Sport magazine - Issue 280 by Sport Magazine

Issue 280 | November 2 2012

The resurrection of Ricky Hatton

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issue 280, NOVeMBeR 2 2012 Radar 07 The comeback kings... ... queens and jesters. Our pick of the heroes who made it all over again. And those who didn’t

08 We’ve been Warned With a new book on Australia’s finest ever spin-bowler

12 Meet the superhumans again In fact, meet them as many times as you like, with the London 2012 Paralympic Games on Blu-ray oFeatures this coming week

18 The Hitman returns Ricky Hatton talks exclusively to Sport about the demons driving him out of retirement

27 The top 10 endurance races They’re really, really ridiculously exhausting. Come and have a go. If you think you’re hard enough

32 Raising the Ba Demba Ba, that is. We raise a few questions of our own for the Premier League’s top scorer

07 68

44 ATP Tour Finals Our preview of the tennis season finale, as the top eight men battle it out at London’s O2

extra Time 60 Gadgets The new iPad mini. A bit like Dr Evil’s Mini Me, except less evil. Or so we’re led to believe...

64 Kira Dikhtyar

Cover image: jameslincoln.co.uk

Former Russian Junior Olympic gymnast: she’s still Russian, but now a world-renowned model too

66 Kit With trainers like this on show, it’s a page worth running after

68 Entertainment Ben Affleck’s Argo is so good it’s worth seeing twice. Much like Groundhog Day on Blu-ray | November 2 2012 | 03

ONLY AT

jdsports.co.uk/diadora

Radar

p08 – Shane Warne: cricket’s big spinning dick p11 – ESPN rolls out some more Attenborough-standard docs p12 – Football Manager 2013: kiss goodbye to your job/girl

Comeback kids With Ricky Hatton returning this month, we assess the most epic comeback successes and flops

John Gurzinski/AFP/Getty Images

Bjorn Borg A brooding destroyer in the 1970s, Foreman’s return in the late 1980s was treated largely as a big, fat joke. That’s until 1994, when he knocked out Michael Moorer (pictured) with a punch that he seemed to launch in mid-1993, so slowly did it travel – making Foreman heavyweight champ again at age 46. Celebrated by flogging cooking appliances to a meat-hungry public.

The 11-time Grand Slam winner and peddler of trendy underwear made a truly pants comeback attempt in 1991, eight years after he’d made a shock retirement at the age of just 26. Clearly unfit and playing with an old-school wooden racket, the Swede failed to win any of the 12 professional matches he played in the 1990s.

Michael Schumacher

“I’m back” – with a two-word press release in 1995, the greatest basketball player ever sent shockwaves through the NBA, announcing his return from an unsuccessful baseball stint at the age of 32. Jordan went on to lead the Chicago Bulls to a hat-trick of championship titles between 1996 and 1998.

The most successful F1 driver ever has mustered a paltry one podium finish over the course of his threeyear comeback since 2010. Sorry Michael; trying to bump rivals’ cars off the track just looks far less glamorous when you’re battling it out for 12th place.

Retired from Formula 1 in 1979 to focus on running his own airline, only to return in 1982 because he needed money to shore up his business. Motivated by cold hard moolah, the Austrian driver was highly successful, winning his third F1 championship in 1984.

Mark Spitz Winner of seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympics, but ‘Mark the Shark’ all but sunk like a stone on his return to competitive swimming. Wearing armbands and a rubber ring (probably), the Californian was in his early 40s when he attempted to qualify for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, but ended up two seconds slower than the qualifying time. See also: Thorpe, Ian.

Chris Lewis Supermum Clijsters returned from a two-year retirement in 2009, having given birth to her first child in 2008. Entering the US Open as a wildcard and rank outsider, she became the first woman to beat both Williams sisters en route to winning a Grand Slam.

Former England cricketer who once got sunstroke on his bald head came out of retirement aged 40 to play for Surrey in 2008. It didn’t go well, but things got worse later that year as he was caught smuggling cocaine at Gatwick and sentenced to 13 years inside.

Gave up life as a jockey to become a trainer in 1985, but was convicted of tax fraud in 1987. Quite literally got back in the saddle following his release from jail in 1990, resuming his career as a jockey and winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile just 10 days after his return.

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Radar

Warne’s world C

ricket’s “big spinning dick” is how Gideon Haigh describes Shane Warne, but the acclaimed writer isn’t putting down the great bowler – rather, he’s referring to the glee Warne took in being able to spin the ball further than anyone. Probably ever. Haigh’s book is less a biography, more an analysis of (or paean to) Warne’s talent and personality, written by someone who’s spent a fair portion of his life watching him. It sometimes feels as if there’s almost as much Giddy in the book as there is Warnie, but this is a minor quibble. Haigh is revealing on Warne’s mentality, relationships with fellow players and his controversies, but he’s really more interested in Shane the bowler than anything else. Where Haigh hits his mark is in capturing the irresistible thrill – or terror, in an Ashes series – of watching Warne bowl: “The feeling when he was around that anything might happen and no plight was irredeemable.” On Warne (Simon & Schuster), £16.99

Join the senate t’s not often a new golf club opens within a decent 3-iron of the M25, so the Centurion Club at St Albans, which opens next July, is already attracting plenty of attention. The club is now taking memberships, and first impressions are favourable – several of the holes are cut through existing woodland and, at 7,200 yards from the back tees (other tee boxes are also available if you’re not quite Rory-esque with your hitting), it will provide a stiff test for anyone. Eighty bunkers and four major water features will make sure you keep your wits about you, too. While it’s not open yet, the course has been laid already, and world-renowned Troon Golf are managing its agronomy – so it should be in tip-top condition from day one. Find out more about the club, which will be members-only, at centurionclub.co.uk

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The 17th and 18th holes: normally we arrive here around sunset

Ben Radford/Allsport

WHEN YOUR BRAIN IS SERIOUSLY DELAYED...

Radar

Go for broke E

SPN’s 30-for-30 series has set a new benchmark in sports documentaries. It’s a similar stamp of quality as David Attenborough on wildlife, except with rather less footage of an octogenarian watching two marmosets going at it hammer and tongs. Broke, which begins a new run next week, is a compelling doc on the flash US sports stars who’ve made millions but blown it all – and more. Andre ‘Bad Moon’ Rison (right) is among numerous NFL representatives, though our favourite story was baseball player Rickey Henderson, who framed a $1m cheque on his wall rather than bank it. A must-see for today’s Premier League stars. Also in the coming weeks is 9.79*, which takes a fresh look at the infamous Seoul 1988 100m men’s final, while You Don’t Know Bo focuses on the amazing Bo Jackson, who was both an NFL running back and a baseball star in the 1980s. Well worth staying in for. Broke is on ESPN America, November 7, 7pm

Glorious gimmicks

here’s an ongoing debate in the Sport office as to whether pro wrestling should be considered a sport. It’s a discussion that tends to end with a ‘no’ and someone getting rock bottomed (see above) through a desk in response. One thing that cannot be denied, however, is that this new WWE Encyclopedia treats wrasslin’ with all the attention of a serious sport – and is all the better for it. From title histories to a report on each WrestleMania, it’s all packed into 400+ colourful pages.

rom huge upsets (Oscar Pistorius not winning the T44 200m final) to epic rivalries (Ellie Simmonds’ trio of swims against Victoria Arlen) to titanic sporting performances (David Weir: part wolf, part chair, all man), the London 2012 Paralympics were an unqualified success. So we’re relishing this Channel 4 highlights set, which also contains the opening and closing ceremonies, particularly as it’s presented by the peerless Clare Balding. On DVD now and on Blu-ray from November 5

The bulk of the book, however, is an A-to-Z of performers past and present, complete with a bio. We’re currently absorbed with tracking down the WWE’s zanier gimmicks, such as Xanta Claus (Santa’s evil twin brother) or Phantasio (a magician – and about as intimidating as Paul Daniels). Even the successful ones don’t make sense (The Undertaker is not an undertaker, but he is ‘dead’. What?). Utterly engrossing. Out now, DK Books, £25

Paralympic prowess

| November 2 2012 | 11

Radar

The impossible drives T

here’s much to love about modern Formula 1, but the fact that the cars now look pretty much the same as one another (and that look is more skateboard than automobile) is not one of them. We were reminded of the days when sports and racing cars were as visually arresting in their design as they were in the speed and handling with this wonderful, limited-edition book, The Impossible Collection of Cars, published later this year.

Management made simple F

ootball Manager 2013 arrives today with great news for those who love the game, but don’t love guiding a homesick Peruvian full-back through one-onone training sessions. A new ‘Classic mode’ means you can do all the fun stuff like signing new strikers and picking the team, while eliminating some of the detail. This means that you can get through a season in eight hours and this fiendishly addictive game (probably) won’t take over your life. Meanwhile, ‘Challenge mode’ sets you a specific short-term task: hauling a team out of a relegation battle, or going on an unbeaten run. It’s great to see this classic series continue to innovate, as well as go back to basics. Out now on PC and Mac

12 | November 2 2012 |

Featuring the 100 most head-turning motors of the 20th century, this hand-bound hardback covers everything from the 1996 McLaren F1 road car to the BMW M1 Procar given a technicolour makeover by Andy Warhol (and raced at Le Mans in 1979). There’s also the car whose backside you can gawp at below: the Ferrari 250 GTO – arguably the most beautiful car ever made. Certainly an improvement on staring at Sebastian Vettel’s back wing for 60 laps.

The Impossible Collection of Cars (Assouline) is published in December. Order via assouline.com

Radar Editor’s letter Losing battle: football tries – and fails – to get in the way of more Premier League drama www.sport-magazine.co.uk @sportmaguk facebook.com/sportmagazine Free iPad app available on Newsstand

Sport magazine Part of UTV Media plc 18 Hatﬁelds, London SE1 8DJ Telephone: 020 7959 7800 Fax: 020 7959 7942 Email: ﬁrstname.lastname@ sport-magazine.co.uk

Quick action needed The FA needs to deal with the Chelsea-Clattenburg issue without any delays

H Editor-in-chief Simon Caney @simoncaney

owever this unholy row between Chelsea and Mark Clattenburg plays out – and there is no way it can end well – at least the FA has acted swiftly, so far. By immediately launching a formal investigation, the FA is taking the lead and must now deal with the issue quickly, as long as the police inquiry allows. Most importantly, they must be decisive and not let this case fester longer than necessary. Obviously, these things can’t be hurried through without proper care and attention. But there are a handful of witnesses to what was and wasn’t said, and they can be questioned without delay. A verdict can be delivered without dragging the whole issue out any longer than necessary. Much of the debate around this has centred on the language that players

and referees use when addressing each other. Certainly, players are often guilty of a lack of respect towards match officials (though we’ve never heard of any racism in that direction). But refs and their assistants do themselves no favours sometimes. How to begin to address this? First, referees too often want to be friends with players and call them by their first names when they should instead be putting some distance between them. Second, if a player swears at a ref, he should be booked. And if he does it again, he should be sent off. And if that happens, the referee shouldn’t be the one getting blamed for ’spoiling the game’. As I say, this latest controversy, which would beggar belief in any other sport, cannot end well. There surely seems no way either side can portray this as a simple misunderstanding. Just another week in the insane world of football.

Maybe the good folk at France Football magazine – in charge of the Ballon D’Or shortlist – felt they ought to include an Englishman, just because. How else to explain Wayne Rooney’s inclusion? Our Wayne, when on form, is a ﬁne footballer, but he has hardly set the world alight in 2012. Still, it matters little. There are 23 names on the shortlist, but once again it’s a shootout between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two of the best to have ever played the game. (Didier Drogba’s on the list too. He won’t win.) There was some debate on Twitter last week about our annual Power List and the lack of women on it (five in the top 50). Despite the criticism, we stand by the list – which was a reflection, as we saw it, of sport in this country. That doesn’t mean we necessarily agree with the current state of play, but maybe highlighting it can do some good.

