Sport magazine issue 290

Issue 290 | January 25 2013

Sport has a peep inside the joe hart show

issue 290, January 25 2013 radar 04 Past your peak?

Don’t worry. Instead, watch high-adrenaline adventures at the Banff Mountain Film Festival

08 Hitman, baby, one more time The life and times of Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, in a wrestling doc without a scripted ending

oFeatures this coming week

16 A good Hart, these days...

Man City and England’s number one on his form this season, derby days, the title race and qualifying for the World Cup

Cover image by Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

23 Into Africa You’ve been watching the continent’s own tournament on TV, but what’s the real state of play in African football?

16

29 Emmanuel Eboué

The former Arsenal man on his Turkish delight, the Africa Cup of Nations and praying for trophies

32 Olympic Park progress

29

52

Six months after the Greatest Show on Earth, what now for London’s Olympic venues?

extra Time 44 Gadgets

08

Canon’s camera takes five alternative shots of what you snap. Because it does it better

46 Kit Runners Need tell you what you should be wearing on your feet when jogging. Although we believe it’s pronounced ‘yogging’

48 Grooming A scientific round-up of products.

We have been expecting the men in white coats for a while now

52 Games

Gun down E.T’s sinister siblings in Aliens: Colonial Marines and Dead Space 3 with our games special | January 25 2013 | 03

Gently down the stream 04 | January 25 2013 |

I

f only the designers of the canoe slalom course at the Olympics had a bit more ambition, the competition could have resembled this scene from Huck, a short film on show at this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival. The nationwide event starts this week and features a range of stories including Crossing the Ice, a tale of two men attempting an

p06 – Should English football introduce the Rooney Rule? p08 – Two Harts: living in just one mag.

First up is Bret The Hitman’s back story

unassisted journey to the South Pole and back; and Moonwalk, the tale of certified nutter Dean Potter’s attempt to walk untethered across a highline at 11,000 feet. The festival has seven London dates at the Union Chapel in Islington, starting on February 21, with two different programmes of short films to be delighted/terrified by.

For more information, visit banff-uk.com

© Andy Maser

Radar

p06 – This week in sporting history: King Eric’s kung-fu

Radar

shoUlD english footbAll intRoDUce the Rooney RUle? Answered by John Barnes

The Rooney Rule states that at least one ethnic minority candidate should be interviewed for every coaching vacancy, and has successfully increased the number of black coaches in the NFL since its introduction in 2003. There are just four black managers in the Football League at present, so we asked ESPN analyst John Barnes whether it’s time for the FA to act.

this week in spoRting histoRy

1995 cAntonA kicks off JAnuAry 25

06 | January 25 2013 |

W

ith his raised collar, sublime skills and a lackadaisical arrogance few can match, Eric Cantona was the jewel in the crown of the first of Fergie’s dominant United sides – but he will always be most remembered for this night.

Sent off against Crystal Palace, Cantona was heading for the tunnel when he claims he heard a torrent of abuse against his mother. Reacting as any Frenchman does when someone insults a family member (see Zidane, Zinedine, 2006), Cantona launched a kung-fu kick and a flurry of punches at fan Matthew Simmons.

After his “When the seagulls follow the trawler” press conference, King Eric was sentenced to 120 hours of community service and banned from

football for nine months. Still, at least he didn’t handle the ball against a lower-league team in the FA Cup. That would be seriously naughty.

Also this week 1924 The first Winter Olympics gets under way in Chamonix, France. Team GB’s 44 athletes bring home one gold.

1984 Robinho is born, sharing a birthday with Xavi (1980) and Francis Jeffers (1981). With one cap and one goal, Jeffers remains the most prolific international of the trio. Relatively.

1997 Hall of Famer John Elway wins the Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos at the fourth time of asking.

“i’m not a fan of the Rooney Rule, i have to say, because i believe in a meritocracy and i believe that we should be given an opportunity regardless. the problem with the Rooney Rule is that it only says you have to interview candidates – you don’t have to give them a job. so you’ll be speaking to them, but will they be given opportunities? i don’t believe they will be. i’m sure it’ll just be paying lip service to the fact that if they have to do it, they will do it.

