2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Europe, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain
The 2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain, also known as the 2012 FIM Fogo British Speedway Grand Prix for sponsorship reasons, was the ninth race of the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on 25 August at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain
The Grand Prix was won by Chris Holder who beat Krzysztof Kasprzak, Antonio Lindbäck and Fredrik Lindgren in the final. 1950 and 1953 World Champion Freddie Williams, Wales' only Speedway World Champion, presented the winners trophy to Holder.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain, Riders
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Scott Nicholls as Wild Card, and Ben Barker and Craig Cook both as Track Reserves. Injured Craig Cook (carpus broken) was replaced by Josh Auty. Injured Jarosław Hampel and Kenneth Bjerre was replaced by first and second Qualified Substitutes, Martin Vaculík and Krzysztof Kasprzak. The draw was made on 24 August.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Italy
The 2012 FIM Fogo Italian Speedway Grand Prix was the eighth race meeting of the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on August 11, at the Pista Olimpia stadium in Terenzano, Italy.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Italy
The Grand Prix was won by Antonio Lindbäck who beat Emil Sayfutdinov, Greg Hancock and Martin Vaculík. It was first SGP win for Lindbäck in his 52nd start. He and Fredrik Lindgren are the most "waiting for win" riders.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Italy, Riders
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Nicolas Covatti as Wild Card, and Michele Paco Castagna and Nicolas Vicentin both as Track Reserves. Injured Jarosław Hampel was replaced by first Qualified Substitutes, Martin Vaculík for third time. The draw was made on August 10.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Italy, Results, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of New Zealand
The 2012 FIM Buckley Systems New Zealand Speedway Grand Prix was the first race of the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on 31 March at the Western Springs Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of New Zealand
The Grand Prix was won by defending world champion Greg Hancock, who beat Jarosław Hampel, Nicki Pedersen and Janson Crump in the final.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of New Zealand
New Zealand SGP was first Grand Prix event in New Zealand, and second outside Europe, after 2002 Speedway Grand Prix of Australia.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of New Zealand, Riders
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Jason Bunyan as Wild Card, and Grant Tregoning and Andrew Aldridge both as Track Reserves. Sean Mason was renominated as a Reserve #18. The Draw was made on 30 March.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of New Zealand, Results, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Nordic
The 2012 FIM Dansk Metal Nordic Speedway Grand Prix was the eleventh race of the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on 22 September at the Speedway Center in Vojens, Denmark.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Nordic
The Grand Prix was won by wild card Michael Jepsen Jensen who beat Nicki Pedersen, Emil Sayfutdinov and Jason Crump in the final.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Nordic, Riders
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Michael Jepsen Jensen as Wild Card, and Kim Nilsson and Linus Sundström both as Track Reserves. Injured Kenneth Bjerre was replaced by second Qualified Substitutes, Krzysztof Kasprzak. First Qualified Substitutes, Martin Vaculík, had problems with blood pressure. The draw was made on 21 September.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Nordic, Results, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
The 2012 FIM Gorzow Speedway Grand Prix of Poland was the sixth race of the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on June 23 at the Edward Jancarz Stadium in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
The Grand Prix was won by Martin Vaculík who beat Chris Harris, wild card Bartosz Zmarzlik and Tomasz Gollob. Vaculík becoming first Slovak rider who ride in the SGP and third rider who won SGP event in his debut (after Tomasz Gollob and Emil Sayfutdinov). It was 150th SPG event since 1995 and Greg Hancock was only rider who rode in all meetings.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland, Riders
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Bartosz Zmarzlik as Wild Card, and Piotr and Przemysław Pawlicki both as Track Reserves. Injured Jarosław Hampel was replaced by first Qualified Substitutes, Martin Vaculík. The draw was made on June 22.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland II
The 2012 FIM Torun Speedway Grand Prix of Poland was the twelfth race meeting of the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on October 6 at the MotoArena Toruń in Toruń, Poland.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland II
Former three-times World Champion, Jason Crump, announced his SGP retirement after the Toruń SGP.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland II
The Grand Prix was won by Antonio Lindbäck who beat Tomasz Gollob, Greg Hancock and Chris Holder in the final.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland II, Riders
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Maciej Janowski as Wild Card, and Emil and Kamil Pulczyński both as Track Reserves. Injured Kenneth Bjerre was replaced by first Qualified Substitutes, Martin Vaculík. The draw was made on October 5.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland II, Results, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Scandinavia
The 2012 FIM Scandinavian Speedway Grand Prix will be the tenth race of the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on September 8 at the G&B Stadium in Målilla, Sweden.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Scandinavia
The Grand Prix was won by Tomasz Gollob who beat Chris Holder, Antonio Lindbäck and Nicki Pedersen in the final.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Scandinavia, Riders
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Thomas H. Jonasson as Wild Card, and Kim Nilsson and Linus Sundström both as Track Reserves. Injured Kenneth Bjerre was replaced by first Qualified Substitutes, Martin Vaculík. The draw was made on September 7.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Scandinavia, Results, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden
The 2012 FIM Swedish Speedway Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on May 26 at the Ullevi stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden
The Grand Prix was won by Fredrik Lindgren who beat Greg Hancock, Chris Holder and wild card Thomas H. Jonasson. It was the first SGP won by Lidngren.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden, Riders
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Thomas H. Jonasson as Wild Card, and Linus Sundström and Simon Gustafsson both as Track Reserves. The Draw was made on May 25.


2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden, Heat details
e: retired or mechanical failure • m: exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t: exclusion for touching the tapes • x: other exclusion • f: fellns: non-starter • nc: non-classifySemi-finals: Heat 21: Riders placed 1st, 4th, 6th & 7th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Heat 22: Riders placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 8th in the intermediate classification (after 20 heats)Big Final (heat 23): The first and second placed riders in each of the Semi-Finals


2012 Speedway World Cup
The 2012 FIM Speedway World Cup (SWC) was the twelfth FIM Speedway World Cup, the annual international speedway world championship tournament. It took place between 7 July and 14 July 2012 and involved eight national teams. Six teams were seeded through to the tournament and two qualification rounds were held in April and May 2012 to determine the final place. As host nation, Sweden were seeded to the Final.


2012 Speedway World Cup, Qualification
The top six nations from the 2011 Speedway World Cup (Poland, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Russia and Great Britain) were granted automatic qualification with Sweden given a birth in the final as host nation. The remaining two places were divided among two qualifying rounds. Qualifying Round One was hosted in Herxheim, Germany, and Qualifying Round Two was hosted in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Germany and the USA qualified to the Tournament.


2012 Speedway World Cup Final
The 2012 FIM Speedway World Cup Final was the fourth and final race of the 2012 Speedway World Cup season. It was run on July 14 and was won by Denmark from Australia, Russia, and the host nation Sweden. The Final took place at the G&B Stadium in Målilla.


2012 Speedway World Cup Final
Denmark were led to victory by their captain, Niels K Iversen and Michael Jepsen Jensen, both of whom scored 11 points. They were supported by triple World Champion Nicki Pedersen (9 points) and Mikkel B Jensen (8 points). Australia, led by triple World Champ Jason Crump and 2012 World Champion Chris Holder finished second from Russia who were led by Emil Sayfutdinov who top scored for the meeting with 17 points (Holder was next with 16). Host nation Sweden disappointed on the night to finish fourth and last.


2012 Spengler Cup
The 2012 Spengler Cup was held in Davos, Switzerland, between 26 and 31 December 2012. All matches were played at HC Davos's home known as Vaillant Arena. Six competing teams were split into two groups of three. The two groups, named Torriani and Cattini, were named after legendary Swiss hockey players Richard "Bibi" Torriani and the Cattini brothers, Hans and Ferdinand.


2012 Spengler Cup, Teams participating
The list of teams that have been confirmed for the tournament are as listed:


2012 Spengler Cup, Teams participating
The division of the six teams into two groups of three and the subsequent schedule were determined on 24 August 2012.


2012 Spengler Cup, Teams participating
Due to the ongoing 2012–13 NHL lockout, some of the teams' rosters were bolstered by the presence of locked-out NHL players, with many of them joining Team Canada.


2012 Spengler Cup, Match Officials
Here is the list of match officials that have been confirmed for the tournament:


2012 Spengler Cup, Publications
For the first time, the Spengler Cup has made all of their available publications, including all matchday programmes and the event media guide, available for download on their website. The publications are available only in German.


2012 Spengler Cup, Knockout stage
Key: * – final in overtime. * * – final in shootout.


2012 Spengler Cup, Statistics, Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points


2012 Spengler Cup, Television
Several television channels around the world will cover many or all matches of the Spengler Cup. As well as most Swiss channels, here is a listing of who else will cover the tournament:


2012 Spokane Shock season
The 2012 Spokane Shock season was the seventh season for the franchise, and the third in the Arena Football League. The team was coached by Andy Olson and played their home games at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The Shock finished the season 10–8, but did not qualify for the playoffs for the first time in their franchise's history.


2012 Spokane Shock season, Schedule
The Shock began the season at home against the Iowa Barnstormers on 12 March. They hosted the Tampa Bay Storm in their final regular season game on 21 July.


2012 Spokane Shock season, Roster
Rookies in italics updated July 21, 201221 Active, 10 Inactive


2012 Sport Club Corinthians Paulista season
The 2012 season is the 102nd season in the history of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista. In 2012, Corinthians won its first ever Copa Libertadores title.