Editorial Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951) Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954) Associate editor: Nick Harper (7897) Art editor: John Mahood (7860) Deputy art editor: William Jack (7861) Digital designer: Chris Firth (7624) Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431) Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958), Alex Reid (7915) Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901), Amit Katwala (7914) Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961) Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963) Contributors: David Lawrenson, Mark Richardson Commercial Agency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991) Business Director: Kevin O’Byrne (7832) Advertising Manager: Steve Hare (7930) New Business Sales Executive: Hayley Robertson (7904) Distribution Manager: Sian George (7852) Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825) Head of Communications: Laura Wootton (7913) Managing Director: Adam Bullock PA to Managing Director: Sophia Koulle (7826) Colour reproduction: Rival Colour Ltd Printed by: Wyndeham Group Ltd © UTV Media plc 2012 UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements placed in Sport magazine £1 where sold Hearty thanks this week to: Glen Holland, Katie Jorgensen, Maria O’Connor, Helen Prowse and Alex Wasowicz

Cover of the Year

Reader comments of the week Gutted I didn’t make @Sportmaguk Power List - still worth a read to see who is driving the industry forward

@LaurenETurner1 Twitter

@BenGoldie Twitter

14 | November 2 2012 |

@simoncaney Surely Barney Francis at Sky is more important than Jeremy Darroch with regards to power in sport?

Agreed with your editor’s letter about the way football hates its players to speak out. It might actually help the game if we knew more about their personalities!

....‘sweating like Samit Patel chasing a runaway malteser’. Thank you for this image. It’s Tuesday and I’m still giggling about it.

@EdwardBowden Twitter

James via email

Richard via email

LAUNCH OF THE YEAR

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I got patriotic goosebumps reading about all the Olympians featured in @sportmaguk The Power List this morning. #misstheolympics

Need For Speed Most Wanted

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in-store | online *Titles and prices subject to availability while stocks last at participating stores/online. Prices may vary online. *‘Pay nothing’ offer refers to zero payment when the trade in value of the two selected hmv most wanted titles is deducted from the retail price of the game Need For Speed: Most Wanted on XBOX 360 or PS3. Offer ends 8 November. See in-store for full terms and conditions of our pre-owned games offer. © 2012 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, the EA logo, Need for Speed and the Need for Speed logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. The names, designs, and logos of all products are the property of their respective owners and used by permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Frozen in time

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Whenever we run a shot of English football fans watching English football in England on this spread, you can guarantee that vast swathes of the crowd will be making vile gestures with their hands and spitting pure bile at the closest opponent. But not here. Not a single one of these Evertonians at last weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Merseyside derby is showing hatred or hostility, which is odd. They all appear too confused to kick off. But confused by what, exactly? The sight of Luis Suarez taking a dive, it seems. Really? Have they not heard?

| 17

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

No diving

Ricky Hatton

The Devil & Ricky Hatton The Hitman on a comeback ﬁght to silence his demons It’s like there’s this fella that sits on my shoulder every day,” Ricky Hatton tells Sport, tapping his left shoulder as he speaks. “He says to me: ’You fucking let people down, you let your kids down. What a disgrace. You were Ricky Hatton. Everyone loved you – man of the people and all that. Now look what you’ve done.’ That’s what I have to deal with every day.” Ricky Hatton sits back in his sofa, letting the words sink in. The point he’s at pains to make is that his return to prizefighting later this month isn’t motivated by money or gaining TV dates for his promotional company, but by a desire to silence the voice in his head which goads him that he needs to get back in the ring to reclaim his battered pride. A similar passion in the former champion’s words were evident when he announced his comeback in September. “In how many years gone by have you seen Ricky Hatton, 12 weeks before [a fight] sat here at the top table, looking like Barney Rubble?” he asked the assembled press, emphasising his reignited love for boxing. Fred Flintstone’s neighbour isn’t the man we’d pick out as a notable adonis, but it was obvious how trim and fit Hatton looked. He cuts a similar figure when Sport meets him at the health and fitness club he owns in

Cheshire, several weeks into his training camp. But before we can peer into his future, we must understand Hatton’s past, beginning with a fight that’s haunted him for more than three years.

“I knew I was beat a week before the fight,” he says of his last professional contest: a brutal two-round knockout loss against Manny Pacquiao in 2009. “When I got out to Vegas, six weeks before, I was absolutely flying. I was knocking lumps out of my sparring partners. Then two weeks before the fight, they were knocking lumps out me. I was running up Mount Charleston every day, doing pads every day, then sparring. I was going to the well each day. Then – I think it was in my third-to-last sparring session – a little super-featherweight hit me on the chin. Although he didn’t wobble me, it was more of a balance thing, he still knocked me down – and I’m getting in there against Manny Pacquiao! I thought: ’Fuck me, Rick.’” Rumours swirled in the build-up that Hatton’s training had gone badly wrong. Did he not consider pulling out? “Friends and family in my camp were telling me: ’Pull out – [your trainer] Floyd Mayweather Senior has trained you into the ground.’ But I thought, no, no, no: there’s 20,000 fans coming over, this is my chance. As I was walking to the ring, I was thinking I’d

Photography by James Lincoln

blown it – but also, in the back of my mind, I thought: ’If I can just hit him that one shot in the ribs on that one left hook, it’ll all be over, Rick, and everything will be okay.’ Obviously it wasn’t.” It was this loss that Hatton says played a key part in a spiral of depression, booze and a retirement decision that he was never fully comfortable with. It hit rock bottom publicly when video footage of him snorting cocaine appeared as a story on the News of the World website. Hatton, as part of a public apology, admitted to “dabbling” in drugs, but said that depression and alcohol excess related to that were his two real problems. He checked himself in for rehab at the Priory clinic in September 2010. Away from the hidden cameras, however, he’d been even darker places – later admitting he’d felt suicidal.

“I was waking up in the morning with a knife in my bed. My fiancée, Jennifer, would come downstairs and I’d be on the sofa with a knife on the floor,” he told the press later. “I never had the courage to go through with it, but there was always the feeling that one time I might.” A loss hits most top sportsmen – particularly boxers, with the primal nature of what they do – hard. Yet defeats seemed to crush Hatton more than most. This, despite the fact that world titles in two weight divisions >

| November 2 2012 | 19

and a record of 45 wins weighed against just two losses (against all-time greats Floyd Mayweather Junior and Manny Pacquiao) justifies acclaim rather than despair. “Some people fight the likes of Pacquiao and Mayweather and they’re just happy to get their big payday,” Hatton explains. “I wasn’t there to make up the numbers. I believed I was gonna win, so it was very hard for me to deal with [defeat]. I’m a determined young man. “I think that’s when depression first kicked in, after the Mayweather fight. Then I made my comeback and my performance wasn’t the best. I ended up having to leave [trainer] Billy Graham and sadly that resulted in a court case. So I think the Mayweather defeat, not performing well against Juan Lazcano, splitting with my trainer who was my longterm friend... that’s when it all started. “The Paulie Malignaggi fight [Hatton’s last win] picked me up a bit, but I was down again after the Pacquiao fight. Then I retired and basically it ran away after that. I had a real death wish, a me-against-the-world attitude. I was on a runaway train, so the fact that I’m sat here now, talking about a comeback and being so happy and positive – it’s a win already, before I’ve even laced the gloves up.”

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His present, happier state of mind began with Hatton immersing himself back into boxing. First, in looking after a promising promotional stable. But, more pertinently, when he began training fighters himself. “I was in the gym every day, keeping fit, losing weight, passing on my knowledge,” he says. “ I had to get tapes of an opponent out, study him, get a gameplan – which is something I hadn’t done since I was fighting myself. Bit by bit, I got me hunger back and that’s where I am. It’s a burning desire now.” His fire may be rekindled, but did Hatton feel nervous about putting the gloves on and engaging in hard sparring again for the first time in so many years? “Very much so,” he admits. “It was weird, I put me headguard and protector on and thought: ’Jesus! I never thought I’d be doing this again.’ I was dead excited and a bit apprehensive, but when the bell went, all those nerves drifted away. I surprised myself with how sharp I was. It was like I’d never been away.” Despite torturing his body into top condition under his new trainer – noted disciplinarian Bob Shannon – Hatton says his preparation has never come easier. “Nothing has been

hard, because I’ve been so enthusiastic. Going from my personal problems with depression and feeling suicidal to now feeling as good as I am, as happy in my home life and everything... suddenly, getting up for running is easy, dieting is easy, sparring is easy. When it starts getting hard work, instead of thinking ’I’ve had enough of this again’, I have the eye of the tiger, if you like. I feel like I can walk through walls at the minute.”

“The hunger I had before I fought Kostya Tszyu – you’d have needed about four Kostya Tszyus that night to stop me because I had that real nastiness about me,” says Hatton on the night he wore down an excellent champion to record his greatest win. “But I reached a stage in my career where you look in >

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Ricky Hatton your bank account, you look at the world title, you’ve boxed in Vegas and boxed at Manchester City and – without even noticing it – I maybe had lost that bit of hunger. Now I’ve got it back and more, because I’m coming back not just to win a world title. I’m coming back to put all the demons to rest, all the wrongs that people have done by me – and the list is a mile long of people that have let me down – how I’ve let meself down, plus the manner of me last defeat. I’m pushing all that frustration into a big ball to fire at me opponent on November 24. Forgive me for saying, it’s made me a real nasty fooker again.” Nasty or not, Hatton is reticent when asked about the people he feels have let him down. It’s alleged his father Ray was arrested for attacking Ricky in September, so his decision not to discuss names is understandable. However, coupled with Sky TV not renewing a deal with Hatton Promotions this year, it’s easy to speculate as to at least a few of the people Hatton might feel disappointed with. “I don’t want to point the finger at Sky or family issues or this, that or the other,” he adds when pressed. “But generally I feel everyone’s been on the Ricky Hatton roadshow – and there seems to be a mountain of people that have let me down. Maybe that’s a little bit of my depression still coming out and feeling sorry for myself, but it’s how I feel.” In person, however, Hatton seems goodhumoured as ever. Recounting despair and bitterness doesn’t seem to suit his warm, flat Mancunian tones, and he’s far happier to assess whether – at 34 – he’ll be a different fighter to the all-action tyro he was in his 20s.

“You’ll have the same Ricky Hatton that everyone has always loved,” he says. ”I’ve always been an aggressive fighter, but being a trainer has opened my eyes a bit. Ultimately, I look back at my career and my over-aggressiveness got me knocked out against Mayweather and Pacquiao. ”If I get stopped a third time, I get the match ball, don’t I?” he laughs. “And I don’t want that hat-trick! I’ve got that nastiness every boxer needs, but also a wiser head. Through my training and my experience, I can control that aggression now.” Whether you think Hatton is deluded in his comeback attempt or not, he isn’t fooling himself about his past mistakes. Losing his composure in the ring was a factor in his losses against those two exalted fighters. He also claims he’s learned his lesson about his fitness outside the ring, saying that blowing up in weight between fights has to change. “Losing two and a half or three stone when I was 24 years of age was absolutely diabolical. I can’t do it at 34. It’s about being a lickle bit older – you learn from your mistakes. People will forgive you if you make a mistake – they won’t forgive you if you do it again. That’s what I believe and I want to show that. I want to be a better boyfriend, a better father, I want to be someone kids look up to again. The last thing I want my kids to read is: ’Oh yeah, Ricky was a great champion, but didn’t he flush his life down the toilet?’” >

22 | November 2 2012 |

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Ricky Hatton It’s worth pointing out that many people have struggled with alcohol and depression without losing the respect of others; that the tabloid press are less forgiving than loved ones or fans often are. Hatton nods. “But I need to get rid of this fella first,” he adds, tapping his left shoulder once more. At least, even if his inner voice is still critical, he admits to being moved by the public reaction to his comeback.