Until people change their perspective on people of different races, different cultures, different groups, nothing will change. so implementing the Rooney Rule, for me, will not change anything apart from the fact they will interview more ethnic minority candidates, which will mask the bigger problem. i don’t think bringing it in will make any difference.”

Watch ESPN’s live coverage of Man Utd v Fulham (Saturday 4.30pm), Brentford v Chelsea and Leeds Utd v Tottenham Hotspur (Sunday, from 11am) in the FA Cup this weekend. espn.co.uk/tv

Do yoU AgRee? let Us know on twitteR @spoRtmAgUk

Radar

Background check u

nprecedented access to Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart’s life in the outlandish world of professional wrestling was the deal, but the makers of Wrestling With Shadows got a whole lot more than they bargained for – because their time with Hart coincided with the most notorious real-life double-cross in wrestling. The so-called ‘Montreal Screwjob’ saw the Hitman lose his WWF (now WWE) title in an unscripted finish to his match with ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels when the referee, under orders from WWF owner Vince McMahon, ended the match as Michaels held Hart in a submission hold – even though Hart had not submitted.

It’s the finale to a riveting documentary that covers Hart’s tough childhood, the tangled backstage politics of wrestling, plus oddities such as the monstrous Vader cheerily discussing his real estate licence. Proof that the results in pro wrestling may be (mostly) staged, but the oily brutes who compete in it are all too real.

Titan Sports / Everett / Rex Features

Hitman Hart – Wrestling With Shadows: 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (with The Life and Death of Owen Hart bonus disc) is out on Monday January 28

08 | January 25 2013 |

Four more docs that go behind the scenes The Referees Many football fans wonder what’s going on in Howard Webb’s big, bald dome. This fly-on-the-wall doc – which follows him and his team through Euro 2008 – is a chance to find out. Mic’d up so we can hear them talk during matches, it’s a revealing and (gasp) sympathy-inducing film.

Murderball The brutal magnificence of wheelchair rugby is common knowledge now, but it was this 2005 film that opened the world’s eyes. Focusing on the bitter rivalry between the US and Canada teams, it’s notable for the grizzled machismo of its tough competitors and spectacular in-game collisions.

Once in a Lifetime They lived hard, played well and burned out fast. The offpitch story of the rise and fall of the New York Cosmos – the US soccer sensation of the 1970s – is exposed in this superb 2006 doc. Tampa Bay doing their best to ‘tire out’ Pele pre-match with girls and booze is among the highlights.

Pumping Iron “It’s as satisfying to me as coming is, you know? As having sex with a woman and coming.” A young Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn’t shy in this bodybuilding documentary about the battle for Mr Olympia 1975. Arnie’s devious ability to psychologically undermine his rivals, including Lou ‘The Hulk’ Ferrigno, is remarkable.

Radar Editor’s letter No saint: Pochettino, on the road to Champions League qualification, on Monday 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 Editorial Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951) Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954) Art editor: John Mahood (7860) Digital designer: Chris Firth (7952) 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: Sophie Hurcom

Another day in football The beautiful game? Perhaps, but sometimes football does some very silly things

T

he dismissal of Nigel Adkins was most depressing for one thing – despite its absurdity, it was not totally surprising.

In football, nothing is these days.

So it was that a manager who had performed a minor miracle was consigned Editor-in-chief to the rubbish tip, as yet another club owner Simon Caney decided that a miracle wasn’t enough.

Adkins’ achievements at Southampton @simoncaney were quite something. Taking them from a lowly League One position to the heady realms of the Premier League, and playing some very entertaining football along the way, he made many friends.

The players liked and respected him, and (here’s something the owner seems to have overlooked) they played for him. The team was greater than the sum of its parts, and that is the biggest compliment any sports coach can receive. Adkins got results; with him at the helm, Southampton would have

stayed in the Premier League. But now, with a new boss, there is a chance they will be relegated. It doesn’t make a scrap of sense.

Of course, Saints may flourish under Mauricio Pochettino. They might stay up and next year finish in the top four, and the year after that they might win the Champions League. And we’ll all turn around and ask how bad Nigel Adkins must have been, that all he could get from the finest 11 players in Europe was successive promotions and lower mid-table in the top flight.

