The Irish News - Friday May 21 2010: Aussie cricketers to train at Croke Park
THE Australian Cricket team will train on Croke Park’s hallowed turf when they make their forthcoming trip to Ireland.
Permission has been granted for the Australia squad to train at GAA Headquarters in Dublin, three days before the Aussies take on Ireland in a one-day International at Clontarf next month.
The training session was approved as a part of the GAA’s Croke Park marketing strategy to showcase the stadium.
Croke Park stadium director, Peter McKenna said: “The Australian cricketers were aware of Croke Park from watching their international rules and rugby teams playing there and were keen to have a run-out on the pitch.
“Central Council agreed to permit it as a special event. Anything that gets the Croke Park brand out there in the marketplace is important.
“We’re in a very competitive space right now.”
The move is sure to provoke some controversy, given the number of inter-county teams who have been refused permission to train at Croke Park.
The Ireland and Australia ODI fixture takes place on June 17 at the Clontarf Cricket Club.
JOE Kernan will line out his Galway seniors against the county he brought All-Ireland success to in 2002, Armagh, for the first time since taking over as manager of the Tribesmen on Sunday.
Galway and Armagh, two of the early survivors of first round tests in their respective provincial Championships, meet to mark the official opening of Clonmore GFC’s new pitch.
The challenge game is the centre-piece of club activities for the occasion. Added value for Armagh is that their full-back, Brendan Donaghy (beow) is the current captain of the Clonmore seniors.
BIRTHDAYS
Paul Barber (hockey) - Played 99 times for England between 1977 and 1988, winning Olympic gold at the 1988 Games in Seoul, born 1955.
Monte Lynch (cricket) - former Surrey, Gloucestershire and England batsman, born 1958.
Stewart Cink (golf) - 2009 Open champion and five-time United States Ryder Cup player, born 1973.
Laurent Robert (soccer) - former Newcastle and France midfielder, born 1975.
Quinton Fortune (soccer) - South African former Manchester United midfielder, born 1977.
Mark Cavendish (cycling) - British racer who has 30 Tour de France stage wins to his name, born 1985.
Mario Mandzukic (soccer) - former Juventus and Croatia striker now at Al-Duhail, born 1986.
Jonathan Howson (soccer) - Middlesbrough midfielder, born 1988.
Hal Robson-Kanu (soccer) - West Brom and Wales forward, born 1989.
Tom Daley (diving) - British diver, who went to the 2008 Beijing Olympics aged 14 and won bronze at London 2012 and the Rio Olympics, born 1994.
Luke Garbutt (soccer) - Everton defender on loan at Ipswich, born 1993.
QUICK QUIZ
1. Which side scored first in England's 4-2 win over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final?
2. Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Mancini have both managed which Russian football club?
3. Which country reached the finals of the Davis Cup a record 23 consecutive times between 1946 and 1968?
4. How many countries have teams in the Pro14 rugby competition?
5. Which Summer Olympics had events held in both northern and southern hemispheres?
6. The Eagles is the nickname of which rugby union side, which appeared at the 2019 World Cup?
7. What was significant about Mongolia's 2-0 win over Brunei on June 6 last year?
8. How many teams are there in the US National Hockey League
9. Which county won the first GAA All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title of the 21st century?
10. In which sport is there a scoring system known as Stableford?
(See quiz answers at bottom)
ON THIS DAY
1904: Delegates from seven countries formed FIFA at a meeting in Paris. The founder members of what would become football's world governing body were Belgium, Denmark, France, Holland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
1966: Henry Cooper's dream of taking the world heavyweight crown was dashed when a cut eye ended his challenge against champion Muhammad Ali at Highbury football stadium.
2003: Celtic lost the UEFA Cup final in Seville. The Glasgow side were beaten 3-2 by Porto.
2008: Manchester United won the Champions League final, beating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after the match finished 1-1 following extra time in Moscow.
2011: Leinster won the Heineken Cup by beating Northampton 33-22 in the final at the Millennium Stadium.
2013: Manchester City and the New York Yankees reached an agreement to purchase an expansion franchise in Major League Soccer, with the new team, to be known as New York City Football Club, to join MLS in 2015.
2015: Leicester striker Jamie Vardy received his first England call-up in the squad for a friendly against the Republic of Ireland and a Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia. He made his debut as a substitute against the Republic.
2016: Jesse Lingard scored the winner as Manchester United came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 after extra-time to win the FA Cup at Wembley.
2016: Hibernian's 3-2 win over Rangers in the William Hill Scottish Cup final was marred by crowd trouble following the match, with Rangers saying their players and staff were assaulted by Hibs fans who invaded the pitch.
2018: Midfielder Santi Cazorla announced he was leaving Arsenal after six years with the club. The Spaniard joined the Gunners from Malaga in 2012 and made 180 appearances, scoring 29 times in all competitions.
2019: Three-time former F1 world champion Niki Lauda died at the age of 70.
QUICK QUIZ answers: 1 Germany; 2 Zenit St Petersburg; 3 Australia; 4. Five (Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales, South Africa); 5. 1958 (the equestrian events were held in Stockholm); 6. USA; 7. It was the first qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup; 8. 31; 9. Galway, beating Meath by 0–17 to 0–8; 10. Golf.