“I had to choke back the tears just at my press conference,” he says. “There was every chance I could have been bleedin’ dead – that’s how bad it was for a time. Then I announced my comeback and said: ’Don’t worry, in a few weeks we’ll announce the opponent.’ And before we even got a chance to, it was sold out. More than winning any world title, I’ve always said that my proudest achievement was my fans and the support that they give me.” A packed Manchester MEN, Blue Moon playing, the crowd chanting as Hatton emerges – the atmosphere will feel electric. But Hatton knows better than anyone that there’s work to be done in the ring. His opponent is Vyacheslav Senchenko, a solid, 35-year-old Ukrainian and former WBA welterweight champion who’s lost only one fight in 33 bouts. He’s no Floyd Mayweather, but he’s a seasoned, world-rated fighter. “My team advised me against it,” Hatton says about his choice of opponent. “But this is the level I want to fight at. I haven’t called out Amir Khan or Kell Brook yet. I do want to fight them, but I think I need to make a believer

24 | November 2 2012 |

out of people first. I’ve had three years out. People ask: ’Do you want to fight him or him?’ Well, I’m not in a position to call people out yet. Hopefully I’ll go crash, bang, wallop on November 24, then I can say: ’Now ask me the same question.’ “But it’s worth more than that,” Hatton says of his return to the ring. “It’s about someone who was loved so much to being, I feel, a bit of a joke. So it’s not just whether I come back and win a world title – whether I fight Amir Khan or Kell Brook. “It’s about the fact that I can return after three years, shift all that weight, come back from the Manny defeat, fight at the MEN, sell it out, and do people proud again. The manner of what happens on November 24 will give people – me and other people – a better indication of where I’m heading. “It’ll either be: ’Rick, you give it a go, fair play, but hang them up back up again.’ Or it’ll be: ’Fucking hell! You better watch out guys.’” Alex Reid @otheralexreid Ricky Hatton v Vyacheslav Senchenko will be shown live on Primetime, Channel 498 on Sky and Virgin-On-Demand, on Saturday November 24 for £14.95. To order, call 0871 200 4444 or go to primetimeboxing.co.uk

Follow Ricky Hatton on twitter @HitmanHatton

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The Toughest Endurance Races

HERE COMES THE PAIN Hey you. Yeah, you right there. Think the fact you ran a marathon without passing out makes you big time? That’s not big time. Nope. These 10 races here are big time. As chosen by the authors of The World’s Toughest Endurance Challenges, these may well be the toughest physical tests on the entire planet. Come and have a go...

| November 2 2012 | 27

Photo by Walter Alvial

PATAgONIAN ExPEdITION RACE There are few places on earth like Patagonia, the region shared by Chile and Argentina. Reaching out towards Antarctica from the tip of South America, the environment is spectacular, the conditions extreme. Against this backdrop, teams attempt to overcome a 600km course (it varies year on year) that exposes them to the best – and the very worst – of the region. Teams can complete the race by running, mountain biking, kayaking and using rope work to traverse the untamed terrain. Sound like some corporate jolly? Think again. The PER is a serious race in a very tough environment that challenges competitors in a way like no other – and they can expect to cover hundreds of kilometres without seeing another soul. > patagonianexpeditionrace.com

The Toughest Endurance Races

Yak attack Brutal climbs, trails that skirt the edges of sheer cliff faces and snow-covered tracks that challenge the abilities of some of the world’s toughest mountain bikers. The Yak Attack is an epic 400km test of strength, nerve and skill, as riders tackle a route through the greatest and most unforgiving mountain range on the planet: the Himalayas. Competitors can expect to climb 12,000 metres (the race takes in the highest mountain pass on earth); continue riding despite bouts of frostbite and snow blindness; and deal with the inevitable effects of oxygen depletion thanks to racing at altitude. It’s billed as experiencing Nepal ‘up close and dirty – no luxuries’. So stop yakking and get on with it. yak-attack.co.uk

Red Bull X-alps the Jungle maRathon

Photos by Phil Stasiw, Gil Serique, Vitek Ludvik/Red Bull Content Pool

Most ultramarathons push athletes to their mental and physical limits. The Jungle Marathon pushes athletes way beyond them. A 240km race over seven days, athletes tackle a course that runs through the heart of the jungle. And this really is the beating heart of the Amazon. Poisonous trees line the route, trails frequently cross rivers (containing all sorts of critters – not to mention piranhas), and the local wildlife takes a close interest in proceedings. And that’s just during the day. The jungle comes alive at night, and athletes challenge their bodies and minds as they race through the pitch black on one infamous stage. Unique in its location, the Jungle Marathon is a true test of physical and mental resolve. junglemarathon.com

the eXtReme WoRld Races south pole Race Antarctica is an unforgiving continent. Temperatures can fall to as low as −50°C, hurricane-force winds frequently sweep across the barren polar plateau, and snowstorms can reduce visibility to zero. Perfect location for a race, then. Following in the footsteps of the likes of Amundsen and Scott, the EWR South Pole Race is a 745km trek to the very bottom of the earth. Teams of three attempt it, all battling the environment, as well as the physical and mental fatigue that blights their journey to the finish line. > extremeworldraces.com

28 | November 2 2012 |

The Red Bull X-Alps challenge is simple: hike or fly from Salzburg to Monaco (east to west across the European Alps) using only two feet and a paraglider. The execution is anything but. Launching into the Alps, competitors face challenging flying conditions with the mountain weather changing constantly. Back on land, things don’t get much easier. Competitors have been known to cover as little as 40 per cent of the race in the air, running up to 50 miles in one go. At the same time, they have to traverse sheer mountain faces in the midst of snowstorms and whiteouts while carrying all of their own equipment. Needless to say, the number of finishers is small – and there is a strict cut-off time for those finishing behind the leader. redbullxalps.com

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The Toughest Endurance Races

BadwateR UltRamaRathon This 217km race starts out in California’s Death Valley (86m below sea level), and follows a road through the desert before reaching a finish line at the trailhead at Whitney Portal (2,548m above sea level). If the cumulative ascent of 3,962m is not hard enough, throw in daytime temperatures hot enough to melt you (55°C) and an official cut-off of 48 hours from the start – and it is easy to see why this race has legendary status as the ‘world’s toughest foot race’. badwater.com

4 deseRts Four deserts, four races. Each is 250km long and takes place in some of the planet’s most inhospitable regions. The 4 Deserts is a series of self-supported ultramarathons (athletes have to carry everything they need for the duration of the event – though there are water stations en route) that push the fittest athletes to their very limits over seven gruelling days (per desert). Each desert (the Gobi, Atacama, Sahara and Antarctica) and each race brings demands that are as unique as they are extreme. Only a handful of people have completed them all. 4deserts.com

Photos by Ahren Trumble, Racing The Planet, Kai-Otto Melau/ NXTRI, Vladimir Brezina, Chris Milliman

noRseman xtReme tRiathlon Most people know what an Ironman is: a triathlon comprising a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km run – all in one day. The Norseman, however, is something else. The distances are the same, but the challenge is much tougher. The day starts at 5am, when competitors jump off a ferry into a Norwegian fjord. After swimming to shore (sometimes with the current, sometimes against it), the biking begins. Changeable weather and relentless climbs take their toll before the run, which starts flat(ish) but ends in the heavens, atop the Gaustatoppen mountain. Only the fastest 160 competitors are allowed to tackle this climb – and there are regular medical checks in the miles leading up to it. nxtri.com

Race acRoss ameRica

manhattan island maRathon swim The stage is iconic, the act nothing less than brutal. The Manhattan Island Marathon Swim is a 45.8km slog around Manhattan Island. Competitors swim in the three different rivers (the Hudson, Harlem and East) that skirt the heart of New York City. River traffic is a given, as is the various flotsam and jetsam. Athletes are current-assisted (no attempt to swim against the current has been successful) but the cut-off times remain severe, with every competitor having to complete the course in a little over nine hours. nycswim.org

30 | November 2 2012 |

Many people dream of cycling across America; few are capable of racing it. Regarded as the world’s toughest endurance bike race, it asks competitors to race 4,828km (nearly 1,500km further than the 2013 Tour de France) from California to Maryland, tackling 51,800m worth of climbs in under 12 days. Teams are allowed, but the solo riders are the stars. The record? A ridiculous eight days, nine hours and 47 minutes. raceacrossamerica.org

The World’s Toughest Endurance Challenges, published by Bloomsbury, is out in November. For more information on the book, visit challengeguides.com

Demba Ba

The Ba has been raised lympique Lyonnais, AJ Auxerre, Watford, Barnsley, VFB Stuttgart, Paris Saint-Germain, Lille, Arsenal, Charlton Athletic... if you were the chairman or owner of any of these clubs in the past five years, step forward, bend over and kick yourself firmly up the backside. Legend has it that each and every one of those teams looked closely, at one time or another, at a young footballer named Demba Ba – and each and every one of them decided that he wasn’t quite what they wanted or needed. But then, why would they? Who needs a goalscorer who scored 16 in 36 games for his club last season? And who would want a man who already has seven in nine Premier League appearances to his name this season? Who would really want the top division’s leading striker in their team? Goals are overrated anyway. Now, it might make some kind of sense if Demba Ba had been overlooked when he was just another young footballer with raw potential, but he’d already turned 20 – and in a game where many clubs have identified their future stars before they even turn 10. The answer came back time and again: non, no, nein. It took Ba until he was 22 for a team of any real European standing to take a chance on him, and even then 1899 Hoffenheim were languishing in Bundesliga 2. But, with his foot finally in the door, he grabbed the chance and began to make up for lost time. Today, then, as Sport sits down with him on Tyneside for an exclusive interview, the opening question asks itself...

Ben Duffy

32 | November 2 2012 |

So what kept you, Demba? Why did it take so long for you to break into professional football? “Why? Well, the problem was that nobody wanted to take me – that is why. If I could have had a team when I was 15 and gone through an academy like everyone else, I would have been happy. But I went from trial to trial to trial and I would always end up with a negative answer, for whatever reason. It wasn’t that I chose to leave it late. It wasn’t that I decided late that I wanted to play football, believe me. I was out there trying and trying, but always being told no.”

There must have come a point when you thought it wouldn’t happen – when you thought you might have to look at doing something else? “Never. Never. I was disappointed every time, of course. But there were always positives that I could take and work on. And I was always saying to myself: ’If not here, then somewhere else.’ Everything happens for a reason, and I’m very happy with how my career has gone.”

When you play now, are you out to prove those teams wrong – that they made a mistake in rejecting you? “No, no – the only point I want to prove is to myself. The only thing I want to do is give the best and get off the pitch without any regret. I have nothing to prove to them, or anyone but myself.” Stoke City’s decision not to sign you was different in that they claimed your left knee was a “ticking time bomb“. How much of a surprise was that to you? “Yes, when I heard them say that I look at my agent and I say: ’Quick, get out the office, it’s going to blow!’ But like when I was doing my trials and going from rejection to rejection to rejection, I just took the view that if that’s what they thought, then so be it. If I didn’t join Stoke City, I’d give my services to someone else. Since that day I’ve played something like 50 games and I’ve scored, well, you’ve seen how many goals I’ve scored – I don’t have to prove my fitness to anyone.” Ten months later, you scored a hat-trick for Newcastle away at Stoke. Did that feel like payback? “No. I mean, it felt special because it was a hat-trick, but I am not sure it meant any more because of what had happened. For example, it was nothing compared to the hat-trick I’d scored against Blackburn a few weeks earlier. That was my first hat-trick in the Premier League – I was at home in front of 50,000 fans and the feeling of that was way, way better than the hat-trick at Stoke.” What does it feel like to score a goal? “Wow... it’s difficult, you know? Sometimes you’re so happy when you score, you cannot control your gestures – you don’t know what you are doing. You just go mad, you know? >

| 33

Demba Ba

“The biggest quality for me is not on the pitch – it’s mentally” Would you rather score and lose, or not score and win the game? “The second one, of course. To score and win would be best, but if I had to chose then I would say the second option because football is about winning. It is not about one player, it’s about the team working together to win.” But doesn’t a striker need to be selfish – or let’s say single-minded – to succeed? “To a certain degree, yes. But you cannot win a game without your teammates, and I always remember that. We play football to win, and we win as a team.” You began life as a defensive midfielder before being turned into a striker. Did you enjoy that role? “Well, I certainly got a lot more touches of the ball playing that role. The downside was that I had to do a lot of running backwards, although I’ve since learned that you still do a lot of that even when you’re playing as a striker.” How hard was it to reinvent yourself as a striker? “Not as hard as you might think, because we all grow up watching strikers play and watch how they run – and you tend to absorb more than you might think. I watched a lot of Thierry Henry, for example, and I studied how he made his runs with and without the ball.