Who knows – that might happen. Lionel Messi might be demanding to play at St Mary’s in a few years. Until he does, however, the Saints are anything but in the eyes of neutral football fans. They have, at a stroke, become one of the least liked clubs in the land. I, for one, will shed no tears if the more likely scenario comes to pass and they find themselves languishing in the Championship next season.

Lance Armstrong has admitted he did some bad stuff, then. But if he is trying to convince us that he is genuinely sorry, he has a long way to go. Behind those dead, emotionless eyes there seems to be an acceptance that he should be seen to confess all, but not an acceptance that he actually did anything wrong. And I know he’s not killed anyone, and that in the wider world there are plenty of people who better deserve our condemnation - but I sincerely hope this is the last we hear of him in sport.

Much was made of Rory McIlroy’s failure to make the cut in Abu Dhabi last week, with the poor folk who make his new Nike clubs getting most of the blame. Yes, he looked out of sorts, but I suspect he’ll be just fine. He hasn’t suddenly developed a bad swing. And come the Masters in April, he will be raring to go. He’s a smart lad – he wouldn’t have switched clubs if he wasn’t certain he could make them work.

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Cover of the Year

Reader comments of the week Only January and surely Cover of the Year award in the bag already. Brilliant.

@amr37 Twitter

Paul via email

10 | January 25 2013 |

@simoncaney fantastic thoughts on Lance printed today. A fall from grace the likes of which we’ll never see again in sport.

We hope.

@simoncaney Fantastic write up re money sports people earn. What I’ve been trying to say since Sol Campbell broke the £100k barrier in 2001.

@simoncaney “... don’t have any great issue with how much any sportsman earns.” True, it’s a different case for sportswomen.

@JRBatch Twitter

@LondonUniBoy Twitter

@ElinaGrigoriou Twitter

LAUNCH OF THE YEAR

2008

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@simoncaney @theinsidelefty Drogba piece was ace. As a rugby player/fan I have little time for a lot of footballers but he is inspirational!

Flats on Friday

David Lyttleton

Radar Opinion

Out of the limelight, into the sarnies

O

n Saturday I attended a rugby match, and decided to walk to my very posh, sufficiently smug corporate box past the main stand. Now, seeing as I used to play for this club, it’s understandable that one or two punters recognised me from the good old days.

Well, I say recognised me... one did. Everyone else thought I was David Barnes, another prop who played in the same team as me. “Bet you’d rather be out there, Barnesy!” one shrieked from the upper echelons. “Too right!” I chose to shout back.

It was a straight choice between taking time to correct this chap and reaching the prawn sarnies that awaited me up top.

So I entered the corporate stand and was greeted with all the enthusiasm I felt I deserved after a decade at the coal face: “Barnesy! How’s you, my old love?” (Yes, folk down here do actually talk like that). “Swell,” I offered. “Just swell.” I could smell the Marie Rose sauce.

Now, I wouldn’t normally mind the odd mistaken identity, but the individual in question – my apparent doppelgänger – looks like Compo from Last of the Summer Wine in a gurning contest. When the odd collars-up rugger chap mistakes me for Julian White or Jason Leonard, I put it down to a body typerelated error. But this whole Barnesy thing has begun to get me down. And this in turn has seen me questioning the apparent size of my own ego.

You see, whether blokes admit it or not, one of the main challenges a pro sportsman faces when

12 | January 25 2013 |

he retires is dealing with the unceremonious thud that occurs when he drops from the spotlight into the shadows. Sure, Lawrence Dallaglio and Jonny Wilkinson wouldn’t suffer so, but they’re not like the rest of us. Almost immediately you stop being written about, stop being asked for autographs – and your presence is no longer the subject of conversation.

Many struggle with this, and that doesn’t make them arrogant. Not in the slightest. It’s just a massive adjustment, and every retiring pro struggles with one aspect of his new life or another. The truth is, you don’t know what will hit you the hardest until you get there.

Austin Healey has now realised that he is indeed too short to get on his favourite roller coaster, 50 caps or not. Richard Hill has realised that, now he is a rugby star no longer, people will not stand for his moaning and snore-inducing conversation.

And I am battling to accept that, even though I still feel like I could rip up trees and turn props inside out, the reality is that I look enough like the man whose appearance we all used to mock that men and women I have known for years think I am him.

