SEEN Sport Magazine Issue No. 2

SPORT MAGAZINE

SEEN

ISSUE NO. 2

PAUL SACKEY A NEW CHALLENGE IN TOULON AND HOPES OF A WORLD CUP RETURN

PRIZEFIGHTER | TOUR DE FRANCE | FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 | NFL

WELCOME

F

ollowing the success of our launch issue in Spring the team have been busy covering some of the worlds leading sports events such as the Tour De France and the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and it has been tough trying to choose from the fantastic work submitted by our contributors.

In this issue we were given a unique insight into what it takes to become a Prizfighter champion and we also spent an intresting day in the sweltering heat of the South of France with the Toulon rugby team and their new star signing Paul Sackey who features on the cover of this issue.

SEEN Publisher Seen Sport Magazine +44 (0)208 133 8696 www.seensportmagazine.com Editor Karen Reid editor@seensportmagazine.com

It was great to receive such a positive response from our readers and the media for the launch issue and it’s refreshing that so many of you appreciate the need for a magazine that showcases and promotes independent photography and also offers an exclusive and unique insight into the athletes lives, behind the scenes access and candid interviews.

It has been a fantastic summer of sport and we would like to thank all our contributors, athletes and their teams that have given their time and shown their support to SEEN Sport Magazine.

We hope you enjoy this issue and we look forward to continuing to share with our readers the most creative, captivating and diverse images and stories from the sporting world.

Picture Editor Eoin Mundow pictures@seensportmagazine.com Art Director Karen Reid Advertising Sales Eoin Mundow eoin@seensportmagazine.com License Images Contact Cleva Media for all image licensing requests. pictures@clevamedia.com www.clevamedia.com

FRONT COVER PAUL SACKEY Pg. 66 Photo by Eoin Mundow

INSIDE SEEN

04 TOUR DE FRANCE

This years memorable Tour De France began in Belgium and finished in Paris with Alberto Contador claiming victory for a third time.

26 PRIZEFIGHTER

Prizefighter promoter Eddie Hearn gives us an exclusive insight into the boxing competition which has taken the industry by storm.

36 FIFA WORLD CUP 2010

After an exhilarating World Cup in South Africa we select some of our favorite images from the tournament taken by our team of international photographers.

64 PAUL SACKEY

Exclusive interview with England’s Rugby World Cup 2007 star Paul Sackey following his transfer to Toulon in which he discusses his hopes of an England recall & how he is adapting to a new culture of sun, sea and the ‘Pilou Pilou’.

74 NFL

America’s most profitable sports franchise returns on September 10th when the new NFL season kicks off.

We look back at some of the stunning NFL images taken last season by Rob Tringali.

SSM BLOG...coming soon Following the success of our FIFA World Cup 2010 blog we will soon be launching the SSM Blog featuring news, views and your comments on the most topical sports stories from around the world.

TOUR DE FRANCE

Independent photographers James Startt and Manu Blondeau capture the ambience of the Tour De France 2010 for SEEN Sport Magazine.

In a race steeped in history and fraught with controversy, this feature follows the riders and the fans along the route and high into the Pyrenees which marked it’s centennial year. Fans from around the world celebrated and embraced the spirit of the peleton which is recognised as the most gruelling stages of the Tour.

Alberto Contador clinched his third Tour De France on the penultimate day in a war of attrition with Belgian rider Andy Schlek, whilst Lance Armstrong rode his last ever Tour at the age of 38.

FANS CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF THE

TOUR DE FRANCE IN THE PYRENEES

Riders make their way on the peleton on Stage 10 of the Tour de France between Chambery and Gap.

Andy Schleck attacks in the Pyrenees on Stage 15 between Pamiers and Bagneres De Luchon.

Andreas Klier crashes on Stage 3 between Wanze and Arenberg Porte Du Hainaut.

Riders compete on the Peleton on Stage 16 between Bagneres De Luchon and Pau.

