Who had the Comeback of the Year? It’s FourFourTwo’s Alternative Awards of 2024 and we want your vote.
In this issue of FourFourTwo, we’re handing out the big awards of the year for those who had a 12 months that couldn’t possibly be ignored. So we asked our expert team to vote in some extra categories, just for online – no rules about who to vote for or how many nominations a party can receive.
Today it’s all about the great comebacks… so who are you voting for?
Ivory Coast: nominated by Chris Flanagan, senior staff writer (@CFlanaganFFT)
Bayer Leverkusen seemed to be trying to win this award in pretty much every match towards the end of last season – clinging on to that unbeaten record for dear life with equalisers in the 88th, 89th, 93rd, 96th, 97th and 97th minutes. Still though, I’ll go for Ivory Coast, and possibly the most extraordinary comeback in any major tournament ever.
The hosts looked to be out when they were humiliated 4-0 by Equatorial Guinea, leaving them with three points from three games. Then Ghana blew a 2-0 lead against Mozambique in injury time in another group, Ivory Coast squeaked through as the fourth best third-placed team, replaced boss Jean-Louis Gasset with Emerse Fae, came from a goal down in the last 16, came from a goal down with 10 men in the quarters, then came from a goal down again to beat Nigeria in the final. Madness.
Veteran strikers: nominated by Ryan Dabbs, senior writer online (@ryandabbs_)
Chris Wood, Danny Welbeck and Jamie Vardy have all rolled back the years this season, putting in some truly surprising displays. I’ve been genuinely shocked that Chris Wood has managed to hit double figures before Christmas – yes, he’s clearly a very good, competent Premier League striker, but he’s looked more impressive than ever in 2024/25. Welbeck’s even keeping young upstart Evan Ferguson out of the Brighton team, while Vardy is, to be fair, as terrier-like as ever.
Gareth Southgate: nominated by Matthew Ketchell, deputy editor (@Ketchell)
He was seconds from a Graham Taylor-esq crucifixion, but then Jude Bellingham bailed him and England out. The Three Lions delivered a penalty shootout masterclass (fantastic to type those words) and then put in their best performance of the tournament to seal a Euro 2024 final place that nobody who sat through the Denmark game believed physically possible. Spain was, of course, a bridge way too far, and while Southgate left without a trophy, his dignity remains intact (until he takes over at West Ham).
Lennie Lawrence: nominated by James Andrew, editor (@JamesAndrew_)
At the age of 77 Lawrence returned to the dugout for the first time as manager for 19 years when he took over at National League side Hartlepool United. He has not been out of football though, as he has held Director of Football and Assistant Manager roles at no less than nine clubs since he was last called ‘Gaffer’.
Lennie Lawrence: nominated by Ed McCambridge (again), staff writer (@edmccambridge)
When septuagenarian Lennie Lawrence was appointed Hartlepool manager in November, it represented his first post in the dugout since getting sacked by Cardiff back in 2005. The 76-year-old went to school with Roy Hodgson, for crying out loud!
Bournemouth: nominated by Mark White, online content editor (@markwhlte)
Andoni Iraola’s tricky Cherries fought from two down against Everton earlier this season – with the Toffees leading until the 87th minute. But given that Sean Dyche’s team are a social experiment in testing the limits of the human condition, Bournemouth’s other spectacular comeback deserves its place on this list: coming back from 3-0 down at half-time against Luton Town. In an ever-maddening sport of inverted full-backs, delaying the restart and playing out from the back even if it relegates you (looking at you, Burnley), it’s refreshing that Iraola’s core philosophy is, simply, to score more than the opposition. We’re a proper country, once more.
Two rounds before the end of the 2023/24 Women’s Super League season it looked as though Manchester City had the title wrapped up with a bow. City were three points ahead of the Blues with a significant goal difference. After losing to Liverpool to give City the point advantage, then-manager Emma Hayes said “the title race is over”. But then Chelsea beat Bristol City 8-0, while City lost to Arsenal. That meant on the final day of the season the teams had the same amount of points but Chelsea were topping the table with a goal difference of +2.
However, Chelsea faced Manchester United at Old Trafford, while City had Aston Villa and so the title was up for grabs. That was until Mayra Ramirez tore United apart and Chelsea ended the season with a 6-0 demolition job. The perfect send off for Hayes and one of the best comebacks in WSL title race history.
Jamie Vardy: nominated by Adam Monk, presenter/producer (@_adammonk)
Truth be told he was never really gone, merely just playing in the Championship. But few expected him to be as good as he still is upon his return to the big time. Now closing in on 150 Premier League goals – over 100 of which have been scored after the age of 30 – at the age of 37 he’s still one of the best strikers in the league and a true example of a player they simply don’t make them like anymore.
Yarm and Eaglescliffe: nominated by Ben Marsden, writer (@BenMarsden03)
Yarm and Eaglescliffe are hardly a team that many can claim to know but in November they produced a comeback that any side in the world would be envious of. At 5-2 down in the Northern League Division Two against Sunderland West End it was all but game over. Then they scored in the 92nd minute. And again, in the 93rd. And again, in the 94th. At this point, you might think fair play 5-5 is a belter of a game but no, engineer Tom Atkinson popped up in the 96th minute for his fourth of the game to seal the comeback of the year.