2012 Sport Club Corinthians Paulista season, Campeonato Paulista, Results
Colours: Green = Corinthians win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.


2012 Sport Club Corinthians Paulista season, Campeonato Paulista, Statistics, Results summary
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference


2012 Sport Club Corinthians Paulista season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2012 Sport Club Corinthians Paulista season, Manufacturer and sponsors
Corinthians began the 2012 Season with Johnson & Johnson Brazilian consumer brand Jontex as its main sponsor. When Corinthians initiated the 2012 Libertadores Campaign a month later, Fiat subsidiary Iveco (Chest) became the main sponsor alongside Fisk (Back), Marabraz (Sleeves), & Bom Brill (Shoulders). Prior to the Libertadores Final Iveco approached Corinthians in an attempt to become the exclusive sponsor of Timão, Corinthians rebuffed stating that such a deal would be out of Iveco's financial reach.


2012 Sport Club Corinthians Paulista season, Manufacturer and sponsors
The latest prices for Corinthians Shirt sponsorships are as follows: (Chest & Back) R$30m (€12m/$15m), Sleeves R$15m (€6m/$7.5m), Shoulders R$8m (€3.2m/$4m), for a total of R$53m (€21.3m/$26.5m). On July 7, 2012, it was announced that Corinthians was close to signing an exclusive sponsorship deal lasting until the end of 2012, worth R$68m (€27.3m/$34m). This would place Corinthians as the second most expensive shirt in the world, ahead of Juventus (Tamoil) & behind Manchester United (Nike).


2012 Sporting Cristal season
The 2012 season is Sporting Cristal's 57th season in the Peruvian First Division, and also the club's 57th consecutive season in the top-flight of Peruvian football.


2012 Sporting Cristal season
Sporting Cristal won their 16th Torneo Descentralizado title, after seven years of failed attempts. The team finished the season first in the aggregate table and were undefeated at home during the entire season.


2012 Sporting Cristal season, Events
On February 12, 2012, Roberto Palacios played his last game in a Sporting Cristal jersey in a friendly match against San Martín in the Estadio Nacional.


2012 Sporting Cristal season, Events
Sporting Cristal were crowned champions of the 2012 Torneo Descentralizado on December 9, 2012 after defeating Real Garcilaso 1-0, at the Estadio Nacional.


2012 Sporting Cristal season, Players, Squad information
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2012 Sporting Cristal season, Competitions, Overall
This season Sporting Cristal will participate in the 2012 Torneo Descentralizado.


2012 Sporting Cristal season, Competitions, Torneo Descentralizado, Playoff Finals
The Third Stage will be the finals (also known as the Play-off) of the 2012 season between the winners of each group of the Second Stage. As Sporting Cristal had the most points on the aggregate table, Sporting Cristal decided which leg they will play as the home team. They will also choose the venue of the third match in case both teams are tied on points after the second leg.


2012 Sporting Kansas City season
The 2012 Sporting Kansas City season was the seventeenth season of the team's existence in Major League Soccer and the second year played under the Sporting Kansas City moniker.


2012 Sporting Kansas City season, Overview, Preseason, Late 2011
Preparations for the 2012 Major League Soccer season began only a day after the 2011 MLS Cup. On November 21, 2011, Ryan Smith was traded to Chivas USA for 1st and 3rd round draft picks in the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft. Later the same day, all MLS teams were required to submit a list of 11 protected players for the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft to be held for the newly formed Montreal Impact. The club chose to protect Davy Arnaud, Matt Besler, Teal Bunbury, Aurélien Collin, Roger Espinoza, Kei Kamara, Chance Myers, Jimmy Nielsen, Júlio César, C. J. Sapong, and Graham Zusi.


2012 Sporting Kansas City season, Overview, Preseason, Late 2011
During the expansion draft on November 23, the Montreal Impact selected unprotected Sporting leftback Seth Sinovic. Later the same day, Sporting KC waived Scott Lorenz, Miloš Stojčev, Craig Rocastle, and Jéferson. The following Monday (November 28), Sporting traded team captain Davy Arnaud to the Montreal Impact for Sinovic and allocation money. The club also announced that starting goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen signed a contract extension through the 2013 season, with an option for the 2014 season. On November 29, Sporting KC acquired Paulo Nagamura from Chivas USA for the 1st round supplemental draft pick that was part of the November 21 Ryan Smith trade.


2012 Sporting Kansas City season, Overview, Preseason, Late 2011
In December, Sporting traded an international roster slot to the San Jose Earthquakes in exchange for two-time MLS All-Star and World Cup veteran winger Bobby Convey. Later in December, Sporting and Mexican club Cruz Azul agreed to a deal that would see Omar Bravo return to his home country.


2012 Sporting Kansas City season, Overview, Preseason, Early 2012
Sporting Kansas City resumed its off-season transactions at the 2012 MLS SuperDraft and 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft. Generation adidas forward Dom Dwyer of South Florida was selected 16th overall in the SuperDraft, and he was joined by defender Cyprian Hedrick of Coastal Carolina in the second round. Between the two drafts, Sporting acquired the rights to local product Michael Thomas from the Earthquakes in exchange for a fourth-round supplemental pick. Thomas officially signed on January 18. On January 17, Sporting selected Shawn Singh, Pablo Punyed, Stefan Antonijevic, and Kyle Miller in the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft. On January 19, yet another trade with the Earthquakes saw the acquisition of forward Jacob Peterson. On February 22, defender Daneil Cyrus was waived.


2012 Sporting Kansas City season, Major League Soccer, Results summary
Last updated: October 25, 2012Source: Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won;  T = Matches tied;  L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference


2012 Sporting Kansas City season, Miscellany, Allocation ranking
Sporting Kansas City is in the #14 position in the MLS Allocation Ranking. The allocation ranking is the mechanism used to determine which MLS club has first priority to acquire a U.S. National Team player who signs with MLS after playing abroad, or a former MLS player who returns to the league after having gone to a club abroad for a transfer fee. A ranking can be traded, provided that part of the compensation received in return is another club's ranking.


2012 Sporting Kansas City season, Miscellany, International roster slots
Sporting Kansas City has 7 MLS International Roster Slots for use in the 2012 season. Each club in Major League Soccer is allocated 8 international roster spots. Sporting Kansas City traded one slot to San Jose Earthquakes for the 2012 season only.


2012 Sporting Kansas City season, Miscellany, Future draft pick trades
Future picks acquired: * 2013 MLS SuperDraft Round 2 pick acquired from New York Red Bulls. Future picks traded: None.


2012 Sporting Kansas City season, Miscellany, MLS rights to other players
It is believed that Sporting maintains the MLS rights to Herculez Gomez after the player declined a contract offer by the club and instead signed with a non-MLS side on a free transfer.


2012 Spruce Grove Cashspiel
The 2012 Spruce Grove Cashspiel was held from November 23 to 25 at the Spruce Grove Curling Club in Spruce Grove, Alberta as part of the 2012–13 World Curling Tour. Both the men's and women's events were held in a round robin format, and the purses for the men's and women's events were CAD$8,000 each, with the winner of each event receiving CAD$2,100. In the men's final, Les Rogers defeated Greg Keith with a score of 6–3 for his first World Curling Tour title. In the women's final, Tiffany Steuber defeated Holly Whyte with a score of 8–7 in an extra end.


2012 Sri Lanka Premier League
The 2012 Sri Lanka Premier League season was the debut edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League, established by Sri Lanka Cricket in 2011. The season ran from 11 to 31 August 2012. The tournament was originally scheduled to begin in 2011 but it was postponed to 2012, with the former Inter-Provincial Twenty20 taking its place.


2012 Sri Lanka Premier League, Format
The tournament had a group stage and a knockout stage. The seven teams played in a single round-robin tournament in the group stage and the top four teams qualified for the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals played in the final.


2012 Sri Lanka Premier League, Venues
All of the matches in the tournament were played at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy and R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.


2012 Sri Lanka Premier League, Player draft
The draft was held on 5 July 2012 for international players and on 6 July for local players. 56 international players were drafted and comprised mostly Australian and Pakistani players. 107 local players were drafted.


2012 Sri Lanka Premier League, Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony was held on 10 August 2012 at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo.


2012 Sri Lanka Premier League, Statistics, Most runs
The top five highest run scorers (total runs) in the season are included in this table.


2012 Sri Lanka Premier League, Statistics, Most wickets
The following table contains the five leading wicket-takers of the season.


2012 Sri Lanka Premier League draft
The player draft for the 2012 Sri Lanka Premier League was held on 5 July 2012 for international players and on 6 July for local players. 56 international players were drafted and comprised mostly Australian and Pakistani players. 107 local players were drafted.


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections
Provincial council elections were held in Sri Lanka on 8 September 2012 to elect 114 members to three of the nine provincial councils in the country. 3.3 million Sri Lankans were eligible to vote in the election. Elections for the Northern Provincial Council, which had been governed directly by the national government since it was demerged from the North Eastern Provincial Council in January 2007, are overdue but the government has not set a date. Elections to the remaining five provincial councils are not due till 2014 as they had their last election in 2009.


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections
The United People's Freedom Alliance's domination of Sri Lankan elections continued as expected. It retained control of two provincial councils (North Central and Sabaragamuwa) but lost overall control in the other provincial council (Eastern), although it was the largest group.


