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Record holders from Europe

Steven Lynch April 1, 2013
Clarence Seedorf has won four European Cups © PA Photos
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Who's the only man to win the European Cup/Champions League with three different clubs? asked Chris Morton

The man with this distinguished record is the 37-year-old Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf, who's currently playing his club football for Botafogo in Brazil. Seedorf, who won 87 caps for Netherlands, won the Champions League for the first time with the Amsterdam club Ajax in 1995, was successful again with Real Madrid in 1998, and won twice with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007.

Andrew Strauss, who has just retired, scored 7,037 Test runs. Has any left-hander scored more for England? asked Bob Rollins

Nine people have scored more Test runs for England than Andrew Strauss - and only two of them are left-handers. One is Strauss' long-time opening partner Alastair Cook, who currently has 7,307 runs (and, given continued health and fitness, looks certain to go top of the list before too long). But currently in third place on the list - behind right-handers Graham Gooch (8,900) and Alec Stewart (8,463) is the elegant left-hander David Gower, whose 8,231 Test runs was briefly the England record until Gooch overtook it.

Who is the only snooker player from outside the British Isles to win the UK? asked Paul Norris

Snooker's UK Championship started in 1977 (when it was won by the Irishman Patsy Fagan), and since then only one of its winners has been an overseas player - and in fact he's won it twice. Ding Junhui was only 18 when he beat 48-year-old Steve Davis, appearing in his last major final, in 2005 - and Ding beat John Higgins in the final (10-8) to win it again in 2009.

How many British women have won gymnastics medals at the Olympics? asked Jenny Castle

This is a very short list, if you're talking about individual events - Beth Tweddle is the only one, after taking the bronze medal in the uneven bars in London last year. A 12-strong British contingent did win bronze in the all-around team event in Amsterdam in 1928. The South African-born Tweddle, now a veteran (in gymnastics terms) of 28, also won gold medals at the World Championships in the uneven bars in 2006 and 2010, and on the floor in London in 2009.

Who scored a hat-trick in the European Cup final - but finished on the losing side? asked Michael Emmerson

This unfortunate individual was the Hungarian centre-forward Ferenc Puskas, who scored three times for Real Madrid in the 1961-62 European Cup final, only for his side to lose 5-3 to Benfica. It was the first time Real had lost in the final - they won the first five European Cups. Puskas had winners' medals from 1959 and 1960, and picked up another one in 1966. In internationals for Hungary the prolific Puskas scored 84 goals in 85 games (he later played four times for Spain but failed to find the net). In club football for Honved (Budapest) and Real Madrid he scored 508 goals in 521 senior appearances.

Which Arsenal footballer's daughter is married to an England wicketkeeper? asked Brian Morrison

This is Sammy Nelson, the left-back who won 51 caps for Northern Ireland. Nelson, who is now 64, was part of the Arsenal team that won the FA Cup in 1979. He later moved to Brighton - and that's where his son-in-law plays his cricket: Nelson's daughter Emily is married to the England wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

And, for a bonus point (but, sadly, no prize!), what's the connection between all the above answers? asked Steven

It also applies to Bismarck, Debbie Reynolds, and the wives of Winston Churchill and Roger Federer. All will be revealed next time!

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