Andy Schleck of team Saxo Bank relaxes before Stage 12 between Bourg-de-Peage to Mende.

Riders make their way up the Pyrenees on Stage 14 between Revel and AX 3 Domaines.

Lance Armstrong of Team Radioshack struggles in the background to make an impression as he rides between Station Des Rousses and Morzine/Avoriaz.

Mark Cavendish of Team HTC - Columbia wins the Montargis Guednon stage of the Tour.

Alberto Contador arrives in Paris on Stage 20 at the Champs-Elysees to win his third Tour de France.

PRIZEFIGHTER

PR

RIZEFIGHTER WINNER PATRICK MENDY HAS HIS GLOVES REMOVED AFTER WINNING THE FINAL

Bethnal Green in the heart of East London is where the real fight fans are to be found. If you’re looking for glitz and glamour you’ve come to the wrong place, this is a million miles away from the neon lights, exoctic cabarets and A-list celebrities that are associated with the pay-per-view superfights held in Las Vegas.

Text & Interview by Eoin Mundow Photos by Colin Williams

PRIZEFIGHTER

There is no better place to start than the historic York Hall and a competition which has rejuvinated the sport in the UK in the last two years.

Prizefighter was launched by Matchroom Sport in the wake of terrestrial television pulling the plug on boxing and cable channel Setanta going into administration. Many boxers were left without any real chance of getting television exposure or an opportunity to break through into the mainstream.

With the rise of UFC and mixed Martial Arts stealing much of Boxing’s fanbase in recent years, Matchroom Sports decided that it was time for a new concept to keep fans and television executives interested in the sport. The concept is simple; eight fighters, seven fights in one night and the winner is crowned the Prizefighter Champion and receives a purse of £32,000.

We spoke exclusively with Prizefighter promoter Eddie Hearn to get his thoughts on the current state of the boxing industry and why Prizefighter has been so successful as well as capturing a unique behind the scenes feature at Prizefighter - Super Middleweights.

29

EDDIE MCINTOSH HAS HIS HANDS WRAPPED

PETER FED

8 FIGHTERS/ONE NI WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF PRIZEFIGHTER? Barry, myself (Eddie Hearn) and our head of Boxing John Wischhusen. I think boxing had been perceived to be and definitely was going a little bit stale with the demise of a few of our big names and British legends. When we were looking after the likes of Chris Eubank, Naseem Hamed, Nigel Benn and Lennox Lewis they were great times.

More recently than that Joe Calazghe and Ricky Hatton who weren’t under wings gave the UK public something to cheer about and really as Joe was coming to the end of his career and Ricky started to get beat there seemed to be nothing really coming through. Well, obviously we have David Haye now, but I just felt with the situation with the economy that we had to start giving people value for money.

The change in requirements by broadcasters and the way that viewers think now along with the introduction of the internet and being able to watch what you want on demand and so forth means the viewer demanded more. If you are going to create live events it needs to be something special, it needs to be something fast paced and it has to be something that is going to keep the viewer’s attention. That really was the idea with moving forward with Prizefighter.

I always felt going to boxing shows as well that you go to watch the main event, unless you’re there to support someone. Even now when we run a standard show, you lose the excitement compared to a Prizefighter because the under card fights don’t really mean much.

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DORENKO WARMS UP ON THE PADS

PAUL DAVID COOLS DOWN AFTER BEATING CARL DRAKE

IGHT/£32,000 PRIZE HOW IS PRIZEFIGHTER DIFFERENT? With Prizefighter you don’t have to support anyone, you can be a neutral and have a great night.

Because of the promotion that Sky do and we do in the build up to the fight, generally you’ve got your favourite and again it goes back to characters and personalities. Everyone in Prizefighter has a story and every fighter has a different personality and you want to get involved and jump on the bandwagon.