He, on the other hand, keeps getting called Flats and being told that his column in Sport magazine is rubbish. He doesn’t correct them either, preferring instead to feel handsome for a day. At least that’s what my ego reckons. @davidflatman

It’s like this…

Bill Borrows

R

uddy-faced senior citizen in a kilt... well, tartan. Check. Bagpipes. Check.

Fascinating local TV news item showing how to make a meal from a sheep’s stomach and any off-brown items Tesco might think twice about putting in a burger.

Check. Burns Night as foisted on the rest of Britain. Check.

It’s today, if you’re bothered, but the number of people outside Scotland who care? Three: Rod Stewart, Andy Murray’s mum and TFI Nicky Campbell – and Rod’s only 50/50 now Brentford are looking good for the playoffs.

Yet for all that, the wildly overpromoted and unnecessary celebration of a minor Caledonian poet remains a touch less irritating than the presence of the Scotch in our national game – that is to say football, the national game of England. It’s not that they even play any more.

For somebody who can still remember when a bag (not a ‘pack’) of crisps cost 10p, the idea that every English team is not required by law to have a top-drawer Scottish element in their starting line-up is remarkable – Souness, Hansen and Dalglish, Hartford and Donachie, Jordan and Macari, Gray and Lorimer. All greats.

Even a few years ago, when crisps cost 35p, you’d get the odd McAllister or Strachan, but all that’s left now is a Fletcher and an occasional Naismith. Admittedly, a few of the old boys have gone on to be superb pundits – Alan Hansen at the Beeb, Andy Gray at Sky and now talkSPORT – but it’s the dugout where the Jocks have somehow managed to nail 20 per cent of the jobs in the top flight.

As the Premier League stands, they manage two teams in the top five (Manchester United and Everton) and just one in the bottom five (Aston Villa). Compare that with English gaffers, who can ‘boast’ one in the top 10 (Stoke City, for God’s sake) and three in the bottom five (Newcastle United, Reading and QPR).

Bill Shankly and Matt Busby might have built dynasties at two of the biggest clubs in English and world football.

George Graham might have resuscitated another, and Kenny Dalglish did okay whenever he was given the chance – but the continued prevalence of Scotsmen in the Premier League is surely down to one man and three words: Sir Alex Ferguson. And that’s what irritates.

For many, he may be the greatest football manager who ever expounded upon a first, second, third and/or fourth official, but he has also provided a template for the miserable, hard-nosed, joyless and dogged pursuit of trophy accretion. Trophies are all well and good, but is it too much to ask for a Scottish Harry Redknapp or Ian Holloway? Just one. What about Frankie Boyle at St Mary’s? Southampton have made worse decisions. @BorrowsSPORT

Plank of the Week Erik Pieters, PSV Eindhoven and Holland Sidelined with foot injury for nine months. Comeback game against unfashionable PEC Zwolle. Team lose.

Sent off. Hits things in tunnel, including window.

“Damage in multiple structures [to] forearm.”

Frozen in time

14 | January 25 2013 |

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Very White Hart Lane Try as it might, last weekend’s confounded snow – all two and a half inches of it – failed to beat the sporting behemoth that is the Premier League. It got closest to doing so at White Hart Lane on Sunday, but hadn’t figured for the twin interventions of Sir Alex Ferguson and the Great British Football Fan™. Bugger the weather: as long as I have an umbrella, a Boots meal deal and a friend in a hat, I’m going down the football.

| 15

Joe Hart

MancHester city and england nuMber one Joe Hart talks exclusively to sport about catcHing united, playing peaceMaker in tHe MancHester derby, qualifying for tHe World cup and tHat ibraHiMovic goal...

16 | January 25 2013 |

| 17

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Joe Hart

speNd aNy time iN the compaNy of joe hart aNd it sooN becomes appareNt that he gives off aN aura differeNt to that of maNy eNglaNd footballers, both past aNd preseNt. explaiNed iN the most simple terms: joe hart is a wiNNer. “I just want to play for Manchester City and England, and to be successful,” he tells Sport. “It’s all I can see in the future for me right now, and it’s what I love doing. I love football, I love playing and I love winning.”

