Sport

On this Day - January 12 1944: Former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier was born

Joe Frazier, born on this day in 1944,  was world heavyweight champion from 1970 to 1973 
Joe Frazier, born on this day in 1944,  was world heavyweight champion from 1970 to 1973  Joe Frazier, born on this day in 1944,  was world heavyweight champion from 1970 to 1973 

ON THIS DAY

1944: Former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, best remembered for fighting Muhammad Ali in 1971's "Fight of the Century" and 1975's "Thrilla in Manila", was born.

1959: Heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper won his first British title, beating Brian London over 15 rounds.

1996: Cricket umpire Harold 'Dickie' Bird announced he would retire after the second Test against India at Lord's in June.

2001: Former Great Britain international Bobbie Goulding joined his sixth professional club, agreeing a two-year deal with Salford.

2006: Luton manager Mike Newell claimed that offers of illegal payments were still rife in football. Newell was interviewed by the Football Association and his claims in part led to the Lord Stevens inquiry into transfer payments.

2009: Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo won FIFA's World Player of the Year award.

2010: Liverpool announced that Tom Hicks Jr had resigned as a director of the club and its parent company.

2012: Former Essex player Mervyn Westfield appeared at the Old Bailey to admit a corruption charge linked to a NatWest Pro40 match against Durham. Westfield was sentenced to four months in prison the following month after pleading guilty to one count of accepting or obtaining a corrupt payment to bowl in a way that would allow the scoring of runs.

2014: Stephen Bunting won the BDO World Darts Championship with a 7-4 victory over Alan Norris in the final.

BIRTHDAYS

Gary Kirby (GAA) – former Limerick hurler and recipient of four All-star awards, born 1967.

Tony Maher (GAA) – former Cork hurler and winner of an All-Ireland medal in 1970, born 1945.

Ottmar Hitzfeld (soccer) - former Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Switzerland coach, born 1949.

Mauro Silva (soccer) - former Brazil midfielder, part of the 1994 World Cup-winning squad, born 1968.

Robert Prosinecki (soccer) - former Croatia, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Portsmouth midfielder who won the 1991 European Cup with Red Star Belgrade, born 1969.

Craig Hignett (soccer) - former Middlesbrough, Barnsley and Leicester midfielder, born 1970.

Grzegorz Rasiak (soccer) - former Poland striker, born 1979.

Paul-Henri Mathieu (tennis) - French winner of four ATP tour titles, born 1982.

Salvatore Sirigu (soccer) - Paris St Germain and Italy goalkeeper, currently on loan at Sevilla, born 1987.

Emre Can (soccer) - Liverpool and Germany midfielder, born 1994.

QUICK QUIZ BLITZ

1 Name the goalkeeper from Great Britain's gold-medal winning women's hockey team at last year's Olympics.

2 Which county won the National Hurling League Division One title in 2015?

3 Morgan Schneiderlin started his career with which French club?

4 What is the name of the trophy awarded to the All-Ireland Senior camogie champions?

5 Max Verstappen became the youngest ever race winner in Formula One history with victory in which grand prix last year?

(See answers at bottom)

SPORT ON TV

Today (Thursday, January 12)

GAA: Club na mBan, documentary focusing on women and Gaelic, both as players and supporters – TG4 2130

GAA: Off the Ball, an off beat look at recent football football developments – eir Sport 1 1900

SOCCER: A-League, Adelaide United v Melbourne City - BT Sport//ESPN 0845; Championship, Reading v Queens Park Rangers - Sky Sports 1 1930

CRICKET: South Africa v Sri Lanka, third Test - Sky Sports 2 0755; Big Bash League, Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes - BT Sport 2 0830

GOLF: European Tour, South African Open - Sky Sports 4 0800 and 1200; PGA Tour, Sony Open Hawaii - Sky Sports 4 0000 (Fri)

TENNIS: ATP, The Sydney International - Eurosport 1 0500 and 0730; WTA, Sydney - BT Sport 1 0930, Hobart - BT Sport 2 0200

BASKETBALL: NBA, Denver Nuggets v Indiana Pacers - BT Sport 2 2000, New York Knicks v Chicago Bulls - BT Sport 1 0100 (Fri)

DARTS: BDO Lakeside World Professional

Championship - Channel 4 1205; BT Sport 1 1845

Tomorrow (Friday, January 13)

GAA: Off the Ball, an off beat look at recent football football developments – eir Sport 1 1900

SOCCER: A-League, Melbourne Victory v Brisbane Roar - BT Sport//ESPN 0845; Championship, Leeds United v Derby County - Sky Sports 1 1900; LaLiga, Malaga v Real Sociedad - Sky Sports 2 1940

CRICKET: South Africa v Sri Lanka, third Test - Sky Sports 2 0755; Women's Big Bash League, Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder - BT Sport 2 0230

GOLF: European Tour, South African Open - Sky Sports 4 0800 and 1200; PGA Tour, Sony Open Hawaii - Sky Sports 4 0000 (Sat)

RUGBY UNION: European Challenge Cup, Bristol v Bath - BT Sport 2 1900

TENNIS: ATP, The Sydney International - Eurosport 1 0930; WTA, Sydney - BT Sport 1 0730, Hobart - BT Sport 2 0800

BASKETBALL: NBA, Atlanta Hawks v Boston Celtics - BT Sport 1 0100 (Sat)

DARTS: BDO Lakeside World Professional

Championship - Channel 4 1205; BT Sport 1 1845

ICE HOCKEY: NHL, Arizona Coyotes v Winnipeg Jets - eir Sport 1 0200 (Sat)

Quick Quiz Blitz answers: 1. Maddie Hinch, 2. Waterford, 3. Strasbourg, 4. The O’Duffy Cup, 5. Spanish Grand Prix.