For the Super Middleweight Prizefighter you have Patrick Mendy the 19-year-old kid who has been sent all over the country at the last minute to take fights and apparently has a load of potential. You have Paul David the old guy that has all the ability in the world but has never really done it! You have Daniel Cadman the local cabbie that has a huge amount of local support and a big heart.

Everyone’s got a story and before you go to Prizefighter generally you’ve got in your mind the person that you want to support, but that can change in the night. If you come to Prizefighter and your fighter gets beaten, you stay on, no one leaves in Prizefighter.

That’s the beautiful thing when you leave at the end of the night, 90% of the people that bought a ticket are still there. So if their fighter loses they tend to find another one to support, which is normally the one that beat their fighter. The best boxer will not always necessarily win, but the boxer with the biggest heart will generally win and that’s what makes it so exciting.

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PETER FEDORENKO WARMS UP BEFORE HIS OPENING BOUT

SO IT GIVES BOXERS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY WOULDN’T NORMALLY GET? Absolutely and that’s the great thing about it. As a promoter that’s so rewarding when these guys are going down to Sky to do a press conference, the promo and getting their make-up done. They’ve never experienced anything like this and they’re so grateful to be there and there is always such a great atmosphere amongst the Prizefighters that they realise that it’s their one shot at the big time, their one shot at fame and they are going to give it their all. There are so many primadonnas in sport nowadays and cheats, but these guys just want to go in there and have a tear up.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR PRIZEFIGHTER? Back October 8th, back with the Heavyweights, which is obviously our flagship event, it’s the one that sells the most tickets, it’s the one that gets the best ratings, people like to see big men knocking each other out, that will never change. Now it’s a case of trying to find whom we can use. So it will be a mix of people a couple of oldies, a couple of youngsters and a couple of prospects.

The Heavyweights domestically is quite exciting at the moment; I’m not saying anyone is any good. But when you have the likes of Rogan, Sexton, Chisora and even the youngsters Richard Towers, Price and Larry Olubamiwo. There are a few of them at the moment and if one of them wants to take a risk at Prizefighter and be a champion, look what it did for Audley Harrison. The perception that the public gives of winning the Prizefighter trophy is as good as winning any other domestic belt.

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CARL DRAKE PREPARES IN A QUIET CORNER OF THE DRESSING ROOM

OTHER PROMOTERS HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE SERIES AND RECENTLY RICKY HATTON CAME OUT IN SUPPORT OF PRIZEFIGHTER. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF FIGHTERS LAUNCHING THEIR OWN PROMOTIONAL COMPANIES? I’m a big non-believer of fighters fronting their own promotional companies, fighter’s fight that’s what they do best. You’re not going to see me getting in a ring and trying to be a fighter. They’re just not cut out for that business and they think they are, but they’re just not. You look at all the promotional companies that have involved fighters, Hatton Promotions, Khan promotions, Prince promotions, Calzaghe promotions, the Hayemaker.

I don’t believe any of them are effective operators. No fighter that has turned promoter has a good track record or a good reputation amongst the business people or the broadcasters. That’s the difference.

They might have all the fighters, but now Hatton Promotions, with all due respect to Ricky Hatton, now he is not fighting it’s sort of like what else are you bringing to the table?

Just that you used to be a world champion, that doesn’t wash. If you have your own promotion company and you’re still fighting then you’re going to get shows off the back of your relationship with the broadcaster, now you’re not fighting anymore everything changes.

Look at Audley with his A-Force Promotions, even now he likes to get involved and I say “Do you not realise, it didn’t work, doesn’t work, let other people do your stuff”. I told him a year ago “win Prizefighter, win the European title and you’ll get a Heavyweight title shot, it’s as simple as that”.

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EDDIE MACINTOSH LISTENS TO HIS CORNERMAN

CARL DRAKES CATCHES PAUL DAVID WITH A LEFT HOOK

PATRICK MENDY CELEBRATES AFTER WINNING PRIZEFIGHTER

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 The World Cup in South Africa was a resounding success as the country embraced the spirit of the competition and showed the rest of the world how to host a major sporting event and create a unique atmosphere.