After a while it became automatic for me to do the same thing. Plus, I was given some advice that has stuck with me: someone once told me that when you make your run, you should never go wider than the width of the 18-yard box. If you go out any wider, then you will not score. And that has been true for me.” What’s your greatest strength as a striker? “I always say the biggest quality for me is not on the pitch – it’s mentally. Everything that has happened in my career – rejections, injuries – I have had to be very strong in the head to overcome them. If you ask what my strength is on the pitch, I like getting on to the ball, playing football. I like beautiful football, passing it around. But sometimes I just like to be powerful. I’m okay with that side.” How much of a culture shock was it to move from London and West Ham to Newcastle – a country within a country? “I was living in Heidelberg in Germany when I was playing for Hoffenheim, and Heidelberg was a tiny place – beautiful but tiny. My whole family lives in Paris, so to go from Paris to Heidelberg was a big shock for me. Then, when I went from Hoffenheim to London and West Ham, I thought: ’Oh, this is the city for me, this is the city I want to stay in.’ But then, after a few months, I had to go to Newcastle and I was a bit sad. Not because I didn’t want to go to Newcastle, but because I loved London and felt very comfortable there. But that is football. You get used to moving around and going where the game takes you.”

Ba made: playing for Hoffenheim in 2008 (left, top); scoring for West Ham against Wigan (left); and completing his hat-trick at Stoke last season

How are you getting on with the Geordie accent? “Well, they talk to me, but often it just sounds like noise – so I make it up in my head and guess what they’re saying to me. I’m getting more used to it, but I do just nod a lot. The thing is, I speak African English to them, so it’s hard to understand me sometimes. But I still think African English is easier than Geordie.“ Is it true you’re in awe of Peter Beardsley [pictured, below], the Newcastle reserve team coach? “Yes, a little. I didn’t know who he was or what he had done when I first arrived here. Then I watched videos of him play and I go back to Hatem [Ben Arfa] and say, I found someone more skilful than you: Peter Beardsley. And then I show him the video of Beardsley playing and he sees what an amazing player he was – small, but quick and with very quick feet. He played a very different game to me, but he is always there to talk to about the game and share what he knows.” Who is the toughest defender you’ve encountered in English football – who has given you your hardest game? "I won’t say I have a single defender who really terrorises me on the pitch, it’s more... we played Liverpool away last season and I was alone up front, like one striker, and I had to fight with Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel. That was tough, two versus one the whole game. Of course, there’s a lot of very good defenders >

| November 2 2012 | 35

Stuart Franklin/Bongarts/Getty Images, Chris Brunskill/Getty Images, Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images, Mike Cooper/Allsport

I can’t describe in words how it feels – you just have to experience scoring in front of 50-60,000 people in an important game. Whooaaa! I mean, it is just a crazy feeling.”

Demba Ba

“I love to train. I train a lot. Even when I don’t have training,I'm training” Have you? ”No.”

Okay, so who is the best defender you have faced? ”Fabricio Coloccini. I play against him every training session – and it’s not that he’s particularly physical or hard in a duel, but he’s so intelligent. He doesn’t even need to go into a tackle to get the ball – he just looks and he takes it. I’m just glad I don’t have to face him properly, because I don’t think I would touch many balls.” What is Alan Pardew asking from you this season? ”He asked for a lot, because now I am here in my second year. He always says I am an important player in his team. He wants me to be a leader on the pitch – not only a goalscorer, not only a striker, but a leader as well. He wants me to step up and start talking and lead the team more.” Has he put a figure on how many goals he wants from you? ”No.”

Not at all? ”No. It is going not too bad so far, but I haven’t set myself any kind of target. I just want us to win games and, if I score as well, I will be very happy.”

The cross Ba: Pardew says his striker plays better with a point to prove – and his brace against Reading proved enough for a point

is just what they write just for the image. If I have to do it again, I will do it. I won’t be happy, but that is not what’s important for the team.“ Okay, final question: where are you off to now? “Now? I’m having some pictures taken and then I’ll just go home and maybe do some training.” Training? At home? “Yes, I love to train. I train a lot. Even when I don’t have training, I’m training. I have my gym at home and proper-sized goals in my garden. My garden is big and shaped like the football pitch – that’s why I took the house, so that I could put up a big goal and keep on practising.”

Your manager has said that you play better when you’re angry or have a point to prove. Do you agree with that? ”I think the best of my game is when I feel happy and sharp. The most important thing for me is to be happy in my head – then I can play my football well, you know?” After you had scored 15 goals playing centrally last season, Pardew played you wide on the left when you returned from the Africa Cup of Nations – and the goals dried up. Did that make you happy or angry? ”It didn’t make me happy at all, but it is for the team. I was playing on the left and we were winning games, so there was no reason to change the system. Of course, I was not too happy with the position because that is not where I am best – but what you read in the papers about me being unhappy or angry, that

Who goes in goal? “Nobody. Nobody in goal. I don’t need a goalkeeper when I’m practising. They would just get in the way.” Nick Harper Demba Ba wears the latest adizero F50 Trx boots – the fastest boot in football. They are designed for eye-watering speed on firm ground, offering excellent stability at high speed and maximum grip to aid acceleration. www.adidas.com. RRP: £155

A BA IS BORN The life and clubs of Demba Ba 1985

1998

2004

2005

2006

2007

2011

Born in Sevres, a suburb of Paris, on May 25.

As a junior, Ba joins Port Autonome du Havre, moving to Frileuse in 2000 and on to Montrouge in 2001, where he stays for three years. We haven’t heard of them either.

In a year of trials, Ba trains with Auxerre, Watford and Barnsley. Watford invite him back to train with the professionals, but release him after five months.

Joins FC Rouen in the French fourth division, scoring 22 goals in 26 games.

Despite interest from Nantes, Lille and RC Lens, joins Royal Excelsior Mouscron in Belgium. Breaks shinbone early on and is out for eight months. Returns for final seven games of the season – scores seven.

Joins Hoffenheim in German second division, despite reported interest from PSG, Lille, Arsenal, Charlton, Valladolid and Deportivo La Coruna. Scores 12 in 29 to help secure promotion - leaves with 37 in 97 overall.

After Stoke City decide against signing him on medical grounds (see main piece), Ba joins West Ham United. His seven goals in 12 games cannot save the Hammers from the drop, and Ba moves on.

Joins Newcastle United, where he’s scored – at the time of writing – 23 goals in 43 Premier League games.

36 | November 2 2012 |

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Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

in England, but there’s no one I have played who afterwards I have thought: ’This guy terrorised me, I don’t want to play against him again.’”

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15,358

Sport and Twitter

tweets

A mAtch mAde in heAven? W hen Juan Mata slotted home Spain’s fourth and final goal of their Euro 2012 final against Italy, 15,358 people reacted in exactly the same way – they tweeted. That moment saw Twitter’s previous tweets per second record (10,245, set during the closing stages of a thrilling 2012 Super Bowl) smashed, and showed sports fans are no longer satisfied with being passive observers. They now want to be part of a worldwide conversation about what they’re watching. A few weeks on from Spain’s scintillating performance, and sport was back at the top of the Twitter agenda with the start of London 2012. Over 16 days of Olympic competition, more than 150 million tweets were posted – to put that into perspective, there were more tweets about London 2012 in a single day than during the entire Beijing Games in 2008.

It’s not just sporting events that drive Twitter usage, however – it’s the protagonists as well. Since Twitter’s launch in 2006, sportspeople have flocked to the website, desperate to be assigned the little blue tick of verification that assures followers they are the real deal. And no matter how many Kevin Pietersen/Ashley Cole/Joey Barton moments hit the headlines, they just keep on coming.

Changing the gaMe “I’ll be honest; I didn’t think sportspeople would take to Twitter as much as they have done,” says Jamie Cunningham, chief executive and founder of Professional Sports Group (PSG). “But it’s become a complete game-changer.” With Tom Daley (who has nearly two million followers) the standout name on his client list, Cunningham has seen first-hand the impact Twitter can have on an athlete’s profile. >

| November 2 2012 | 41

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Twitter is where sport happens these days. Can’t see a match? Follow it there. Want a player’s reaction to a contentious refereeing decision? Find his Twitter feed. We investigate why sport and Twitter have become so inextricably linked...

Sport and Twitter

1,770,209

followers

“Right now, for sportsmen with genuinely interesting personalities and abilities, Twitter is a game-changer because you can’t make it up – you can’t pretend you have a million followers. You either do or you don’t. “You discover who the sportsperson is very quickly – you discover their personality. There are a lot of very bland people on Twitter, but the ones who have the big figures are the ones who have engaged their audience and make it interesting to hear from them. We all know the sportsmen who have numbers of more than a million – that either reflects their massive personalities or their engagement with fans. It’s about who they are and why fans like them.” There is, no doubt, an element of competition in it for some athletes – or, more specifically, for their management teams. Indeed, during our chat, Cunningham emphasises that although Usain Bolt has 326,000 more followers than Daley, the Jamaican is “nowhere in China” compared to the diver, who has also amassed almost two million followers on the Chinese version of Twitter, Weibo.

LONDON 2012 ON TWITTER 42 | November 2 2012 |

From the horse’s mouth But for the athletes themselves, it goes beyond the realms of a morale-boosting ego stroke. “It’s about getting messages across,” says an athlete representative from the tennis industry. “You see a lot of it now, where maybe newspaper stories are incorrect and the athlete responds directly, saying it’s nonsense.” That’s something Andy Murray put into action earlier this year, slapping down a story threatening to raise tensions in the Murray house. “Just to clear this up, my girlfriend has never once pushed me to get married,” he tweeted. “I made a joke, surprisingly the papers make a big deal of it.” If only the British number one had been on Twitter at the time of his “anyone but England” World Cup remark, eh? “It’s really given sportspeople a voice,” agrees Lewis Wiltshire, who became Twitter UK’s inaugural head of sport around seven months ago. But more than that, Wiltshire says, it’s given them the ability to show off the areas of their lives and personalities fans otherwise don’t see.

