Sport

VIDEO and Ballad: On This Day: Mar 21 2009: Bernard Dunne wins World title and Ireland claimed their first Grand Slam in 61 years

On this day, March 21, 2009: Ireland claimed their first Grand Slam in 61 years in a sensational climax to the Six Nations Championship.
On this day, March 21, 2009: Ireland claimed their first Grand Slam in 61 years in a sensational climax to the Six Nations Championship. On this day, March 21, 2009: Ireland claimed their first Grand Slam in 61 years in a sensational climax to the Six Nations Championship.

ON THIS DAY

1874: Queen's Park beat Clydesdale 2-0 to win the first Scottish Cup final.

1935: Brian Clough, one of the greatest managers in English football history, was born. A hugely prolific goalscorer in his playing days at Middlesbrough and Sunderland, Clough went on to win league titles as manager of both Derby and Nottingham Forest. Arguably his finest managerial achievement came when he guided Forest to back-to-back European Cup wins in 1979 and 1980. He died in 2004, aged 69.

1960: Brazil's three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna was born. A 41-time grand prix winner and 65-time pole-sitter, Senna is regarded by many as the greatest driver of his or any other generation. He died in a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, aged 34.

2002: West Brom were awarded three points and a 3-0 win over Sheffield United by the Football Association after the league match between the two was abandoned when the Blades were reduced to six men.

2006: Lisa Dobriskey won a gold medal for England and Hayley Tullett the bronze for Wales in the women's 1500 metres final at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

2009: Bernard Dunne knocked out Ricardo Cordoba to win the WBA super-bantamweight title after an extraordinary world title fight at the O2 in Dublin.  

2009: Ireland claimed their first Grand Slam in 61 years in a sensational climax to the Six Nations Championship.

2013: The Football Association board unanimously approved the nomination of Greg Dyke to succeed David Bernstein as chairman. Dyke took up the post in July 2013.

2017: Manchester United confirmed a deal had been agreed for midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger to join Chicago Fire.

BELIEVE LIKE BERNARD DUNNE

In honour of Bernard Dunne's World Boxing Association super-bantamweight title triumph at The O2 in Dublin on Saturday March 21 2009:

Down twice in the fifth, and perilously close to a career-ending defeat, the never-say-die Dubliner bravely battled back, dropping the champion, Ricardo Cordoba of Panama, three times in an electrifying 11th round to win by Knock Out.

Dunne's victory capped a great day for Irish sport, following on from Ireland's superb Six Nations Championship triumph that afternoon, the first in 61 years.

Dunne’s against-all-the-odds victory sparked scenes of wild celebration among the 9,000-strong O2 crowd and stands as a potent metaphor of hope in a country struggling hard to cope with deep recession…

The Celtic Tiger’s legged it, Left Ireland high and dry

And the people, poor, must pay a heavy toll

It's left a wealth of misery, Of credit-crunching woes

And half the bleeding country on the dole

But if you need some inspiration, In these dark days of despair

When the smallest money problem weighs a ton

Should all your hopes be on the ropes, Remember all's not lost

Get up and fight back.... just like Bernard Dunne

Like Bernard Dunne, Go on my son

Don't listen if they say it can't be done

Like Bernard Dunne, Second to none

Be strong, believe and fight until it's won

The Moore Street stalls are suffering, The Burlo's almost gone

For Sale signs now the blight of Irish homes

In Belfast, jobs are banjaxed, The pubs are closing down

And the fegs aren’t B&H, they’re roll your owns

But if you need some inspiration, In these dark days of despair

When the smallest money problem weighs a ton

Should all your hopes be on the ropes, Remember all's not lost

Get up and fight back.... just like Bernard Dunne

Like Bernard Dunne, Go on my son

Don't listen if they say it can't be done

Like Bernard Dunne, Second to none

Be strong, believe and fight until it’s won

So when history hails Six Nations greats, O'Driscoll and O'Gara

And their ’09 team, As heroes everyone

Remember one brave warrior, Who that night stood alone

Remember, don't forget him, Bernard Dunne

Bernard Dunne, Go on my son

Don't listen if they say it can't be done

Bernard Dunne, Second to none

Be strong, believe and fight until it's won

Bernard Dunne (Right hand)

Go on my son (Left hook)

Battle hard until the fighting's done

Bernard Dunne 

Second to none 

Be strong, believe and fight until it's won

                  Bernard!    Bernard!    Bernard!              