For one month South Africa was given the opportunity to express it’s diverse blend of culture, hospitality and goodwill leaving future hosts Brazil with a lot to think about in 2014 and also demonstrating that Africa knows how to put on a memorable party.

This World Cup had everything; controversial decisions, great upsets, fantastic goals, the Vuvuzela, French deserters and of course Spain’s display of determination and creative flair on route to being crowned world champions for the first time in their history.

We have selected a small portfolio of images taken by our contributors that reflect the spirit of this World Cup.

Siphiwe Tshabalala scores the opening goal for South Africa against Mexico in the opening match of the World Cup. Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa, 11th June 2010. (Giorgio Perottino)

Thomas Mueller celebrates with Lukas Podolski after scoring during the last 16 match between England and Germany. Freestate Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa. 27th June 2010. (Markus Ulmer)

English referee Howard Webb tries to calm both sets of players after Slovakia’s goalkeeper Jan Mucha and Italy’s striker Fabio Quagliarella clash during their Group F first round match. Ellis Park stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa. 24th June 2010. (Giorgio Perottino)

Fans getting in the mood before the match between South Africa and Uruguay at Loftus Versfeld Stadium,Tshwane/Pretoria,South Africa 16th June 2010. (Giorgio Perottino)

Jermain Defoe scores for England as they beat Slovenia in the final group match at the Nelson Mandela Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa , 23rd June 2010. (Matthew Ashton)

Giorgio Chiellini of Italy catches Marek Hamsik of Slovakia in the face during their Group F first round match. Ellis Park stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa. 24th June 2010. (Giorgio Perottino)

m

Dejected Argentina players leave the pitch after losing 4-0 in the 1/4 final match between Germany and Argentina at the Green Point Stadium, Cape town, South Africa. 23rd June 2010. (Markus Ulmer)

Fans getting in the mood before the match between South Africa and France. The Freestate Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa. 22nd June 2010. (Gerhard Steenkamp)

Maicon (Brazil) celebrates with Juan after scoring during the Group G match between Brazil and North Korea. Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa. 15th June 2010. (Giorgio Perottino)

Dejected Ghana players watch in despair as they are knocked out of the tournament in a penalty shoot-out. Uruguay v Ghana, World Cup 2010 1/4 Final, Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2nd July 2010. (Giorgio Perottino)

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst of the Netherlands celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Semi Final match between Uruguay and the Netherlands. Green Point Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa. 6th July 2010. (Markus Ulmer)

Argentina manager Diego Maradona watches anxiously from the sideline as Argentina play Mexico. (Giorgio Perottino)

German coach Joachim Low loses his cool as Germany are defeated

by Serbia in the group stages. (Markus Ulmer)

Andres Iniesta celebrates after scoring the winning goal during extra time in the World Cup Final. Holland v Spain, Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa. 11th July 2010. (Gerhard Steenkamp)

Spain celebrate winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup after beating The Netherlands. Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa.

11th July 2010. (Giorgio Perottino)

PAUL SACKEY

“I FEEL STRONG, I FEEL FIT, SO I’M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THE SEASON UNDERWAY.”

Interview by Colin Spiro Photos by Eoin Mundow

TOULON RENAISSANCE

Paul Sackey burst onto the international scene in 2007 in France at the Rugby World Cup becoming England’s top try scorer at the tournament and helping his team reach the Final against South Africa. Following five successful years at Wasps in the Premiership and having come back from a serious injury which has left him out in the cold by current England coach Martin Johnson, the flying winger has opted for a new challenge and followed Jonny Wilkinson to France to play for a resurgent Toulon side. We catch up with Paul at his new home just outside Toulon on the Cote D’Azur.

How and why did you come to France and Toulon, and was anyone else interested?

