Joe Carroll's Curiosity Corner: Sporting Quizzes and Trivia

KNOW YOUR INITIALS QUIZ

This time, it's MW

1: He’s an Irish politician who owns a soccer club

2: It’s not only a surfer who does this

3: Seen in rare occasions in Croke Park, but most often in South American soccer grounds

4: A former Irish soccer International who scored the English League’s goal of the season a number of years ago

5: I won two senior All-Ireland medals with Kilkenny.....

6: ...and I won one with the Offaly senior footballers

7: It was nearly her big day in this year’s Irish Greyhound Derby final

8: A world darts champion known as “The Spider”, or “Webby”

9: A racehorse can be good at this, but it doesn’t always transfer to the afternoon when he has his race

10: He is a former Louth senior team manager

HE SAID

“I can’t say anything bad about golf as I’ve enjoyed some great times and it’s always been good to me. It’s a game of great integrity. From the point of view of sportsmanship, it’s still unquestionably the best game in the world.”

The words of Des Smyth, Ryder Cup player and major tournament winner in an illustrious career. A contender for Louth’s greatest-ever sportsperson, Drogheda-born Smyth was speaking in 2010.

He was in the running for the 1982 British Open on the last day, but a heavy wind over the concluding nine holes scuppered his chances, leaving him in joint-fourth with Nick Faldo, Tom Purtzer and Massy Kuramoto, two shots off the winner, Tom Watson.

FIND THE THREE-WEEK GRUELLER

Craft Or Dunce (4, 2, 6)

SPURS ON THE BOUNCE

Tottenham Hotspurs had what was a record at the time, ten consecutive away wins in the top flight of the English League. Two were at the end of the 1959/’60 season and eight at the beginning of the following season, in which they won the title captained by Danny Blanchflower.

THE HOGAN STAND

Croke Park’s first Hogan Stand was opened in 1924 in preparation for the Tailteann Games, and a major athletics event. A replacement was being built when Louth played Cork in the 1957 All-Ireland final, and was officially opened two years later. The Hogan Stand, Mark 3, was ready to be occupied for the 2002 All-Ireland finals.

WHAT WAS THE GIRL TO DO?

Hassiba Boulmerka won gold in the 1,500m at the 1992 Olympics, but was criticised by some in her home country of Algeria for running with her legs uncovered.

ANSWERS

Know Your Initials: 1 Mick Wallace, 2 Make Waves, 3 Mexican Wave, 4 Mickey Walsh, 5, Michael Walsh, 6 Mick Wright, 7 Marie’s Wedding, 8 Mark Webster, 9 Morning Work, 10 Mickey Whelan. Find The Grueller: Tour de France.