The biggest moments of competition, as measured by Tweets per minute (TPM), were: 1. Usain Bolt (@UsainBolt) winning gold in the 200m: 80,000+ 2. Bolt winning gold in the 100m: 74,000+ 3. Andy Murray (@andy_murray) winning gold in the men’s tennis singles: 57,000+ 4. Jamaica winning gold and setting the world record in the men’s 4x100m relay: 52,000+ 5. Team USA beating Spain to win gold in men’s basketball: 41,000+

Character in 140 characters: Barton is notoriously vocal and uncensored

“Rio Ferdinand giving us an insight into his life by telling us about the songs he’s listening to in the car while taking his boys to school has allowed the fans to see a different side to him. It’s changed the public perception of him in many ways – and other athletes can see that.” If there’s one sportsperson who epitomises the power Twitter has to build up – or destroy – the image of its users, it’s Joey Barton. A decent footballer, Barton has created a profile (with 1,770,209 followers) befitting of a far better one simply by turning to Twitter whenever he feels he has something important to say – which is often. The latest victim of a Barton Twitter battering was PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor, who Barton likened to “a fat, festering old king. Too drunk on power or wine to notice that his meal is a rotting corpse of maggots”. But Wiltshire says Twitter’s beauty lies in its lack of boundaries – with obvious exceptions. “Joey has been quite vocal about the platform Twitter has given him in allowing him to get his point of view across, and that’s the amazing

In addition to inspiring the biggest conversation spike with his 200m win, Usain Bolt also took home the record for being the most discussed athlete of the Games. But he had company — nine other Olympians garnered more than one million tweets each: 1. Usain Bolt (@UsainBolt) 6. Andy Murray (@andy_murray) 2. Michael Phelps (@MichaelPhelps) 7. Kobe Bryant 3. Tom Daley (@TomDaley1994) 8. Yohan Blake (@YohanBlake) 4. Ryan Lochte (@ryanlochte) 9. Lee Chong Wei (@Lee_C_Wei) 5. Gabby Douglas (gabrielledoug) 10. LeBron James (@KingJames)

1,990,115

1,289,372

followers

Gerard Julien/AFP/GettyImages, Martin Bureau/AFP/GettyImages, Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

followers

The door To all evil? It also leaves the door open, however, for athletes to say things they shouldn’t – things that upset teammates, bosses or the world at large. It’s a door that countless sportspeople have walked straight through over the past six years – something James Beale, a sports and exercise psychologist at the University of East London, says is hardly surprising. “In many cases, high-profile sportspeople are treated as a kind of mini god,” he explains. “They’re paid a lot of money for doing something that does not require general life skills and have often foregone opportunities to develop them. This is a fatal cocktail – and, with the popularity of social media among sportspeople and the general population, there will be more to come. “I wonder if it will be a small window of opportunity for sportspeople, though, as surely clubs will develop harsher policies

2012 RYDER CUP ON TWITTER

on usage. They have policies on other intrusive areas that are enforced, so why not treat this in the same way?” It’s a question that’s best put to Wiltshire, who liaises with Premier League clubs on a daily basis on how they can best make use of Twitter. On the issue of clubs censoring their player’s Twitter feeds, he says it’s not a decision with which his company would get involved. “We wouldn’t advise them one way or another on that specifically,” he says. “But I haven’t seen any clubs preparing to control or sanitise players’ tweets. “I was with a large group of representatives from each of the Premier League clubs recently, at the invitation of the league, and the feeling was that this is a positive thing, so I don’t see any evidence that clubs want to do that. “Fans want to connect with athletes directly – that’s the beauty of it. When athletes tweet in their own voice and fans can see that it’s genuine and have a chance to interact – well, it’s the first time that’s happened. It wasn’t that long ago fans would write a letter to the

europe in win-win situation

It was victory for the Europeans on and off the course at the Ryder Cup this year, with 200,000 mentions of the triumphant Team Europe and the hashtag #Teameurope on Twitter during the competition, compared with only 55,000 mentions of Team USA and the hashtag #TeamUSa.

A phenomenal fan-tool: Daley (left) and Murray engage with millions

Most mentioned The top five 2012 Ryder Cup golfers on Twitter (by mention of their name or handle during the Ryder Cup): 1. Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) 2. Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) 3. Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) 4. Bubba Watson (@bubbawatson) 5. Justin Rose (@JustinRose99)

club and it would be opened by someone in a mail room before maybe getting passed on to the player. Now fans are talking directly to the players in a way that hasn’t happened before – that’s where Twitter is at its best.” “A phenomenal fan-tool,” is how Tom Daley’s manager Cunningham describes Twitter. But ask him where it goes next, and the response is less about the fans and more about the finance. “Right now, Twitter creates a media platform for sports celebrities,” he says. “But no one has yet cracked the formula for what the monetisation of that means. It is worth a considerable amount to sponsors and commercial partners of tournaments to have their sportsmen on side and for them to have big followings because, well, it’s not rocket science really, is it?” Twitter users will hope the formula remains a mystery. Because the time when Twitter turns from fan-tool to cash cow is the day the following stops. Although Barton will probably live on there forever, wittering on. And on... Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Most followed The most followed Ryder Cup golfer of them all is Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) of Team USA, with more than 2.7 million followers. Ian Poulter (@ianJamesPoulter) and Rory McIlroy (@Mcilroyrory) are neck and neck for the top spot in Europe, both closing in on the 1.4 million mark.

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All follower numbers correct at time of going to press

thing about it,” he says. “There are no specific guidelines about what you should or shouldn’t say – it humanises people like Joey and Rio.”

ATP World Tour Finals

WHEN TW TRIBES GO for four hours and 50 minutes. More than once it seemed Murray had the destroyer on the ropes, but when the bell for the final round rang, it was Djokovic who stood firm. “There’s a very fine line between being number one in the world and being three or four,” said a defiant Murray afterwards. “I feel tonight that I closed that gap.” The pair have clashed a further five times since then, with the scores for the season even at three hard-fought wins apiece.

When one door closes... It seemed one of the greatest rivalries the sport had known had reached its sell-by date, leaving the world wondering when – or if – we might see its like again? It didn’t take long for the first hint that maybe there was another rivalry brewing up just in time, however. That hint came in the semi final of the first slam of the year, when Andy Murray and Djokovic locked horns in the Melbourne heat

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44 | November 2 2012 |

In for the long haul Theirs is a rivalry that Paul Newman, tennis correspondent at The Independent, says is set to dominate men’s tennis for years to come. “If you look at Nadal, no one knows when he’s going to be back from his injury or if he’s going to be the force that he was,” he explains. “Although Federer won Wimbledon this year, he’s not the player he was. He hits the heights from time to time, but he cannot sustain it.” Mark Petchey, Murray’s former coach and a Sky Sports pundit, agrees. “Have we seen the best of the Federer/Nadal rivalry? Probably,” he says. “For a long time, Rafa and Roger were so greedy that nobody else could get involved in the mix. Novak crowbarred his way in last year, and now Andy’s done the same. “They’re both moving into their prime now, with Andy playing the best tennis of his career and Novak looking like he’s going to finish the year as world number one. This is unquestionably building into a great rivalry.” Throughout the years that Federer and Nadal mopped up all the ranking points, it was clear Djokovic and Murray would one day challenge their rule. Look behind the Serb and his sidekick now, though, says Newman, and future contenders are thin on the ground: “When Djokovic and Murray were aged around 21, they were exceptional players already – you could see they were going to be right up with Federer and Nadal.

INTO SERVING www.highland-spring.com

Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images, Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

he final tournament of the tennis season gets under way on Monday at the O2 Arena, where the world’s top eight male players will battle it out. For two of them, it’s about more than just a trophy – it’s a rivalry verging on tribal. This year, something happened to men’s tennis that hasn’t happened since 2003. That was the last time that the four Grand Slams were each won by a different player. From 2004 until 2011, the majors were divided among, at most, three players. And for three of those years, two particularly greedy chaps gobbled the lot. The Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal axis was, until last year, the dominating rivalry in men’s tennis. Between them, they won every slam in 2006, 2007 and 2010, with only Novak Djokovic (at the 2008 Australian Open) and Juan Martin Del Potro (at the 2009 US Open) preventing them from doing it five years in a row. But last year, a stiff wind of change blew through the sport; it was called Djokovic and it annihilated almost everything in its path. Nadal clung on to his French Open title, but the three remaining slams belonged to the Serbian destroyer. Suddenly the door to the trophy room was open again – and Djokovic was throwing one heck of a party in there.

WO O TO WAR Monday > ATP World Tour FinAls o2, london | sky sPorTs 1 1.30Pm

“There isn’t anyone around now who fits that bill. Milos Raonic is the closest; he has potential to be a Grand Slam champion, but I don’t see it happening for a year or two yet. And there’s Bernard Tomic, but he’s struggled at the end of this season, which casts doubt. Grigor Dimitrov is another one – he’s a lovely player, but hasn’t quite developed into the player you thought he might.”

Closer than Close It’s down to Murray and Djokovic, then (though Nadal and Federer will undoubtedly have their say for a few years yet). And while Murray has been playing catch-up with the Serb for the past few seasons, his success this summer suggests the gap between them has narrowed to an almost indiscernible line. Murray’s back-to-back wins over Djokovic at the Olympics and US Open aside, the pair have taken it in turns to leave the court triumphant when they’ve played this season. “When you have two guys who are as good as they are, on any given day and surface, either of them can win,” says Petchey. “Andy is a better player on a grass court than Novak, but Novak is a better clay-court player than Andy right now. On a hard court, they’re very evenly matched. “With all these rivalries, you go through spurts where someone gets on a run of two or three matches in a row, then the other one makes some adjustments and hits back. That’s all you can ask of a rivalry, really; that it keeps on making you better.” While Djokovic had the mental edge over everyone last season, Newman says Murray is now right up there with the Serb. “I don’t think there’s any difference in their mental strength this season, especially since Murray won the Olympics and his first slam,” he says. “There are areas in their game, though, where one possibly has the edge over the other. Murray’s got a bit more variety to his game

than Djokovic – he’s more of a creative player. His backhand was always a terrific shot, but this year his forehand has become a big weapon too – particularly when he’s chasing balls out wide and he hits it hard and flat. “Djokovic has a slight edge in terms of his serve at the moment, though – that’s an area Murray could still improve upon. I’d also mark him a bit above Murray in terms of the quality of his returns – although they’re the two best returners in the business, so it’s only a slight edge.”

old friends, new enemies Whatever the differences, the two know each other’s games inside out, having first met on court as 11-year-olds. Their friendship has taken a hiatus though, now that they’re toe to toe as seniors. “I like the guy, but I can’t be friends with Andy,” said Djokovic at the US Open. “How can you be best friends with a guy you know you are going to be doing battle with?” That’s the way it has to be, agrees Petchey: “You don’t want to get too close to your great rivals – you don’t want to like them too much. There’s a mutual respect, but at the same time they’re vicious competitors and need to keep the edge whenever they step on to court.” Should they meet at the O2 next week, bragging rights as well as ranking points will be on the line. Same again next year, then, chaps? > Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is part of a year-round tennis schedule live on Sky Sports HD, and on mobile via Sky Go

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ATP World Tour Finals

The ConTenders

Novak Djokovic (SRB)

RogeR FeDeReR (Sui)

aNDy MuRRay (gB)

DaviD FeRReR (eSP)

titLeS woN iN 2012 5

titLeS woN iN 2012 6

titLeS woN iN 2012 3

titLeS woN iN 2012 6

wtF hiStoRy Qualified every year since 2007 and won it once – in 2008.

wtF hiStoRy Won it six times, with 2012 marking his 11th straight year of qualifying.

wtF hiStoRy Has qualified five years in a row and twice reached the semi finals.

wtF hiStoRy Making his fourth appearance, and reached the final back in 2007.

2012 LowDowN Won a marathon five-hour, 53-minute match against Rafael Nadal to win his third Australian Open and fifth Grand Slam title, but lost the French and US Open finals to Nadal and Andy Murray respectively. Also lost the bronzemedal match to Juan Martin del Potro at London 2012.

2012 LowDowN Lost in the semi finals of Australia (to Nadal) and the French Open (to Djokovic) before winning a seventh Wimbledon title and regaining the world number-one spot. Murray beat him to gold at the Olympics before Tomas Berdych sent him packing from the US Open quarter finals.

2012 LowDowN Gut-wrenching to start with: a five-set semi-final loss to Djokovic in Australia was followed by a quarter-final defeat in Paris. There were tears at Wimbledon, where Federer beat him in the final – but weeks later came the turning point, when Olympic gold paved the way for his first Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows.