We believe him. Hart says the word several times over during the course of our interview, always convincingly. The problem is that, right now, the red half of Manchester is winning better.

United are five points clear at the top of the Premier League with 15 games to play, their momentum gained from an explosive Manchester derby in December (more on that later), with City also dropping points when losing to Sunderland on Boxing Day.

Hart’s own form – as well as that of his team – has come under about as intense a level of scrutiny as he has known in his career. He has claimed the Premier League’s Golden Glove Award for the past two seasons, keeping a massive 17 clean sheets last time round. He has a not-unimpressive 10 in 23 league games so far this season, but it’s conceding goals like the one Adam Johnson snuck in at his near post at the Stadium of Light that has seen Hart, unusually, come in for criticism.

“I’m doing everything I can,” he explains when we ask him about his performances this term. “Obviously there’s stuff that I’d change, but I think that’s the same for every season – you try to be perfect, but it’s pretty hard. I try to outweigh the negatives with plenty of positives. Sometimes I don’t save it, simple as that. It’s not through lack of effort or concentration.”

Still, City’s defence is the stingiest in the league – Hart having picked the ball out of his net only 19 times so far. They have not yet hit the form that swept them to the title last season, but are still very much in contention.

Does that encourage him?

“Yeah, we know we’ve got that extra gear,” Hart says. “We’ve had flashes of it, but I think it needs to be on a consistent basis. And if we do find it on a consistent basis, then we’re confident we can beat anyone.

“We’ve got to step up. We know from last year – and the year before with the FA Cup – how good it feels to win, and I think we’d be lost without that. So we need to pull our fingers out.“

Noisier Neighbours

The gap, seven points when we spoke to Hart, is now five. So, can City catch up?

“Of course we can,” he says. “That’s the only way we can look at things right now –

Hart stops Stott. Or, as Rio Ferdinand saw it: ‘Respect to Joe Hart for protecting that idiot who ran on!!’

there’s no point in turning up if not.

But there will be more opportunities [to make up the deficit] this season, and I’m sure we’ll take them.”

One of those opportunities stands out on the fixture list: the derby at Old Trafford in the first week of April. Does he think the result there could prove crucial, as it did when Vincent Kompany’s winner at the Etihad last season gave City control of their destiny with two games to play.

“We needed to beat Arsenal and Fulham for it to go beyond January,“ he reflects.

“I think you have to look at it like that. You’ve got to look to win every game, and the derby will take care of itself when it comes round.

What about the events at the Etihad this season, when Robin van Persie’s last-minute free-kick led to enthusiastic celebrations from Rio Ferdinand close enough to Manchester City’s fans for one of them to hit him in the face with a coin. How much does he think that will influence what unfolds at Old Trafford?

“I don’t think it will have any influence,“ says Hart. “It will all depend on what the situation is in April. It will be what it will be – but that’s the future. We’ll deal with it when it comes.”

Hart was praised by Ferdinand himself and even a district judge, who commended the keeper for preventing Matthew Stott, a City fan who had invaded the pitch, getting at Ferdinand soon after the decisive goal. But was Ferdinand at fault for the way in which he celebrated United’s winner?

“I didn’t look – I didn’t watch them celebrate because it was a low moment for myself personally,” he says. “Yeah, it’s hard, because you can’t accept it in football, but sometimes things get thrown. People are so passionate and, if you’ve got something in your hand... I don’t know.

“It’s a hard one to answer because...” he tails off. “The easy thing to say is it’s all wrong and he’s wrong, but I don’t think that’s the case. Sometimes stuff just happens.”

Diplomatic and reasoned – typical Hart. It’s that ability to keep his head when all about him are losing theirs, coupled with his almost overwhelmingly confident demeanour, that has underpinned City’s recent success. But does he really feel the way he comes across?

“I think that’s how you’ve got to be in this game,” he reasons. “If you’re not, then you can get squashed. If you give any idea of what’s going on inside, then people maybe from the outside or in a game are maybe going to jump on it. I do enjoy it, and I do feel confident in what I do. But I do feel you’ve got to have that kind of image that no one can faze you.”

