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.
1998: Ballinderry win the Ulster Club MFC final beating Eglish by 2-7 to 1-4.
2007: Australia batsman Justin Langer announced he would retire after the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney.
2016: Mohammad Amir received his first Pakistan call-up since completing a five-year ban for spot-fixing.
Sport 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 and Hartlepool manager, now in charge of Chesterfield, 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.
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 scored the winner for Celtic in Saturday's 2-1 success over Rangers?
2. Who scored Ulster's only try in defeat at the hands of Leinster on Saturday?
3. How old is three-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton?
4. Welsh club New Saints have won 27 straight matches to break the record previously held by which Dutch club?
5. Which was the last country other than the United States to win men's basketball gold at an Olympic Games?
Answers below
SPORT ON TV
Sunday, January 1
SOCCER: Premier League, Watford v Tottenham - Sky Sports 1 1230, Arsenal v Crystal Palace - Sky Sports 1 1530; Vanarama National League, Maidstone v Dover - BT Sport 1 1715; A-League, Wellington Phoenix v Adelaide United - BT Sport 1 0630, Western Sydney Wanderers v Perth Glory - BT Sport 1 0845.
RUGBY UNION: Aviva Premiership, Leicester v Saracens - BT Sport 1 1430; Guinness PRO12, Scarlets v Cardiff Blues - Sky Sports 2 & S4C 1445, Newport Gwent Dragons v Ospreys - BBC Two Wales 1655; Top 14, Toulon v Racing Metro - Sky Sports 5 1940.
CRICKET: Big Bash League, Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades - BT Sport 0700, Perth Scorchers v Sydney Thunder - Channel 5 0945 & BT Sport 2 1015.
TENNIS: Brisbane International - Eurosport 1 0700-1100 & 0100-0700 (Mon); Hopman Cup - Eurosport 2 0930
DARTS: PDC World Darts Championship - Sky Sports 1 & Sky Sports Darts 1900.
SKIING: Tour de Ski cross-country event in Val Mustair, Switzerland - Eurosport 1 1145-1230 & 1500-1530.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL: NFL, Miami Dolphins v New England Patriots - Sky Sports 2 1730, Washington Redskins v New York Giants - Sky Sports 2 2100, Detroit Lions v Green Bay Packers, Sky Sports 1, 0100 (Mon)
BASKETBALL: NBA, Atlanta Hawks v San Antonio Spurs - BT Sport 2 2300.
Monday, January 2
SOCCER: Premier League, Middlesbrough v Leicester - Sky Sports 1 1200, West Ham v Manchester United - Sky Sports 1 1700; Championship, Blackburn v Newcastle - Sky Sports 1 1445; Vanarama National League, Dagenham v Braintree - BT Sport 1 1915.
DARTS: PDC World Darts Championship - Sky Sports Darts 2000.
CRICKET: South Africa v Sri Lanka, second Test - Sky Sports 2 0755; Big Bash League - Hobart Hurricanes v Adelaide Strikers - BT Sport 2 0800; International T20, New Zealand v Bangladesh - Sky Sports 1 0555.
TENNIS: WTA, Brisbane International - 0900 & 0100 (Tues), Shenzhen Open - BT Sport 2 0300 (Tues); Hopman Cup - Eurosport 1 0930; ATP, Brisbane International - 1100 Eurosport 2, Qatar Open - Eurosport 2 1300.
BASKETBALL: NBA, Cleveland Cavaliers v New Orleans Pelicans - BT Sport 2 0000 (Tues).
Answers: 1. Scott Sinclair; 2. Charles Piutau; 3. 31; 4. Ajax; 5. Argentina (2004).