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections, Background
In an attempt to end the Sri Lankan Civil War the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed on 29 July 1987. One of the requirements of the accord was that the Sri Lankan government to devolve powers to the provinces. Accordingly on 14 November 1987 the Sri Lankan Parliament passed the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Provincial Councils Act No 42 of 1987. On 3 February 1988 nine provincial councils were created by order. The first elections for provincial councils took place on 28 April 1988 in North Central, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva provinces. On 2 June 1988 elections were held for provincial councils for Central, Southern and Western provinces. The United National Party (UNP), which was in power nationally, won control of all seven provincial councils.


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections, Background
The Indo-Lanka Accord also required the merger of the Eastern and Northern provinces into one administrative unit. The accord required a referendum to be held by 31 December 1988 in the Eastern Province to decide whether the merger should be permanent. Crucially, the accord allowed the Sri Lankan president to postpone the referendum at his discretion. On September 2 and 8 1988 President Jayewardene issued proclamations enabling the Eastern and Northern provinces to be one administrative unit administered by one elected council, creating the North Eastern Province. Elections in the newly merged North Eastern Province were held on 19 November 1988. The Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front, an Indian backed paramilitary group, won control of the North Eastern provincial council.


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections, Background
On 1 March 1990, just as the Indian Peace Keeping Force were preparing to withdraw from Sri Lanka, Annamalai Varatharajah Perumal, Chief Minister of the North Eastern Province, moved a motion in the North Eastern Provincial Council declaring an independent Eelam. President Premadasa reacted to Permual's UDI by dissolving the provincial council and imposing direct rule on the province.


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections, Background
The 2nd Sri Lankan provincial council election was held in 1993 in seven provinces. The UNP retained control of six provincial councils but lost control of the largest provincial council, Western, to the opposition People's Alliance. A special election was held in Southern Province in 1994 after some UNP provincial councillors defected to the opposition. The PA won the election and took control of the Southern Provincial Council.


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections, Background
The 3rd Sri Lankan provincial council election was held in 1999 in seven provinces. The PA, which was now in power nationally, managed to win the majority of seats in two provinces (North Central and North Western). It was also able to form a majority administration in the other five provinces with the support of smaller parties such as the Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) . The UNP regained control of the Central Provincial Council in 2002 after the CWC councillors crossed over to the opposition.


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections, Background
The 4th Sri Lankan provincial council election was held in 2004 in seven provinces. The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the successor to the PA, won all seven provinces.


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections, Background
The 5th Sri Lankan provincial council election was held in 2008/09 in eight provinces. The UPFA won all eight provinces.


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections, Results, Overall
The UPFA won control of two provincial councils (North Central and North Central). There was no overall control in the other provincial council (Eastern) but the UPFA was the largest group.


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections, Results, Eastern Province
Results of the 2nd Eastern Provincial Council election held on 8 September 2012:


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections, Results, North Central Province
Results of the 6th North Central Provincial Council election held on 8 September 2012:


2012 Sri Lankan provincial council elections, Results, Sabaragamuwa Province
Results of the 6th Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council election held on 8 September 2012:


2012 St Albans City and District Council election
The 2012 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of St Albans District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.


2012 St Albans City and District Council election, Background
Before the election the Conservatives were the largest party on the council with 29 of the 58 seats. The Liberal Democrats had 23 seats, Labour had 4 seats, the Green Party had 1 seat and there was 1 Independent. Since the last election in 2011 Labour had gained a seat in Batchwood from the Liberal Democrats at a by-election in January 2012.


2012 St Albans City and District Council election, Background
19 seats were contested in 2012 with both the Conservative and Labour parties having a full 19 candidates, the Liberal Democrats had 18 and the Greens had 17. There were 3 independent candidates as well, the sitting independent councillor Tony Swendell in Redbourn, the former Labour group leader Maurice MacMillan in London Colney, who had left the party a few years before over the imposition of an all-women shortlist, and Conservative councillor John Chambers, who was standing in Harpenden North as an independent after having been deselected by the Conservatives. Of the 19 seats the Conservatives were defending 9, the Liberal Democrats 8 and both the Green party and an independent were defending 1 seat.


2012 St Albans City and District Council election, Election result
The Labour Party gained 4 seats to have 8 councillors after taking 3 seats from the Liberal Democrats and 1 seat from the Conservatives. The Conservatives remained the largest party, while the Liberal Democrats dropped to 19 seats and both the Green Party and Independent Tony Swendell held the seats they had been defending.


2012 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election
The 2012 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 3 May 2012 to elect members of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in Merseyside, England. One third of the council was up for election and the LabourPparty stayed in overall control of the council.


2012 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election
At the end of the election, the composition of the council was:


2012 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election, Background
Before the start of the election, Labour ran the council with 35 seats, while the Liberal Democrats had 9 seats and the Conservatives had 4 seats. 16 seats were contested in 2012, with Labour defending 9, Liberal Democrats 5 and the Conservatives 2.


2012 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election, Background
Five councillors stood down at the election, two Conservatives, Betty Lowe and the former leader of the Conservative group Wally Ashcroft, two Labour members Leon McGuire and Eric Smith, and one Liberal Democrat, John Beirne. Meanwhile, a former Liberal Democrat cabinet member, Carole Kavanagh, resigned her membership of the party over the policies of the national coalition government and defended her seat as an independent candidate.


2012 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election, Background
While the Conservative, Labour and the Green parties contested every seat, the Liberal Democrats only put up candidates in 9 of the 16 wards.


2012 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election, Election result
Labour gained 5 seats at the election to have 40 of the 48 councillors on St Helens council. The Liberal Democrats lost 4 seats to Labour to be reduced to 5 councillors, while the Conservatives lost 1 seat to have 3 councillors.


2012 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election, Election result
The Labour gains included defeating both the Liberal Democrat group leader and councillor for 27 years, Brian Spencer, in Sutton and the Liberal Democrat deputy leader Suzanne Knight in Newton. The Liberal Democrats held only one seat at the 2012 election in Eccleston, while the Conservatives held one seat in Rainford. Meanwhile, after contesting every seat at the election, the Greens failed to win any seats, but did come second in Blackbrook, Thatto Heath and West Park wards.


2012 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election, Election result
Brian Spencer, the former Liberal Democrat leader of St Helens council, was involved in an altercation with an Labour candidate, Mark Johnson, at the election count and would later in 2012 be convicted and fined for assault over the incident.


2012 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election, By-elections between 2012 and 2014, Windle
A by-election was held in Windle on 2 May 2013 after the death of Labour councillor Pat Martinez-Williams. The seat was held for Labour by David Baines with a majority of 717 votes over Conservative Robert Reynolds.


2012 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election, By-elections between 2012 and 2014, Billinge and Seneley Green
A by-election was held in Billinge and Seneley Green on 28 November 2013 after the resignation of Labour councillor Alison Bacon. The seat was held for Labour by Dennis McDonnell with a majority of 494 votes over UK Independence Party candidate Laurence Allen.


2012 St Helens RLFC season
The 2012 St Helens season saw the club compete in Super League XV as well as the 2012 Challenge Cup tournament.


2012 St Kilda Football Club season
The St Kilda Football Club's 2012 season will be its 116th season in the Australian Football League (AFL).