There were a few clubs interested, there was a few in England and a couple in France, but the ones in France were in cities and I’ve been in London and I said if I was going to move then I wanted to move to the coast and Toulon was really the only place I wanted to go and fortunately for me they were interested in me. I was never going to go anywhere else in England after Wasps, I support them even now and so for me there was no other English club. So Toulon was the only club I wanted to come to in France and fortunately for me they were interested in me and I was lucky enough to make the move.

Toulon or did Philippe Saint-Andre contact you, because I’ve read he’s tried to sign you twice before?

He did indeed. The thing was obviously clubs know when you are out of contract and everything else, so I think it might have been a little bit of both – I don’t know, I never said anything. I was told that Toulon was interested, so I said ‘yeah, I’m happy to talk to them and see what the story is’ and for me looking from the outside they’ve been very ambitious and they’re a determined side and they’ve got good coaches and obviously last year they showed that they are very ambitious and they want to win stuff. So for me it was an unbelievable opportunity. I always want to be at clubs that Am I right in thinking the other clubs in France are ambitious and want to go forward and win were Racing and Toulouse? trophies, which is why I was at Wasps for such (long pause) Maybe. a long period of time.

How did the mechanics of the move happen?

Did you tell your agent you want to go to 68

Did you speak to any of your Wasps mates about moving to France, like Haskell and Tom

Palmer, who came over and have done well?

Not really. Tom Palmer phoned me up and we had a little bit of a chat, but I didn’t really phone them up. It’s just that they’re both at the same club and it’s very different for them because Paris is more like London and it’s not really a massive culture shock. They just go on the Eurostar and go home, and they could commute if they wanted to, so it’s a little bit different. I know they’ve still got to learn the language and everything else but I’m in deep in the south, I can’t commute – well, I could do but it’s an hour and a half away – and it’s a big city [Paris] and I’m out in the sort of country here and I’m enjoying. But those boys are enjoying it, I suppose it’s natural. I spoke to Haskell and I knew he enjoyed it, I knew he liked it, and Tom Palmer phoned me and said he was enjoying it thoroughly so and if I was going to make the decision it would be a good one.

watch Toulon in a match and sample the atmosphere?

You know what I didn’t – I was meant to but I didn’t, I had something come up. I was meant to come down to watch the game against Northampton at home and that would have been a lovely game to watch. I’ve heard all the stories about the atmosphere, their song ‘Pilou Pilou’ and all that, so I’m looking forward to it.

So far it’s been really good – I feel strong, I feel fit, so I’m just looking forward to getting the season underway. It’s been a tough pre-season for me – the French do things a little bit different over here so it was quite hard for me to adjust at first but I’m getting into the swing of things, and all the boys have been brilliant and welcomed me in tremendously. It’s been good and the main thing is that all the boys have been good, the coaches have been good, the whole experience so far has been amazing.

Before you signed did you come down and 69

And how is your French Paul? [laughs]… I’ve missed a couple of lessons because I’ve been in and out of the country, so it’s been a little tough, but I’m starting to get the hang of it a little bit, just learning little things here and there.

The whole change of culture thing, is that something you’re enjoying? Obviously it’s a lovely place down in Toulon.

Yeah, yeah. Beautiful, beautiful. The whole culture thing is going to take me a while to adjust to properly but like I said I’m settling in quite nicely at the moment, so hopefully in time – give it another couple of months – and I should be able to get the lingo a little bit more and just settle in to the whole way of life, but like I said it’s nice and I like it.

The style of rugby is different too. I don’t know if you watched much Top 14, but you’ve obviously played international rugby against France and you played against French clubs for Wasps and London Irish, is that something you are looking forward to playing?

I think that was one of the big decisions for me to come down here because at the moment English rugby is a bit kick-kick oriented, where French clubs it’s more pass and move so they get the ball out wide and they play some good rugby, so that was another attraction for me to come over to France. If you watch the French international team they were the only ones in the last Six Nations to play any rugby, and look what happened? They done tremendously well, so that for me swayed me a little bit, and obviously the sun and sea!

