BIRTHDAYS
Harvey Smith (show jumping) - Yorkshire rider, born 1938.
Syed Kirmani (cricket) - former India Test wicketkeeper, born 1949.
Sylvie Linnane (gaelic games) – winner of three All-Ireland SHC medals in the 1980s - widely regarded as one of Galway’s greatest ever hurlers, born 1956.
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.
Kei Nishikori (tennis) - 2014 US Open men's singles finalist, born 1989.
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.
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-time 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.
QUICK QUIZ
1. Who are the current holders of the St Paul’s Minor Tournament title?
2. How long is the run in an Olympic triathlon?
3. Which Spanish side won the first European Cup in 1955-56?
4. Where were the 1994 Winter Olympics held?
5. Who is the new manager of Armagh side Maghery?
(See quiz answers at bottom)
SPORT ON TV
Today (Saturday, December 29)
SOCCER: Premier League, Liverpool v Arsenal - BT Sport 1 1700; Scottish Premiership, Rangers v Celtic - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football 1130; Hibernian v Hearts - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football 1700.
CRICKET: Australia v India - BT Sport 1 (2315); South Africa v Pakistan - Sky Sports Cricket 0755 & Sky Sports Main Event 0800; New Zealand v Sri Lanka - Sky Sports Cricket 2155 & Sky Sports Main Event 2300; BBL, Melbourne Renegades v Sydney Sixers - BT Sport 2, 0745.
TENNIS: Hopman Cup - Eurosport 2 0930.
DARTS: PDC World Darts Championship - Sky Sports Main Event 1500 & 1930.
RUGBY UNION: Premiership, Harlequins v Wasps- BT Sport 2 1530 & Channel 5 1545; PRO14, Benetton v Zebre - eir Sport 1 1355; Munster v Leinster - eir Sport 1 1615.
BASKETBALL: NBA, Milwaukee Bucks v Brooklyn Nets - Sky Sports Action 2200.
HORSE RACING: ITV Racing - ITV4 1310.
UFC: UFC 232 - BT Sport 2 0300 (Sun).
Tomorrow (Sunday, December 30)
SOCCER: Premier League, Crystal Palace v Chelsea - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1130; Southampton v Manchester City - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1400; Manchester United v Bournemouth - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1615.
CRICKET: South Africa v Pakistan - Sky Sports Cricket 0755 & Sky Sports Main Event 0800; BBL, Hobart Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers - BT Sport 2 0800; Women's BBL, Adelaide Strikers v Sydney Sixers - BT Sport 2 0245 (Mon).
DARTS: PDC World Darts Championship - Sky Sports Main Event 1900.
GRIDIRON: NFL, Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars; Minnesota Vikings v Chicago Bears, Sky Sports Action 1700 & Sky Sports Main Event 2300.
TENNIS: Hopman Cup - Eurosport 2 0930; WTA Shenzhen Open - BT Sport/ESPN 0430.
RUGBY UNION: Premiership, Bath v Leicester - BT Sport 1 1430; PRO14, Dragons v Ospreys - S4C 1445.
QUICK QUIZ answers: 1. Enniskillen Gaels; 2. 10km; 3. Real Madrid; 4. Lillehammer, Norway; 5. Finnian Moriarty
