Sport

On This Day – December 13, 1977: Former Ireland scrum-half Peter Stringer is born

<address>Former Ireland scrum-half Peter Stringer turns 41 today
Former Ireland scrum-half Peter Stringer turns 41 today
Former Ireland scrum-half Peter Stringer turns 41 today

BIRTHDAYS

John Francome (racing) - seven-time champion jump jockey who rode 1,138 winners, born 1952.

Craig Brewster (soccer) - former Inverness and Dundee United manager, born 1966.

Steve Robinson (boxer) - former WBO featherweight champion, born 1968.

Eoin Jess (soccer) - former Aberdeen and Scotland midfielder, born 1970.

Eddie Newton (soccer) - former Chelsea midfielder who scored in 1997 FA Cup final, born 1971.

Peter Stringer (rugby union) - Worcester and former Ireland scrum-half, born 1977.

Sascha Kindred (swimming) - British seven-time Paralympic champion, born 1977.

Santi Cazorla (soccer) - Villarreal and Spain midfielder, born 1984.

Rickie Fowler (golf) - American world number nine, born 1988.

ON THIS DAY

1942: Stephane Stanis scored 16 goals - a world record in a senior professional football match - for Racing Club Lens against Aubry-Asturies in the French Cup.

1989: England midfielder Bryan Robson scored what was then the fastest goal in a professional match at Wembley, taking just 38 seconds from the kick-off to find the back of the net against Yugoslavia. England won 2-1, their 100th victory at the famous stadium.

1997: Arsenal striker Ian Wright was spoken to by police after an incident with fans at the end of the 3-1 defeat by Blackburn at Highbury. Wright, who was booked during the game, was seen hanging out of a window, allegedly shouting at supporters.

1998: Eighteen-year-old Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen was named as BBC Sports Personality of the Year. During the previous 12 months, Owen had become England's youngest international of the 20th century, the youngest person ever to score for England and burst onto the world stage with a wonder goal against Argentina at the World Cup finals in France.

2003: X-rays showed England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson had fractured a facet in his shoulder. He had not played since his drop-goal won the World Cup.

2006: Alan Curbishley was announced as the new manager of West Ham, replacing Alan Pardew who left the club days earlier.

2007: The Football Association board approved the appointment of Fabio Capello as the new England manager, subject to the successful conclusion of contract negotiations; Chelsea announced Avram Grant had signed a four-year contract as their manager/first-team coach.

2009: Ryan Giggs beat the bookies' favourite Jenson Button to claim the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award in Sheffield.

2010: Blackburn confirmed the departure of manager Sam Allardyce.

2011: Manchester United and Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher took "an extended break from football" owing to a chronic inflammatory bowel condition. The Scot would not play again in the season but made his return 10 months later as a substitute in United's 1-0 win over Galatasaray at Old Trafford in the Champions League.

2012: Serbia's Under-21s were ordered to play their next match behind closed doors and the Serbian Football Association fined 80,000 euros (£65,000) following the "improper conduct of their supporters" during and at the end of the European Championship qualifier against England in October.

2016: Sochi was stripped of the 2017 bobsleigh and skeleton World Championships in the wake of the second McLaren report into state-sponsored doping in Russia.

2017: Manchester City set a new top-flight record of 15 consecutive victories by beating Swansea 4-0 at the Liberty Stadium.

<address>On this day nine years ago, Ryan Giggs was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year
On this day nine years ago, Ryan Giggs was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year
On this day nine years ago, Ryan Giggs was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year

QUICK QUIZ BLITZ

1. Who scored Arsenal's first goal in their 2015 FA Cup final victory against Aston Villa?

2. Which former Australia captain played in 153 consecutive Test matches, a record surpassed by Alastair Cook earlier this year?

3. Who won the Davis Cup in 2017?

4. Which country won the first football World Cup in 1930?

5. Which NBA side play at Pepsi Center?

TODAY’S TV

SOCCER: Europa League, Vidi v Chelsea - BT Sport 2 1715, Villarreal v Spartak Moscow - BT Sport/ESPN 1745, Arsenal v Qarabag - BT Sport 2 2000, RB Leipzig v Rosenborg - BT Sport/ESPN 2000.

CRICKET: Australia v India 2nd Test - BT Sport 1 0200 (Fri).

DARTS: PDC World Darts Championship - Sky Sports Main Event 1900.

GOLF: European Tour, Indonesian Masters - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0700; Alfred Dunhill Championship - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 1030.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL: NFL, Kansas City Chiefs v Los Angeles Chargers - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action 0030 (Fri).

SNOOKER: Scottish Open - Eurosport 1 1245 & 1845.

HOCKEY: FIH Hockey World Cup - BT Sport 1 1045.

TABLE TENNIS: ITTF World Tour finals - Eurosport 1 1000.

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QUICK QUIZ BLITZ ANSWERS

1. Theo Walcott; 2. Allan Border; 3. France; 4. Uruguay; 5. Denver Nuggets