Sport

Time Out - May 18: Sporting greats, Dates and a Quick Quiz Blitz to kick-start your day

RETURN OF THE MAC: Kevin McGourty (left) returned to training with Antrim last night (May 17 2010) and could be in the frame for a dramatic inter-county comeback when Liam Bradley’s men take on Tyrone in Sunday’s Ulster Senior Football Championship first round clash at Casement Park
RETURN OF THE MAC: Kevin McGourty (left) returned to training with Antrim last night (May 17 2010) and could be in the frame for a dramatic inter-county comeback when Liam Bradley’s men take on Tyrone in Sunday’s Ulster Senior Football Champio RETURN OF THE MAC: Kevin McGourty (left) returned to training with Antrim last night (May 17 2010) and could be in the frame for a dramatic inter-county comeback when Liam Bradley’s men take on Tyrone in Sunday’s Ulster Senior Football Championship first round clash at Casement Park

The Irish News - Tuesday May 18 2010: McGourty back in Antrim fold ahead of Tyrone tie

KEVIN McGourty made a sensational return to the Antrim fold last night and could be in line for a dramatic Championship recall just five days before their provincial opener against Tyrone.

Antrim manager Liam Bradley and McGourty spoke earlier this week and the St Gall’s ace was happy to get involved again after a two-year absence from the inter-county scene.

It is unclear what role, if any, the forward will play at Casement Park this Sunday.

McGourty has been studying in Dublin this year which perhaps prevented him from joining the Antrim squad sooner.

Undoubtedly, the talismanic player would significantly enhance Bradley’s Championship options.

While celebrating back-to-back promotions this season, Antrim were desperately disappointing in their final competitive outing – NFL Division Three final against Sligo – before the Ulster Championship.

And Bradley may feel that an injection of quality is sorely needed to boost the team’s chances of beating Tyrone at Casement Park on Sunday.

McGourty is regarded as one of the most gifted players to emerge in the county for years and can play in a number of positions.

The 27-year-old starred at wing-forward in Lenny Harbinson’s St Gall’s team that won the All-Ireland Club title on St Patrick’s Day.

He can play anywhere along the attack and his fielding abilities make him a plausible midfield option for the Antrim manager.

Big push on the cards for Lee

THE big push looks to be on the cards now for Irish southpaw hope Andy Lee after easily disposing of veteran ex-EBU titlist Mamadou Thiam of France at Limerick’s University Arena.

The mismatch ended when Thiam retired at the end of two rounds.

Lee, rated 12th by the WBA, is 21-1 and on the brink ofafirst major title test.

The step-up challenge appears to be in the form of taking on England’s European champion Darren Barker, possibly in the autumn.

BIRTHDAYS

Nobby Stiles (soccer) - member of 1966 England World Cup-winning squad, born 1942.

Yannick Noah (tennis) - French winner at Roland Garros, later a successful singer, born 1960.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen (motor racing) - German driver who won three Formula One grands prix, born 1967.

Brad Friedel (soccer) - former Blackburn, Tottenham and United States goalkeeper, born 1971.

John Higgins (snooker) - four-time world champion, born 1975.

Lee Hendrie (soccer) - former Aston Villa midfielder, capped once by England, born 1977.

Danny Mills (soccer) - former England, Leeds and Manchester City defender, born 1977.

Ricardo Carvalho (soccer) - former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Portugal defender, born 1978.

Julian Speroni (soccer) - former Crystal Palace goalkeeper, born 1979.

Kevin Anderson (tennis) - South African who reached Wimbledon final in 2018, born 1986.

Ryan Sessegnon (soccer) - Tottenham left back, born 2000.

QUICK QUIZ

1. Which country has made more appearances at the FIFA World Cup: Portugal or Scotland?

2. Which Formula 1 team existed for only one season in 2009 and took the Driver and Constructors' Championships with Jenson Button and Rubens Barichello?