Copyright: Thomas Hawkins 2009

BIRTHDAYS

Alvin Kallicharan (cricket) - former West Indies and Warwickshire batsman, born 1949.

Ingrid Kristiansen (athletics) - Norwegian athlete who was world 10,000 metres champion in 1987 and set numerous long-distance world records, born 1956.

Lothar Matthaus (soccer) - West Germany's World Cup-winning captain in 1990 who was both European and World Player of the Year, born 1961.

Ronald Koeman (soccer) - former Barcelona, Ajax and Holland defender turned manager, now Holland coach, born 1963.

Ieuan Evans (rugby union) - former Wales captain, born 1964.

Matthew Maynard (cricket) - former Glamorgan and England batsman and ex- Somerset director of cricket, born 1966.

Mark Williams (snooker) - two-time world champion and first left-handed player to win title, born 1975.

Ronaldinho (soccer) - former Brazil and Barcelona playmaker who won the World Cup winner in 2002, born 1980.

Colin Turkington (motor racing) - 2009 British Touring Car champion, born 1982.

Lee Cattermole (soccer) - Sunderland midfielder, born 1988.

Jordi Alba (soccer) - Barcelona and Spain left-back, born 1989.

Jade Jones (taekwondo) - British gold medal winner in the 57 kilogram category at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, born 1993.

QUICK QUIZ BLITZ

1 Manchester United signed Antonio Valencia from which club in 2009?

2 How many grand slam singles titles did Andre Agassi win?

3 Moeen Ali represented which county before joining Worcestershire in 2007?

4 How many Formula One world titles did Alain Prost win?

5 NHL franchise the Stars play their home matches in which city?

See answers below

SPORT ON TV

Today (Wednesday, March 21)

TENNIS: ATP, Miami Open - Sky Sports Main Event 1500; WTA, Miami Open - BT Sport 1 1600.

GOLF: World Golf Championships, first day of WGC-Dell Match Play Championship - Sky Sports Golf 1415, Sky Sports Main Event 1800.

CYCLING: Tour of Catalunya, stage three - Eurosport 1 1445.

SOCCER: Vanarama National League, Barrow v Hartlepool - BT Sport 1 1930.

SNOOKER: Players Championship - ITV4 1245 and 1845.

BASKETBALL: NBA, Cleveland Cavaliers v Toronto Raptors - BT Sport 2 2300; San Antonio Spurs v Washington Wizards - BT Sport 2 0130 (Thursday).

MOTORSPORT: Formula One, drivers press conference - Sky Sports F1 0400.

Tomorrow (Thursday, March 22)

CRICKET: New Zealand v England, first Test, day one - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket 0030; Third Test, day one, South Africa v Australia - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket 0825.

SOCCER: China Cup, China v Wales - BBC One Wales 1135.

CYCLING: Tour of Catalunya, stage four - Eurosport 1 1445.

TENNIS: WTA, Miami Open - BT Sport 1 1500.

DARTS: Premier League Darts, round eight in Glasgow - Sky Sports Action 1900.

GOLF: World Golf Championships, second day of WGC-Dell Match Play Championship - Sky Sports Golf 1415, Sky Sports Main Event 2230.

MOTOSPORT: Formula One, Australian Grand Prix practice - Sky Sport F1 0030 and 0445, eir Sport 1 0055 and 0455.

SNOOKER: Players Championship - ITV4 1245 and 1845.

BASEBALL: MLB, Minnesota Twins v New York Yankees - BT Sport/ESPN 1700.

Answers: 1 Wigan; 2 eight; 3 Warwickshire; 4 Four; 5 Dallas.