Dean Ashton the Latest to Leave Football; I'm Happy to See the End of 09

Yesterday, Dean Ashton announced his retirement from football.

He was 26.

Ashton was one of the most promising English players, so good that he was picked for the England squad, despite playing for a weakened West Ham side at the time.

Ashton isn't exactly the first player to abandon football during the abysmal year of 2009.

Daniel Jarque died from a heart attack, and Robert Enke committed suicide soon after.

But those weren't the only things that made 2009 such an abysmal year, Henry cheating and ruining Ireland's chances to qualify for the World cup, players diving, referees making terrible decisions, FIFA refusing to enforce camera replay and many more terrible occasions made 2009 one of the most controversial years in footballing history.

On and off the pitch, things have been terrible to say the least.

We lost a great defender in Jarque, a great attacker in Ashton, lost Enke, while the likes of Adriano are ruining their own career even though some people are willing to kill to get the chances he keeps wasting.

Indeed 2009 was strange. I don't think most of us cursed the TV with all our might like we did this year, and the bad part is, it doesn't look like things are gonna slow down any time soon.

FIFA refused to allow camera replays, referees refuse to admit when they made a mistake, those decisions seem to prove that FIFA have taken football for more than just a sport.

The biggest victims are the fans, and this ongoing struggle doesn't look like slowing down soon.

We can only hope that Ashton's retirement is the last piece of terrible news we get to hear this year.

I for one, am happy to see the back of 2009.

Good riddance.

Here's hoping that 2010 goes down as one of the great years in football history.

Cheers.