You’re going to have Jonny at number 10 and obviously you know all about him so that must help as well.

Of course, it’s nice to have a few boys that you know in the team as well and for me I know a couple of the boys already, which is nice and helps you settle in to see some of the boys.

“I’VE NOT RULED MYSELF OUT OF PLAYING FOR ENGLAND, I WANT TO COME OVER HERE AND GET MYSELF BACK IN THE SHOP WINDOW” liberty.

That’s a major part of why I’ve come.

And have you got fond memories of France, because you had a fantastic World Cup here in 2007.

That’s it, and that’s another thing because I really loved it when we were over here, and we were here for a couple of months and I had such an amazing time that I always said that if I had the opportunity to come and play in France I would do it in a couple of years’ time after the [2007] World Cup. Like I said someone came in for me and it was the only place I wanted to come to in France so I took it. The whole atmosphere in France is different because they love their rugby over here, it’s such a rugby-orientated country and to be over here and experiencing it is amazing. Just walking into Toulon, and even in training the whole atmosphere is amazing. Sometimes in the street it’s like a carnival here.

You wait until you get to the games, the atmosphere at the grounds is amazing with the drums and the noise the supporters make.

Yeah, yeah, I’m looking forward to it and like I said I’ve put in a lot of work in pre-season and the season here starts a lot earlier than the EngI read that you like to express yourself on the field and play heads up rugby, which from what lish one.

I’ve seen that’s what they like to do in French What do you say to people who say you’ve only rugby. The scrum is massively important but gone for the money? The money is obviously when it goes wide the backs have a bit more 71

good – you can’t ignore that – but is it more than that.

You know what, I have not gone for money and I haven’t gone for that much money – if you look closely it’s not that much money – I’ve gone for the experience, the culture, the lifestyle and I’ve gone for the different way of life.

Like I said, English rugby for me I’ve been there for 10 years so I just wanted to try something else. Maybe it will refresh me like it has done for Jonny and a few other guys who have come over here. I’ve not ruled myself out of playing for England, I want to come over here and get myself back into the shop window, like Jonny has and a few other guys who have come over here.

I wanted to ask you about England. You’ve not been picked of late, not really since you broke your leg. Is it something that still drives you on, to recapture the manager’s attention?

Yeah, of course, I think in anything, even in business, you want to keep striving to get to that next level and the next level from playing club rugby is playing for your country, and you always want to play for your country until you feel that your time is up for them, and mine isn’t yet. I want to play another World Cup. I thoroughly enjoyed the last one and I want to be a part of the next one. So for me maybe it’s a place to revitalise myself and get the form back to how I used to be. Like I said, nothing against Wasps – I love Wasps more than anything, they did a hell of a lot for me, the coaches there like McGeechan, Shaun (Edwards) and Warren Gatland, all those guys have done amazing well for me and leaving was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, so I just wanted to come over here and challenge myself, Sometimes you get into a comfortable environment and you’ve got to take yourself out of it to find out who you are. Hopefully that’s what I am doing and I can benefit from coming over here playing with some of the best rugby players in the world.

Have you had any contact from Martin Johnson or the England set up?

I haven’t as yet, but I knew I wouldn’t yet, it’s too early doors.

I see you were obviously a talented footballer 72

and you had trials at various clubs when you were younger, is that right?

Yeah.

What made the decision between football and rugby? Were you just better at rugby?

I got sent to a school – My dad sent me to a school that only played rugby, so I had no choice.

You’re a big Liverpool fan aren’t you?

I’m a massive Liverpool fan and I’m absolutely ecstatic that we’ve got Joe Cole at Liverpool now. We just need a couple of strikers and hopefully we might do well again this year.

So if they get an way draw down in the south of France you’ll go and watch them?

