1) The WSL gets going this week, so here’s a 1995 doc on Doncaster Belles; here’s Marieanne Spacey-Cale – England legend, Arsenal legend and Southampton head coach – taking us through a day in her life; and here’s Rachel Yankey reflecting on her career.
2) A man kicks off in an offy, then notices Paul Ince standing next to him.
3) Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose, set to Darude’s Sandstorm? Oooh yeah! And while we’re here, here he is ripping through England in 1994, here he is getting up close and personal with Steve Waugh in 1995, here’s a doc on him and you can enjoy this fast bowling masterclass.
4) Miami Dolphins played their first-ever regular-season NFL game on this day in 1966 and their first-ever play was a cracker, Joe Auer returning Oakland Raiders’ kick-off 95 yards for a touchdown. For those with four hours or so spare, here’s the official history of the franchise, for those with a little less time on their hands here’s a feature on their early-70s dynasty, and for those in between, here’s America’s Game on their 1972 and 1973 Superbowl wins.
5) Tex Cobb, boxer, martial artist and actor, is renowned for having one of boxing’s greatest chins. Here’s a documentary on one of sport’s most colourful characters and here’s perhaps his greatest fight, against Earnie Shavers, featuring perhaps the greatest of all YouTube comments, left by Cobb’s wife: “For what it’s worth, my husband said that Earnie hit him so hard it hurt his grandkids. My husband broke Shavers’ jaw in the 8th. That said, you can’t meet a nicer guy than Shavers....a gentle giant, and we remain friends with him to this day. Classy guy.”
6) On this day in 1913, Bill Shankly was born. Here’s a doc on the great man, and another – The Football Men – on him, Matt Busby and Jock Stein narrated by Hugh McIlvanney (part 1 and part 2). Here’s a compilation of his greatest oratory, and Liverpool fans celebrate the 1973 league title here.
Our favourites from below the line this week
1) Ester Ledecka, a snowboarder, wins Super G gold at PyeongChang 2018, the biggest upset in the history of the Winter Olympics
2) Ester Ledecka wins snowboarding gold
3) Peter Brock at Bathurst in 1987.
4) Chelsea come back from two goals down to knock Liverpool out of the 1997 FA Cup.
Spotters’ badges: vsbain67, whobroughtoranges, henrymanuel.
