever, especially as I was with my dad and brother, not tucked away in the press box for once.

It may not match the 2014 league win in terms of drama but it certainly comes close and was one of the most enjoyable days of a magical season for the Reds, topped off by the fact they brought the trophy back to the social club where they partied with us fans well into the night.

A special mention also has to go to the Northern Ireland Women’s National Team, for their remarkable achievements this year which we have covered in depth.

Ryan Brolly, Sport Reporter: FC Vaduz’s remarkable run

FC Vaduz are the best team from Liechtenstein but compete in the football pyramid in Switzerland due to the fact that Liechtenstein don’t have a domestic league. In 2021 they were relegated from the top tier and now compete in the 2nd division, the Swiss Challenge League. What makes their story my favourite moment of the year is that, whilst Liechtenstein don’t have a domestic league they do still have a cup competition that grants the winner qualification to UEFA competition, which at the moment is the Europa Conference League.

After winning the cup, FC Vaduz managed to progress through the qualification rounds for the Conference League beating Austrian's Rapid Wien in a huge scalp to make it to the group stages. This gives them the unique honour of being a 2nd tier team in the group stages of a UEFA competition.

Another reason their qualification for the group stage is my favourite moment is that this is a real-life occurrence of a challenge I have attempted in the popular football game Football Manager, where you take charge of FC Vaduz and attempt to win a UEFA competition, with the only way to qualify being through a win in the domestic cup competition or winning the topflight of Swiss football.

Holly Lennon, Boxing Columnist: Katie Taylor’s Madison Square Garden’s victory

Katie Taylor has had a hard road to get to the pinnacle of boxing.

My favourite sport-related moment of 2022 was Katie Taylor going toe-to-toe with Amanda Serrano, in a fight which will go down as the most influential night in women’s boxing history.

Taylor made Ireland proud by triumphing in a split-decision win against Serrano in the first women’s boxing match to headline Madison Square Garden since the arena opened its doors in 1968. The event became the perfect advert for female fights as both boxers’ hunger drew in those who had never watched that side of the sport before.

During the late 1990s, Taylor’s biggest battles were outside the ring. An unaccepting society shunned the idea of girls getting involved in the sport but adamant about becoming a boxing star, Taylor would pretend to be a boy; she would adopt a new identity of Kay to compete and conceal her ponytail in hooded brawls.

Taylor has gone from causing disbelief in amateur boxing clubs as she revealed her gender to ditching the disguise and unapologetically taking over the world’s most famous venue.

I watched on TV as the two fighters embraced each other and waited for the judges to share their scores, aware that I was viewing a historical moment.

Taylor appeared nervous as she anticipated the announcement of ‘And still’ to travel through the stadium; the champion’s humble victory made her all the more deserving.

Sean McCoy, Sport Reporter: Leon Edwards wins UFC Welterweight title

My favourite sporting moment of the year was Leon Edwards springing a surprise to defeat Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 in August and claim the Welterweight title. Kamuru had been steamrolling his way through the welterweight division for the past two years emphasised by the fact that he had a 15 fight unbeaten streak before they locked horns again. He was relatively comfortable in this period with no real threats, due to the fact that potential opponents would be well aware of the mental tribulations they would go through before fighting him.

Edwards was subject to this during their fight in Salt Lake City, but in the last round after a spectacular speech from his coach, he turned the welterweight and pound for pound rankings upside down by knocking Usman out. The 35 year old had only been knocked off his feet once and never knocked out in his career as Edwards finally got his revenge after Usman had beat him convincingly in 2015.

Favourite Sporting Moments of 2022