Quotes of the year

JANUARY "AM I making any friends here? I'm not. You only make enemies."

Dundee Utd chairman Eddie Thompson after sacking Gordon Chisholm and appointing Craig Brewster.

"I think we both played like women in the first set."

Andy Murray after defeating Kenneth Carlsen at the Heineken Open in Auckland.

"He taught me a new phrase because he said he was over the moon' to be back at Liverpool and I had never heard that before."

Robbie Fowler impresses new Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez with his wide-ranging vocabulary.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "Instead of trying to find ways to shut up those with different opinions from the SFA, I would recommend they get closer to the mirror and look at the situation, see things how they are, and then try and improve them."

Vladimir Romanov on official attempts to address his outbursts.

February "There's no point feeling sorry for yourself. It's not over till the fat lady sings, and I ain't singing yet."

Rhona Martin after losing her Olympic curling title.

"I could be on the list to take over at Rangers - but only until they found out what school I went to."

Wigan manager Paul Jewell's tongue-in-cheek response to speculation linking him to Ibrox.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "It is difficult for some people in certain situations to meet with Mr Romanov. Some people are in difficult situations that they don't want to make worse. You have people on loan from Kaunas and no-one wants to upset the applecart."

Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon on the complicated lines of communication with the club owner.

March "I wasn't a rubbish coach when I was being pilloried at Edinburgh and I am not a brilliant coach now. The truth is somewhere in the middle."

Frank Hadden on his input to Scottish rugby.

"My father was a great fan of the horses. His only regret was I never ran in the Grand National."

Steve Ovett on his father's sporting passion.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "Graham worked hard with the players and they respected him. But the only opinion that matters is Mr Romanov's."

Jim Duffy after he and Graham Rix were sacked by the club's owner.

April "For me, pressure is bird flu. I'm feeling a lot of pressure with the problem in Scotland. It's not fun and I'm more scared of it than football."

Jose Mourinho on pressure as Man Utd continue to pursue Chelsea.

"24's on. Jack Bauer, he's some man. Widnae mind him in the back four!"

Gordon Strachan, on the day Celtic pick up the SPL silverware, after being asked what he was going to do that night.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "I believe Hearts is a great club and where someone like Andy Webster should build a career at. I have heard from different sources that he is looking for another club and the name of Glasgow Rangers had been mentioned. It means we can't be totally sure we can rely on the player."

Romanov transfer-lists Andy Webster.

May "I think with the resources I've had it would be difficult to see anybody doing better."

Alex McLeish leaves Rangers after four-and-a-half-years and seven trophies.

"Yes, I will have to adapt when I arrive in Scotland. But some people might also have to adapt to me."

Paul Le Guen on the prospect of managing Rangers.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "It seemed to me that my driver back in Kaunas could have done a better job than Rix and Duffy."

Vladimir Romanov.

June "Thanks. The last team that I worked for won f**k all for 15 years."

Ex-England captain Michael Atherton on Channel 4's award for cricket coverage.

"I don't mind them dancing on the tables, their stilettos haven't left any scratches."

The owner of Garibaldi's bar after a night-out enjoyed by England's WAGS.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "In case I do get fined for what I say I'd like to know how you are going to spend the money. If it goes to pay bonuses to the referees then which ones - those who just happen to be Celtic fans or those who monitor the direction of Skacel's spitting?"

Romanov lets rip at the SFA once again.

July "I was aware that my foot had landed between his legs, which, of course, is about the nastiest place to get hurt, but it was an accident."

Wayne Rooney on the clash with Ricardo Carvalho which led to his World Cup red card.

"Unless he has dropped a suitcase on his toe he is not injured."

Alan Thompson's agent, Tony McGill, after the player was sent home from Celtic's US tour when the club claimed he had an injury.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "Scottish football needs to change its style for the game to progress. I don't think there will be much progress from Celtic or Rangers - It looks like they are going to stay the same and play the same kind of crude, unsophisticated football."

Vlad on the Old Firm's deficiencies.

August "I will never shut the door on David Beckham's international career. It will never be open.... er, closed."

New England manager Steve McClaren on Beckham's England future. Or lack of it.

"It makes it more pleasant to look at you in your thin t-shirt."

David Coulthard responds to ITV reporter Louise Goodman's question on how the cold weather was affecting him after qualifying for the Hungarian GP.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "This is how it was last year as well, when newspapers were running invented stories before our key games with the aim of completely destroying players' confidence. Each time before such games they start this verbal diarrhoea. It's such nonsense."

Romanov turns his anger on the media.

September "The scoreboard says I have lost but what it doesn't say is what I have found... you have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams. In my last 21 years I have found you and will take the memory of you for the rest of my life."

Andre Agassi's retirement speech at the US Open.

"Guinness ability, that's why they picked me for the team, there was no other reason whatsoever."

Darren Clarke gets stuck into the Ryder Cup celebrations.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "How can I explain? To be able to pick the team, you should be at the training ground twice a day and I am not, as you can see. But, sometimes, there are situations when I ask the coach some searching questions about the make-up of the team."

Romanov on not picking - or is it picking? - the Hearts team.

October "I know Scotland is a nation of fair play and I was slightly disappointed with the attitude of the ball-boys who kept the ball and were slow to put it back into play."

France coach Raymond Domenech on the same match.

"Going out drinking doesn't help team spirit. When you drink you just tell lies and talk rubbish."

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "The last two years have been very testing for the players. Together, we have faced a number of challenges and worked hard at retaining some degree of unity. However, due to the circumstances, morale, understandably, is not good and there is significant unrest within the dressing room."

Hearts captain Steven Pressley lifts the lid on the situation at Hearts.

November "I was scared to death of him the first time I met him. I still am actually."

Paul Scholes pays tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson's 20th anniversary at Old Trafford.

"It's probably worse if you lose to a bunch of old people."

Glenn McGrath, 36, rubs salt into English cricketing wounds.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "He used to be a submarine commander. He thinks he can run a football club as a Soviet submarine."

Former Hearts chairman George Foulkes on Romanov.

December "Scott Harrison has pissed away a career then acted as if he is the victim. He doesn't have a chip on his shoulder, but a bag of King Edwards."

Promoter Frank Warren on the Scottish boxer after Harrison pulls out of his world title fight.

"It's just amazing to be here among these people and to win this is absolutely amazing."

Zara Phillips isn't the only one amazed she has won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Meanwhile, at Tynecastle: "It would be good for Hearts to get back to making headlines for football reasons. The fans have been very patient but it is one thing after another just now. First Steven Pressley was allowed to leave and now Paul Hartley and Craig Gordon are to be disciplined."

Former Hearts stalwart Gary Mackay.

Taken from the Sunday Herald