2012 LowDowN Quarter-final appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon were bettered by semi-final showings at the French and US Opens, ensuring it’s been the small (well, 5ft 9ins) Spaniard’s finest year yet in the Grand Slams.

DiD you kNow? His parents might have once owned a pizza parlour, but last year the Djoker ditched the stuffed crusts to follow a gluten-free diet.

DiD you kNow? Federer met his wife, Mirka, at the Sydney Olympics, where she was also playing tennis for Switzerland. Injury ended her career, but she found a new one – PR to Mr Federer. We won’t speculate on what that job interview involved...

Race to LoNDoN RaNkiNg 2

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46 | November 2 2012 |

Race to LoNDoN RaNkiNg 3

DiD you kNow? A Wimbledon pub congratulated him on his US Open title with this message, scrawled on a board outside: “Well done Andy! Now sort your barnet out mate.” Wise words.

INTO SLICING www.highland-spring.com

Race to LoNDoN RaNkiNg 5

DiD you kNow? As a teenager, Ferrer was locked in a dark ball closet for hours by his coach for not working hard enough. Understandably fed up with tennis after this, Ferrer went to work on a building site, but returned after wa week, having decided tennis was easier. And he’s still with the same coach today. >

All pictures Getty Images

Race to LoNDoN RaNkiNg 1

ATP World Tour Finals

Juan marTin deL PoTro (arg)

TiTLes won in 2012 2

TiTLes won in 2012 3

wTF hisTory

Reached the semi finals last year and is making his third appearance.

Qualified in 2008 and 2009, when he lost in the final.

2012 Lowdown

Reaching the US Open semi final was the high point, especially because it came after the low of first-round exits at both Wimbledon and the Olympics. Also made the quarter finals in Australia before eventually losing to Nadal.

Made it back into the top 10 for the first time since 2010 after reaching the quarter finals in Australia, where he lost to Federer – as he did at the French Open. Made it to the quarters at the US Open as well, this time losing to Djokovic. A fourth-round Wimbledon defeat was somewhat avenged by winning singles bronze at the Olympics.

race To London ranking 6

did you know? Berdych has a habit of turning crowds against him. After beating Nadal at the Madrid Masters in 2006, he aimed a cheeky shushing gesture at Spanish fans. Then, at January’s Aussie Open, he refused to shake the hand of his opponent Nicolas Almagro, complaining that Almagro had deliberately smacked a forehand at his arm.

race To London ranking 7

did you know? When he won the US Open in 2009, Del Potro became the tallest Grand Slam champ ever, as well as the first man to defeat both Federer and Nadal at the same Grand Slam event.

Jo-wiLFried Tsonga (Fra)

Janko TiPsarevic (srB)

TiTLes won in 2012 2

TiTLes won in 2012 1

NOT YET QUALIFIED race To London ranking 8

wTF hisTory

Qualified for the first time in 2008, and reached the final last year on his second appearance.

Made his first appearance last year as a replacement for the injured Murray.

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48 | November 2 2012 |

2012 Lowdown

2012 Lowdown A fourth-round defeat in Australia was a disappointing start, but Tsonga went on to reach the French Open quarters, where he held four matchpoints against Djokovic before succumbing. Murray beat him in the semis at Wimbledon and he crashed out of the US Open in the second round. A back injury could see him miss out on qualifying.

did you know? Tsonga’s dad was a professional handball player in France, and his younger brother Enzo plays professional basketball for Le Mans Sarthe.

Also in the running... PUTTING THE

NOT YET QUALIFIED race To London ranking 9

Succumbed to third-round exits in Australia and Wimbledon, but went one further in Paris, where he lost to Nicolas Almagro in the fourth round. At the US Open, he reached the second Grand Slam quarter final of his career – and looked set to go further as he went a set up twice against Ferrer, only to lose it in a deciding tie-break.

did you know? On his left arm, Tipsarevic has a tattoo in Japanese that translates as ‘Beauty will save the world’. It’s a Dostoyevsky quote, but you knew that already, right?

Berdych’s old pal, Nicolas Almagro of Spain, could also make it to London – as could the Frenchman in possession of one of the game’s most beautiful backhands, Richard Gasquet.

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All pictures Getty Images

Tomas Berdych (cZe)

7 Days OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

NOVHIGHLIGHTS 2-NOV 8 » Premier League preview » p52 » Champions League preview » p54 » Horse Racing: Breeders’ Cup » p56 » Formula 1: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix » p57 » Rugby League: England v France » p58

Champagne on ice? These are cork-popping days for British skeleton racing. The now retired Amy Williams holds the Olympic women’s title, Lizzy Yarnold is the reigning world junior champion, while Shelley Rudman begins the new season as defending World Cup winner. That new season begins next Thursday in Lake Placid, where both Rudman and Yarnold will hope to begin their winter campaigns in style. The meet marks a return to the New York track where Yarnold earned herself a World Championship bronze in February. Then, her four runs saw her miss out on gold – claimed by American Katie Uhlaender – by just 0.36s.

50 | November 2 2012 |

But she will have taken some pleasure from finishing ahead of her vaunted compatriots Rudman and Williams, who came in fourth and fifth. Yarnold will be looking to make her mark in her first full year on the main tour, having won two of the four World Cup events she entered towards the end of last season. But Rudman (pictured) is the lady in possession of the crown, and the two-time European champion and 2006 Olympic silvermedallist will be desperate to reassert her supremacy in the build-up to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi – the same city on the Black Sea coast, incidentally, that is set to hold F1’s reintroduced Russian Grand Prix from 2014. The 31-year-old placed in the top three at five of last season’s eight World Cup events – a repeat of that, starting on Thursday at Lake Placid, and the title could be hers once more.

Christof Stache/AFP/Getty Images

Thursday WINTER SPORTS | SKELETON WORLD CUP | LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK | BRITISH EUROSPORT 2 2PM

7 Days

Premier League

SUnDAY LIVERpOOL v NEWCASTLE ANFIELD | Sky SpORTS 1 4pM

Messrs Ferguson and Wenger prepare to do battle for the 48th time. What a very odd couple they are SATURDAY MAN UTD v ARSENAL | OLD TRAFFORD | Sky SpORTS 2 12.45pM

On the face of it, a fairly mundane mid-table clash as 12th takes on 10th. But this fixture is always imbued with a sense of occasion, thanks to two fixtures from the 1990s. Twice, in successive seasons, Liverpool beat Newcastle 4-3 in games that regularly crop up as all-time Premier League classics. This fixture carries a little extra spice, too, with news that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers could be poised to sign one, or both, of the Geordies’ strike partnership of Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse. Ba has been in fine form this season and appears settled at Newcastle, but Cisse has struggled: anyone who loses their first-team place to Shola Ameobi is probably right to look elsewhere. One thing is certain: Liverpool need firepower to assist Luis Suarez, and fast.

Feeling blue

SUnDAY QpR v READING | LOFTUS ROAD Sky SpORTS 1 1.30pM

It may have seemed at the time as if Arsenal were doing good business, selling their injury-prone striker for £25m. But how the Emirates faithful would love to still have Robin van Persie in their ranks: for all Arsenal’s paucity in defence, they simply haven’t scored enough goals this season. The man who left them for Manchester United, however, has nine in his past 10 games and can’t stop finding the net. Sir Alex Ferguson may have described Arsene Wenger’s negotiating technique as straight out of “a poker school in Govan”, but the Scot holds the whip hand. United stand second in the table, on the back of that controversial victory over Chelsea last weekend, but it has been far from plain sailing – time and again they have been forced to come from behind to land the spoils, and their lack of strength in depth in defence continues to give Fergie a headache. While Arsenal’s attack has been largely toothless, a fascinating battle could ensue in midfield. All England fans should have rejoiced at the sight of Jack Wilshere starting last

52 | November 2 2012 |

week against QPR, and the youngster looked comfortable and assured in the 67 minutes he played. He will only get better as he gets fitter, and United’s other glaring weakness is through the middle of the park. Mikel Arteta is playing some of the wiliest football of his career, and his partnership with Wilshere (who must have wondered where Fabregas, Nasri, Song and van Persie all went) could spark Arsenal’s season back to life. This fixture was one of the more remarkable of last season, as United ran out 8-2 winners. It’s unlikely to finish that way again – but van Persie, who scored for Arsenal that day, will be very keen to remind his former employers of what they are missing.

Goals scored by Robin van Persie since the start of last season, in just 72 appearances

It’s November and the clocks have changed, so we’d argue we’re well within our rights to hail this game as a vital six-pointer in the relegation battle. Both QPR and Reading have found it hard (impossible) to actually win a Premier League game this season, and both concede goals for fun, so a high-scoring draw (we’re thinking 7-7) would seem the most likely outcome. Reading, though, will approach the game with some confidence – they have already beaten QPR in the Capital One Cup this season, and their lowly league position belies the way they have played. Too often they have thrown away winning positions and had to settle for a draw; but they are at least capable of getting among the goals, with Pavel Pogrebnyak likely to be on the scoresheet – as he did in that cup win.

saturday NORWICH v STOKE CARROW ROAD | 3pM

This has the potential to be one of the most attractive games of the weekend. Everton will dearly hope Kevin Mirallas is fit again after being crocked by Luis Suarez, but even so they continue to play very brightly. Fulham, suddenly, have a wealth of attacking options and mustered three second-half goals against Reading. Dimitar Berbatov is finally showing again what a very, very good player he is.

Both of these teams have been draw specialists this season: Stoke with six and Norwich four. Both teams have been largely resolute in defence, although Norwich do have the entertaining capacity to crumble completely, having twice conceded five as well as letting in four against Chelsea. Grant Holt (above) remains the Canaries’ dangerman, with three goals this term, but if Stoke can contain him they can grab the win.

saturday TOTTENHAM v WIGAN WHITE HART LANE | 3pM

saturday WEST HAM v MAN CITY UpTON pARK | ESpN 5.30pM

Fourteen times these two sides have met in the Premier League, and Wigan have just two wins to show for it. Tottenham should maintain their supremacy over the Latics, too, having overcome a shaky start to the season to now be among the Champions League places. Gareth Bale and Jermain Defoe have grabbed plenty of headlines, but Jan Vertonghen (above) has been a major factor with a string of classy performances.

West Ham find themselves in the top half of the table, despite a propensity to leak silly goals. But thanks largely to the scoring touch of the evergreen Kevin Nolan (pictured), who has netted four in nine, their season chugs on. City, on the other hand, are doing that thing that good teams do – winning without playing well. Last week’s 1-0 win over Swansea was a perfect example of why they will be challenging for honours come May.

saturday SUNDERLAND v ASTON VILLA | STADIUM OF LIGHT | 3pM

saturday SWANSEA v CHELSEA LIBERTY STADIUM | 3pM

With apologies to supporters of both sides, has there been a more unappealing fixture than this all season? The only Sunderland player to score a league goal this season is Steven Fletcher, while Villa have made their worst start to a season since 1969. Paul Lambert is a man under pressure, then, which will probably continue here. Sunderland can at least defend, Villa are struggling to score. A 0-0 is surely inevitable.

Chelsea may have lost last week against rivals Manchester United, but they still looked mightily impressive. Coming back from two goals down, they took control of the game until having both Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres sent off. Swansea, for all their pretty football, have won only once in the league since August and are likely to find the Blues, powered by Eden Hazard (pictured) and Oscar, just too good.

MONday WEST BROM v SOUTHAMpTON | HAWTHORNS | SKY SpORTS 1 8pM

West Brom are enjoying a decent season, and might have more points than their current total of 14: their past two games – against Man City and Newcastle – have seen two defeats, but could have been better. Saints, on the other hand, have scored more than the Baggies (14 to 13) but have conceded a ludicrous 26 in nine games. Expect West Brom to score, then, with Shane Long, on three for the season, likely to start.

