2007/08 Season Review

The 2007/2008 started in the worst possible way for Harchester, a humiliating home defeat to newly promoted Derby. This of course led to the shock sacking of Jimmy Craig. Things did not improve under the new manager, Andrei Botowski, and Harchester's form didn't improve, and they found themselves lingering just above the relegation zone 5 games into the season.

The only saviour for the Dragons, was their European run. After being drawn in a group with Real Madrid, Celtic and Stuttgart, they grinded out results and after a dramatic decider against Celtic, they scraped into the last 16.

The run inspired Harchester in the league, and at the turn of the year, they had risen to 9th in the league, and the fans felt they would be able to push to be into Europe again. But the January transfer window was far from inspiring for United, and if anything, the side was weakened by the movement of the players. This didn't help the players morale at all, and they only took 2 points from the next 8 games, and found themselves well and truly in a relegation battle, and knocked out of the FA Cup by Colchester.

As the team entered February, the Champions League was back, and the Dragons were paired against Roma. The morale was poor amongst the team, and although Liam Mackay was determined and fighting as usual, it wasn't enough as the Dragons crashed out of Europe 4-1 on aggregate.

The Dragons couldn't turn around their fortune, and their poor form continued. They were 18th with two weeks of the season left. 2 matches against relegation battlers Bolton and Wigan would decide United's fate. 4 points were needed to save the Dragons Premiership status. After trailing Bolton for a long time in the match, it was Liam Mackay who popped up in the 87th minute to save Harchester. The belief was back that the team could make it. The Wigan match was the biggest match of the season for the Dragons, and the team produced, and survived by the skin of their teeth after a 2-0 win with Mackay and Moody getting the goals.

The Dragons had survived, but surely things could only get better next season?

If things had been bad on the pitch, there wasn't much difference off the pitch. Ever since Dmitri and Marit Beckov entered through the gates of the Dragon Lair, replacing Terry Harrison as owners, the dark clouds have been immovable from above the Premiership Champions.

After triumph and joy turned to terror on day 38 of the Premiership season, the club hasn't recovered. The tragic deaths of around 300 fans and club coach, Danny Sullivan, nothing has gone right for the club.

The banners have been there at every game this season showing what the fans feel about the Russian brothers. The quick sale from Terry Harrison was originally met with excitement from the fans as it looked to be the start of a new era for the club, but the opinions quickly changed, and it wasn't too long before the fans were protesting against the actions of the owners. After very little action in the transfer window, the most bizarre decision from the owners came on day 1 of the Premiership season. After a poor start for the Dragons, it was announced the next day that Jimmy Craig had been sacked. The decision befuddled the fans and left many questions in their heads. The virtually unknown, Andrei Botowski stepped into the driving seat at Harchester, and if anything, has steered the team in the wrong direction.

The murmurings were becoming louder and louder about discontent behind the scenes at Harchester. Various staff and players sacked throughout the course of the season, but the definitive moment came on 18 May. After a long and arduous season for the Dragons, star player, Gavin Moody, was released from his contract. No explanation was given as to why, and it sparked such anger amongst fans, and the scenes of 19 May, will never be forgotten by any Dragon. Fans gathered outside the Dragons Lair for what was to be a 'peaceful protest', but after word spread that the owners were in the stadium, things turned nasty outside. Fans streamed towards the entrance to the stadium, clashing with police as they desperately tried to get into the stadium. Tear-gas was released into the crowd, and many of the fans were knocked to the floor by police. But some got away. The stories in the paper the next day spoke of how 3 fans found another entrance to the stadium, and after a short hostage situation, the fans captured one of the owners, Dmitri. The capture has shocked the football world, and the search continues to find the oil tycoon.

Away from the owners, there has been plenty happening off the pitch at Harchester. The main player who has made the headlines, is Darren Tyson.

After being dropped by the new manager 3 games into the season and dropped to the reserves, his life has gone off the tracks. 2 weeks after being dropped, the pictures appeared in the paper of him leaving a nightclub very drunk, and hitting a photographer. After this, he was made to train with the youth team, and told he would never play for Harchester. Since then, things went even further downhill for Tyson. On the verge of a move and a fresh start at Championship high-flyers, Wolves, he broke his leg in a freak accident at training. The transfer was cancelled, and Tyson fell further off the tracks. Pictures constantly appeared in the paper over the next weeks and months for his increasing drug habits. He wasn't turning up for his appointments at the hospital, and his friends were becoming increasingly worried about the man who had once scored the goals to win the FA Cup for Harchester. But in May, disaster struck for Tyson. Team-mate Liam Mackay found him collapsed on his living-room floor. Tyson was rushed to hospital, and doctors battled for hours to save him. Thankfully, the player survived, and is now in rehab recovering.

Overall, it had been a poor season for the Dragons, and things can only get better in the 08/09 season.

Reporter: Garry Carmody