December 27 2009: Two weeks ago, St Mary's, Belfast was celebrating the selection of four of their hurlers in the BT Ulster Colleges' Allstar team.
Yesterday two of those players, Christopher McGuinness and Declan Lynch, stepped forward to accept awards for inclusion in the Allstar football side named at BT Headquarters at Lanyon Place in Belfast. The pair make up the left side of defence in a high-quality football 15, having already claimed more central roles in the hurling team. Rossa clubman McGuinness was picking up his second successive hurling award on December 7 at centre-half back, while Lamh Dhearg dual star Lynch was at midfield.
There have been only three previous Allstar footballers for St Mary's, the first of whom was Kieran McGourty 11 years ago, who also picked up dual honours that year.
The awards are some compensation for the Glen Road school which lost out on a quarterfinal berth in the BT MacRory Cup following a play-off loss to the holders St Patrick's, Dungannon, who also have two players in the football Allstar team.
Shea McGarrity makes it in the half-back line while, up front, Conor McAliskey is named at corner-forward.
Ulster Colleges Allstars: D McKinless (St Patrick's, Maghera); E Toner (Abbey, Newry), S Warnock (Omagh CBS), C McGuinness (St Mary's, Belfast); S McGarrity (St Patrick's, Dungannon), P Allen (St Louis', Kilkeel), D Lynch (St Mary's, Belfast); J Carron (St Pius X, Magherafelt), C Grugan (Omagh CBS); C Trainor (St Paul's, Bessbrook), D McKenna (St Macartan's, Monaghan), B Reilly (Patrician, Carrickmacross); A Murnin (St Patrick's, Armagh), R McGarry (St Colman's, Newry), C McAliskey (St Patrick's, Dungannon).
BIRTHDAYS-
Joe Kinnear
soccer
former Newcastle, Wimbledon and Luton manager, born 1946.
-
Steve Jones
golf
American 1996 US Open champion, born 1958.
-
Duncan Ferguson
soccer
former Dundee United, Rangers, Everton, Newcastle and Scotland striker, now assistant manager at Everton, born 1971.
-
Colin Charvis
rugby union
former Wales captain, born 1972.
-
David Dunn
soccer
former Blackburn midfielder, born 1979.
-
Gilles Simon
tennis
French winner of 14 ATP Tour singles titles, born 1984.
-
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
athletics
Jamaican sprinter with two Olympic and nine World Championship gold medals to her name, born 1986.
-
Milos Raonic
tennis
big-serving Canadian who has won eight ATP Tour titles and reached the 2016 Wimbledon final, born 1990.
-
Danny Wilson
soccer
Former Rangers and Liverpool defender, now with MLS side Colorado Rapids, born 1991.
QUICK QUIZ- Name the two Dutch players to have scored more than 100 Premier League goals.
- In which UK city would you find a cricket team called the Outlaws and ice hockey team called the Panthers?
- Which is the first golf major of the calendar year?
- By which margin did Manchester City win the 2011/12 Premier League title, the narrowest in history?
- Which Formula One circuit is based on a street around Albert Park?
- Robin Van Persie and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
- Nottingham
- The Masters at Augusta
- Goal difference of +8
- The Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne
ON THIS DAY- 1949
A record 1,269,934 were in attendance for the Football League programme - an average of 28,862 spectators at each game. The previous record had stood for only 24 hours, 1,226,098 having turned up for the Boxing Day fixtures.
- 1980
Birmingham goalkeeper Tony Coton saved a penalty 90 seconds into his debut in a 3-2 win over Sunderland.
- 1982
National Hunt trainer Michael Dickinson saddled a record 12 winners in one day's racing around the country.
- 2002
Australia opener Justin Langer scored 250, hitting 30 fours and a six, as Australia amassed 551 for six declared in the first innings of the fourth Test against England in Melbourne.
- 2003
England centre Mike Tindall suffered a broken leg in Bath's win at Saracens.
- 2008
Sunderland handed Ricky Sbragia, their caretaker boss at the time, an 18-month contract as manager. He resigned at the end of the season.
- 2012
Henning Berg was sacked as manager of Blackburn after less than eight weeks in charge of the Championship club.
- 2013
Malky Mackay was dismissed as manager of Cardiff, a week after owner Vincent Tan sent him an email demanding he resign or be sacked.
- 2014
Neil Warnock was sacked as Crystal Palace manager.
- 2017
Liverpool announced they had agreed a deal to sign Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton. The deal was understood to be worth £75million, a world-record fee for a defender.
SPORT ON TVFriday, December 27
- SOCCER
Premier League, Wolves v Man City - Amazon Prime Video 1900; Ladbrokes Championship, Dundee United v Dundee - BT Sport 2 1915
- CRICKET
South Africa v England, first Test - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket 0730; Big Bash League, Melbourne Stars v Adelaide Strikers - BT Sport 1 0800; Australia v New Zealand, second Test - BT Sport 2 2315.
- DARTS
PDC World Championship - Sky Sports Arena 1230, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Arena 1900
- RUGBY UNION
Gallagher Premiership, Bristol v Wasps - BT Sport 1 1900; Guinness PRO14, Ulster v Connacht - Premier Sports 2 1900
- BASKETBALL
NBA, Atlanta Hawks v Milwaukee Bucks - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action 0030 (Sat)
- RACING
Kempton - ITV 1245
Saturday, December 28
- SOCCER
Premier League, Brighton v Bournemouth - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1200, Norwich v Tottenham - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League 1700, Burnley v Man Utd - BT Sport 1 1900.
- CRICKET
South Africa v England, first Test - Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket 0730; Big Bash League, Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder - BT Sport 2 0800; Australia v New Zealand, second Test - BT Sport 2 2315.
- DARTS
PDC World Championship - Sky Sports Arena 1230 and 1900, Sky Sports Main Event 1500 and 2000
- RUGBY UNION
Gallagher Premiership, Northampton v Gloucester - BT Sport 2 1330, Harlequins v Leicester - Channel 5 and BT Sport 2 1615; Guinness PRO14, Edinburgh v Glasgow - Premier Sports 2 1430, Munster v Leinster - Premier Sports 1 1800.
- BASKETBALL
NBA, Denver Nuggets v Memphis Grizzlies - Sky Sports Action, Sky Sports Mix 2200.
- RACING
Newbury - ITV4 1330.
