THIS time last year, we held plenty of hopes for what 2024 may hold for our town’s sporting scene.

It certainly had the potential to be quite the 12 months and as we now know, it did not disappoint.

So as we prepare to enter 2025, we thought it was a good time to have a look back at what we’d hoped for to see whether or not those hopes were realised...

1 – Success for Burgess in charge of The Wire

What we wrote…

“Opinions will no doubt vary as to what would constitute a successful year for Warrington Wolves in 2024, which will see modern-day rugby league legend Sam Burgess take charge of the team as head coach.

“The expectations around the club remain lofty as ever and a return to competing for trophies will no doubt be sought, but will a couple of lean years mean people will be simply happy with stability and gradual improvement?

“Burgess himself has been keen to avoid making grand statements about his squad, but we will soon get our first glimpse of the fruits of their pre-season labour.

“Will it finally be Wire’s year? We’ll soon find out…”

How it turned out…

While it wasn’t “our year,” 2024 will certainly be remembered fondly by Warrington Wolves supporters.

Their first season under Burgess turned out to be something of a rebirth, with The Wire restored to challenging for honours under his charge.

They reached their first Challenge Cup Final for five years but lost to Wigan Warriors at Wembley, finished third in the Super League table and fell agonisingly short of a Grand Final appearance by losing to Hull KR in the semi-finals.

So while this year did not deliver the trophies supporters crave, The Halliwell Jones Stadium is now a much happier place than it had been.

2 – Survival on and off the pitch for Yellows

What we wrote…

“Stay up on the field, stay up off the field” was Warrington Town’s mantra heading into their first ever National League North season.

“With the campaign now past its halfway mark, manager Mark Beesley and his players are in a strong position to fulfil their end of the bargain, sitting seven points clear of the relegation places and only five shy of a play-off spot.

“Now, the race is on to ensure Cantilever Park is brought up to the standard for continued Step Two football – improvements such as a new stand and terrace are planned and the club have until the end of March to complete the works or face being relegated back to the Northern Premier League.

“The hope for everyone is that by this time next year, Town are still more than holding their own in the National League North with a newly upgraded ground to enjoy.”

How it turned out…

We can tick the box on this one – Warrington Town are still very much a National League North club.

In the end, they did more than enough to stay up on the field as they finished 12th while off it, they completed the required ground upgrades just in time.

This season, however, things have been much more difficult with promotion-winning manager Mark Beesley having resigned in September following a poor start to the campaign.

Paul Carden – the man under whom he served as assistant manager for five years before taking the top job – returned to replace him but things continue to be a struggle for Town as they hover precariously above the relegation spots.

When it comes to our hopes for 2025, Yellows finishing on the right side of the dreaded dotted line will certainly be among them.

3 – A new high for Rylands

What we wrote…

“Across the River Mersey, Warrington Rylands enter 2024 in a strong position for a tilt at joining their neighbours in the National League North next season.

“Michael Clegg’s side sit second in the Northern Premier League Premier Division table and are the only side in the top seven tiers of English football to still be unbeaten away from home in the league.

“Blues trail leaders Radcliffe by four points having played a game more but have a six-point cushion inside the play-off spots.

“Those within the club continue to play down their chances of promotion but the longer they maintain their current position, the more realistic their chances will be.”

How it turned out…

Unfortunately, this one didn’t turn out as we hoped as 2024 proved to be a rocky year for Warrington Rylands.

They were jolted first by red-hot striker Adama Sidibeh’s January move to Scottish Premiership club St Johnstone and then manager Michael Clegg’s departure to Macclesfield and while they maintained their spot in the play-offs, they were beaten in the semi-finals by eventual promotion winners Marine.

This season has been difficult to date, with manager Mark Duffy relieved of his duties after a poor start that left them at the wrong end of the table.

However, they have improved significantly under new boss Neil Reynolds – most notably a run to the FA Trophy third round that saw them stun higher-ranked Scunthorpe United – to move clear of danger, something they will hope to continue in the new year.

4 – The continued rise of “Luke The Nuke”

What we wrote…

“Arguably the most talked-about teenager in British sport at the moment is one of our own – 16-year-old darts sensation Luke “The Nuke” Littler.

“The former Padgate Academy pupil has catapulted himself into the nation’s sporting consciousness with his superb performances at the World Darts Championship, where he has become the youngest player ever to reach the latter stages.

“Victories over Christian Kist, Andrew Gilding and Matt Campbell saw Littler demonstrate the kind of prodigious talent that has prompted 16-time world champion Phil Taylor to laud him as having the potential to be one of the game’s all-time greats.

