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2012/13 ranks as quite possibly the best sfp title race and season of all time. From an auction that featured a video link to Canada, to a title race that ran to the very last few minutes of the last day, it had it all.
Reason one was the advancements in mobile technology. This season, like no other, each manager could pick their team 24/7 via text, tweet or email and from all over the country - indeed the world, from Italy, the Maldives, Kenya and Thailand. Such availability and dedication produced one of the tightest leagues, from top to bottom.
Reason two has to be the way it came down to the last 13 minutes of the season. Admittedly, had Michael played his strongest side each week then he'd have wrapped it all up with a month ago. But because he wanted that treble, and the gamble paid off, this will now go down in history as being possibly the 2nd tightest title race on record. The 200506 season was possibly closer, as James Roberts and Adam Walters stood toe to toe on the last day, level on points and Roberts went on to win the championship by the same 7 point margin as this year. Being level on the last day is perhaps a tighter race than being 27 points apart. However, some might argue that being level with 13 minutes to go is tighter still.
On the final afternoon, ten minutes into the second half of the Newcastle V Arsenal game FCWC scored a goal through Koscielney which brought them within just 10 points of AC Spartak. More incredibly, in a manic 26 minutes the teams would be level on 1340 points, after Lambert scored for FCWC, meaning Begovic and Cameron lost their clean sheets, but at the same time AC Spartak shifted -6 points as West Ham and West Brom conceded two each, and with Spartak having two WBA defenders.
So with 77 mins on the clock and just 13 minutes left of the season, the sfps top two were level, before Berbatov and then finally Bale fired Spartak to their second sfp title. Aaron Lennon got an assist for FCWC, but it wouldn't be enough for Jermy Junior to retain the title.
A stunned Lucchesi said this to FC Where's Christine manager, and defending sfp champion Nick Jermy:
"If it really is to be believed, that my wildest fantasy dreams have come true, then I extend a warm and sincere handshake. It has been one hell of a season and one that along with everything else that life has conjured up brings a real sense of joy and a tear to my eye. What a finale, what a game football is. Can't even begin to think of next year yet. I want to enjoy this! 7 points! Put it there son.â€
Michael concluded the season as the third manager to collect a domestic treble, with a 4:2 win against Rob Dale in the SFP Cup, and a 10:2 win against Ross in the 5ASide Cup.
