Here's the sporting year in [guff] quotes.

On the face of it, it didn’t seem that much of an occasion, just a warm-up for the real action. Sure, it may have been Gibraltar’s ever international first match as a recognised nation, but the November 2013 friendly in the Algarve was against an experimental Slovakia side, and ended 0-0. Bigger days surely lay ahead.

It was a telling reminder of how far they’d come, but also of their apparent place in the game. At the end of Gibraltar’s 7-0 defeat to Poland back in September, the tiny territory’s players obviously went to swap shirts with the opposition.

“You! you’re the reason why I’m driving 100 miles every weekend to try and find a better player!”

Roy Keane’s former recruit Danny Higginbotham admits the spicy Euro 2016 draw could persuade him to extend his international career with Gibraltar.

Sunday’s Euro 2016 qualifying draw may have been the first time most football fans in Ireland realised Gibraltar had an international team which actually played in qualifiers.

It was only a matter of time before Martin O’Neill went into international management and it was always going to be a tug of war between the Republic and Northern Ireland, in terms of which job he took on.

A football match had to be stopped recently when a parachutist landed on the pitch.

A list of all the confirmed deadline day signings so far.

Birmingham 0 Ipswich 1

Barnsley 1 Ipswich 1

Defender Danny Higginbotham is unsure whether he will see out the final year of his contract at Stoke after returning to the club following a loan spell at Nottingham Forest.

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cotterill hailed the qualities of Andy Reid after the Republic of Ireland international had turned in a match-winning performance against Millwall.

QPR were the standout big spenders as the transfer window slammed shut last night.

Irish international Glenn Whelan comes into midfield for Dean Whitehead as Stoke prepared to face Blackburn at the Britannia Stadium today.

Stoke 2 QPR 3

Stoke boss Tony Pulis is keeping his fingers crossed that a number of his key players will have recovered from injury in time for Sunday’s Barclays Premier League trip to Bolton.

Maccabi Tel Aviv 1 Stoke 2

Stoke striker Kenwyne Jones is poised to make his first-team comeback in tomorrow’s Europa League Group E clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis is waiting to see whether a sugar injection in Matthew Etherington’s back has cured the winger’s injury problems in time for him to play in tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League clash with Fulham.

On-loan Stoke striker John Carew will be hoping for another run-out against Arsenal on Sunday after recovering from a back problem.

Stoke winger Matthew Etherington will have a scan on his damaged hamstring today which could force him to miss the FA Cup final next month.

Stoke will be without Danny Higginbotham for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League trip to Tottenham after the defender sustained a cruciate knee ligament injury.

Stoke defender Danny Higginbotham faces up to six months on the sidelines after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was full of praise for his side after they gritted out a 1-0 win over Bolton on Saturday to move five points clear at the Barclays Premier League summit.

1 SOCCER Stoke Nightlead

STOKE booked their first FA Cup semi-final appearance for 39 years after bouncing back from a controversial West Ham equaliser yesterday.

Stoke 2 West Ham 1

Stoke manager Tony Pulis made four changes for the FA Cup quarter-final visit of West Ham as he sought revenge for last week’s Premier League defeat against the same opposition.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis has confirmed that goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen will play in Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against West Ham at the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke 3 Sunderland 2

New signing Luis Suarez was named as a substitute to face Stoke at Anfield as Liverpool began life after Fernando Torres.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis has defensive worries ahead of the Barclays Premier League trip to Liverpool tomorrow night.

Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross is suspended for Sunday’s trip to Wolves in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Cardiff 0 Stoke 2 (after extra-time)

Stoke 2 Bolton 0

Stoke forward Tuncay retained his place in the team to face Bolton at the Britannia Stadium today.

Stoke 1 Cardiff 1

IF Blackburn’s new Indian owners had hoped to bring stability to the club by announcing that caretaker manager Steve Kean will remain in charge until the end of the season, it has not worked.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis made two changes to his side for the Barclays Premier League match against Blackpool at the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke City 3 Birmingham 2

Stoke v Birmingham

Ryan Shawcross will miss out on Stoke’s clash with Birmingham tomorrow following his red card at Sunderland at the weekend.