Definitely, I will do. I’ll probably go and watch Marseille anyway. In London I tried to get to as many games as I could. Even though I didn’t like Chelsea I was at Chelsea quite a lot, obviously for Puma’s sake I was at Tottenham quite a lot even though I don’t like them a lot, and I was at Arsenal but I like Arsenal because they play good football. So it was quite a blessing that I was in London because I got to watch such amazing teams as well, like when Barcelona came over, so I’ll try and get to a few games down here, I’ll try and get to Marseille.

You didn’t go and see my team West Ham then?

I didn’t go and see West Ham, I didn’t like West Ham. What about your mate Danny Cipriani then?

Do you think he’s got what it takes to play professional football?

I think that he is a talented kid and whatever he puts his mind to he can do. He can do anything so I hope he does, I’d like if it he does because then I could say I’ve got another friend who plays football.

More free tickets?

Yeah… but I hope it does and I hope that he is successful at whatever he does.

Off the field am I right in thinking you’ve got a business which sources top of the range sports cars?

I have yeah.

It does when I’m in England, but not at the moment.

years ago to have a look at the rugby set up out there, so what is it like out there and how were you received?

I was received well actually and I’m trying to do something over there, it’s just taken a little bit longer than I thought. Hopefully over time I’ll be able to get something underway, a little academy or try and set up something because the whole system is not very good over there so we’ve got to try and get some foundations down and get a structure going because it’s not very good at the moment, but it’s going to take a while and it’s not one of those things that’s going to happen over night.

Just lastly, you’ve signed for two years so do you see this as your last contract?

I presume they’re a football mad country over there aren’t they?

I don’t see it as a last contract no. I’m only 30 now, but in all fairness I don’t really want to be a player who goes from club to club at the end of the year and is just on the bench, I won’t play for too much longer – three or four years – so I don’t see it as my last contract.

They are, but Michael Essien is my good friend and I’ve got him into rugby at the minute.

Is that going well and have you put that on hold because you’ve come down to France?

No, it’s still going and I’ve got someone who runs it for me and he’s doing really well at the moment and it’s going really well, so let’s hope it keeps that well.

So does that mean you can choose which car you drive each night?

I know you went back to Ghana a couple of

He’d make a good centre or something wouldn’t he?

Yeah he would. We’ll see, he might come over here watch a game.

73

NFL 2010

The new NFL season officially kicks off on September 10th 2010 when thirty two teams begin their quest to win one of sports ultimate prizes, the Vince Lombardi trophy.

Following their success last year, the New Orleans Saints will look to rekindle the form which saw them win their first league championship when they beat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. However, the competition will be fierce as ever with the super rich Dallas Cowboys, the San Diego Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Green Bay Packers also favoured to succeed.

In anticipation of the new season beginning we take a look back at some of the great NFL photos taken by contributor Rob Tringali from last year’s NFL championship.

Lito Sheppard #26 of the New York Jets stretches against the Carolina Panthers at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey. 29th November 2009.

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A general view of the line of scrimmage during a game against the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts. 4th October 2009.

Mike Wallace #17 of the Pittsburgh Steelers jumps into the end zone after scoring a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 25th October 2009.

49

Clinton Portis #26 of the Washington Redskins is tackled by the New York Giants defence. Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey.

13th September 2009.

Cheerleaders of the San Diego Chargers perform during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the New York Jets. Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California. 17th January 2010.

Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts looks on with his team mates against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland, 22nd November 2009.

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DeAngelo Williams #34 of the Carolina Panthers rushes against the New York Jets at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey.

29th November 2009.

Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints walks back onto the field against the Philadelphia Eagles at the Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 20th September 2009.

Jay Ratliff #90 of the Dallas Cowboys reacts after a tackle against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 8th November 2009.

Members of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team walk off the field after the pre-game warm up against the Minnesota Vikings at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 25th October 2009.

Great Britain’s Andy Turner competes during the men’s 110m hurdles heats.

European Athletics Championships 2010, Barcelona, July 29, 2010. Bogdan Maran/Cleva Media

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