ON THIS DAY IN SPORT
1949: A record 1,269,934 were in attendance for the Football League programme - an average of 28,862 spectators at each game. The previous record had stood for only 24 hours, 1,226,098 having turned up for the Boxing Day fixtures.
1980: Birmingham goalkeeper Tony Coton saved a penalty 90 seconds into his debut in a 3-2 win over Sunderland.
1982: National Hunt trainer Michael Dickinson saddled a record 12 winners in one day's racing around the country.
2002: Australia opener Justin Langer scored 250, hitting 30 fours and a six, as Australia amassed 551 for six declared in the first innings of the fourth Test against England in Melbourne.
2003: England centre Mike Tindall suffered a broken leg in Bath's win at Saracens.
2008: Sunderland handed Ricky Sbragia, their caretaker boss at the time, an 18-month contract as manager. He resigned at the end of the season.
2012: Henning Berg was sacked as manager of Blackburn after less than eight weeks in charge of the Championship club.
2013: Malky Mackay was dismissed as manager of Cardiff, a week after owner Vincent Tan sent him an email demanding he resign or be sacked.
2014: Neil Warnock was sacked as Crystal Palace manager.
2017: Liverpool announced they had agreed a deal to sign Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton. The deal was understood to be worth £75million, a world-record fee for a defender.
SPORT BIRTHDAYS
Joe Kinnear (soccer) - former Newcastle, Wimbledon and Luton manager, born 1946.
Steve Jones (golf) - American 1996 US Open champion, born 1958.
Duncan Ferguson (soccer) - former Dundee United, Rangers, Everton, Newcastle and Scotland striker, now part of Everton's coaching team, born 1971.
Colin Charvis (rugby union) - former Wales captain, born 1972.
David Dunn (soccer) - former Blackburn midfielder, born 1979.
Gilles Simon (tennis) - French winner of 14 ATP Tour singles titles, born 1984.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (athletics) - Jamaican sprinter with two Olympic and seven World Championship gold medals to her name, born 1986.
Milos Raonic (tennis) - big-serving Canadian who has won eight ATP Tour titles and reached the 2016 Wimbledon final, born 1990.
Danny Wilson (soccer) - Former Rangers and Liverpool defender, now with MLS side Colorado Rapids, born 1991.
QUICK QUIZ
1. Chris Froome has won the Tour de France four times, but in which years?
2. The Rhinos, Wolves and Dragons are teams in which British sport?
3. Where will the 2020 Ryder Cup be held?
4. Which player was awarded the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2017/2018 campaign?
5. The Golden State Warriors defeated which team to win the NBA Finals in 2017?
(See answers below)
SPORT ON TV
Thursday, December 27
SOCCER: Premier League, Southampton v West Ham - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1930.
CRICKET: Australia v India - BT Sport 1 (2315); South Africa v Pakistan - Sky Sports Cricket 0755 & Sky Sports Main Event 0800; New Zealand v Sri Lanka - Sky Sports Cricket 2155 & Sky Sports Main Event 2300; BBL, Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars - BT Sport 2 0800.
DART: PDC World Darts Championship - Sky Sports Main Event 1230 & 2200.
BASKETBALL: NBA, Houston Rockets v Boston Celtics - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action 0100 (Fri).
HORSE RACING: ITV Racing - ITV4 1245.
Friday, December 28
CRICKET: Australia v India - BT Sport 1 (2315); South Africa v Pakistan - Sky Sports Cricket 0755 & Sky Sports Main Event 0800; New Zealand v Sri Lanka - Sky Sports Cricket 2155 & Sky Sports Main Event 2300; BBL, Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Thunder - BT Sport 2 0800.
DARTS: PDC World Darts Championship - Sky Sports Main Event 1230 & 1900.
RUGBY UNION: Premiership, Northampton v Exeter - BT Sport 1 1900; PRO14, Connacht v Ulster - eir Sport 1 1900.
BASKETBALL: NBA, Denver Nuggets v San Antonio Spurs - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action - 0200 (Sat).
QUIZ ANSWERS
1 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017; 2 Rugby league; 3 Whistling Straits, Wisconsin; 4. Mohamed Salah (32 goals); 5 The Cleveland Cavaliers.