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season
The 2012 season was St. Patrick's Athletic F.C. 's 83rd year in existence and it was the Supersaint's 61st consecutive season in the top-flight of Irish football. The Saint's were under the new management of Liam Buckley after Pete Mahon was let go at the end of the 2011 season. Pat's finished 4th the previous season and doing so qualified for the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League First qualifying round. The Saints also competed in domestic competitions such as the FAI Cup, Setanta Cup, Leinster Senior Cup, and the EA Sports Cup.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Friendlies and Setanta Cup exit
After appointing Liam Buckley as the new manager, Buckley wasted no time in changing the squad by bringing in fourteen fresh faces and only keeping five players from the squad last season. New faces included Christy Fagan from Bohemians, James Chambers from Hamilton and old saint Brendan Clarke back to the club from Sligo Rovers. Despite the new signings, Pat's also lost crucial players such as top scorer from last season Danny North to Sligo Rovers, Gary Rogers to Sligo Rovers also, Stephen Bradley to Limerick F.C. and Daryl Kavanagh to arch-rivals Shamrock Rovers.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Friendlies and Setanta Cup exit
The Supersaints started their pre-season programme when they cruised to a 2–0 win over non-league side Glebe North in Balbriggan with goals coming from new midfield signings Greg Bolger and Mark Rossiter. Pats played a behind closed doors friendly with the side they share training facilities with, Phoenix and won 2–1 with goals coming from James Chambers and Mark Rossiter at Scribblestown, near Blanchardstown. Liam Buckley's side then played a relatively trouble free 2–0 win over First Division Longford Town at Richmond Park  with goals from defender Conor Kenna and new signing Kenny Browne seeing of the First Division side. After a good start to their pre-season, Pat's suffered an early exit from Setanta Cup with a two nil aggregate score line defeat to Cliftonville. Despite this defeat Pat's won their next pre-season friendly against Mervue 1–0 with Sean O'Connor scoring the winner early in the game.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Friendlies and Setanta Cup exit
On 27 August, the Saints again faced Longford Town in a mid-season friendly. Pats played a starting 11 of players who were aiming to regain their places in the regular starting line up. Longford found themselves being dominated throughout the entire game, although they took the lead just before half time through a wonder strike. Chris Deans was sent off for a poorly timed challenge on the edge of his box on Darren Meenan early into the second half. Jake Kelly's low shot was saved onto the post by former Saint Paul Hunt before Vinny Faherty scored his first goal since his return to the club when he played a one-two with Kelly and smashed his shot into the top left corner.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The fixtures for the 2012 season were announced on 22 December 2011, with Pat's kicking off the new season at home to Bray Wanderers.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
With a much changed team from last season, the Saints started their season with a  win against Bray Wanderers when Dean Kelly's glancing header from a Sean O'Connor corner was deemed over the line by the referee.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The Saints continued their winning start to the season with a 2–0 nil win against Dundalk F.C. with goals from Stephen O'Flynn and John Russell bagging the three points.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The Saint's next game was against newly promoted Monaghan United F.C. at home in Richmond. The game finished one 1–1 with Dean Kelly cancelling out Conor Murphy's opening goal for the Mon's but Kelly's night didn't end well, after he got a controversial red card for a high challenge on former Pat's player Stephen Maher. The Saint's could have won it late on with a penalty but Stephen O'Flynn failed to convert the spot-kick.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The next game for the Saint's was a Dublin Derby against Bohemians away, which was live on RTÉ. The game finished a bore 0–0 draw with Karl Moore and Stephen O'Flynn coming closest for both sides.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The Saint's next game was another Dublin Derby, this time it was against Shelbourne. The last time these two met it was in the  FAI Cup Semi-Finals with Shels coming out on top on that occasion. Shels took the lead thanks to a Brendan McGill volley which hit the underside of the crossbar and came back down to hit the Pat's goalkeeper on the back and went into the net. But Pat's equalised before half-time with Christy Fagan scoring his first goal for the club. Even with Shels going down to ten men, the game finished 1–1 with Pat's unable to take advantage with the extra man.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Pat's played rivals Shamrock Rovers in the next game which was the Saint's third Dublin Derby in a row and the game was also live on RTÉ. Pat's started with a bang, taking an early lead through Chris Forrester with a terrific strike. The lead was doubled just before the half hour mark with John Russell slotting home from 6 yards. The lead was then made three thanks to a cheeky chip from Forrester to grab his second of the game.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Ken Oman did reply for the visitors but the points where then sealed when Russell played in Christy Fagan and he rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into an empty net. Fagan then made 5–1 and put the icing on the cake when he headed the ball into again an empty net which topped off a great night in Inchicore.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
An away trip to Drogheda was up next and after a frustrating 90 minutes in which their appeals for a handball in the box were waved away by the referee and many chances were wasted, Drogheda United hit the post late on.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The Saints then faced UCD at Richmond Park and although they spurned many chances in the first half Christy Fagan opened the scoring after a cleaver ball from James Chambers. The home side's dominance continued in the second half and the 3 points were secured when Greg Bolger tapped in from 5 yards in the 81st minute


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
RTÉ showed Pats' next game live as they traveled to league leaders Sligo Rovers. The Saints were the better side in the first half but found themselves 1-0 down after an unlucky own goal from center back Kenny Browne. Substitute Sean O'Connor scored after a great piece of skill from John Russell and the Inchicore side had the chance to win it in the 90th minute when they were awarded a penalty for Jason McGuinness' foul on Dean Kelly but top scorer Chris Fagan blazed the spotkick over the bar. To add to the disappointment of missing out on 2 valuable points from this fixture, Saints fans later received news that pivotal midfielder James Chambers' injury sustained in the game would see him out of action for 8 weeks.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The Saints traveled north to face Derry City, with the game once again on RTÉ. Mark Rossiter came off after just 7 minutes with an injury that would see him miss the remainder of the season, but his replacement Darren Meenan opened the scoring for the Dubliners with a looping header just before half time. Pats played superb football throughout and when Sean O'Connor's shot was spilled in by Derry City keeper Ger Doherty in the 64th minute, it was game over.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Pats' went into the next game against Cork City without midfielders James Chambers and Mark Rossiter through injury and Greg Bolger through suspension after receiving 4 yellow cards in the league. The Saints did well considering their makeshift midfield, with Darren Meenan Chris Forrester, Sean O'Connor all coming close but Cork City keeper Mark McNulty stopped everything that came at him. City could have won it with a penalty late on but Saints keeper Brendan Clarke saved well for a 0–0 draw that increased his sides unbeaten record in the league at Richmond Park to 22 games.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
A trip to Wicklow to play Bray Wanderers was Liam Buckley's next task. Against the run of play, Jason Byrne opened the scoring, before Chris Fagan equalized just before half time. John Mulroy scored a spectacular volley after an hour to regain Wanderer's lead, but his goal was cancelled out when Fagan tapped in his second and John Russell scored a fine goal from outside the box after 72 minutes. The Saints looked to be taking the 3 points from an away game for just the third time but Byrne popped up in the 93rd minute with a volley to make it 3–3.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Pats faced a young Dundalk side at home next. All seemed to be going well for the home side after Chris Forrester headed in Ger O'Brien's corner after 43 minutes and Dundalk's Michael Rafter getting sent off in the tunnel at half-time. The Saints peppered Peter Cherrie's goal with shots but just couldn't find that 2nd goal just wouldn't come. Mark Griffn's run from the halfway line won the County Louth side a free kick on the edge of the box and Griffin curled it into the top left corner with his team's first real shot of note.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
As St.Pat's pushed for the winner, John Mountney caught them on the break and was fouled in exactly the same position as the Lillywhite's goal came from. Griffin fired the set-piece into the bottom right corner to become the hero to the away support. This loss ended the Saints' run of 22 unbeaten league games at Richmond Park.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Next up was a trip to Gortakeegan to face Monaghan United. Monaghan set up their stall to defend for the entire game but they found themselves 1-0 down at half time thanks to a Christy Fagan volley. As the game moved into the last 10 minutes, the Saints still hadn't managed to increase to scoring until substitute Jake Kelly scored in the 83rd and 85th minute and Greg Bolger rounded off a dominant performance with a 4th goal in the 89th minute. This game later turned out to be Monaghan's last game in the League of Ireland after they pulled out of the league during the mid-season break on 18 June.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
After the mid-season break in June, Pats' next game was a Dublin derby at home to Bohemians. Bohs took the lead against the run of play after 10 minutes, from a shot that turned out to be their only effort all game. Liam Buckley brought on James Chambers, Sean O'Connor and Dean Kelly, who all had an instrumental influence on the game. Kelly fired a shot off the bar from which Christy Fagan scored the equalizer in the 82nd minute. Chambers spread the ball around well and later earned a corner that was cleared away to O'Connor, who supplied the cross for Fagan headed in the winner in the 94th minute against his former club.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
