Sport

On This Day - Jan 18 2013: Lance Armstrong admitted taking banned substances, including EPO, to help win the Tour de France

Disgraced former cyclist Lance Armstrong
Disgraced former cyclist Lance Armstrong Disgraced former cyclist Lance Armstrong

BIRTHDAYS

Peter Beardsley (soccer) - former England, Newcastle, Everton and Liverpool forward, born 1961.

Richard Dunwoody (horse racing) - former top National Hunt jockey, born 1964.

Pep Guardiola (soccer) - Manchester City manager who played for Barcelona before becoming head coach at the Nou Camp and later managed Bayern Munich, born 1971.

Thor Hushovd (cycling) - former Norwegian cyclist, twice winner of the Tour de France points classification, born 1978.

Paulo Ferreira (soccer) - former Chelsea and Portugal defender, born 1979.

Robert Green (soccer) - Chelsea's former Leeds, QPR, West Ham and Norwich goalkeeper who won 12 caps for England, born 1980.

Riccardo Montolivo (soccer) - AC Milan and Italy midfielder, born 1985.

Johan Djourou (soccer) - former Arsenal defender, now with SPAL in Italy, born 1987.

Angelique Kerber (tennis) - German who won both the Australian Open and US Open in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2018, born 1988.

Nacho (soccer) - Real Madrid and Spain defender, born 1990.

ON THIS DAY 

1879: England beat Wales 2-1 at the Kennington Oval in the first football international between the two nations.

1996: Romania international Ilie Dumitrescu completed his transfer from Tottenham to West Ham in a deal worth in excess of £1million.

2002: Manchester United signed Uruguayan forward Diego Forlan for £7.5million from Argentinian club Independiente.

2003: Australia batsman Darren Lehmann was banned for five one-day internationals after being found guilty of breaking the International Cricket Council's code of conduct by making racist remarks following his dismissal against Sri Lanka during the one-day series in Australia.

2008: Lewis Hamilton signed a new five-year contract with McLaren.

2011: Jose Maria Olazabal was appointed captain of the Europe team for the 2012 Ryder Cup. At the event - since termed the 'Miracle at Medinah' - Europe overcame a 10-6 deficit at the start of the final day to win 14 1/2-13 1/2.

2012: Controversial centre Gavin Henson was included in Wales' 35-man provisional squad for the RBS 6 Nations, having not played for his country since 2009.

2013: Lance Armstrong admitted while speaking in an interview with Oprah Winfrey to taking banned substances, including EPO, to help win the Tour de France. He was later stripped of his seven Tour titles.

2016: Swansea announced Francesco Guidolin as the club's new head coach. The former Udinese boss was appointed to work alongside interim manager Alan Curtis until the end of the season and watched his new side beat Watford 1-0 from the Liberty Stadium stands. He was sacked in October 2016.

2018: Uncapped players Nathan Earle, Harry Mallinder, Marcus Smith, Alec Hepburn, Lewis Boyce, Gary Graham, Zach Mercer and Tom Dunn were named in England's 35-man squad to prepare for the NatWest 6 Nations opener against Italy.

QUICK QUIZ

1 How many times has Martin Kaymer won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship?

2 Who beat Serena Williams in the 2016 Australian Open final?

3 Name the current manager of Derry GAA senior footballers.

4 Roger Federer has won the most grand slam men's singles titles, but how many?

5 Name the two Belfast GAA sides who feature in All-Ireland Football and Hurling semi-finals this weekend, Sunday January 20 2018

(See quiz answers at bottom)

SPORT ON TV 

Today (Friday, January 18)

SOCCER: Championship, Norwich v Birmingham - Sky Sports Main Event 1900; Bundesliga, Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich - BT Sport 1 1915; Ligue 1, Lille v Amiens - BT Sport/ESPN 1945.

BASKETBALL: NBA, Minnesota Timberwolves v San Antonio Spurs - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports USA 0100 (Sat).

CRICKET: BBL, Perth Scorchers v Hobart Hurricanes - BT Sport 2 1015; WBBL first semi-final, Sydney Thunder v Brisbane Heat - BT Sport 2 0030 (Sat); second semi-final, Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Renegades - BT Sport 2 0345 (Sat).

RUGBY UNION: PRO14, Southern Kings v Cheetahs - eir Sport 1 1655; Champions Cup, Edinburgh v Montpellier - BT Sport 2 1900.

GOLF: European Tour, The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0800; PGA Tour, The Desert Classic - Sky Sports Main Event 1600 & 2315, Sky Sports Golf 1630.

SNOOKER: The Masters - Eurosport 2 1300 & 1845, BBC Two England, BBC Two Northern Ireland, BBC Two Scotland 1900.

BOXING: Fight Night International, Demetrius Andrade v Artur Akavov - Sky Sports Main Event 0330 (Sat).

TENNIS: Australian Open - Eurosport 2 0600, 0000 (Sat), Eurosport 1 0745, 0000 (Sat).

Tomorrow (Saturday, January 19)

SOCCER: Premier League, Wolves v Leicester - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1130; Arsenal v Chelsea - BT Sport 1 1700; Vanarama National League, Harrogate v Hartlepool - BT Sport 1 1215; Championship, Swansea v Sheffield United - Sky Sports Main Event 1715; Bundesliga, RB Leipzig v Borussia Dortmund - BT Sport/ESPN 1715.

BASKETBALL: NBA, Philadelphia 76ers v Oklahoma City Thunder - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports USA 2030.

CRICKET: One-day international, South Africa v Pakistan - Sky Sports Cricket, 1055, Sky Sports Main Event 1515; BBL, Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars - BT Sport 2 0730.

RUGBY UNION: Champions Cup, Saracens v Glasgow Warriors - BT Sport 2 1230; Leicester v Ulster - BT Sport 2 1500; Munster v Exeter - BT Sport 2 1715.

GOLF: European Tour, The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0700; PGA Tour, The Desert Classic - Sky Sports Golf 2000, Sky Sports Main Event 2300.

TENNIS: Australian Open - Eurosport 2 0600, 0000 (Sun), Eurosport 1 0745, 0000 (Sun).

HORSE RACING: From Ascot - ITV4 1330.

SNOOKER: The Masters - Eurosport 2 1300 & 1845, BBC One 1315, BBC Two England 1630 & 1900.

BOXING: Big Fight Live, Manny Pacquiao v Adrien Broner - ITV4 0200 (Sun).

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: UFC, Henry Cejudo v TJ Dillashaw - BT Sport 2 0300 (Sun).

QUICK QUIZ answers: 1 Three; 2 Angelique Kerber; 3 Damian McErlain 4 20; 5 St Enda's and St Gall's.