BACK IN THE DAY
The Irish News: - November 7 2009: Paul McCloskey announced himself on the European boxing scene last night as the Dungiven man sauntered his way to the European light welterweight championship title with a ninth-round knockout of Spain’s Daniel Rasilla.
Three thousand people, including Tyrone manager Mickey Harte, packed the Meadowbank Sports Arena in Magherafelt to roar on ‘Dudey’, and the 30-year-old returned the compliment with the minimum of fuss in front of the Sky Sports cameras, knocking Rasilla out two minutes and 15 seconds into the ninth.
Rasilla, a last minute replacement for France's ex-world champion Souleymane M'baye, who pulled out at the start of the week, offered little resistance throughout.
He didn’t rattle the southpaw and McCloskey needed just two more rounds to become the first Derryman to be crowned a European champion since Charlie Nash claimed the European lightweight title in 1979.
But there was disappointment for Belfast’s Martin Rogan as his bid to win back the Commonwealth heavyweight title from Sam Sexton ended in despair after he
was forced to retire at the end of the sixth round at the Odyssey in Belfast.
BIRTHDAYS
Lucinda Green (equestrian) - six-time winner of Badminton three-day event, born 1953.
Mark Hateley (soccer) - former Rangers and England striker, born 1961.
John Barnes (soccer) - former Liverpool and England midfielder, born 1963.
Mark Philippoussis (tennis) - former Australian player who was a finalist at Wimbledon in 2003, born 1976.
Rio Ferdinand (soccer) - former Manchester United and England defender, born 1978.
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (soccer) - former Celtic, Hull and Holland striker, born 1978.
James Franklin (cricket) - former New Zealand all-rounder and ex-Middlesex captain, born 1980.
David De Gea (soccer) - Manchester United and Spain goalkeeper, born 1990.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (soccer), Chelsea and England striker, born 2000.
QUICK QUIZ
1. At which football club did Alan Shearer start his senior career?
2. Who finished as leading points scorer at the 2019 Rugby World Cup?
3. Which club has won the most All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship titles?
4. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Finals take place in London next week, but who is the defending champion?
5. Rabbitohs, Roosters, Thunder, Waratahs and Wanderers are all sports teams from which Australian city?
(See quiz answers below)
ON THIS DAY
1978: Former world heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney died. He beat Jack Dempsey on points to win the title in 1926 and a year later retained it with another points win over Dempsey. Tunney retired as undefeated champion in 1928.
1987: Manchester City's Tony Adcock, Paul Stewart and David White all scored hat-tricks in their team's 10-1 demolition of Huddersfield. It was the fifth time three players had scored hat-tricks in the same Football League match.
2004: Paula Radcliffe won the New York Marathon.
2005: Graham Rix was appointed as first-team coach of Hearts. He was sacked by the Edinburgh club in March 2006.
2009: David Haye won his WBA heavyweight title fight against Nikolai Valuev on points in Nuremberg.
2010: After Jenson Button was left unharmed following an armed attack on his car, Sebastian Vettel won the Brazilian Grand Prix.
2011: Wigan centre Joel Tomkins switched codes to join Saracens in the Aviva Premiership. He would later return to the Warriors.
2012: Sebastian Coe was elected as the new chairman of the British Olympic Association.
2014: Formula One team Marussia officially went out of business, with the loss of more than 200 jobs.
2017: David Moyes was named as the new West Ham manager.
2018: Manchester City hammered Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 in their Champions League Group F match at the Etihad Stadium, while Manchester United beat Juventus 2-1 in their Group H game in Italy.
SPORT ON TV
Today (Thursday, November 7)
SOCCER: Europa League, Man Utd v Partizan - BT Sport 2 1930; Wolves v Slovan Bratislava - BT Sport/ESPN 1945.
GOLF: European Tour, Turkish Airlines Open - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0900.
SNOOKER: Champion of Champions - ITV 4 1245 & 1845.
GRIDIRON: NFL, Oakland Raiders v Los Angeles Chargers - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action 0030 (Fri).
Tomorrow (Friday, November 8)
SOCCER: Premier League, Norwich v Watford - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1900; FA Cup, Dulwich Hamlet v Carlisle - BBC Two 1930; Scottish Championship, Dundee v Dundee United - BT Sport 2 1915; Ligue 1, Nice v Bordeaux - BT Sport/ESPN 1945.
CRICKET: T20, New Zealand v England - Sky Sports Cricket 0430 & Sky Sports Main Event 0500.
RUGBY UNION: Premiership, Sale v Wasps - BT Sport 1 1900.
GOLF: European Tour, Turkish Airlines Open - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0900.
SNOOKER: Champion of Champions - ITV 4 1845.
BASKETBALL: NBA, Denver Nuggets v Philadelphia 76ers - Sky Sports Main Event 0200 (Sat).
QUICK QUIZ answers: 1. Southampton; 2. Handre Pollard (South Africa); 3. Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny (Seven titles); 4. Alexander Zverev; 5. Sydney.