A third Dublin derby at Richmond Park in 7 days followed for the Saints, as they hosted northside rivals Shelbourne in a match attended by President Michael D. Higgins, the famous 1996 league winning side, other club legends such as Keith Fahey and Brian Kerr. Pats got off to a great start after Greg Bolger's looping header opened  the scoring following a great cross by Ger O'Brien. The Saints continued to dominate the game but got a late score when Philip Hughes hit the crossbar. Barry Clancy was sent off in the 84th minute after he kicked out at O'Brien, but this had little impact of the remainder of the game and the home side held out for the 1–0 win.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The Saints faced Shamrock Rovers away in their next league game after a 1–0 win vs ÍBV in their last game. The Inchicore men started off the better side, with new signing Anto Flood coming close. Craig Sives scored a header from a Billy Dennehy free-kick in the 71st minute for Rovers but in the 2nd minute of injury time, John Russell put Pat Flynn through on goal and he smashed home an equalizer against his old club to send the away end into pandemonium.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Drogheda United at home was up next for Pats at after 120 minutes of football 3 days earlier against ÍBV again, in Iceland. The home side made 6 changes from their midweek game including keeper Barry Murphy making his league debut. Murphy was at fault for the opening goal when his pass to a teammate found Drogheda's Gavin Brennan instead,  who slotted in under Murphy. Midweek goalscoring hero Stephen O'Flynn was denied by the crossbar after a wonderful strike from 35 yards out before half time.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
First choice keeper Brendan Clarke replaced the injured Barry Murphy at half time and after many pats chances wasted, Drogheda took one of theirs after 76 minutes when Peter Hynes scored after a deflection and a goalkeeping error from Clarke. The game finished 2-0 and Drogheda overtook the Saints to 2nd place.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
UCD away was the Saints next game. Pats created less chances than usual in the first half but Christopher Forrester broke the deadlock in the 45th minute after a good ball by Greg Bolger. The second half was quite the opposite, Bolger and Forrester both had chipped efforts from 35 yards tipped over the bar by Mark McGinley in the UCD goal. Robbie Benson Equalized in the 71st minute and despite a claim for a foul in the box on John Russell, they couldn't find a winner.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The Saints returned to league action away to Cork City having not played a league game in two weeks due to Europa League commitments. Pats had two great chances to open the scoring in the first half but Christy Fagan headed over from 6 yards and Christopher Forrester's effort of the open goal from 35 yards was weak and Mark McNulty made it back into the goal in time. Cork had a great chance at the start of the second half but Davin O'Neill fired wide from 8 yards.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The introduction of Darren Meenan for the away side was the game changer, as he used his skill and pace to beat Danny Murphy and cross to Sean O'Connor who's flick on was volleyed in on the turn by in-form striker Christy Fagan. The Saints were under a lot of pressure in the last 10 minutes and Vinny Faherty made his return to the club from the bench and held the ball up well to grind out the result for the Dubliners.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Pats faced Bray Wanderers at home in their next game without the services of midfielder John Russell. Sean O'Connor came closest in an uneventful first half. The second half however was completely the opposite and when various Pats players felt a Wanderers player was simulating an injury, they didn't put the ball out of play. This infuriated Bray's veteran striker Jason Byrne who began to pick fights with several Pats players and was sent off for punching O'Connor in the face.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Most players from both teams were involved in the incident on the halfway line and Darren Meenan was sent off for the home side in amongst the brawl. Kenny Browne was sent off after 84 minutes for a late tackle on Kieran Marty Waters. Just 3 minutes later Waters caught Brendan Clarke out at his near post to make it 1–0. Pats had late chances in the 6 minutes of injury time but Jake Kelly and Conor Kenna couldn't find the net.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Dundalk were Pats' hosts, just 3 days after the disappointing performance against Bray Wanderers. Liam Buckley decided to make 3 changes to the side that lost to Bray, including Barry Murphy in goal instead of number 1 Brendan Clarke. Pats were the better side in the first half, with Jake Carroll, Ger O'Brien, Sean O'Connor and Ryan Coombes all coming close. Dundalk's only shot on target in the first half was wonderfully saved by Murphy. Sean O'Connor struck a powerful shot with his weaker right foot past Peter Cherrie after 57 minutes, following a good ball by Chris Forrester. Murphy made one more impressive save and the Saints got their 1–0 victory after a dominant performance.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The Saints faced league leaders Sligo Rovers at home next. The game was dominated by the 2 defenses and there were few chances. Christy Fagan fired wide in an on-on-one with former Saint Gary Rogers and Ryan Coombes tested Rogers late on. Saints keeper Barry Murphy only had to make 1 save all night and it was a wonderfully saved effort from an Alan Keane header.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Pats faced an injury plagued Derry City side at Richmond Park next. Derry started the better of the two sides, hitting the crossbar and forcing Barry Murphy into a good save early on. City's Ger Doherty was also under fire in the first half, saving well from John Russell and Sean O'Connor. Indeed, it was O'Connor who broke the deadlock after 57 minutes when he fired into the top corner from 8 yards after a good ball by Christy Fagan, following a wonderful spell of passing.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
O'Connor was replaced by Christopher Forrester after 7 minutes and the youngster teed Jake Kelly up 6 yards from goal to tap in. Forrester also set up the third goal in injury time when he clipped a wonderful pass through the Derry centre backs to summer signing Vinny Faherty to smash over Doherty for his first goal since his return to the club.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The Saints traveled to Dalymount Park to face Dublin rivals Bohemians. Former Saint Evan McMillan opened the scoring after 25 minutes when he volleyed past former Bohs Barry Murphy. Pats equalized on 38 minutes through James Chambers' first goal of the season when he smashed in a Sean O'Connor freekick on the volley from a tight angle. Childhood Bohs fan Christopher Forrester put Pats in front after 48 minutes when he too volley in a Sean O'Connor cross. That lead lasted just 3 minutes though, as Kevin Feely headed home from a corner to make it 2–2. O'Connor topped off an amazing individual performance when he smashed a volley into the top corner from 35 yards with his bad foot. Brazilian midfielder Hernany Macedo made his debut for Pats when he replaced Jake Kelly after 68 minutes and was involved in holding on to the Saints lead.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Pats next task was to win against Shelbourne at Tolka Park for the first time in 10 years. Darren Meenan hit the bar with a 30-yard volley before Sean O'Connor had an effort cleared off the line. The Saints continued to push for a lead and they found it when O'Connor's cross found Christy Fagan who headed in off the post after 68 minutes. Former Saint Anto Murphy was sent off for punching O'Connor off the ball, minutes before he set up substitute Vinny Faherty one-on-one with ex-Pat's keeper Chris Bennion and he headed past him to earn the 3 points for the Inchicore side.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The Saints' next game was at home to out-of-form rivals Shamrock Rovers in their final Dublin derby of the season. Pats started off brilliantly and found themselves 1–0 up after 7 minutes when Sean O'Connor's shot was handled in the box by Colin Hawkins and O'Connor himself smashed the penalty down the middle past Oscar Jansson. The lead was doubled just 2 minutes later when Jake Carroll smashed his effort in via a deflection from Hawkins following a darting run into the box, for his first-ever League of Ireland goal.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Christy Fagan couldn't get a shot away from 9 yards after he was played in and Ger O'Brien's crossed were causing problems for Rovers before half time. The second half produced very little chances from both teams and the away side pulled one back after 78 minutes when Gary McCabe scored from 30 yards past Barry Murphy. Pats were finally put under some pressure for the first time in the 5 minutes of injury time and Shamrock Rovers hit the post during that spell but the Saints held on for their deserved victory.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
Pats' next game was away to Drogheda United, broadcast on RTÉ. The first half was a poor encounter and only a Christy Fagan volley that went just wide was the only chance of note produced by either side. The second half however was entirely different as the Saints completely dominated the play. Drogheda's Italian goalkeeper Gabriel Sava was in exceptional form to deny Chris Forrester, Christy Fagan, Sean O'Connor,  James Chambers, Vinny Faherty and Greg Bolger on 3 occasions. At the other end Barry Murphy didn't have to make a single save all night as he watched his side throw 2 points away.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The Saints then faced UCD at Richmond Park, making several changes to the side. Pats broke the deadlock after 16 minutes when Chris Forrester threaded a perfect pass through the UCD defense to Jake Kelly, who rolled a well-placed effort into the bottom left corner. Just 2 minutes later, an identical move from the Saints nearly doubled the lead but this time Kelly hit the inside of the post before the ball was cleared off the line.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The domination continued with UCD keeper Ger Barron tipping over a Chris Forrester lob from 35 yards, a Vinny Faherty volley and header and several other chances as the home side went in 1–0 up at half time. The lead was doubled on 58 minutes when Anto Flood pulled off a brilliant flick to Vinny Faherty, who smashed past Barron from a tight angle.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland
The game was all but over on 66 minutes when Forrester's wonderful chipped effort hit the post, his low rebounded cross was flicked up by the studs of Anto Flood and headed in by Faherty at the back post. After getting two assists, Anto Flood got the goal his play deserved when Faherty played Chris Forrester through, he rounded the keeper and passed to Flood, who tapped into the open goal from 6 yards for his first league goal for the club. With five minutes to play Vinny Faherty completed his hat-trick when he headed substitute Stephen O'Flynn's cross onto the bar and then sneaked the rebound in to become only the third goalscorer of a hat-trick in the 2012 League of Ireland.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, League of Ireland, League Results summary
Last updated: 26 October 2012. Source: League of Ireland Premier Division Fixtures


