ON THIS DAY
1863: Baron Pierre De Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee and the modern Olympic Games, was born. A keen all-round sportsman, he was also a top-class rugby referee and took charge of France's first home international in 1906. He died suddenly of a heart attack in September 1937.
1890: Football goal nets were used for the first time in a senior match at Bolton.
1953: Sunderland and Aston Villa became the first two Football League clubs to play each other for the 100th time in the league, drawing 2-2 at Roker Park.
1965: Stanley Matthews became the first footballer to receive a knighthood.
1996: Alan Shearer became the first player to score 100 Premier League goals when he hit the target in Blackburn's 2-1 victory against Tottenham.
2007: Australia batsman Justin Langer announced he would retire after the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney.
2015: Glen, Watty Graham’s secured an incredible fourth consecutive Ulster Minor title with a 1-17 to 2-8 extra-time win over Southern Gaels.
2016: Mohammad Amir received his first Pakistan call-up since completing a five-year ban for spot-fixing.
2017: An outrageous scorpion kick from Olivier Giroud helped Arsenal start the new year with a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace and saw them move up to third in the Premier League.
BIRTHDAYS
Phil Read (motorcycling) - eight-times former world champion, born 1939.
Jacky Ickx (motor racing) - Belgian who won Le Mans 24-hour race a record six times, born 1945.
Rivelino (soccer) - World Cup winner with Brazil in 1970, born 1946.
Danny Wilson (soccer) - former Sheffield Wednesday, MK Dons, Bristol City, Swindon, Hartlepool and Chesterfield manager, born 1960.
Davor Suker (soccer) - former Croatia, Real Madrid, Arsenal and West Ham striker, born 1968.
Paul Lawrie (golf) - Scottish winner of the 1999 Open at Carnoustie and part of the triumphant 2012 Ryder Cup team, born 1969.
Lilian Thuram (soccer) - World Cup-winning former France full-back, born 1972.
Patrick Kluivert (soccer) - former Ajax, Barcelona, AC Milan and Holland striker, born 1976.
Kieran Fitzgerald (Gaelic games) – former Galway footballer who collected an Allstar in the county’s 2001 All-Ireland winning season, born 1981.
David Nalbandian (tennis) - Argentinian former Wimbledon finalist, born 1982.
Steven Davis (soccer) - Southampton and Northern Ireland midfielder, born 1985.
Jack Wilshere (soccer) - Arsenal and England midfielder, born 1992.
QUICK QUIZ BLITZ
1. Who did Rudy Gestede play for before joining Middlesbrough last year?
2. Who is the manager of the Westmeath footballers?
3. Who did Ireland's Katie Taylor defeat last month to retain her WBA lightweight crown?
4. Who will captain the Tyrone footballers in 2018?
5. Which NHL team has won the Stanley Cup most often?
Answers at bottom
SPORT ON TV
Today (Monday, January 1)
SOCCER: Premier League, Brighton v Bournemouth - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1200, Everton v Manchester United - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1715; Championship, Leeds v Nottingham Forest - Sky Sports Main Event 1500; National League, Bromley v Ebbsfleet - BT Sport 1 1930; A-League, Western Sydney Wanderers v Melbourne City - BT Sport//ESPN 0845.
DARTS: PDC World Championship final - Sky Sports Main Event 2000.
RUGBY UNION: Guinness PRO14, Ulster v Munster - BBC Two Northern Ireland 1730.
CRICKET: T20 international, New Zealand v West Indies - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket 0600; Big Bash League, Sydney Thunder v Hobart Hurricanes - BT Sport 2 0700, Perth Scorchers v Sydney Sixers - BT Sport 2 1015.
TENNIS: Hopman Cup from Perth, - Eurosport 2 0930; Brisbane International - Eurosport 1 0300/BT Sport 1 1030; Qatar Open - Eurosport 2 1230; Auckland International - BT Sport 2 2330.
RACING: Cheltenham - ITV & STV 1300.
Tomorrow (Tuesday, January 2)
SOCCER: Premier League, Swansea v Tottenham - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1930.
CRICKET: Big Bash League, Melbourne Stars v Brisbane Heat - BT Sport 2 0800.
TENNIS: Brisbane International - Eurosport 1 0100/BT Sport 1 0900; Hopman Cup from Perth - Eurosport 1 0930; Qatar Open - Eurosport 2 1230; Auckland International - BT Sport 2 2330.
QUICK QUIZ BLITZ ANSWERS
1. Aston Villa; 2. Colin Kelly; 3. Jessica McCaskill; 4. Mattie Donnelly; 5. Montreal Canadiens (24)
