Sport

On This Day - December 1 1955: Kerry great Pat Spillane was born

Pat Spillane is almost as famous now as a GAA pundit as he is as a footballer. Nevertheless, the Kerry man is one of the most decorated players in the history of Gaelic football. Over a 17 year career with the Kingdom, Spillane collected eight All-Ireland titles, two National League titles and 12 Munster titles. He was also named as an All-star nine times (a record) and as Texaco Footballer of the Year twice. 
Pat Spillane is almost as famous now as a GAA pundit as he is as a footballer. Nevertheless, the Kerry man is one of the most decorated players in the history of Gaelic football. Over a 17 year career with the Kingdom, Spillane collected eight All-Ireland Pat Spillane is almost as famous now as a GAA pundit as he is as a footballer. Nevertheless, the Kerry man is one of the most decorated players in the history of Gaelic football. Over a 17 year career with the Kingdom, Spillane collected eight All-Ireland titles, two National League titles and 12 Munster titles. He was also named as an All-star nine times (a record) and as Texaco Footballer of the Year twice. 

ON THIS DAY

1940: Former England captain Mike Denness was born. He was the fifth player to represent England to be born in Scotland but remains the only Scottish-born England captain. Denness played 28 Tests from 1969 to 1975, making four hundreds and seven half-centuries. He died on April 19, 2013.

1955: Legendary Kerry footballer Pat Spillane was born. 

1973: Jack Nicklaus became the first golfer to win two million US dollars in prize money on the US PGA Tour. Nicklaus later became the first player to win three, four and five million.

1985: The Medway Bears beat the Richmond Raiders 48-1, a record score in the British Ice Hockey League. Canadian Ken McNaught scored a record 25 points in the Second Division match.

1991: The French Davis Cup team, captained by Yannick Noah, beat the USA 3-1 to win the final in Lyon and lift the cup for the first time since 1932. The achievement was marked by a reception in their honour hosted by President Francois Mitterand at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

1999: Darlington, losers in the second round of the FA Cup, were allowed a wild card entry into the third round because of Manchester United's withdrawal to play in the World Club Championships, but they went out to Aston Villa in January.

2012: England clinched a sensational 38-21 victory over world champions New Zealand, who suffered their first defeat in 21 matches, at Twickenham.

BIRTHDAYS

Brian McEniff (GAA): Former player and All-Ireland winning manager with Donegal, born 1942.

Pearse O'Neill (GAA): Former Cork footballer and winner of an All-Ireland medal in 2010, born 1979.

Lee Trevino (golf) - Won the Open in 1971 and 1972 as well as the US Open twice, born 1939.

Sarfraz Nawaz (cricket) - Former Pakistan and Northamptonshire paceman, born 1948.

Neil Warnock (soccer) - Former Sheffield United, Leeds and Crystal Palace manager, currently at Cardiff, born 1948.

Kenny Milne (rugby union) - Former Scotland hooker, born 1961.

Arjuna Ranatunga (cricket) - Captain of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup-winning team, born 1963

Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci (football) - Former Italy striker who won the 1990 World Cup Golden Boot, born 1964.

Costinha (football) - Champions League winner with Porto, born 1974.

Mohammad Kaif (cricket) - Former India middle-order batsman, born 1980.

James Wilson (soccer) - Manchester United forward currently on loan at Derby, born 1995.

QUICK QUIZ

1 Who scored Mayo's opening goal in the 2004 All-Ireland football final after just four minutes?

2 How many professional golf majors in total has Tiger Woods won in his career?

3 Which British athlete held the national 1500 metres record for 28 years?

4 What year was the first ever Grand National run?

5 Which club won their first Tyrone SFC title in 2003?

(See answers at bottom)

SPORT ON TV

Friday, December 1

GAA: GAA Nua, Dara O'Cinneide looks at medicine, physiology and recovery in GAA, meeting doctors, physios and medical teams under pressure to get players back onto their feet and fit to perform - RTE1 1930.

CRICKET: Australia v England, second Test - BT Sport 1 0230 (Sat); New Zealand v West Indies, first Test - Sky Sports Cricket 2155 and 0350 (Sat), Sky Sports Main Event 2300 and 0350 (Sat).

SOCCER: Championship, Leeds v Aston Villa - Sky Sports Main Event 1930; FA Cup second-round, Fylde v Wigan - BBC Two England, BBC Two Scotland 1930; Serie A, Roma v SPAL and Napoli v Juventus - BT Sport 2 1730 and 1930; Ligue 1, Dijon v Bordeaux - eir Sport 1 1930, BT Sport/ESPN 1945; A-League, Adelaide United v Sydney FC - BT Sport 2 0845.

RUGBY UNION: Premiership, Northampton v Newcastle - BT Sport 1 1900; PRO14, Dragons v Ulster - BBC Two Wales and Northern Ireland 1930.

GOLF: European Tour, AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open - Sky Sports Golf 0630 and 1030, Sky Sports Main Event 1030; PGA Tour, Hero World Challenge - Sky Sports Golf 1730.

HOCKEY: Germany v England - BT Sport 1 1100.

HORSE RACING: From Newbury - ITV4 1330.

Saturday, December 2

CRICKET: Australia v England, second Test - BT Sport 1 0300 (Sun); India v Sri Lanka, third Test - Sky Sports Main Event 0600 and 0350 (Sun), Sky Sports Cricket 0600, 2155 and 0350 (Sun); New Zealand v West Indies, first Test - Sky Sports Main Event 2200.

SOCCER: Premier League, Chelsea v Newcastle - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1130, Arsenal v Manchester United - BT Sport 1 1700; Championship, Bristol City v Middlesbrough - Sky Sports Main Event 1715; FA Cup second round, Notts County v Oxford City - BT Sport 1 1200, Bradford v Plymouth - eir Sport 1 1450; A-League, Western Sydney Wanderers v Brisbane Roar and Newcastle Jets v Melbourne City - BT Sport 2 0630 and 0845.

RUGBY LEAGUE: World Cup final, Australia or Fiji v Tonga or England - BBC Two England 0830.

RUGBY UNION: Wales v South Africa, autumn Test - BBC One 1400, S4C 1400; Premiership, Exeter v Bath and Wasps v Leicester - BT Sport 2 1330 and 1615; PRO14, Munster v Ospreys - Sky Sports Action 1700, Cheetahs v Scarlets - S4C 1715.

SNOOKER: UK Championship - Eurosport 1 1300 and 1845, BBC One 1315, BBC Two England 1400.

GOLF: European Tour, AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open - Sky Sports Golf 0830; PGA Tour, Hero World Challenge - Sky Sports Golf 1700, Sky Sports Main Event 1940.

HOCKEY: India v England - BT Sport/ESPN 1400

BOXING: Anthony Yigit v Joe Hughes, European Super-Lightweight title fight - Channel 5 2200.

CYCLING: Revolution Series - Eurosport 2 1700.

HORSE RACING: From Newbury - ITV4 0930, ITV 1330.

1 Which Premier League team has a stand at their stadium named after the battle of Spion Kop in the Boer War?

2 How many professional golf majors in total has Tiger Woods won in his career?

3 Which British athlete held the national 1500 metres record for 28 years?

4 What year was the first ever Grand National run?

5 Which Briton became the Olympic ice skating champion in 1980?

Quick Quiz answers: 1. Alan Dillon; 2. Fourteen; 3. Steve Cram; 4. 1839; 5. Killyclogher.