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
St. Patrick's Athletic were drawn to play Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja from Iceland in the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League First qualifying round, with the first leg played in Dublin and the second played in Vestmannaeyjar. Pats faced the same side at the same stage of the competition in their 2011 European campaign, losing 1–0 in Reykjavík and winning 2–0 in Dublin. Should the Saints progress, they would face NK Široki Brijeg from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The previous campaign, the away leg was played in the Vodafonehöllin stadium in Reykjavík due to ÍBV's ground the Hásteinsvöllur's capacity being too small, but for this tie, it was announced that the game would be played in Vestmannaeyjar island, following ground improvements to the Hásteinsvöllur.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
The first leg was played in front of a sell out crowd and the Saints nearly found themselves behind when Christian Olsen hit the crossbar for ÍBV early on, but the home side took the lead after 39 minutes when Ger O'Brien put in a wonderful cross for Christy Fagan to volley home. Very few chances were created in the remainder of the game and the Saints held out for a sloppy 1–0 win.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Pats travelled to the Hásteinsvöllur on the tiny island of Vestmannaeyjar for the second leg. The away side were defending very well throughput the game with Brendan Clarke making some great saves. This was the case until Mat Garner made it 1–0 in the 83rd minute to take the game into extra-time, a first for the Saints in Europe. Things went from bad to worse when Eythor Birgisson scored in the 98th minute, putting ÍBV in a position to win the tie.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Worries for the Saints were soon gone when substitute Stephen O'Flynn controlled Conor Kenna's long ball with his chest, and stabbed the ball past Abel Dihara a minute later. The Saints held out for the remainder of the game and earned a second round tie with NK Široki Brijeg following a 2–2 draw on aggregate, with a 1–0 win on away goals.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
The first leg of the second round was played at the Stadion Pecara, Bosnia and Herzegovina in intense 30 degree heat. Pats started off excellently, when Sean O'Connor's cross was handled in the area. John Russell's penalty was saved by Luka Bilobrk but just a minute later his shot was again saved by Bilobrk, but it fell into the path of in-form striker Christy Fagan who slotted it in. Široki Brijeg were reduced to 10 men in the 43rd minute when Mladen Jurčević received his second yellow for a foul on Fagan. The Saints continued their dominance in the second half with Christopher Forrester hitting the post and Darren Meenan coming close, but Brazilian Santos Wagner scored a header in the 93rd minute with the last touch of the game.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
The next day, the draw for the third qualifying round was made and the winners of the Široki Brijeg tie would play German side Hannover 96.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
The Saints started off excellently in the second leg, when John Russell opened the scoring after 39 minutes following two other good chances missed by the home side. Brendan Clarke had little to do on the night other than collect Široki Brijeg crosses and tame shots but the Bosnians equalized in the 65th minute through an Ivica Džidić header from a corner. The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, matching the scoreline of the first leg meaning the game would head into extra-time once again.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Extra-time itself was also a tight encounter but Christy Fagan volleyed in a Conor Kenna flick on in the 105th minute. The Inchicore side held out until the 118th minute when Široki striker Mateo Roskam was one-on-one with Clarke, but Ger O'Brien put in a world class tackle to send his side through to the third round to play Hannover 96 of Germany.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
With the Saints European fortress Richmond Park unsuitable to host a third round clash, the game was played in South Dublin County Council's Tallaght Stadium. The game was broadcast by a German sports channel and had 1.1 million viewers. Hannover 96 started off as the better side and they opened the scoring through Leon Andreasen's wonderful finish into the top corner from 25 yards.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Apart from that effort, Brendan Clarke didn't have to make any saves in the first half, with Sean O'Connor narrowly missing the top corner and Ian Bermingham having a handball claim turned down by the Hungarian referee. Pats started the second half brilliantly with wonderful football on show and Christy Fagan and James Chambers spurning chances that they should really have scored. Christian Pander scored a free-kick from 35 yards in the 66th minute against the run of play after an unkind bounce deceived Clarke.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Christy Fagan then missed a one-on-one with German international keeper Ron-Robert Zieler, before Ivorian international Didier Ya Konan scored a third away goal for Hannover to end the tie. Although the game finished 3-0 to the away side, Pats supporters were happy with the team's performance against a superior side from a far superior league and take great pride in the 20 minute spell after half time when they outplayed a Bundesliga side and should have scored.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Pats went into the second leg knowing it would be a daunting test to knock Hannover 96 out after the first leg scoreline. They did however start the better of the two sides, with centre back Conor Kenna smashing the crossbar, having beaten Ron-Robert Zieler in goal. The Saints limited Hannover to very little chances in the first half but conceded a very soft goal, giving Karim Haggui a free header which he scored, from six yards after a harsh free kick decision.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Early in the second half, defender Mario Eggimann scored a similar goal after a short free kick, he headed in off the crossbar from 6 yards. The second half wasn't much of a spectacle for the 24,500 fans at the AWD-Arena but the loyal group of 300 Saints chanted non-stop for the entirety as they watched their side exit the Europa League with pride.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, UEFA Europa League
Statistics accurate as of match on 9 August 2012. Source:2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, FAI Cup
The draw for the second round of the FAI Cup was made on RTÉ's Monday Night Soccer programme on 30 April. Pats were drawn away to Crumlin United who they knocked out of the competition in 2011 after a 3–0 win. With Crumlin's ground deemed unsuitable for the tie, the club's came to an agreement to play the game at St.Pats' home ground of Richmond Park Pats went 1–0 up early on after Darren Meenan's cross was poorly cleared on the volley by Crumlin United's Derek Griffin and it looped over Dave Meehan in goal. The lead was doubled after 12 minutes when FAI Ford Man of The Match Jake Carroll beat a defender and slotted his shot into the corner. Substitute Jake Kelly made it 3–0 with 3 minutes to go when he drove his shot into the bottom corner.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, FAI Cup
The draw for the third round was made on 16 July on MNS. Following Monaghan United's (who knocked Sligo Rovers out in the 2nd round) withdrawal from the League of Ireland, the first side out in the draw would receive a bye into the Quarter-finals. Luckily, the Saints were drawn out first and received the bye in to the last eight of the competition.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, FAI Cup
The draw for the quarter finals resulted in the Saints drawing County Louth club Drogheda United at home.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, FAI Cup
The Saints were boosted by the return of John Russell from injury, but were without top scorer Christy Fagan through injury. Sean O'Connor came close to opening the scoring and Vinny Faherty missed 2 good chances in the first half. Many more chances went a begging for the home side in the second half including a disallowed Christopher Forrester strike, but the chance of the game fell to Greg Bolger who was through on goal with only Gabriel Sava to beat, but he fired straight at the Italian goalkeeper who received the FAI Ford Man of the Match award.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, FAI Cup
After a scoreless draw with Drogheda United in Inchicore, Pats travelled to Hunky Dorys Park for the replay. The game was very similar to the first tie between the sides, with Pats throwing wave after wave of attack at a very defensive United side. Pats nearly took the lead early on when Sean O'Connor's curled effort went just wide. Pats also came close from three corners. The away side had less efforts in the second half and disastrously found themselves 1-0 down when Derek Prendergast headed in Gavin Brennan's corner against the run of play.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, FAI Cup
Pats missed two more good chances before Vinny Faherty converted Aidan Price's flick on with his face in the 94th minute to send the game into extra-time. Extra-time itself was dominated by both teams' tiredness and no real clear-cut chances were created so the game went to a penalty shootout. Sean O'Connor, Jake Kelly and Vinny Faherty scored for the Saints with Ian Bermingham missing his spotkick. However the hero of the night was Barry Murphy who saved 3 Drogheda penalties, the last against Gavin Brennan, to send the away end into raptures as their side remained in the hunt to end their cup drought dating back to 1961.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, FAI Cup
The draw for the semi finals was made on MNS during Pats' Quarter Final replay with Drogheda United. It resulted in the winner of the Quarter Final Replay to play Dundalk away at Oriel Park.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, FAI Cup
Pats fans traveled in big numbers up to Dundalk for the semi-final live on RTÉ. The Saints started off the better of the two sides and found themselves ahead when Kenny Browne scored his first competitive goal of the season when he volley in Chris Forrester's header from a Ger O'Brien corner. Sean O'Connor nearly doubled the lead from a free-kick but it was tipped over the bar by Peter Cherrie. Greg Bolger was the man to double the lead though when he headed in an O'Connor cross after 52 minutes. Sean O'Connor finally got the goal his performance deserved after 85 minutes when Cherrie was pressured by Christy Fagan into heading the ball right to O'Connor, who passed into an empty net from 25 yards to put the Saints into the final at the Aviva Stadium.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, EA Sports Cup
Pat's received a bye into the Second Round of EA Sports Cup. The draw took place on 27 March 2012 with Pat's getting a home draw to U.C.D.. The match took place on Monday 9 April where the Saint's won 2–1. The Saint's took the lead just before half time thanks to a goal from Sean O'Connor who slotted the ball by keeper to give his side a half time lead. The lead was made two in the 56th minute when Ian Daly finished from six yards out. The Students did pull one back before the end thanks to a Chris Lyons strike but the Saint's held on to progress to the next round.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, EA Sports Cup
The Saints were drawn at home to Shamrock Rovers in the quarter finals, on the same day that their Dublin rivals knocked them out of the Leinster Senior Cup at the quarter final stage. Pats started the game the better side, but Rovers took the lead after 6 minutes from a Killian Brennan free-kick. Sean O'Connor converted Pat Flynn's cross in the 27th minute to draw level. The deadlock could not be broken in 90 minutes or Extra time, so the game went to penalties for a place in the semi-finals. O'Connor and John Russell scored their penalties for the home side but James Chambers and Ian Daly missed their spotkicks and despite Barry Murphy saving one penalty, his side last 4–2 in the shootout.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Leinster Senior Cup
Pat's started their defence of their Leinster Senior Cup with a home tie against Phoenix F.C. The Saints ran out comfortable winners on the night with a 4–0, through goals from Christy Fagan, Ian Daly and a brace from Christopher Forrester.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Leinster Senior Cup
The champions were drawn to play Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers in the Quarter Finals, at Tallaght Stadium. The Saints played seven players from the Under 19 team, with the remaining players made up of those who hadn't been in the starting team in the last league game away to Derry City. Pats found themselves 1-0 down just before half time after Sean Gannon scored for the home side and the game was over when Dean Ebbe and Aaron Greene fired past St.Pats' 17-year-old keeper Lee Brandon.


