The 37 best football tweets of 2016

A lot has happened in 2016. In fact, it might well be the longest year on record.

That thing you assumed happened 18 months ago? It was in May. That other one, from five years back? Actually January of this year. https://twitter.com/joelgolby/status/808303614758359040 So, a really long year must have produced a lot of brilliant football tweets. So, without further ado, here are some of our favourites.

The start of the year brought the football beef we didn't realise we needed

https://twitter.com/LAGalaxy/status/693646932112121857

Not to mention some great football and music crossovers

https://twitter.com/ryan_defreitas/status/697839641903427584 https://twitter.com/FTBL_Likealooks/status/690201395874656257

We also had that doping scandal, which feels like it was much, much longer ago than it really was

https://twitter.com/manutd24/status/716388142190882816

Leicester City were surprise Premier League champions, but was it really worth it?

https://twitter.com/_AndyHa/status/716615592015503360

An eventful year was bisected by Euro 2016, where England did their usual thing

https://twitter.com/RorySmith/status/744992940930502658

There were some memorable moments for the home nations

https://twitter.com/TBNSport/status/713846645180481536 https://twitter.com/jrgdutton/status/772881557531070465

But in the end it was all about one man

https://twitter.com/tomwfootball/status/742842252817530880

Well, one man and one moth

https://twitter.com/The_Paris_Angel/status/752216341197758464

Domestic football returned in August, and the greats continued to do their thing

https://twitter.com/jonathanliew/status/783666657432567809

Especially Lionel Messi

https://twitter.com/_Zeets/status/793546264746962944

There were some high-profile deals

https://twitter.com/Billie_T/status/788102022511878144

As well as some that didn't go through

https://twitter.com/rachel_sg/status/748877144273682432

And one that people probably wish hadn't come to fruition

https://twitter.com/chrs00/status/765271729522507776

Two England greats left MLS and showed that some things never change

https://twitter.com/FootballCliches/status/798560306637180929

Terrace chants reached a new high or a new low, depending on your point of view

https://twitter.com/elliotowens95/status/792414410732101632

The annual poppy debate, meanwhile, took a bizarre turn

https://twitter.com/fistedaway/status/794120748193513472

It has been a big year for footballers looking like they're doing things that they're not doing.

https://twitter.com/JonnyGabriel/status/727238227095113728 https://twitter.com/EamoV1/status/706565341716078593

Managers and coaches too

https://twitter.com/ben_machell/status/795929568221818882 https://twitter.com/JackBaker1311/status/805183864402538496

Or footballers getting involved in politics

https://twitter.com/jimdalycomedy/status/798801475799371776 https://twitter.com/CaulkinTheTimes/status/807663385101959168

Or other people looking like football people

https://twitter.com/BeardedGenius/status/802613846003380225

Sports investigations have flourished

https://twitter.com/darrenrichman/status/727425505335599104

But really, the Sam Allardyce scandal was a big deal, and it produced a wonderful moment of schadenfreude

https://twitter.com/ChicoFlores12/status/780729209081724928

Big Sam wasn't the only manager to lose his job this year

https://twitter.com/BenMcAleer1/status/790906410456449024

Tweets from footballers have reached a new level

https://twitter.com/VictorAnichebe/status/794962885193662468

But we're not sure what inspired this

https://twitter.com/GianneImbula/status/709093732180688896

The 2016/17 has thrown up some great entertainment

https://twitter.com/Tweetgood_Mac/status/776878814802640896

Not to mention a resurgent Chelsea, highlighted by a 4-0 win over Manchester United

https://twitter.com/Eidur22Official/status/790230636686696448

Across North London, meanwhile, it has been a tale of two right-backs

https://twitter.com/MOliverFan/status/756548662734512128 https://twitter.com/JamesMawFFT/status/808280716039585792

A new year meant a new FIFA game, with one helpful new addition

https://twitter.com/BigDorinGoian/status/776077407283359744

That might have been predictable, but there have been some things that no one saw coming this year

https://twitter.com/mansfieldtownfc/status/776034904140292096

Yup, 2016 has been a weird one

https://twitter.com/GavHutchinson/status/748585095481724930