And he does not, he says, get nervous: “This is just what I do now. It’s the same as people turning up for work. I love playing at our stadium in front of a full house. And I love going to other stadiums where everyone hates you and everyone wants you to lose.

It’s nice.” >

18 | January 25 2013 |

Tom Purslow/Man Utd via Getty Images

if you caN keep your head...

Joe Hart game off how we wanted to. We were 2-0 up, and any kind of result put us through. They needed a draw. It sounds bad, but they wanted it more than us in the last half an hour, and chaos unfolded [with Rooney being sent off and the home side scoring a 90th-minute equaliser]. But we need results now, so it’s going to be a different story.”

Hart has also been, at times this season, refreshingly candid. After City’s 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage, he trudged off the Bernabeu pitch, obviously dejected, to tell the cameras, repeatedly, that it was “not on”. “We dug deep, we got a lead – twice – and we lost it,“ he said “So we can only blame ourselves.”

Is that honesty, too, something he consciously portrays? “That’s just being realistic – the people who are interviewing you have just watched the same game you have, so you can’t really talk about a different game. You can’t go and say that we weren’t 2-1 ahead – of course we were disappointed to lose. We would have been disappointed with a draw, let alone how it turned out. That’s how it was – that was how I felt, so it was pretty obvious on camera.”

Hart puts City’s failure in the Champions League this season down to exactly that – not capitalising on situations, or closing games out when they had the advantage.

And there is, he says, “loads” his team could change to have done better.

“But it’s simple, really. We didn’t win a game in the whole group. You have to win your home games and you have to get results away.”

accentuate the positive

Confident, candid, praised by a judge and with an obvious steely resolve will to win. It’s little wonder Hart has been talked about as a future England captain. Is that something he thinks about?

“I think everyone would like to do it, but it’s not something that crosses my mind – ever,“ he insists. “I think you’ve got to respect the people who have captained our team: Stevie G [Steven Gerrard] is the man. End of. He’s the man. And Wayne Rooney’s played so many international games for such a young guy.

He’s one of the best players in the world. So it’s hard to look past those two. I just try and do my job, get in the team and play a positive role in as many things as I can.”

That positive role will see Hart keep goal in a friendly against Brazil next month, and then

20 | January 25 2013 |

"We Would have been disappointed With a draW, let alone hoW it turned out. that Was hoW i Felt, so it Was pretty obvious on camera" in two back-to-back World Cup qualifiers away in San Marino and then in Montenegro in March. England will, he assures us, collect the six points they need to go top of their group and – eventually – qualify.

“I’d like to think we’ve got enough quality,” he says. “We have some tough games, but we have a good spirit that’s been built up under Roy Hodgson. We know how to play. We just need to stick a few results together. The next double-header is important, but if we can get six points from the next two games, we can move forward from there.”

Just how difficult will it be in Montenegro?

“It’s tough. We went there [in qualifying for Euro 2012] and we didn’t quite finish the

Joe Hart is the ambassador for new head&shoulders Itchy Scalp Care shampoo and conditioner

What about his previous game for England: the 4-2 defeat to Sweden, in which Zlatan Ibrahimovic showcased his full range of superpowers. How did he see Ibra Kadabra’s fourth goal – the bicycle kick to end all bicycle kicks?

“Just a nightmare, really, because I thought the ball was going to skid through, and then I thought I was going to have to challenge with this big guy [Ibrahimovic] in the air. So I’ve jumped up to almost smash him and head it, and he’s backed off. He had a lot to do – and he did it.”

Didn’t he just. We ask Hart how much City will miss their own talisman, Yaya Toure, who has departed for the Africa Cup of Nations and is not due to return until the middle of February.

“We’ll miss him, obviously, because he’s a quality player,“ he admits. “But I think it gives other people a great opportunity to play in a position that’s his. Basically, it’s nailed on that he will play there when he’s available.

When he’s not, it gives others a chance to stake their own claim.”

Without a player who seemingly drove City to the title through sheer force of will, and being in the position they’re in at the moment, what, we ask, is the mood like around Carrington?

“It’s good,” Hart insists. “It’s results-based – and that makes it a good place to be when you’re winning. But we all get round each other when things aren’t going great. We all know what the job is that needs to be done.”

Finally, there’s the small matter of the ad.