3. Name any three of the four Moscow-based Russian Premier League teams.

4. Who is the current manager of the Fermanagh GAA Senior Football squad?

5. Which two Finns have won the Formula One World Championship?

6. Which two teams played in the first Bundesliga match in the league's return after the Covid-19 suspension?

7. Who became the Premier League's youngest scorer in October 2002 against Arsenal, aged 16 and 359 days?

8. Where did Usain Bolt finish in his final 100m race in 2017?

9. Which pro boxer has the nickname 'Superb'?

10. Where will the 2023 Rugby World Cup be held?

(See quiz answers at bottom)

ON THIS DAY

1909: Fred Perry was born. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon titles from 1934-36 and he was the first man to win the singles titles at all four grand slam events.

1950: Jimmy Mullen became England's first substitute in a football international, coming on for Jackie Milburn against Belgium in Brussels. He went on to score and thus became the first sub to score in an international.

1990: Roberto Baggio was transferred from Fiorentina to Juventus for a then world record £7.7million.

2001: Sir Alex Ferguson announced he would sever all ties with Manchester United at the end of the season - a decision he went back on in February 2002 with a new three-year deal.

2004: London was confirmed as one of five cities shortlisted by the IOC for the 2012 Olympics, and later won the right to stage the Games.

2005: CSKA Moscow beat Sporting Lisbon 3-1 to win the UEFA Cup, becoming the first Russian club to win a major European title.

2011: Andre Villas-Boas' Porto won the Europa League, beating Braga 1-0 in the final in Dublin.

2016: Liverpool were beaten 3-1 by Sevilla in the Europa League final, despite a Daniel Sturridge strike having put the Reds 1-0 ahead in Basle.

2016: It was announced that 31 athletes had tested positive for doping following the retesting of samples for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

2019: Manchester City beat Watford 6-0 at Wembley to lift the FA Cup and complete the domestic treble.

File photo dated May 18 1960 of Real Madrid's Alfredo di Stefano (c) blasting his team's second goal past Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Egon Loy (l). In what is still regarded as one of the greatest all-time team performances, Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas combined to mesmerise Hampden Park in the 1960 European Cup final.<br />Picture by PA Photos/PA Wire.&nbsp;
File photo dated May 18 1960 of Real Madrid's Alfredo di Stefano (c) blasting his team's second goal past Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Egon Loy (l). In what is still regarded as one of the greatest all-time team performances, Alfredo di Stefano and Fere File photo dated May 18 1960 of Real Madrid's Alfredo di Stefano (c) blasting his team's second goal past Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Egon Loy (l). In what is still regarded as one of the greatest all-time team performances, Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas combined to mesmerise Hampden Park in the 1960 European Cup final.
Picture by PA Photos/PA Wire. 

ON THIS DAY

Wednesday May 18 1960: In what is still regarded as one of the greatest all-time team performances, Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas combined to mesmerise Hampden Park in the 1960 European Cup final.

Watched by a crowd of around 130,000 in the Scottish capital, Di Stefano and Puskas each helped themselves to a hat-trick Real Madrid coasted to a dazzling 7-3 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

The German side had arrived full of hope of ending Real's four-year reign as continental champions after obliterating Scottish champions Rangers 12-4 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

And they even took an 18th-minute lead through Richard Kress, before Real swiftly responded with a brace from di Stefano before the half-hour mark.

Puskas added a third in first-half injury time and Real ran riot after the half-time break, extending their lead to 6-1 by the 70th minute and ultimately coasting home in front of an awe-struck crowd.

QUICK QUIZ answers 1 Scotland (8 to Portugal's 7); 2 Brawn GP; 3 CSKA, Dynamo, Lokomotiv and Spartak; 4. Ryan McMenamin; 5. Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen; 6. Dortmund and Schalke; 7. Wayne Rooney; 8. Third; 9. Billy Joe Saunders; 10. France.