Premier League table 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

P Chelsea 9 Man Utd 9 Man City 9 Tottenham 9 Everton 9 Arsenal 9 Fulham 9 West Brom 9 West Ham 9 Newcastle 9 Swansea 9 Liverpool 9 Stoke 9 Sunderland 8 Wigan 9 Norwich 9 Aston Villa 9 Reading 8 Southampton 9 QPR 9

W 7 7 6 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 0

D 1 0 3 2 4 3 2 2 2 4 2 4 6 6 2 4 3 4 1 3

L 1 2 0 2 1 2 3 3 3 2 4 3 2 1 5 4 5 4 7 6

F 21 24 18 17 17 14 19 13 13 11 14 12 8 6 10 7 7 11 14 7

A 9 13 9 13 11 6 14 11 11 13 13 14 9 8 16 18 14 17 26 18

Pts 22 21 21 17 16 15 14 14 14 13 11 10 9 9 8 7 6 4 4 3

Mario Balotelli has had more shots – including blocked – than anyone yet to score in the league this season

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All pictures Getty Images

saturday FULHAM v EVERTON CRAVEN COTTAGE | 3pM

7 Days Champions League Tuesday GROUP D: ManchesteR city v ajax | etihaD staDiUM | itV 1 7.45PM

Victory to escape Manchester City’s matchday two game against Dortmund was a must-win game they drew. Their matchday three game was a really-must-win game that they managed to throw away and make a very average Ajax look like the class of ‘95. Factor in City’s heroically naive 3-2 defeat in matchday one at Real Madrid, and you don’t need to be a professor of advanced mathematics to know that Roberto Mancini’s team need to win all three remaining games to have any chance of progressing to the last 16 – and hope 10 points somehow scrape them

54 | November 2 2012 |

through. The odds are stacked high against them, but it’s not all bad news. Admittedly, it’s mostly bad news. City should beat Ajax at the Etihad on Tuesday, but after that come Real Madrid at home – a team managed by Jose Mourinho, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo and built to win every game they play. They’ll arrive at the Etihad still needing points to progress – and should win. At worst, they might draw, which would kill City’s hopes stone dead for another season and could speed up the exit of Mancini. But let’s dare to imagine Real Madrid leave beaten. Then, City would head to Borussia Dortmund in their final game with their dream of progressing still, remarkably, alive – regardless of results elsewhere. What an escape that would be. But it will never happen. And besides, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. One game at a time, y’know. Ajax at home. No easy games anymore. Full respect to the gaffer. Steak. Diana Ross. Ford Capri.

The oTher fixTures (all 7.45pm, Sky Sports 4 red button unless stated)

Tuesday Group a: Dynamo Kiev v Fc Porto Group a: Paris saint-Germain v Dinamo Zagreb Group B: Olympiacos v Montpellier Group c: ac Milan v Malaga Group c: anderlecht v Zenit st Petersburg Group D: Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund (ss4)

Wednesday Group e: juventus v Fc nordsjaelland Group F: Bayern Munich v Lille Group F: Valencia v Bate Borisov Group G: Benfica v spartak Moscow Group G: celtic v Barcelona (ss3) Group h: cFR cluj-napoca v Galatasaray

Wednesday GROUP e: chelSea v ShakhtaR StamfORd BRidGe | Sky SPORtS 4 7.45Pm

Wednesday GROUP h: Sc BRaGa v man Utd eStadiO aXa | Sky SPORtS 2 7.45Pm

Gunners top up tank Blues seek boost to United sit pretty, for German road trip keep Old Lady at bay but can’t relax yet As has been their way in recent seasons, Arsenal’s Champions League group campaign has seen them sprint from the traps (with two wins) before seemingly stalling or – worse – running out of gas. They have a habit of bouncing back in Europe, though, and face Schalke 04 – who comprehensively outplayed them at the Emirates in a sobering 2-0 defeat. Should they lose in Germany against a team with a good home record (13 wins from 17 in last season’s Bundesliga), they’d then face Montpellier at home. Even a win in that game would, depending on results elsewhere, leave them needing something at Olympiacos to progress to the knockouts for the 13th successive year. That said, Arsenal could still comfortably go through on nine or even eight points.

Four points from three games is not the return you’d expect from the finest team in European football, but then even the most blinkered Chelsea fan would admit their team is not that. Run ragged by Shakhtar Donetsk’s Brazilians last time out, the Blues now host the Ukrainians and will hope they don’t travel well. It’s not a given – Donetsk deservedly drew in Turin and know victory at the Bridge will as good as seal top spot in Group E. If Chelsea take anything less than three points on Wednesday, Juventus should leapfrog them into second place by beating group deadwood FC Nordsjaelland on the same night, setting up Chelsea’s visit to the Old Lady in Turin on November 20 as the big Second Best In The Group decider.

The most comfortable of the English quartet, Manchester United have scrambled and shambled through three unconvincing wins to stand within a point or two of qualification. Three points will as good as take them through on top. So near – yet still at the very least a reasonable performance away. SC Braga made United look like the trembling defensive wreck they so often are in the first game at Old Trafford, and will fancy their chances at home. So, let’s assume that United are beaten. Next up, an away game in Istanbul against the noisy young Turks of Galatasaray. Far from guaranteed they’ll get anything there either. Luckily, their final game is at home to CFR Cluj. So they will at least go through – but Europe won’t be quaking in its boots.

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Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images, Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images, Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images, Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Tuesday GROUP B: Schalke 04 v aRSenal VeltinS-aRena | Sky SPORtS 2 7.45Pm

7 Days Friday > Horse racing | Breeders’ cup | santa anita park, Los angeLes | at tHe races

American adventure

Saturday FootBaLL | cHaMpionsHip: BoLton v cardiFF | reeBok stadiuM | sky sports 2 5.20pM

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images, Dan Istitene/Getty Images

A fresh start It’s been three games since Bolton chairman phil gartside’s realisation that a 46-year-old man who insists on wearing shorts to work probably isn’t someone you want managing your club. a new and promising manager has been poached from crystal palace – and with dougie Freedman now at the helm, there’s some hope on the horizon for beleaguered trotters fans. they’ve endured a torrid time since relegation from what owen coyle would (repeatedly) call the Barclays premier League, and currently languish 18th in the championship, closer to relegation than a return to the top flight. and Freedman’s first game in charge will be the tricky visit of top-of-the-table cardiff. the Bluebirds have taken well to life in red shirts, the result of a

56 | November 2 2012 |

Malaysian investment deal, and look set to match or better their sixth place from last season. they’ve won seven from seven at home so far this season – and, despite a less impressive record of two wins from six on their travels, remain in scintillating goalscoring form. they’ve netted 26 times in 13 games, despite the absence of newly signed striker nicky Maynard, who has damaged his anterior cruciate ligaments and will be out until the new year. peter Whittingham and Heidar Helguson have more than made up for it, with 11 league goals between them; combine that with a fragile Bolton defence that has conceded 22 league goals already this term, and we could be watching an actionpacked encounter at the reebok.

The end of a long and entertaining flat season is nigh here in the UK, but while Frankel relaxes among the hay, preparing himself for a life of plenty, a small but well formed selection of British and Irish horses have travelled across the pond for this weekend’s big Breeders’ Cup meeting in California. The prestigious two-day carnival of racing takes in 15 championship races, run over a variety of distances and on two different surfaces: dirt and turf. It’s the latter on which our horses are more likely to excel, being that almost all of the top-class racing in Europe takes place on grass – so it’s no surprise to see British or Irish raiders well backed for five of the turf races. Chief among those is St Nicholas Abbey (pictured), who heads to Santa Anita bidding to retain the Breeders’ Cup Turf title he won at Churchill Downs this time last year. Aidan O’Brien’s five-year-old has had a mixed season, retaining his Coronation Cup crown at Epsom amid a collection of disappointing efforts, but he has enough class to make a decent fist of his defence on Saturday evening (10.18pm). Elsewhere on Saturday, Roger Charlton’s exciting two-year-old Dundonell goes for glory in the Juvenile Turf (6.50pm) and another O’Brien inmate, the admirable Excelebration, chases a third straight Group 1 victory in three different countries in the Mile (11.40pm). Tonight’s card is one for the girls, though; Richard Hannon’s Sky Lantern is well fancied for the Juvenile Fillies Turf (9.28pm), but bet of the weekend is The Fugue in the Filly & Mare Turf (10.48pm). Trainer John Gosden loves a winner at the Breeders’ Cup, and his star three-year-old looks ready to run a huge race under William Buick.

SATURDAY TENNIS | FED CUP FINAL: CZECH REPUBLIC v SERBIA | O2 ARENA, PRAGUE | BRITISH EUROSPORT 1 12.30PM

Not over until it’s Ova The premier team competition in women’s tennis will either be won by the Ovas or the Ics in 2012, with the Ovas (or Czech Republic, if you prefer), warm favourites to defend the title they won by beating Russia in the final last year. Led by Petra Kvitova (pictured), the world number eight who will hopefully be recovered from the illness that forced her to pull out of the WTA Championships in Turkey last month, Czech Republic reached the final with impressive 4-1 wins over Germany and Italy. Kvitova, last year’s Wimbledon champ, hasn’t hit the same heights in 2012 – but her powerful serve and big baseline strokes will make her tough to beat. Lucie Safarova (world number 17) is the number-two singles player for the Czechs, with US Open and 2012 Olympic finalists Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova taking on doubles duties. For Serbia, in their first Fed Cup final, star pairing Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic will contest the singles. Both former world number ones, they’ll be under pressure to pick up maximum points as the Czech doubles duo is undoubtedly stronger than Serbia’s pairing of Bojana Jovanovski and Aleksandra Krunic.

Played in a best-of-five format – with two singles matches on Saturday, followed by the reverse singles and doubles on Sunday – Kvitova is the woman to watch this weekend. If she’s at her best, the Ics could find it’s all Ova rather quickly.

AFP/Getty Images, Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Sebastian Vettel’s dominant victory in India last weekend means there’s daylight between him and nearest rival Fernando Alonso with three races remaining. But the Spaniard insists he’s still in the championship hunt, as F1 returns to the millionaires’ playground of Abu Dhabi. This weekend the Yas Marina circuit makes its fourth

appearance on the race calendar. The unique day-todusk race will be given the added spice of a title tussle this year, but with Red Bull in such irresistible form, it’s going to be difficult for anyone to challenge them. Vettel’s victory in India was his fourth in succession, and saw him become the first driver since Ayrton Senna in 1989 to lead

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7 Days Saturday Rugby leAgue | Autumn inteRnAtionAl: englAnD v FRAnce | ms3 cRAven PARk, hull | bbc one 2.30Pm

France, then the world

BESt OF tHE rESt

Friday

FootbAll FA cup First Round: cambridge city v mk Dons, city ground, esPn 7pm

FootbAll sPl: Dundee united v celtic, tannadice Park, sky sports 4 12.45pm

FootbAll championship: brighton v leeds, Amex stadium, sky sports 1 7.45pm

tennis AtP Paris: Final, Palais omnisports de Paris-bercy, sky sports 2 1.30pm

Saturday

Rugby union Aviva Premiership: saracens v london Wasps, vicarage Road, esPn 1.30pm

FootbAll la liga: Real madrid v Zaragoza, bernabeu, sky sports 4 7pm

Chris Brunskill/Getty Images, David Rogers/Getty Images

international tennis center, china, british eurosport 2 11.30am

boXing Prizefighter: light middleweights, york hall, bethnal green, sky sports 1 8pm FootbAll la liga: valencia v Atletico madrid, mestalla stadium, sky sports 4 9pm

Athletics new york marathon, new york, british eurosport 1 2.30pm FootbAll FA cup First Round: Dorchester town v Plymouth Argyle, Avenue stadium, esPn 4pm

thurSday Sunday motoRsPoRt FiA World touring car championship: china, british eurosport 1 6.45am snookeR international championship: Final, sichuan

58 | November 2 2012 |

golF singapore open: Day 1, serapong course, singapore, sky sports 1 5am cRicket Australia v south Africa: First test Day 1, brisbane cricket ground, sky sports 1 11.55pm

It’s less than a year to the 2013 Rugby League World cup, which is being held in this country, and saturday’s international against France is a crucial part of england’s preparation for the tournament. After their 80-point romp against Wales last weekend, though, they can expect a sterner test against France in hull tomorrow. Players from the catalan Dragons dominate the French squad, which under new coach Aurelien cologni seems more organised, committed and focused than in recent years. they have a big pack, led by former bradford bulls front-rower olivier elima and including Dragons prop Remi casty – plus plenty of pace and guile in the backs, with the likes of stand-off thomas bosc and full back cyril stacul. Denied key personnel through injury, england coach steve mcnamara has been forced to include a raft of new faces and try some different combinations. man of steel sam tomkins missed the Wales game through injury, but he is confident of featuring this week. that said, tomkins’ replacement, leeds Rhinos’ Zak hardaker (pictured), was outstanding against the Welsh; and another debutant, Warrington prop chris hill, was impressive. this augurs well for the future, given that competition for places is vital if england are to lift the trophy in 12 months’ time. they have the little matter of a revitalised French team to take care of before that, though. catch all the action live on the beeb tomorrow afternoon.

