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Time Out - May 13: Sporting greats, Dates and a Quick Quiz Blitz to kick-start your day...

Armagh GAA star Charlie Vernon
Armagh GAA star Charlie Vernon Armagh GAA star Charlie Vernon

The Irish News: May 13 2010: James may have to reshuffle his deck: Down boss facing defensive crisis

IT was too good to be true.

Not even a hint of a sprained ankle during the National League, and now with the Championship approaching, they’re dropping like flies in Down.

It’s raining torn ligament injuries, broken metatarsals and hamstring pulls in the Mournes.

Boss James McCartan is staring straight into a defensive crisis just 17 days before they face Donegal in Ballybofey in the Ulster Championship.

To make matters worse, versatile defender Paul Murphy has left the panel, Liam Doyle is hanging on to the comeback trail by his fingertips and Ambrose Rogers’ right foot was still in an air cast at yesterday’s decidedly gloomy press day in Newry.

McCartan may be forced to replenish an entire full-back line following hamstring injuries to regulars Brendan McArdle and Damien Rafferty. Resident cornerback Dan McCartan is also suspended for Down’s critical Championship opener.

Injuries to back-up defenders Kevin Duffin and Aidan Brannigan has blown a sizeable hole in McCartan’s reserves as both have been ruled out of contention.

“Obviously Dan [McCartan] is suspended. Benny McArdle and Damien Rafferty have hamstring problems and guys that were probably in line to replace them are injured,” said a rueful McCartan.

“Kevin Duffin has torn ligaments in his ankle and is ruled out and Aidan Brannigan broke his foot last Friday and he’s out too.”

The Mourne manager, however, wasn’t ruling full-back McArdle or corner-back Rafferty out of contention yesterday and was still hopeful swashbuckling midfielder Rogers would play some part against Donegal.

Living with the enemy

AS Armagh prepare for their trip to Celtic Park on Sunday, Charlie Vernon has revealed that he is living with the enemy.

The accountancy student shares digs with Derry footballers Charlie Kielt and Brian Og McAlary. Yet, despite his close proximity to the Derry camp,

Vernon noted that he hasn’t actually seen very much of the Oak Leafers in action.

“You hear about them more than you maybe see them,” he said.

In fact, Vernon has only watched Derry in action once this year and that was their first League game against Tyrone in Celtic Park. Derry cruised to a 1-18 to 1-12 victory then failed to win another game until the last round.

“They seemed very impressive that night. They have been disappointing since.

The boys will tell you that themselves,” said Vernon. The match against Tyrone marked Charlie Kielt’s debut in the NFL and he posted a tremendous display from half-back.

There was a strong chance that Kielt and Vernon would have marked each other this Sunday, but an injury sustained in a League game has scuppered the Kilrea man’s chances of playing in Celtic Park.

A fortnight ago Vernon’s housemate was hobbling about on crutches.

Vernon said: “It’s a bad medial strain. I think he reckons six weeks.”

QUICK QUIZ

1. Which pro world champion boxer is known as 'Triple G'?

2. Which county won the 2018 All-Ireland GAA Senior Hurling Championship final?

3. Ryan Giggs is one of 28 footballers to accomplish what feat?

4. In which year was the first Six Nations Rugby Championship held?

5. Which country was the final member to join the competition?

6. Who knocked Roger Federer out of the 2018 Wimbledon men's singles quarter-finals?

7. Which country was the first to win the Fed Cup, the Davis Cup, and the Hopman Cup in a single calendar year?

8. Which British long-distance runner won gold in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres at the London 2012 Olympic Games?

9. Who were the 2019 Scottish Cup soccer champions?

10. How many Super Bowls have the NY Giants won?

(See quiz answers at bottom)

BIRTHDAYS

Dennis Rodman (basketball) - former Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls forward, born 1961.

Mark Delaney (soccer) - former Aston Villa and Wales defender, born 1976.

Yaya Toure (soccer) - Former Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder, born 1983.

Marianne Vos (cycling) - Dutch rider who won gold in the Olympic road race at London 2012, born 1987.

Francis Coquelin (soccer) - Valencia midfielder formerly at Arsenal, born 1991.

Aaron Doran (soccer) - Inverness striker, born 1991.

Romelu Lukaku (soccer) - Belgium and Inter Milan striker, born 1993.

ON THIS DAY

1914: Joe Louis, one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, was born. Louis first won the world title in 1937 by beating James J Braddock and made 25 defences over 11 years. He retired in 1948 but changed his mind, eventually quitting for good after losing to Rocky Marciano in 1951. Louis died in 1981.

1950: The first Formula One world championship race took place at Silverstone. Italy's Giuseppe Farina won the event, called the British Grand Prix, in an Alfa Romeo from team-mate Luigi Fagioli.

2005: Sprinter Mark Lewis-Francis was given a public warning by UK Athletics after testing positive for cannabis.

2006: Liverpool won the FA Cup, beating West Ham 3-1 on penalties after the match finished 3-3 following extra-time at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

2007: Sheffield United were relegated from the Premier League on goal difference after losing 2-1 to Wigan. West Ham, who had been fined but not deducted points over the signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, survived. The Hammers were later ordered to pay United a multi-million pound compensation package.

2009: Former Munster forward Alan Quinlan was banned for 12 weeks after being found guilty of making contact with the eye area of Leinster captain Leo Cullen, ruling him out of the British and Irish Lions' tour of South Africa.

2012: Manchester City won the Premier League - their first top-flight title in 44 years - after a dramatic 3-2 win at home to QPR sealed by a Sergio Aguero goal in injury time.

2013: Roberto Mancini was sacked as manager of Manchester City two days after losing the FA Cup final to Wigan 1-0, exactly one year on from winning the title.

2016: Harlequins lost 26-19 to Montpellier in the European Challenge Cup final in Lyon.

2018: Mohamed Salah broke the record for the most goals scored in a 38-game Premier League season after netting his 32nd goal of the campaign during Liverpool's 4-0 win against Brighton.

QUICK QUIZ answers: 1. Gennady Golovkin (Kazakhstan); 2. Limerick, narrowly defeating Galway by 3-16 to 2-18; 3. Make more than 1,000 professional appearances; 4. 2000; 5. Italy; 6. Kevin Anderson; 7. Czech Republic; 8. Sir Mo Farah; 9. Celtic, beating Hearts 2-1; 10. Four