2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season, Season Statistics
Statistics accurate as of match on 26 October 2012. Source:2012 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season


2012 St. George Illawarra Dragons season
The 2012 St. George Illawarra Dragons season will be the 14th in the joint venture club's history.


2012 St. George Illawarra Dragons season, Regular season
Knights 14 lost to Dragons 15Bulldogs 30 beat Dragons 4Dragons 36 beat Tigers 12Dragons 17 beat Sea Eagles 6Broncos 28 beat Dragons 20Sharks 12 beat Dragons 0Dragons 12 beat Knights 4Dragons 28 beat Roosters 24


2012 St. John's Red Storm baseball team
The 2012 St. John's Red Storm baseball team represented St. John's University in the 2012 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Red Storm were coached by seventeenth year head coach Ed Blankmeyer and played their home games at Jack Kaiser Stadium.


2012 St. John's Red Storm baseball team
St. John's claimed the Big East Conference regular season and Tournament championships, and also swept through the Chapel Hill Regional. The Red Storm fell to eventual champion Arizona in the Tucson Super Regional, by scores of 7–6 (10 innings) and 7–4.


2012 St. John's Red Storm baseball team, Rankings
^ Collegiate Baseball ranks 40 teams in their preseason poll, but only ranks 30 teams weekly during the season. † NCBWA ranks 35 teams in their preseason poll, but only ranks 30 teams weekly during the season. * New poll was not released for this week so for comparison purposes the previous week's ranking is inserted in this week's slot.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2012 season was the 131st season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 121st season in the National League, and the seventh at Busch Stadium III. The Cardinals made their 25th trip to the postseason in 2012 after taking the NL Wild Card title by one game over the Atlanta Braves on the last day of the regular season in 2011. They began the 2012 season away against the Miami Marlins on April 4. St. Louis was coming off a 90–72 (.556) season, a second-place finish in the NL Central, the aforementioned wild card berth, and their National League-leading 11th World Series championship.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season
In 2012, they finished with an 88–74 (.543) record and second place in the NL Central. By virtue of coming in second to the Atlanta Braves, they won the second National League Wild Card spot, and then beat the Braves in the Wild Card Game. They then played the NL East champion Washington Nationals in the NLDS and beat them in five games to advance to the NL Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants. However, they lost to the Giants in seven games after leading the series 3 games to 1.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Offseason departures and acquisitions, Management
On October 31, 2011, Tony La Russa announced his retirement after 16 years as manager of the Cardinals. After interviewing several candidates, the Cardinals announced, in a press conference on November 14, that former Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny would be the team's new manager, the 49th in team history. At 41, he is the youngest active manager in the majors. He holds the catching major league record for consecutive errorless games at 252, and for consecutive errorless chances with 1,565.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Offseason departures and acquisitions, Management
On November 16, Matheny and the Cardinals announced the new coaching staff: Dave Duncan stayed on as the pitching coach for the 17th year as he was the only coach under contract, with third-base coach Jose Oquendo, hitting coach and former Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire, and bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist. 50-year-old Mike Aldrete moved from assistant hitting coach to bench coach. Chris Maloney also 50 years of age, moved from manager of the AAA Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League to first-base coach in St. Louis; his first time on a major league staff. Former bench coach Joe Pettini and first-base coach Dave McKay moved to other roles in baseball operations for the team.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Offseason departures and acquisitions, Management
On December 2, former Cardinals outfielder John Mabry was named assistant hitting coach.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Offseason departures and acquisitions, Hitters
On December 8, Albert Pujols signed a 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels worth $254 million, declining a 10-year $220 million offer by the Cardinals. His old contract paid him $111 million over eight years from 2004−2011. Pujols departed among the leaders in virtually every major offensive category in Cardinals franchise history. At the time of the signing of the contract, he was fourth all-time in hits, third in runs and second in total bases, doubles, home runs, RBIs and walks. He was behind only Stan Musial in the five latter categories. He was seventh in games played and could have climbed as high as third with two more seasons in a Cardinals uniform. He was paid $14,508,395 in 2011. His former teammates were stunned by his decision.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Offseason departures and acquisitions, Hitters
On December 10, the team re-signed Rafael Furcal to a two-year deal worth $14 mil.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Offseason departures and acquisitions, Hitters
On December 12, the Cardinals refused to offer a contract to Ryan Theriot, making him a non-tendered free agent. On the same day, utilityman [2B/OF] Skip Schumaker accepted a two-year deal worth $3 mil. avoiding free agency after 2012. He was paid $4.7 mil. in his just completed two-year deal.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Offseason departures and acquisitions, Hitters
On December 22, the Cardinals signed outfielder Carlos Beltrán to a two-year deal.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Offseason departures and acquisitions, Hitters
On March 1, 2012, the Cardinals announced the extension of catcher Yadier Molina's expiring $7 mil. contract at the end of 2012, for 5 years (with a 6th year $15 mil. option for 2018) for $75 mil., making him the second-highest-paid catcher (to Twins catcher Joe Mauer) in all of baseball. He leads all catchers with 39 pickoffs since 2005, and has thrown out 44% of all basestealers in his eight years. He led all Cardinals batters in 2011 with a .305 batting average, starting more games behind the plate than any other catcher, and established career-highs with 55 runs scored, 32 doubles, 14 home runs, and 65 RBIs.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Offseason departures and acquisitions, Pitchers
On December 15, 2011, the Cardinals signed 35-year-old lefty reliever J. C. Romero to a one-year contract.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Offseason departures and acquisitions, Pitchers
The team finished setting its 25-man roster on March 30. Placed on the DL were pitcher Chris Carpenter, utilityman Skip Schumaker, and outfielder Allen Craig.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, April
On Sunday, April 22 at Pittsburgh, the Cardinals became the first defending world champion team since the 1922 New York Giants to open their title defense with six consecutive series win. They had a record of 11-5 (.688) during that streak. The series streak ended on April 24, with a second consecutive loss to the Cubs in Chicago, although winning the final game of the series on April 25.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, May
The Cardinals announced they would retire former manager Tony La Russa' #10 prior to the game on May 11. His number will be the 12th retired by the Cardinals. He ranks third on the managers' all-time wins list with 2,728. 1,408 of those came with the Cardinals in his 16-year tenure there, and his .544 winning percentage with the team is his best of the three clubs he managed in his 33 seasons.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, May
On May 14, Carlos Beltrán was named the National League Player of the Week for the week of May 7–13 after posting six home runs, 13 RBIs, eight runs scored, 30 total bases, and a 1.200 slugging percentage. He collected hits in five of the six games, homering in four of them. This is Beltran's ninth Player of the Week Award and his sixth in the National League. He leads the National League with 15 home runs, and is second in RBIs, with 32.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, May
At home on May 22, Adam Wainwright threw his first complete game shutout since August 6, 2010, in a 4−0 victory over the San Diego Padres. Wainwright missed the entire 2011 season recovering from elbow surgery. It was his ninth career complete game and just his third shutout.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, June
Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in New York Mets' 51-year history (totaling 8,019 regular season and 74 post-season games previously) with an 8−0 shutout over the Cardinals and Adam Wainwright at Citi Field on June 1. 27,069 witnessed the no-hitter, with Santana throwing a career-high 134 pitches. He walked five, and struck out eight. () Left fielder Mike Baxter robbed Yadier Molina with a great catch in the seventh inning for the 20th out.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, June
Umpire Adrian Johnson ruled a hard grounder by former Met Carlos Beltrán (in his first return to New York) down the third-base line 'foul' although the ball made a mark on the chalk in the sixth inning. Beltran subsequently grounded out to third base on the next pitch. The no-hitter was the eighth against the Cardinals in their long history, the first time by Hall-of-Famer Christy Mathewson on July 15, 1901. The previous no-hitter against the Cardinals was by Fernando Valenzuela on June 29, 1990, at Dodger Stadium.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, June
The Cardinals were also the first defending World Series champion to be pitched a no-hitter against since the Oakland Athletics in their 1990 pennant season. On the opposite side, Cardinals' pitchers have thrown 10 no-hitters against opponents, the last one by Bud Smith against the San Diego Padres on September 3, 2001. The Padres are now the only present team without a no-hitter.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, June
On June 7, Jaime García (left-hander), landed on the disabled list after his 2-inning June 5 start with a left shoulder sprain. He is the eighth player on it, one-off the season high of nine—at the same time with the seven others which include two starting pitchers (he and Chris Carpenter), two relievers (Scott Linebrink and Kyle McClellan), two infielders (Lance Berkman and Matt Carpenter), and two outfielders (Jon Jay and Skip Schumaker).