“Even before his Ally Pally exploits, his dominance of the youth and junior circuits meant Littler, who turns 17 later this month, had secured a two-year PDC Tour card so we can expect to see him compete on the sport’s biggest stages plenty more times.”

How it turned out…

Well this is probably the biggest tick of them all!

In fact, Littler’s rise has been so meteoric that a year later, he’s back at Ally Pally as the fourth seed and the bookies’ favourite to win the World Darts Championship as he prepares for a quarter-final clash with Nathan Aspinall tomorrow.

This time last year, he ended up getting all the way to the final where he was beaten by world number one Luke Humphries – and the two have met in two more big finals since then.

Humphries was victorious in the recent Players Championship Finals, but Littler won through in the PDC Premier League decider to lift perhaps the biggest trophy of the 10 he ended up winning in 2024, which earned him over £1million in prize money.

And to top it all off, he finished second behind Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award – the highest-profile individual prize British sport can offer.

The 17-year-old Padgate lad has become a genuine superstar, and long may it continue!

5 – More title shots for Rhiannon Dixon

What we wrote…

“Great Sankey’s “fighting pharmacist” took an almighty step forward during 2023, picking up her first two belts as a professional.

“As such, Dixon enters 2024 holding both the Commonwealth and European lightweight titles after victories over Katharina Thanderz and Vicky Wilkinson in her past two bouts.

“The Anthony Crolla-trained 28-year-old has a professional record of nine wins from as many fights but does not currently have a fight scheduled.

“However, we’d love to see her career progress towards a potential tilt at the British title – and maybe even a world crown.

“In Dixon’s weight class, the British title is currently vacant with all four versions of the world title are held by Irishwoman Katie Taylor.”

How it turned out…

Well, we got a little more than we’d hoped for with this one – in the best possible way!

Back in April, Dixon become the first Warringtonian to win a world boxing title as she beat Argentina’s Karen Elizabeth Carabajal in Manchester via unanimous decision.

That allowed her to bring home the WBO lightweight strap but unfortunately, her first defence in September saw her outpointed by domestic rival Terri Harper to suffer her first career defeat.

As such, 2025 will be one of rebuilding for the 29-year-old, who is set to return to the ring in the next few months.

6 – Plenty of Olympic representation

What we wrote…

“This year will see the Olympic Games take place once again, with Paris playing host to the 2024 summer event.

“And we’re hoping there will be plenty of Warrington representation as part of the Team GB travelling party that makes the short hop across the English Channel.

“Warrington Rowing Club’s Lucy Glover will be hoping to make it having been a regular in British boats at World Cup events since making her Olympic debut in Tokyo three years ago.

“Former Great Sankey High School pupil Kathleen Dawson, who helped Team GB’s swimmers to mixed relay gold in Tokyo, has been struggling with injury but will hope to make the team, as will fellow swimmer James Guy.”

How it turned out…

Our town was indeed represented at the Games, with Kathleen Dawson and James Guy once again forming part of Team GB’s swimming squad.

Indeed, Guy once again brought home a gold medal as he and teammates Duncan Scott, Tom Dean and Matt Richards defended the 4x200m freestyle relay title they won in Tokyo three years previously.

Dawson did not progress through the women’s 100m backstroke heats but did form part of the women’s and mixed relay teams in 4x100m medley races, reaching the medal race in the latter but finishing seventh.

Lucy Glover was a travelling reserve for Team GB’s rowers but did not make it into a boat for competitive action.

7 – England to bring football home

What we wrote…

“The bars and pubs of Warrington will no doubt be packed in the summer to cheer on England at this summer’s European Championships.

“After a heart-breaking penalty shoot-out defeat in the final against Italy last time out, the Three Lions will head to Germany as one of the tournament favourites as they bid for a first major trophy since 1966.

“Gareth Southgate’s men kick off their campaign against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on June 16, with group games against Denmark and Slovenia to follow.

“We will certainly be cheering them on as they finally look to bring football home.”

How it turned out…

So, so close…

The town joined the rest of the country in backing the Three Lions and despite not really getting going and staring elimination in the face on a couple of occasions, they again reached the final.

Only a stoppage-time Jude Bellingham bicycle kick spared them from defeat to Slovakia in the last-16 before they won after extra time, while they needed penalties to get past Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

When Ollie Watkins’ last-minute winner allowed them to edge out the Netherlands in the semis, it felt as though our luck was in but Spain – the tournament’s stand-out side – had other ideas and won the final 2-1 to deservedly lift the trophy.

Lead pictures courtesy of PA Wire, Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing, Kieran Cleeves/PDC, Sean Walsh and Mark Percy