Oh, Joe, the ad – in which, if you’ve not seen it, Hart goes down injured in a game before being treated by the physio with a thorough hair washing and scalp massage. We have to ask, as the new brand ambassador for head&shoulders, he must have been the target of some choice dressing room banter?

“I’ve got a bit of stick, but people understand that there’s not a great deal you can say to me that’s not blatantly obvious with the advert, you know? It’s a bit of fun, there’s no seriousness to it. I’m trying to bring a bit of light-hearted banter to what I’m representing, and I enjoyed doing it.”

There you have it, then – Hart has a lighter side to counter the very serious matter of winning. In everything else, his hunger and desire comes across loud and clear. Before we leave, we ask what keeps him motivated – as if we didn’t already know. “Playing well, keeping my place – every day I just want to get better,” comes the reply.

And, of course: “I want to win.”

Graham Willgoss @GrahamWillgoss

Laurence Griffiths/Bongarts/Getty Images

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African Football

“An African nation will win the World Cup before the year 2000” Pele, 1977

W

hen Pele made his famous forecast, Zaire were the continent's most recent World Cup entrants. They conceded 14 goals without scoring in their three games at the 1974 tournament, but secured their place in football lore when defender Mwepu Ilunga was booked for racing out of the wall to belt a Brazilian free-kick downfield before it had been taken.

Despite that inauspicious start, things progressed quickly in the following decades. Tunisia became the first African team to win a World Cup finals game in 1978, beating Mexico 3-1. Morocco won their group in

1986. And, at Italia '90, Cameroon broke new ground in reaching the quarter finals. Spearheaded by a 38-yearold Roger Milla, they beat the defending champions Argentina and came within minutes of knocking out England. Six years later, Nigeria's Super Eagles won a World Cup of sorts in Atlanta – Olympic gold with their (alleged) under-23s.

A bright future beckoned. But Pele's deadline rolled past with no more progress. Senegal's promising team lit up Asia in 2002, but failed to qualify for the next two tournaments. Ghana were a Uruguayan hand and a missed penalty away from the semi finals in 2010. The story of African football is one of unfulfilled promise.

“If you look at those instances,” says African football expert and editor of football quarterly The Blizzard Jonathan Wilson, “I think what you see is that in each case it's just a good generation of players, and there's no great history before that in any of the countries, and no great development afterwards. They never laid down the foundations to develop future talent.”

Pele was wrong. And, 13 years on from his prediction expiring, the sad truth is that we're not much closer to seeing an African team lift the World Cup than we were when he made it. “It's very easy to get lured into the myth of progress,” says Wilson. “Especially as a western European, it's comforting to think that Africa is >

| January 25 2013 | 23

Africa n Football

developing and, despite all the problems, football there is getting better and they will start to challenge for World Cups. The fact is, in 23 years, they haven't.

Cameroon in 1990 was the high point of a progression that started after 1966 when Africa boycotted the World Cup. Since then, I really don't think that Senegal in 2002 or Ghana in 2010 were any better than Cameroon in 1990.”

One thing that has certainly changed is the number of players from Africa who operate at the highest level.

The likes of Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o have regularly challenged for the Champions League and domestic titles, and Ivory Coast's squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations includes 10 current or former Premier League players. The talent is there, so why is African football at international level stagnating?

David Cannon/All Sport, Olivier Chouchana/AFP/Getty Images

“It's a shambles” The answer, says Wilson, is a combination of bad politics, lack of resources, bad planning and the dark spectre of alleged corruption. Political issues are not a new problem – even Zaire's YouTube moment in 1974 has its roots in a pay dispute with the authorities and threats from the guards of Mobutu, the country's then authoritarian president. Nigeria's promising team of the 1990s missed back-to-back Cup of Nations after withdrawing from South Africa 1996, when Nelson Mandela spoke out against their government. Who knows what the likes of Nwankwo Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha could have achieved at France '98 with two more tournaments' worth of experience under their belts?

The political situation complicates the efforts of cash-strapped national associations. Sam Potter, co-producer of documentary Soka Afrika, is quite clear on the state of football infrastructure in parts of Africa: “We went to Cameroon, and it's a shambles out there.