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, June
On June 15, batting against his old team the Kansas City Royals, Carlos Beltrán became the first switch-hitter in MLB history to attain 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases, with his seventh stolen base in the second inning. Seven other hitters also are members of the 300-300 club.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, July
Carlos Beltrán (of) and Rafael Furcal (ss) won the fan voting to be starters at their positions for the 83rd All-Star Game in Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium on July 10. Yadier Molina (c) was selected by the players as a reserve for his fourth consecutive year; he ranked second in the voting to starter Buster Posey. Lance Lynn was also selected by the players as a reserve pitcher; his first time going to the All-Star Game. Retired Cardinals' manager Tony La Russa will un-retire for the one game.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, July
Coaches Derek Lilliquist, Jose Oquendo and Mark McGwire will also be participating in the event, as all are members of La Russa's All-Star staff. Former St. Louis coaches Joe Pettini, Dave McKay and Dave Duncan are members of that coaching staff, as well. Beltran is leading the NL with 61 RBIs, and second in home runs with 20. He also ranks in the top 10 with a .310 batting average. It will be his fourth time as an All-Star fan-vote starter, seventh overall. As an added bonus for Beltran, he was also picked to participate in the Home Run Derby contest on July 9, the night before the All-Star Game. It will be the first time for him in that fan-favorite event.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, July
On July 6, after the passing of Yadier Molina's wife's grandfather, he left the team to join his family in Puerto Rico and was put on the bereavement list. He will miss the three weekend games and won't participate in the All-Star game. Matt Holliday was picked by Tony La Russa to replace him on the roster. Bryan Anderson was recalled from AAA-Memphis to replace Molina on the Cardinals' roster, with Tony Cruz to start as catcher for the weekend games.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, July
After the rosters were opened to the fans, voting was held to decide the final fan-voted addition to each team. The online balloting was conducted from Sunday afternoon, July 1, through Thursday afternoon, July 5. The winners of the final vote were  David Freese of the St. Louis Cardinals (NL), and Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers (AL). Chipper Jones, of the Atlanta Braves, was removed from the ballot on July 3 after he replaced Matt Kemp on the roster due to Kemp's injury.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, July
The 83rd All-Star Game on July 10, at Kansas City's Kaufmann Stadium was an 8-0 blowout for the National League, its sixth shutout win against two shutout losses for the NL. It made retired manager Tony La Russa the first manager to win All-Star Games in both leagues. He was 3-0 in the AL, but 0-2 in the NL before this year's game. La Russa emphasized this was his final game as a manager.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, July
On July 3, the team and disabled pitcher Chris Carpenter decided he will have season-ending surgery to repair his thoracic outlet syndrome that has plagued him all year with nerve-related shoulder problems. Recovery time is estimated at six months, so if done this month he will be ready for spring training in February 2013. Surgery is set for July 19, performed by Dr. Gregory Pearl in Dallas, Texas.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, July
On July 16, Trevor Rosenthal was called up for the first time to the major leagues, and made his debut in the eighth inning on July 18, the 2,000th player in Cardinals' history. No other franchise in baseball has reached 2,000.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, July
On July 21, at home against the Cubs, a 0−0 tight game started by Jake Westbrook (8-8, after getting the win in 7 inn.) was broken in the bottom of the seventh with a 12-run explosion by the Cardinals, won by that 12−0 score with 16 hits against only 4 for the Cubs. The inning-explosion featured 7 doubles, tying a major-league record set by the (NL) 1936 Boston Bees (against the Cardinals at Sportsmen's Park, first inning on August  25), 17 batters with 10 hits including a triple, 2 singles, 2 walks, and a wild pitch.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, July
David Freese started the inning with an infield single. Allen Craig then got one of his two doubles that inning, and the merry-go-round was on. The 12-runs in an inning also tied the highest runs in any inning by a Cardinals' team since the 1926 club did it in the third inning against the Phillies on September  15. The club got 27 total bases and 9 doubles in the game—the last time they did that was on July 12, 1931.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, July
The team made a trade on the last day of the non-waiver deadline, July 31, sending minor-league third baseman Zack Cox to the Miami Marlins for minor-league relief pitcher Edward Mujica.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, August
On August 3, Lance Berkman went on the disabled list for the third time this season with knee problems.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, August
Matt Holliday got his 1,500th career hit on August 30.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, September
Yadier Molina got his 1,000th career hit on September 4, a rare infield single.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, September
Shelby Miller got his first major league win as a reliever, in a crucial fourth game of the series, in the 12th-inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 16.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, September
On September 17, the Cardinals announced they were moving their short-season affiliation with the Batavia (NY) Muckdogs to the State College (PA) Spikes in the same New York–Penn League.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, September
On September 19, the Cardinals announced they were moving their low-A team from Quad Cities (Iowa) back to Peoria (Illinois) where they had the team from 1995–2004, in the Midwest League.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, September
On September 19, David Freese and Yadier Molina hit their 20th home runs of the seasons. It marked the first time in Cardinals' history that five players have hit 20 home runs in a season, with the shutout win against the Houston Astros. Carlos Beltrán (29), Matt Holliday (27), and Allen Craig (21) reached 20 previously.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, September
On September 20, the Cardinals went over the 3 million attendance figure for the ninth consecutive year.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, September
On September 21, Chris Carpenter returned to the rotation for the first time this season after surgery in July, refuting doctors' predictions of no pitching possible in 2012. He faced 22 batters (77 pitches, 47 strikes) in pitching five innings, giving up five hits (incl. a double and triple) and two runs, hitting one batter, walking one, and striking out two against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, leading 3−2 after the fifth inning, but Fernando Salas blew the save for him with two-outs and two strikes in the ninth when leading 4–2, and the team lost in 11 innings.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, September
"My stuff wasn't as sharp as I'd like, it wasn't even as sharp as it's been in those simulated games", said Carpenter, who preceded this start with four simulated games. "I did the best I could to get as many outs as I could and give us a chance. It was fun to go out there. It's definitely something I can build on, and hopefully my stuff is sharper as I get out there more often."


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, September
On September 23, Pete Kozma hit his first home run. The next game on the 24th he hit his second home run.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, September
On September 24, closer Jason Motte was named NL Player of the Week after saving all five of the Cardinals' wins in the week of September 17–23, and is leading the NL in saves with his 40th. He became the first closer with the Cardinals to save 40 games since Jason Isringhausen in 2004. It was the first time he has won that award, and the first time a closer had won it since Huston Street in 2009.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, October
On October 2, despite losing in their 161st game with a chance to clinch in front of almost 40,000 fans, the team later clinched the second wild-card spot when the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to their arch-rival San Francisco Giants.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, October
For the last game of the season at home on October 3, Shelby Miller, who started 2012 as the club's top prospect, made his major league debut as a starter against the Cincinnati Reds. He has already had five appearances (1-0, 2.35 ERA) in 7.2 IP as a reliever.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Players and Coaching Staff, Minor Leagues, Farm system
For more information about minor league teams, minor league players and the St. Louis Cardinals organization, see St. Louis Cardinals minor league players and:


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Players and Coaching Staff, Minor Leagues, Farm system
, MLB.com (February 8, 2012) Memphis Redbirds () Springfield Cardinals ()


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Players and Coaching Staff, Final Regular Season Statistics, Batters
Notes: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B= Doubles; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; BB = Walks; SO = Strikeouts; GIDP = Grounded into double play; Avg. = Batting average; OBP = On-base percentage; SLG = Slugging percentage


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Players and Coaching Staff, Final Regular Season Statistics, Batters
BOLD = Lead NL * not on active roster ** on personal leave; date and G missed † on 15-day disabled list; date DL and G missed †† on 60-day disabled list


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Players and Coaching Staff, Final Regular Season Statistics, Starting pitchers
Note: GS = Games Started; IP = Innings Pitched; W = Wins; L = Loss; ERA = Earned Run Average; WHIP = (Walks + Hits) per Innings Pitched; HBP = Hit by Pitch; BF = Batters faced; O-AVG = Opponent Batting Ave.; O-OBP = Opponent On-Base Ave.; O-SLG = Opponent Slugging Ave.; R suppt = Runs support average from his team's batters per Games Started


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Players and Coaching Staff, Final Regular Season Statistics, Starting pitchers
Bold = lead NL* not on active roster † on 15-day disabled list; DL date and G missed †† on 60-day disabled list


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Players and Coaching Staff, Final Regular Season Statistics, Relief pitchers
Notes: IP = Innings Pitched; ERA = Earned Run Average; WHIP = (Walks + Hits) per Innings Pitched


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Players and Coaching Staff, Final Regular Season Statistics, Relief pitchers
17-27; 3.90 ERA;  473.1 IP;  434 H;  212 R;  205 ER;  55 HR;  165 BB;  435 SO; 1.266 WHIP 42/64 SV/Opp; 115 Holds; 343/492 First Batter Retired (70%); 64/242 Inherited Runners Scored (26%)


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Scheduling and Results, Game log
As with all 30 teams, Major League Baseball released the Cardinals' 2012 schedule on September 14, 2011. The Cardinals' Opening Day game was away against the Miami Marlins on April 4 and was nationally televised by ESPN at 6 PM CDT.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Scheduling and Results, Game log
All game times for the following table were in Central Time Zone, and were broadcast on Fox Sports Midwest, unless otherwise noted. Twenty games from April 9 to August 10 were blacked out for those watching Fox Sports Midwest from their AT&T U-verse cable because of a financial dispute between them continuing from the previous year. Those games are marked with an asterisk (*) in the schedule below.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, Division Series, Game 1, October 7
3:07 p.m. (EDT) at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, Division Series, Game 2, October 8
4:37 p.m. (EDT) at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 1
Sunday, October 14, 2012 – 8:15 p.m. (EDT) at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 1
In Game 1, Carlos Beltrán hit his 14th career postseason homer and David Freese also went deep as the Cardinals took a 6–4 lead over the San Francisco Giants after six innings of the NL championship series opener. Freese hit a two-run homer in the second and Beltrán followed with one in the fourth as the Cardinals knocked out Madison Bumgarner with six runs in 3+2⁄3 innings.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 1
Bumgarner breezed through a perfect first inning but ran into trouble in the second when Yadier Molina singled on an 0–2 pitch with one out. Freese then drove a 3–2 pitch over the wall in left-center to give the Cardinals a 2–0 lead. That gave Freese 25 career RBIs in the postseason and tied him with Molina for third most ever for the Cardinals. Bumgarner then couldn't make it out of the fourth. Descalso doubled and scored on Pete Kozma's double. Jon Jay added a two-out RBI single and Beltrán ended Bumgarner's night with the homer.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 1
George Kontos got out of the fourth and Tim Lincecum pitched two hitless innings as he once again excelled in his new role out of the bullpen.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 1
Lance Lynn struggled to hold onto that lead in his first postseason start after 10 career relief appearances. After starting the game with three hitless innings, Lynn ran into trouble with two outs and a runner on first in the fourth. Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt followed with singles to drive in San Francisco's first run. They both scored on Gregor Blanco's triple. Brandon Crawford followed with an RBI double to make it 6–4 and Lynn left after walking pinch-hitter Aubrey Huff. Joe Kelly got out of the jam when second baseman Daniel Descalso made a diving stop of Ángel Pagán's grounder up the middle.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 1
No runs were scored for the remainder of the contest.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 2
Monday, October 15, 2012 – 8:07 p.m. (EDT) at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 3
Wednesday, October 17, 2012 – 4:07 p.m. (EDT) at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 3
A 3-hour 28 min rain delay was longer than the time of the game itself at 3:02.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 4
Thursday, October 18, 2012 – 8:07 p.m. (EDT) at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 4
The second-largest crowd of the year 47,062 saw the Cardinals win, 8-3. Adam Wainwright went seven strong innings, giving up only four hits and one run, the home run to Hunter Pence, walking none and striking out five.


2012 St. Louis Cardinals season, Postseason, National League Championship Series, Game 5
Friday, October 19, 2012 – 8:07 p.m. (EDT) at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri