Back of the Net: Christmas Special
On the 12th day of Christmas, Youtube gave to me:
12 drummers drumming
Brazil’s Samba Music
A clip of Brazil’s footballers when they were at their very best, culminating in a great goal.
11 Pipers Piping
The Barry Horns
Not strictly pipers but still worth a watch, as the iconic Welsh supporters’ band celebrate their third and fourth goals against Norway.
10 Lords-a-leaping
Colly’s Corker at Lord’s
The Durham and former England man has taken some sensational catches in his career, and this must rank amongst the best of them.
9 Ladies Dancing
Joe Hart’s Dancing Feet
Hart shows off his dance moves to his roommate and consequently the world, moves which can frequently be found in a Sinners near you.
8 Maids-a-Milking
Pedersen Milking it
The most shameful tumble to grace the Premier League, Pedersen does his soft reputation no favours here.
7 Swans-a-swimming
Eric the Eel
Never had the Olympics seen such a display of perseverance before Eric wowed the crowd in Sydney…
6 Geese-a-laying
ITV Miss Gosling’s Goal
Dan Gosling’s defining moment in an Everton shirt was missed by the viewing public thanks to a perfectly timed technical glitch.
5 Golden Rings
Redgrave wins fifth Olympic Gold
A tribute to one of Great Britain’s Olympic greats, after he won his fifth gold medal.
4 Colly Birds (sic)
Stan Collymore’s Screamer
A goal that still gives Tim Flowers nightmares as the ‘keeper gifts Collymore a goal for the Reds
3 French Hens
Motty’s World Cup ’98
Everyone loves a montage and Motson’s poignant poem could make anyone want to watch the beautiful game.
2 Turtle Doves
FIFA’s Dream Match
The most bizarre glitch ever to have surfaced from the EA Sports franchise sees Carroll and Fabianski getting a little closer than usual
…and Alan Partridge in a Pear Tree
World Cup Countdown
“Twat! That was liquid football!”
Ever wondered what football would be like if Alan Partridge was a commentator? Wonder no more.
Tweet[s] of the Week
“Ahhh mannn I’ve just discovered a gaping hole around the private area of my one piece…back to primark it is!” (2 December 2011)
“Really bad situation when you’re bursting for the loo and your one piece zip is jammed…yikes!”
(6 December 2011)
Newcastle United’s answer to Mario Balotelli experiences problems with his unconventional choice of outfit.
Testing Times
1.) Who is the only footballer to have played for his country’s first team over four different decades?
2.) Who held the record for fastest champions league hat-trick before B. Gomez’s effort last week?
3.) Who ended Pete Sampras’s 31 match winning streak at Wimbledon in 2001?
4.) Where did Sky Sports legend Chris Kamara begin his playing career?
5.) Who is the only player to score in a Manchester, Merseyside and Glasgow derby?
6.) Who did Roy Jones Junior defeat in his first ever word title fight in 1993?
7.) Who scored the most test runs in the 1990’s?
8.) What was the last title won by Tiger woods before his recent victory in the Chevron World Challenge?
9.) Along with LeBron James, which two new signings did Miami Heat unveil to fans in July 2010?
10.) How many tries did Jonah Lomu score in the 1995 Rugby World Cup semi-final against England?
11.) Who is the oldest ever Premier League goal scorer?
12.) Who holds the record for the longest distance goal in the Premier League?
Answers can be found on page 40 of The Courier
The festive period in sport
Christmas Eve: 1889 – Daniel Stover & William Hance patent bicycle with back pedal brake
Christmas day 1972 – England beat India by six wickets in the 1st Test Cricket at Delhi, Geoff Arnold taking an impressive nine wickets in the match.
Boxing Day 1963 – An amazing 66 goals were scored in the old football First Division, Fulham beating Ipswich 10-1 and Blackburn beating West Ham 8-2 away from home just some of the most bizarre of the results of the 10 games played.
New Years Eve 1963 – Dutch master and architect of that marvellous turn, Johan Cruyff won European Footballer of the year.
Birthday Week
25 Dec 1957- Chris Kamara (The Second Coming) – One of the most important men in the sporting world, Kammy’s words of wisdom will be keeping us warm on boxing day.
25 Dec 1964 – Gary Mcallister – Undoubtedly one of the most tallented bald players to grace the Premier League, Gary Mac is a legend at Leeds and Liverpool.
25 Dec 1984 – Alistair Cook – A contender for this years BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. Cook has been England’s outstanding player in the rise to the world number one test ranking, raise a glass for him on Christmas day.
The Longshot
11/2
Given the recent freezing temperatures, back there to be snow falling on the hallowed turf at Longbenton to make Christmas Day that bit more enjoyable. Coral are offering marvellous odds of 11/2 for snow to fall in Newcastle on Christmas Day.
(Odds from Coral)
