Curiosity Corner: Know Your Initials, Find The Sport and Rugby World Cup

KNOW YOUR INITIALS

It’s CC this week

1: You’ll see a London Derby played there

2: It’s a race run at Cheltenham

3: A team that played in the League of Ireland many seasons ago

4: London or New York might win it next year – but, then, probably not

5: They knew him as the “Bonnie Price” at Stamford Bridge when Peter Osgood was at centre-forward and David Webb in defence

6: It used be presented to the winners of some sports events and was made in Ulster

7: A trophy presented each year to the winner of an event decided at a mid-Louth venue

8: Johnny Sexton had a number of them to make at the World Cup

9: It’s a title given to many sportspeople, but mostly John Terry

10: A former English League player who progressed to mange his country

THE WRONG POLLARD

In our piece last week on the Rugby World Cup we said that Neil Pollard scored the last-minute penalty for South Africa, knocking England out at the semi-final stage.

Neil Pollard? Knowing of your penciller’s penchant for a bet, you shouldn’t be surprised to hear that Neil is an England-based jockey?

It was, of course, Handré Pollard who put an end to England’s hopes, landing one of those kicks that were the speciality of one-time All-Black full-back, Don “The Boot” Clark (Ask your grandfather about him.)

THE NAME IS THE SAME

He played for St Patrick’s in this year’s Louth senior championship, and I played for Naomh Mairtín.

ST MARY’S DOUBLE-DOUBLE A FIRST

By winning the senior and minor championships two years running, St Mary’s have created a record. The first senior was played in 1884, soon after the birth of the GAA, while it was 1927 when the minor was introduced, the first final producing 11 goals – Clan na Gael 6-1, Owen Roes (Drogheda) 5-3.

What adds lustre to the St Mary’s feat is that on just four occasions has one club won the two titles in the same year. Mary’s, in fact, did it twice, in1951 and 1972, though in those years the under-18s were known as Ardee Minors, which included players from Hunterstown Rovers.

Newtown Blues won both titles in 1970, and twelve months later, Cooley Kickhams did the same. Kevin Thornton captained the Kickhams under-18s and a fortnight later was on the panel for the peninsula club’s first senior win in 42 years.

FIND THE SPORT

Lent Lab (7)

IT WOULDN’T HAPPEN TODAY

Playing in a 1953 Munster senior hurling championship first round match in Cusask Park, Ennis, Clare’s Jimmy Smyth clocked up 6-4, a record, which, 70 years on, still stands.

Limerick provided the opposition....of a kind.

HE SAID

“I have dreamt about this big time, and to be honest I had probably given up on the big day. Aidan O’Brien, fair play to him, has made it happen.” Pádraig Beggy, after he had ridden Wings Of Eagles to victory in the 2017 Epsom Derby.

Mostly employed as a work rider, Beggy had ridden just one previous winner that season, and it was the same in 2015 and 2016. But he was superb on the 40/1 shot, bringing him on a late run to swoop past Cliffs Of Moher, also trained by O’Brien.

ANSWERS

Know Your Initials: 1 Craven Cottage, 2 Champion Chase, 3 Cork Celtic, 4 Connacht Championship, 5 Charlie Cooke, 6 Cavan Crystal, 7 Corn Cúchullain, 8 Captain’s Call, 9 Captain Courageous, 10 Chris Coleman. Find The Sport: Netball. Name’s The Same: Jack Murphy.