Sport

On this day, January 12, 1944: world heavyweight champion Joe ‘Smokin’ Joe’ Frazier was born.

In 1944 former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, best remembered for fighting Muhammad Ali in 1971's 'Fight of the Century' and 1975's 'Thrilla in Manila', was born.
In 1944 former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, best remembered for fighting Muhammad Ali in 1971's 'Fight of the Century' and 1975's 'Thrilla in Manila', was born. In 1944 former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, best remembered for fighting Muhammad Ali in 1971's 'Fight of the Century' and 1975's 'Thrilla in Manila', was born.

ON THIS DAY

1944: Former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, best remembered for fighting Muhammad Ali in 1971's 'Fight of the Century' and 1975's 'Thrilla in Manila', was born.

1959: Heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper won his first British title, beating Brian London over 15 rounds.

1996: Cricket umpire Harold 'Dickie' Bird announced he would retire after the second Test against India at Lord's in June.

2001: Former Great Britain international Bobbie Goulding joined his sixth professional club, agreeing a two-year deal with Salford.

2006: Luton manager Mike Newell claimed that offers of illegal payments were still rife in football. Newell was interviewed by the Football Association and his claims in part led to the Lord Stevens inquiry into transfer payments.

2009: Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo won FIFA's World Player of the Year award.

2010: Liverpool announced that Tom Hicks Jr had resigned as a director of the club and its parent company.

2012: Former Essex player Mervyn Westfield appeared at the Old Bailey to admit a corruption charge linked to a NatWest Pro40 match against Durham. 

Westfield was sentenced to four months in prison the following month after pleading guilty to one count of accepting or obtaining a corrupt payment to bowl in a way that would allow the scoring of runs.

2012: The International Rugby Board ruled that Steven Shingler, the subject of an eligibility wrangle between the Welsh and Scottish Rugby Unions, was "tied to Wales and ineligible to play for any other union".

2014: Stephen Bunting won the BDO World Darts Championship with a 7-4 victory over Alan Norris in the final.

2017: Former England, Watford and Aston Villa manager Graham Taylor died at the age of 72.

BIRTHDAYS

Ottmar Hitzfeld (soccer) - former Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Switzerland coach, born 1949.

Mauro Silva (soccer) - former Brazil midfielder, part of the 1994 World Cup-winning squad, born 1968.

Robert Prosinecki (soccer) - former Croatia, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Portsmouth midfielder who won the 1991 European Cup with Red Star Belgrade, born 1969.

Craig Hignett (soccer) - former Middlesbrough, Barnsley and Leicester midfielder, born 1970.

Grzegorz Rasiak (soccer) - former Poland striker, born 1979.

Paul-Henri Mathieu (tennis) - French winner of four ATP tour titles, born 1982.

Salvatore Sirigu (soccer) - Torino and Italy goalkeeper, born 1987.

Emre Can (soccer) - Liverpool and Germany midfielder, born 1994.

QUICK QUIZ BLITZ

1. What team does Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas race for?

2. Which GAA county has won the most Dr McKenna Cup titles and how many?

3. Who do Slaughtneil camogie team play in the 2018 All-ireland Club Championship semi-final?

4. Which country will host the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup?

5. Who did Steve Collins defeat to win the WBO middleweight title in 1994?

(See quiz answers at bottom)

SPORT ON TV

Today (Friday, January 12)

SOCCER: Sky Bet Championship, Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday - Sky Sports Main Event 1900; Ligue 1, Strasbourg v Guingamp - eir Sport 1 1930; A-League, Newcastle Jets v Brisbane - BT Sport/ESPN 0845.

RUGBY UNION: European Champions Cup, Bath v Scarlets - BT Sport 2 1900.

CRICKET: One-day International, New Zealand v Pakistan - Sky Sports Cricket 2155, Sky Sports Main Event 2300; Big Bash League, Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars - BT Sport 2 0830, Adelaide Strikers v Perth Scorchers - BT Sport 2 0400 (Sat).

GOLF: European Tour, SA Open - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0800 and 1200; PGA Tour, Sony Open - Sky Sports Golf 0000 (Sat); EurAsia Cup - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0600 and 0330 (Sat).

TENNIS: ATP, Sydney International - Eurosport 2 1000 and 1400; WTA, Sydney International - BT Sport 1 0745; WTA, Hobart International - BT Sport 1 0330 (Sat).

DARTS: BDO World Championship - Channel 4 1205, BT Sport 1 1845.

ICE HOCKEY: NHL, Carolina Hurricanes v Washington Capitals - eir Sport 1 0030 (Sat).

SKIING: World Cup Nordic combined, Italy - Eurosport 2 0815, Eurosport 1 1200; World Cup Alpine, Switzerland - Eurosport 1 0930, Eurosport 2 1245; World Cup biathlon, Germany - Eurosport 1 1300; World Cup freestyle, USA - Eurosport 2 2000; World Cup ski jumping, Germany - Eurosport 1 1100; World Cup snowboard, USA - Eurosport 1 1630.

Tomorrow (Saturday, January 13)

SOCCER: Premier League, Tottenham v Everton - BT Sport 1 1700; Sky Bet Championship, Cardiff v Sunderland - Sky Sports Main Event 1200, Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa - Sky Sports Main Event 1715.

RUGBY UNION: European Champions Cup, Ulster v La Rochelle and Harlequins v Wasps- Sky Sports Action 1230 and 1700, Exeter v Montpellier - BT Sport 2 1500.

CRICKET: First one-day international, Australia v England - BT Sport 1 0300 (Sun); Second Test, South Africa v India - Sky Sports Cricket 0825, Sky Sports Main Event 0830; Big Bash League, Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder - BT Sport 2 0815.

GOLF: European Tour, SA Open - Sky Sports Golf 1000; PGA Tour, Sony Open - Sky Sports Golf 0000 (Sun); EurAsia Cup - Sky Sports Golf 0600 and 0330 (Sun).

TENNIS: ATP, Sydney International - Eurosport 1 0800; WTA, Sydney International - BT Sport 1 0600.

ATHLETICS: Great Edinburgh Cross Country - BBC 1 1315.

DARTS: BDO World Championship - Channel 4 1400, BT Sport 2 1845.

HORSE RACING: From Kempton - ITV4 1330.

GRIDIRON: NFL, NFC Divisional play-off Philadelphia Eagles v New Orleans Saints - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action 2100, AFC Divisional play-off New England Patriots v Tennessee Titans - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action 0100 (Sun).

BASKETBALL: NBA, Charlotte Hornets v Oklahoma City Thunder - BT Sport 1 2200.

SKIING: World Cup Alpine, Austria - Eurosport 1 1000; World Cup Alpine, Switzerland - Eurosport 1 1115; World Cup freestyle, Switzerland - Eurosport 2 1000; World Cup freestyle, USA - Eurosport 2 1630; World Cup cross-country, Germany - Eurosport 2 1130; World Cup biathlon, Germany - Eurosport 2 1315; World Cup Nordic combined, Italy - Eurosport 2 1500; World Cup ski jumping, Germany - Eurosport 1 1300; World Cup snowboard, USA - Eurosport 2 2000.

QUICK QUIZ answers: 1 Mercedes; 2 Tyrone, 15 titles; 3 Kilkenny champions Thomastown; 4 France; 5 Chris Pyatt