Sport

On This Day - Dec 23 1950: Spanish soccer's coaching mastermind, Vicente del Bosque, is born

Vicente del Bosque 
Vicente del Bosque  Vicente del Bosque 

ON THIS DAY

1909: One of the finest welterweight champions, Barney Ross (real name Beryl David Rosofsky), was born. He took up boxing as a means of supporting his family after his father was killed by a gunman. He won the world lightweight and junior welterweight crowns in 1933.

1956: Michele Alboreto, a winner of five Formula One grands prix for the likes of Ferrari and Tyrrell, was born. He died testing a sports car at Lausitzring in April 2001.

1987: Henry Cotton, one of Britain's finest golfers, died. He was the last Briton before Nick Faldo to win the Open Championship three times.

2005: Wales fly-half Gavin Henson was banned for 10 weeks and two days after being found guilty of foul play having aimed a kick at Alex Moreno during Ospreys' stormy Heineken Cup encounter with Leicester.

The ban was later reduced to seven weeks and two days, ruling him out of the first two matches of Wales' RBS 6 Nations campaign.

2006: Australia bowler Glenn McGrath announced his intention to retire from international cricket after the 2007 World Cup.

2009: Seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher came out of retirement to sign a one-year contract with Mercedes.

2010: Inter Milan reached an agreement with coach Rafael Benitez over the termination of his contract with immediate effect.

2012: India batsman Sachin Tendulkar retired from one-day international cricket.

2013: Tim Sherwood was appointed head coach of Tottenham on a contract until the end of the 2014-15 season, though he would leave his role in May 2014.

2015: Former England international and coach Don Howe died at the age of 80.

BIRTHDAYS

Jean Gachassin (rugby union) - former France back, now president of the French tennis federation, born 1941.

Vicente del Bosque (soccer) - former Spain coach who led them to World Cup and European Championship triumphs in 2010 and 2012, born 1950.

Kenny Miller (soccer) - former Scotland forward, now with Rangers, born 1979.

Tyrone's Davy Harte clears his lines under pressure from Cavan's Jason O'Reilly during the Ulster Senior Football Champiopnship semi-final in Clones on June 19 2005
Tyrone's Davy Harte clears his lines under pressure from Cavan's Jason O'Reilly during the Ulster Senior Football Champiopnship semi-final in Clones on June 19 2005 Tyrone's Davy Harte clears his lines under pressure from Cavan's Jason O'Reilly during the Ulster Senior Football Champiopnship semi-final in Clones on June 19 2005

Davy Harte (above) (gaelic games) – former Tyrone footballer and winner of All-Ireland SFC medals in 2005 and 2008, born 1981

Ross Munnelly (GAA) – Laois footballer and winner of a Leinster SFC medal in 2003, born 1982.

Michael Chopra (soccer) - former Newcastle and Cardiff striker, born 1983.

Hanley Ramirez (baseball) - Boston Red Sox left fielder, born 1983.

TJ Oshie (ice hockey) - Washington Capitals and United States forward who shot to prominence by scoring four times in a Winter Olympic shoot-out against Russia in Sochi, born 1986.

Owen Franks (rugby union) - Crusaders' World Cup-winning New Zealand prop, born 1987.

Jeff Schlupp (soccer) - Leicester and Ghana forward, born 1992.

QUICK QUIZ BLITZ

1 George North suffered a concussion while playing for Wales against which opposition in the 2015 Six Nations?

2 Andy Woodward played for five Football League clubs - name any three of them.

Former Crossmaglen and Armagh GAA star Oisin McConville 
Former Crossmaglen and Armagh GAA star Oisin McConville  Former Crossmaglen and Armagh GAA star Oisin McConville 

3 In which year’s Ulster GAA SFC final did Oisin McConville (above) surpass the target to become Ulster’s top championship scorer in history?

4 Leicester and Ghana winger Jeff Schlupp was born in which European country?

5 Andy McCallin, Antrim’s first GAA All-star, played with which club?

(See quiz answers at bottom)

SPORT ON TV

Today (Friday, December 23)

GAA: GAA Beo – Na Scealta 2016, a look back at all the stories, action, highlights and news from the GAA during the past year – TG4 2030.

GAA: Off the Ball, an offbeat look at recent football developments – eir Sport 1900.

SOCCER: Scottish Premiership, Motherwell v Aberdeen - BT Sport 2 1930; A-League, Brisbane Roar v Western Sydney Wanderers - BT Sport 1 0845.

RUGBY UNION: Aviva Premiership, Northampton v Sale Sharks - BT Sport 1 1900; Guinness PRO12, Ulster v Connacht - Sky Sports 2 1915, BBC Two Northern Ireland 1930; Top 14, Brive v Lyon - Sky Sports 2 1600.

DARTS: PDC World Darts Championship - Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports Darts 1300 and 1900.

CRICKET: Big Bash League, Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers v Adelaide Strikers - BT Sport 2 0700 and 1015.

BASKETBALL: NBA, Boston Celtics v Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers v Dallas Mavericks - BT Sport 1 0030 (Sat) and 0330 (Sat).

ICE HOCKEY: NHL, Florida Panthers v Detroit Red Wings - eir Sport 1 0030 (Sat).

Tomorrow (Saturday, December 24)

GAA: Peak Performance: GAA, an insight into what it takes to excel in the GAA – eir Sport 1 1900.

SOCCER: Scottish Premiership, Hamilton v Celtic - Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 5 1200.

RUGBY UNION: Aviva Premiership, Wasps v Bath - BT Sport 1 1330; Championship, London Welsh v London Scottish - Sky Sports 2 1300.

GRIDIRON: NFL, Buffalo Bills v Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders v Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans v Cincinnati Bengals - Sky Sports 1 1730, 2100 and 0100 (Sun).

QUICK QUIZ BLITZ answers: 1 England; 2 Crewe, Bury, Sheffield United, Scunthorpe and Halifax; 3 2006; 4 Germany; 5 St John’s

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