BIRTHDAYS
Pakistan batsman Hanif Mohammad scored a then world record 499, playing for Karachi against Bahawlpur. Facing the last ball of the day, Hanif went for a quick single to reach 500 but was run out. 1982: Steve Davis made snooker’s first televised 147 maximum break against John Spencer.
1991: Chelsea were fined a record £105,000 by the Football League for making irregular payments to players. 2008: Nicolas Anelka signed for Chelsea for a fee of £15million.
2015: Scott Mitchell landed his first BDO World Championship crown with a 7-6 win over Martin Adams.
2016: Lionel Messi was named the best player in the world for the fifth time after winning the Ballon d’Or. 2018: Francis Coquelin joined Valencia on a four-and-a-half-year contract after a decade with Arsenal. 2019: Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa confirmed on Sky Sports he was behind the ‘spying’ incident at Derby’s training ground that saw Derbyshire Police intervene after a man was allegedly acting suspiciously outside a training session.
MANCHESTER United maintained their pursuit of Premier League leaders Chelsea with a 4-1 win against West Ham – despite Alex Ferguson having to give his team talk in the dark after a power failure at Old Trafford which delayed kick-off by 45 minutes.
BEN CRENSHAW (68) – American golfer who won the Masters 1984; BRYAN ROBSON (63) – Manchester United and England captain; BRIAN MOORE (58) – England rugby union international; RAHUL DRAVID (47) – Former India batsman; EMILE HESKEY (42) – Liverpool and England striker.
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has told his players they can not afford to feel sorry for themselves. Manchester United were subjected to a humiliating 3-1 defeat at home to local rivals City in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday. And Solskjaer’s side, five points off fourthplaced Chelsea, host
Norwich today, with the United boss warning his players they can not afford to wallow in self-pity.
“You’re disappointed when you lose a game against your local rivals, but which way is there to go?” said Solskjaer (left).
“Do you feel sorry for yourself or do you just knuckle down and get ready for the next one?
“One of the worst traits a footballer can have is feeling sorry for himself. If you do that, you’re not in the right place.
“It was a disappointing feeling, because that wasn’t the way we wanted the game to go, but I’m sure we’ll get a reaction.
“Every game is the perfect opportunity. If City were here again in the league, after the Carabao Cup, you’d say that’s the perfect opportunity.
“Norwich is the next game, you’re playing for Manchester United, in front of the best fans in the world – what is there not to like about that situation?”
Solskjaer also said more of his squad need to put their bodies on the line and play through the pain barrier, with Harry Maguire prepared to do just that. Maguire (right) suffered a muscle tear in United’s FA Cup tie at Wolves last weekend, an injury which saw the £80million defender miss the defeat to City.
But the England star is in contention to play a part in