Saturday Rugby union | AvivA PRemieRshiP: hARlequins v gloucesteR the stooP | sky sPoRts 1 5.15Pm

tough at the top

If your glass is half-full, then Harlequins are unbeaten in three in all competitions and sit at the top of the Aviva Premiership. if it’s half-empty, then they’ve lost two of their past three league games and had to rely on a lucky last-minute try to beat london irish last week. optimist or pessimist, there’s no denying that quins have a big test tomorrow, with international selection having stripped them of some huge assets and put pressure on the likes of karl Dickson, tom casson and seb stegmann to step up. the absence of nick easter (left) from the england squad is a boost, however, while ben botica continues to impress at fly half. the visitors, meanwhile, head to london in flying form. Jimmy cowan’s first start for the club added extra vigour in their victory over leicester last week, and with the power of Akapusi qera up front and the sensational skills of James simpson-Daniel in the backs, this side just wants to play rugby. expect a cracker.

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P68 Don Draper breaks out the bad shades – and the good whisky – for season five of Mad Men

Mini super Presenting the long-awaited iPhone Plus. That does not look like a comfortable hand position

iPad mini Hilariously, one of Apple’s marketing lines for their scaled-down tablet boasts that its 7.9” screen is bigger than similar rival offerings. That’s not the only difference, however – Apple might be uncharacteristically late to the seven-inch party, but the price of the iPad mini is certainly in keeping with their previous form. At more than £100 dearer than the Kindle Fire, is it worth it? Well, it’s 23 per cent thinner and less than half the weight of the full-sized iPad, but can run all the same apps and uses the same A5 chip as the third generation iPad grande. We’re getting one because we find the transition from iPhone to iPad a bit abrupt and need something to ease us in. From £269 | apple.com/uk

Actual size

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Extra time Grooming

Facing facts

The skincare seT

And the facts are that winter’s here, and your face could do with a little more care and attention, you old dog

Bulldog Expert That’s right – we’re not at home to amateurs here at Sport, and Bulldog’s neatly packaged collection barks exactly what it says on the tin. It includes a face scrub, face wash, aftershave balm and moisturiser in the aforementioned Bulldog tin, so you have something in which to keep your (dog) biscuits after you’ve finished. The scrub (100ml) is packed with eight essential oils, plus pumice, coconut shell, rosehip oil and shea butter to gently exfoliate the skin. The face wash (175ml) contains those same oils, as do the moisturiser (100ml) and aftershave balm (75ml) – but the latter two come with the welcome addition of green tea, green algae, konjac mannan and vitamin E to help rehydrate. The collection is also part of Boots’ 3 for 2 Christmas offer. We’re usually a fan of Puss in Boots in panto at this time of year, but Bulldog in Boots might just be the better option. boots.com

£20

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More wrinkles on your mush than ol’ Fido up there on the tin? Then get your paws on this spa-grade facial peel. It’s powered by lactic, glycolic and fruit acids that exfoliate and resurface skin, while algae extract soothes and calms. It will increase cell turnover, brighten skin tone and – most important of all – reduce the appearance of wrinkles. lookfantastic.com

£35 for 50ml

62 | November 2 2012 |

Vitaman’s range is, were you actually a dog, good enough to eat. And, what with their lip moisturiser being made entirely from organic ingredients, it would probably do you no harm. But we wouldn’t recommend it. We do recommend you pucker up and spread some over the gate to your gob, however, because its instantly soothing, moisturising and healing properties will help repair dry, cracked, rough, chapped or irritated lips. A word of warning, should your curiosity get the better of you: chowing down on it will do nothing for your breath. Mistletoe alert... Available end of November from vitamangrooming.co.uk

£11.50 for 15ml

64 | November 2 2012 |

hat’s how Kira Dikhtyar describes herself in her Twitter biog. Just what, this picture aside, makes her super? Let’s start with her being a supermodel. She was also, in the not-toodistant past, a pretty super rhythmic gymnast, having joined the Russian national team at the age of 12, training up to 14 hours a day. That hard work was not without its reward – she competed in the 1998 Junior Olympic Games, and more recently put her gymnastic tutelage to good use as a commentator for the Olympic Games proper for Russian TV. She can also be seen somersaulting her way through a recent ad for Lee Jeans, in which she manoeuvres through a city backstreet at dusk wearing a pair of the pants she’s peddling – not unlike an avenging superhero. The tagline for that ad, incidentally, is ‘A Lee don’t lie’, and it would seem the 23-year-old Dikhtyar follows that same truth-telling ethos to the letter. Back to Twitter, she encourages her followers to “keep your heels, head and standards high”. All in all, super. A Lee don’t lie. And neither do we.

Super woman

Extra time Kira Dikhtyar

Picdesk.com/Pole Position

| 65

Extra time Kit

Winter treats for your feet Long, dark evenings can mean only one thing – shoe-shopping!

1. Salomon Speedcross 3 CS Salomon’s climashield technology combined with an aggressive tread makes a shoe that will keep you moving through the roughest, wettest terrain – perfect for winter trail running. Available in a variety of eye-catching combinations, it will provide that extra edge, whether you are an extreme runner or keeping the pace on your sopping morning commute. £110 | salomonrunning.com

2. Puma Complete Nightfox TR A padded heel, tongue and ankle. A 3D sockliner for inner comfort. A midsole cushioning system. Puma’s off-road option offers a comfortable experience, especially for those with high arches. Reflective styling means you’ll stand out in the dark, too, so we really are starting to run out of excuses. £68 | prodirectrunning.com

3. Nike Zoom Structure+ 16 Shield Nike have given their trainers a winter overhaul: highly reflective and water-repellent material has been added to six of their premium styles. The Structure+ is one such shoe, and boasts a cushion and Phylon (Nike’s own foam) co-moulded flexible dual-density sole. Apparently, that means it’s comfortable. £100 | nike.com

4. Asics Gel-Volt 33 A stripped-back offering made for serious runners planning to put in the miles. It is designed to work with your foot to enhance your natural motion at every point in your stride. The bright colours, meanwhile, are designed to ensure you stand out in the dark. £80 | prodirectrunning.com

5. VivoBarefoot Neo Trail Multi-directional lugs on the sole of this model increase traction, while a puncture-resistant layer provides a lightweight feeling that still offers protection. The Neo Trail, then, will give you a ‘barefoot’ running experience that will survive any terrain. £89 | vivobarefoot.com/uk

6. Adidas Supernova Riot 4 Adidas’ Traxion outsole boasts maximum grip in all directions, while the Formotion design adapts to the ground as you run – all of which means a comfy run that should see you stay on your feet at all times. That will keep Ray Wilkins happy, if nothing else. And, at the end of the day, isn’t that the real point of all this? £90 | adidas.co.uk

66 | November 2 2012 |

Extra time Entertainment

Oscar wild

FILM

A pair of new films likely to send Academy Award voters delirious, while Don Draper refuses to be put in the shade by anybody BLU-ray

Groundhog Day

The Master

It’s testament to this comedy masterpiece’s influence that its title has become shorthand for a tiresomely repetitive event (think England hoofing penalties over the bar in a shootout, etc). But the film itself is a joy to watch over and over thanks to a careerbest turn from Bill Murray as the acerbic weatherman who gradually changes, even as his day does not. Out on Monday as a special-edition Blu-ray with all-new deleted scenes.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s first film since 2007’s There Will Be Blood sees him shift from the story of oil to the sinister tale of a snake-oil salesman. The Master follows a disturbed naval veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) in 1950 who falls in with cult leader Philip Seymour Hoffman. His character is based on Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, but you’re never

Mad Men Season Five A new wife and a pushy young rival at work are twin challenges for Don Draper in the fifth season of Mad Men. So the ad exec does what he does best: breaks out the good whisky and connives his way through it all. What makes this HBO series so enduring, however, is that it never lets its characters go stale. From Roger taking LSD to Lane and Pete’s old-style fisticuffs, it’s a show that still amuses and surprises. On DVD from Monday.

68 | November 2 2012 |

MUsIc

FILM

BOOK

Stubborn Heart Stubborn Heart

New York Drawings Adrian Tomine

Quirky synth hooks and soulful vocals make this UK duo’s debut album one to listen out for from Monday. Their songs seem like they belong in a languidly cool indie film soundtrack, except Luca Santucci’s voice tends to grab your full attention. In Need Someone, he cranks up the heartbreak to spine-tingling effect.

From a bookshop owner locking eyes with a neighbour as she gets an Amazon.com delivery to strangers on the subway noticing they’re reading the same book, this fabulous collection of New Yorker illustrations shows Adrian Tomine’s gift for capturing city life.

Argo Based on remarkable, actual events in 1979, Argo tells the tale of a CIA mission to rescue US citizens from Iran by pretending they’re part of a crew filming a cheap sci-fi movie. Ben Affleck (no stranger to bad sci-fi) confirms his career turnaround by directing and starring in this thriller that mixes tension with humour poked at their madcap plan. In cinemas on Wednesday.

Michael Yarish/AMC

DVD

quite sure if Hoffman’s master is simply scamming his followers or truly believes his unorthodox methods can help people. The film’s unsettling atmosphere and black comedy moments make for an intriguing mix; but it’s also opaque, with the audience often left on the outside. Hoffman and a reborn Phoenix are, however, worth the admission price alone.

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NEEDFORSPEED.COM © 2012 Electronic Arts Inc, EA, the EA logo, Need for Speed and the Need for Speed . c nI logo str Aare ci notrademarks rt cfel Eof oks of of Electronic Elec”t3 roSnPi“c, ”Arts Anlroltist aInc. Itnl P cSPP y. P “2”, a“l2 “ “P“”, “PlayStation”, “PlayStation”, r“PS3”, “PetSsi3“g”,e“Ã’’ “rÃ rdo snkdr n aaaam ’’ eand adneadrt “À” “rÀ er a” are are trademarks trademarks sor okr aregistered rem greisdttaerrted trademarks trademarks eps er ri eEntertainment ht f o ytr epor p Inc. eht The er a snames, kr a meddesigns, art r eht oand ll A. logos noi ssi of mr eallp products y b des u dare na sthe r enproperty wo evi t ceofprstheir ererir rrespective espective o wners aand nd u sed b ermission. A ther ttrademarks rademarks aare re tthe he p roperty o hser ier nrrespective ewseopvevci tive o wners. of Sony Computer owners used byy p permission. Allll o other property off ttheir owners.