ON THIS DAY
1881: Former world heavyweight champion Jess Willard was born in Pottawatomie County, Kansas. He took the world title from Jack Johnson in 1915 and lost it to Jack Dempsey four years later, after only one defence.
1996: Frank Clark was named as Manchester City's fifth manager of the season. Caretaker Phil Neal stood down after defeat at Barnsley, which left his club fourth from bottom of the second tier.
2001: Andy Cole signed for Blackburn from Manchester United for £8million.
2006: Former Rangers defender Steven Pressley joined Celtic from Hearts.
2007: Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell died at the age of 35 after collapsing on the pitch in a Scottish Premier League match against Dundee United. He also played for Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday and won a single cap for Scotland.
2011: Former Hull rugby league player Martin Gleeson was banned for doping offences.
2012: Former England captain and Channel Nine commentator Tony Greig died at the age of 66 after suffering a heart attack at his Sydney home. He had been battling lung cancer for more than two months. South African-born Greig played 58 Tests for England.
2013: Michael Schumacher was left in a critical condition after suffering a head injury in a skiing accident in the French resort of Meribel. The seven-times Formula One world champion spent over five months in a medically induced coma at a hospital in Grenoble as doctors fought to save his life, before returning to his family home in Gland on the shores of Lake Geneva in September the following year to continue his recovery.
2015: Former Newcastle goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek died aged 47. He had been in an induced coma for nine days after suffering a cardiac arrest while out jogging.
BIRTHDAYS
Sylvie Linnane (gaelic games) – as the winner of three All-Ireland SHC medals in the 1980s - widely regarded as one of Galway’s greatest ever hurlers, born 1956.
Harvey Smith (show jumping) - Yorkshire rider, born 1938.
Syed Kirmani (cricket) - former India Test wicketkeeper, born 1949.
David Boon (cricket) - former Australia and Durham batsman, born 1960.
Martin Offiah (rugby league) - former Wigan, London Broncos, Salford and Great Britain winger, born 1966.
Allan McNish (motor racing) - Scottish three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series, and the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship winner who raced in Formula One for Toyota, born 1969.
Kieron Dyer (soccer) - former Ipswich, Newcastle, West Ham and England midfielder, born 1978.
Danny Higginbotham (soccer) - former Southampton and Stoke defender, born 1978.
Kei Nishikori (tennis) - 2014 US Open men's singles finalist, born 1989.
QUICK QUIZ
1. When did Cavan win their first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title?
2. In what year did Derry last win the Ulster Senior Football Championship?
3. Which British athlete achieved a world record in his event in Gothenburg in 1995, one which stands to this day?
4. In golf, who won the 2017 US Open?
5. Who is Belfast fighter Carl Frampton's next opponent set to be?
(See quiz answers at bottom)
SPORT ON TV
Today (Friday, December 29)
GAA: Classic GAA, Meath v Cork from 1988 – eir Sport 1 2200.
CRICKET: Ashes Fourth Test, Australia v England - BT Sport 1 2300; First Test, South Africa v Zimbabwe - Sky Sports Cricket 1125; Big Bash, Melbourne Renegades v Perth Scorchers - BT Sport 2 0800.
DARTS: PDC World Championship - Sky Sports Main Event 1230 & 1900.
SOCCER: Scottish Premiership, St Mirren v Dundee United - BT Sport 2 1930.
RUGBY UNION: Aviva Premiership, Bath v Wasps - BT Sport 1 1900.
TENNIS: Tennis World Championship - Eurosport 2 1030 & 1300.
BASKETBALL: NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder v Milwaukee Bucks - BT Sport 2 0100 (Sat); Los Angeles Lakers v Los Angeles Clippers - BT Sport 2 0330 (Sat).
ICE HOCKEY: NHL, Edmonton Oilers v Chicago Blackhawks - eir Sport 1 0200 (Sat).
Tomorrow (Saturday, December 30)
SOCCER: Premier League - Manchester United v Southampton - BT Sport 1 1700; Scottish Premiership, Celtic v Rangers - Sky Sports Main Event 1130; Championship, Bristol City v Wolves - Sky Sports Main Event 1715, National League - Aldershot v Maidstone - BT Sport 1 1200; Serie A, Fiorentina v AC Milan - eir Sport 1 1125; Roma v Sassuolo - eir Sport 1 1355; Inter Milan v Lazio - eir Sport 1 1655; Hellas Verona v Juventus - eir Sport 1 1940.
CRICKET: Big Bash, Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Thunder - BT Sport 2 0800; Women's Big Bash, Adelaide Strikers v Brisbane Heat - BT Sport 2 0230 (Sun).
DARTS: PDC World Championship - Sky Sports Main Event 1930.
RUGBY UNION: Aviva Premiership, Harlequins v Northampton - Channel 5 & BT Sport 2 1530; PRO14, Glasgow v Edinburgh - Sky Sports Main Event 1500; Top 14, La Rochelle v Agen - Sky Sports Action 1255; Toulouse v Toulon - Sky Sports Action 1940.
TENNIS: Hopman Cup - Eurosport 2 0930; Tennis World Championship - Eurosport 1300.
UFC: UFC 219 - BT Sport 1 0100.
RACING: Newbury - ITV4 1330.
QUICK QUIZ answers 1. 1933 2. 1998 3. Jonathan Edwards in the triple jump 4. Brooks Koepka 5. Nonito Donaire
