BACK IN THE DAY
The Irish News, October 28 2009
Overall performance? ‘‘Disappointing’’.
Kick passing? ‘‘Atrocious’’.
Shooting? ‘‘Desperate’’.
Ball handling? ‘‘Not very good’’.
Ireland’s International Rules captain Stevie McDonnell didn’t mince his words on his side’s First Test display – but remains confident the ‘‘best-ever’’ Irish team can eclipse the Australians to win the overall series at Croke Park on Saturday night.
Ireland trail 47-40 after last weekend’s horror show in Limerick.
McDonnell’s frustration stems from the belief that Anthony Tohill’s squad is the best he’s played in. This is McDonnell's fifth series since earning a call-up in 2003.
‘‘It was a disappointing performance for the calibre of players we have in our team,’’ said the captain.
‘‘I’ve been looking back at the game: we didn’t get stuck into them and they didn’t get stuck into us.
‘‘And when you take into account our shooting was desperate, we could easily have been well up into the 50s and 60s on another night.’’
BIRTHDAYS
John Bevan (rugby) - played union for Cardiff, Wales and the British and Irish Lions and then league for Wales and Great Britain, born 1950.
Mark James (golf) - European Ryder Cup winner and former captain, born 1953.
Erik Thorstvedt (soccer) - former Tottenham and Norway goalkeeper, born 1962.
Rob Bailey (cricket) - former Northamptonshire and England batsman, now a first-class umpire, born 1963.
Marc Lievremont (rugby union) - former France coach and flanker, born 1968.
Dejan Stefanovic (soccer) - former Portsmouth and Norwich defender, born 1974.
Keiron Cunningham (rugby league) - former St Helens, Wales and Great Britain hooker and former Saints coach, born 1976.
Alan Smith (soccer) - former Leeds, Manchester United and Notts County player, born 1980.
Milan Baros (soccer) - former Liverpool and Czech Republic striker, now playing for Banik Ostrava, born 1981.
Lucy Bronze (soccer) - Lyon and England Women right-back, born 1991.
QUICK QUIZ
1. Name the two Leicester players who scored hat-tricks against Southampton
2. Which Irish fighter had the ring-name 'Dangerous'?
3. When did Crossmaglen Rangers last win the Ulster GAA Senior Club Football Championship title?
4. What nationality is former Blackburn and Manchester United defender Henning Berg?
5. Name the last Ulster county to win the All-Ireland GAA Senior Football Championship title?
(See quick quiz answers below)
ON THIS DAY
2000: Manchester United hit five past Southampton in front of a new Premiership record crowd of 67,581.
2003: Leeds announced a record pre-tax loss of £49.5million, taking their debts to £78million. On the pitch they lost 3-2 to arch-rivals Manchester United as striker Alan Smith was embroiled in controversy for throwing a bottle back into the crowd after it landed on the Elland Road pitch.
2008: Tony Adams was named the new manager of Portsmouth. He parted company with the club the following February.
2009: Portsmouth were placed under an embargo which prevented them from registering new players; Former Test umpire David Shepherd died following a long battle with cancer.
2012: Manchester City appointed Spaniard Txiki Begiristain as director of football.
2017: Anthony Joshua retained his IBF and WBA heavyweight titles with a 10th-round stoppage of Carlos Takam at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
2018: Lewis Hamilton won his fifth Formula One world title after finishing fourth in the Mexican Grand Prix.
SPORT ON TV
Today (Monday, October 28)
SOCCER: Championship, QPR v Brentford - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football 1930.
TENNIS: WTA Finals - BT Sport 1 1015.
SNOOKER: World Open - Eurosport 1 0625 & 1225.
GRIDIRON: NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers v Miami Dolphins - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action 0100 (Tues).
Tomorrow (Tuesday, October 29)
SOCCER: French League Cup, Bordeaux v Dijon - BT Sport 1 2000.
CRICKET: World T20 Qualifiers, Sky Sports Cricket 1000 & 1520.
TENNIS: WTA Finals - BT Sport 1 1015.
RUGBY: Rugby X - ITV4 2000.
SNOOKER: World Open - Eurosport 1 0625 & 1225.
BASEBALL: MLB World Series, Houston Astros v Washington Nationals - BT Sport 1 0000 (Weds).
QUICK QUIZ answers: 1. Jamie Vardy and Ayoze Perez; 2. Newry-born Danny McAlinden; 3. 2015: Armagh Crossmaglen Rangers 2-17 Scotstown 2-12; 4. Norwegian; 5. 2012: 23 September: Donegal 2–11 Mayo 0–13 at Croke Park, Dublin: Attendance: 82,269
