ON THIS DAY
1933: The MCC received a telegram from the Australian Cricket Board complaining about excessive use of 'bodyline' bowling by Harold Larwood. The Nottinghamshire fast bowler's implementation of captain Douglas Jardine's tactic to aim at the line of the batsman's body during the infamous Ashes tour led to one of cricket's greatest controversies.
1942: Boxer Muhammad Ali, one of the most celebrated sports figures of the 20th century, was born. He died in 2016.
1948: A Football League record crowd of 83,260 attended the First Division 1-1 draw between Manchester United and Arsenal at Maine Road. Old Trafford was not in use because of war damage.
2000: Eric Cantona narrowly pipped George Best as Manchester United's best player of the 20th century in a vote conducted by the club's official website.
2004: England World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson announced his retirement from international rugby union.
2013: Cyclist Lance Armstrong was stripped of the Olympic bronze medal he won at the Sydney Games in 2000.
2018: Everton completed the signing of Theo Walcott from Arsenal on a three-and-a-half-year contract.
BIRTHDAYS
Joe Hennessy (GAA) - former Kilkenny hurler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers of all time, Hennessy won three All-Ireland titles with the Cats and was named as an All-Star five times, born 1956.
Kipchoge Keino (athletics) - Kenyan two-time middle-distance Olympic gold medallist, born 1940.
Michael Kiernan (rugby union) - centre and wing capped 43 times by Ireland, born 1961.
Warren Feeney (soccer) - Former Northern Ireland striker, born 1981.
Dwyane Wade (basketball) - Three-time NBA champion who plays for the Miami Heat, born 1982.
Alvaro Arbeloa (soccer) - Former West Ham, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Spain defender, born 1983.
Jeff Reine-Adelaide (soccer) - French midfielder with Ligue 1 side Angers, formerly with Arsenal, born 1998.
QUICK QUIZ
1) Which horse holds the fastest winning time of eight minutes and 47.8 seconds in the Grand National?
2) Who was the Tyrone player who won a football All-Star award in his first full season in 2001?
3) The modern pentathlon comprises events in show jumping, shooting, fencing, running and which other sport?
4) Who were runners-up to Celtic in the 2018 Scottish League Cup?
5) Who managed Down to the 2003 Ulster football final?
(See answers at bottom)
SPORT ON TV
Today (Thursday, January 17)
GAA: C.L.U.B: Briain Diolúnaigh. A visit to Brian Dillon’s GAA club in the city of Cork, and the guest is former Cork camogie and football star Rena Buckley – TG4 1700.
GAA: Classic GAA: Mayo v Donegal from 2013 – eir Sport 1 0730.
BASKETBALL: NBA, Washington Wizards v New York Knicks - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports USA 2000; Oklahoma City Thunder v Los Angeles Lakers - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports USA 0230 (Fri).
CRICKET: One-day international, Australia v India - BT Sport 1 0200 (Fri); BBL, Brisbane Heat v Sydney Thunder - BT Sport 2 0800.
GOLF: European Tour, The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0700, 1630; PGA Tour, The Desert Classic - Sky Sports Golf 2000, Sky Sports Main Event 2230.
SNOOKER: The Masters, first quarter-final TBC - BBC Two England, Eurosport 2 1300; Second quarter-final - Eurosport 2 1845.
TENNIS: Australian Open - Eurosport 2 0600, 0000 (Fri), Eurosport 1 0745, 0000 (Fri).
Tomorrow (Friday, January 18)
GAA: 2019 O'Byrne Cup. Dublin v Westmeath (Throw-in 8.00pm). Micheál Ó Domhnaill presents coverage of the O'Byrne Cup football final, held at Parnell Park – TG4 1955.
GAA: Classic GAA: Dublin v Meath from 1991 – eir Sport 1 0730.
SOCCER: Championship, Norwich v Birmingham - Sky Sports Main Event 1900; Bundesliga, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich - BT Sport 1 1915; Ligue 1, Lille v Amiens - BT Sport//ESPN 1945.
BASKETBALL: NBA, Minnesota Timberwolves v San Antonio Spurs - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports USA 0100 (Sat).
CRICKET: BBL, Perth Scorchers v Hobart Hurricanes - BT Sport 2 1015; WBBL, first semi-final TBC - BT Sport 2 0030 (Sat); Second semi-final - BT Sport 2 0345 (Sat).
RUGBY UNION: PRO14, Southern Kings v Cheetahs - eir Sport 1 1655; Champions Cup, Edinburgh v Montpellier - BT Sport 2 1900.
GOLF: European Tour, The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Golf 0800; PGA Tour, The Desert Classic - Sky Sports Main Event 1600 & 2315, Sky Sports Golf 1630.
SNOOKER: The Masters, third quarter-final TBC - Eurosport 2 1300; Fourth quarter-final - Eurosport 2 1845, BBC Two England, BBC Two Northern Ireland, BBC Two Scotland 1900.
BOXING: Fight Night International, Demetrius Andrade v Artur Akavov - Sky Sports Main Event 0330 (Sat).
TENNIS: Australian Open - Eurosport 2 0600, 0000 (Sat), Eurosport 1 0745, 0000 (Sat).
Quick Quiz answers: 1. Mr Frisk; 2. Stephen O'Neill; 3. Swimming; 4. Aberdeen; 5. Paddy O'Rourke.
