Two full weeks of drinking and eating leave plenty of time to enjoy the best of the sporting year again and it begins on a high on Monday in the European Athletics Championships 2014 Review (Eurosport, 3.45pm), with Mo Farah and Jo Pavey starring as Britain took 23 medals including 12 golds and topped the table for only the third time in history. Then on Tuesday it’s boxing’s Ringside Review of the Season (Sky Sports 1, 7pm). Christmas Eve has a triple bill with Pure Dead Brilliant: The Glasgow Games (5 Live, 6pm); a look at Chris Froome and Alberto Contador’s battle in the Vuelta a España Review (Eurosport, 6pm) and best of all Ben Foden makes his appearance on Hollyoaks (Channel 4, 6.30pm).
Christmas Day opens with a look at the 1914 Christmas truce and of the footballers who fought on the front line in The Christmas Truce (5 Live, 11am). Footballs’s big bangs follow with Greatest Goals of 2014 (Sky Sports 1 , 12 noon). Tour de France Review remembers Vincenzo Nibali’s win and the Rory McIlroy Special celebrates his remarkable year.
Will Greenwood and Scott Quinnell have union covered in the Rugby Club Christmas Special on Boxing Day (Sky Sports 4, 9pm) and the next day the title win is relived in Lewis Hamilton: Duel of the Silver Arrows (BBC1, 1pm). Sticking with motor sport, Vic Reeves celebrates Barry Sheene in Racing Legends next Sunday (BBC2, 9pm). There’s more boxing on Monday 29th in Knockouts of 2014 (Sky Sports 1, 11pm) just a shame it clashes with Raging Bull (TCM, 11.05pm).
Before the third round the BBC makes the most of the FA Cup’s 50 Greatest Moments on New Year’s Eve (BBC Three, 9pm) and just before the action gets under way, there’s a special Question of Sport on 2 January (BBC1, 7.30pm).