The league is very poorly organised, the pay is nonexistent and the development of players is patchy at

24 | January 25 2013 |

best, so the dream for anybody trying to make a career out of playing football is to get out of Cameroon.”

The few institutions that exist with the express purpose of player development are no better, adds Potter: “They're jokes. We visited a few of the academies in Cameroon and the organisation is ridiculous – there is none. The pitches are concrete, or patches of dirt with pieces of timber for goalposts at either end and no real facilities. There is no systematic infrastructure to develop youth from a very young age.”

Africa is not, of course, a homogeneous mass, and Potter readily points out that in more economically developed countries – such as Egypt and South Africa – the situation is quite different. Egypt have won the Cup of Nations a record seven times, and hearing Potter describe the system they have in place, it's easy to see why: “In Egypt, there was quite a good structure for developing players – there was quite a good private structure within Egypt that did work with the Egyptian federation, and there were some private clubs with initiatives that worked with Arsenal, for example.”

However, he adds that this was back in 2009, and the recent political turmoil will undoubtedly have changed things for the worse in Egypt and also in Libya – which

“Cameroon in 1990 was the high point of a progression that began after 1966, when Africa boycotted the World Cup. Since then, I really don't think that Senegal in 2002 or Ghana in 2010 were any better than Cameroon in 1990” had one of the best professional leagues on the continent until the revolution, largely thanks to the interest of Al-Saadi Gaddafi (pictured, below) in football.

Follow the money That level of investment is not replicated elsewhere on the continent, however. “When we went to South Africa, it was 2009 and the World Cup was coming up a year later,” says Potter. “So there was a fair amount of evidence of money being thrust into the system.

In Cameroon, I'm not sure I saw any evidence of money coming in from FIFA. But I think there's quite a lot of evidence to suggest that individuals aren't necessarily working towards the good of the game.”

The financial squeeze is often exacerbated by confederations wasting their modest funds on hiring European coaches for major tournaments. Contrast the coach of the U23 team, who might be paid “something like ¤1,000 a month” according to Potter, with the £2m offered to Sven-Goran Eriksson for taking charge of the Ivory Coast in 2010. A common problem, Potter tells us, is coaches asking players for bribes in exchange for selection – particularly at junior levels.“The coaches feel hard done by and will begin to push that financial pressure on to the players,” he reveals. “Some of those players are 20 years old, playing in Europe, and the impression is that they must have some money – so why can't they share it around a little bit?” >

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African Football Zambia's tournament victory in the 2012 Cup of Nations, with a team lacking any star names, has set a precedent. Wilson says: “Zambia's success has given the power back to the coaches and shown that star players don't necessarily make that much difference – or they aren't essential, and that getting team ethic, team spirit, organisation and discipline is actually more important.

And if certain star names have to be sacrificed in order to achieve that, then so be it.”

There are signs that other African teams are starting to follow suit. Both Ghana and Nigeria have now appointed domestic coaches in James Kwesi Appiah and Stephen Keshi respectively, and it's significant that neither has hesitated to drop high-profile names from their squads for the 2013 Cup of Nations.

Carrying a continent

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

“Ninety per cent of the African countries employ European coaches because they don't believe their own coaches are good enough – that's the unconscious racism that exists in all of us” Blowing the budget on a European coach would be almost justifiable if it was proven to bring results. Sadly though, that's rarely the case – and they tend to come in just a few months before tournaments with little time to get to know the players. “A lot of the coaches just drop in, turn up to games and then disappear again,” explains Wilson.

So why do European coaches, often with little experience of management at a high level, keep being preferred for African coaching jobs?

Former England international John Barnes believes it's for the same reason that black coaches have struggled to rise up the managerial ladder here in England. He told Sport: “Ninety per cent of the African countries employ European coaches because they don't believe their own coaches are good enough – that's the unconscious racism that exists in all of us.”

But Wilson disagrees. “It facilitates corruption,” he explains. “I don't want to name specific cases, but generally it's justifiable to pay a bigger salary to a European. That means more money washing through the system, from which people can take kickbacks.”

Colonial hangover The demand for European coaches is compounded by the lack of respected domestic coaches in the global game. “There simply has not been a black African coach who has coached in Europe,” says Wilson. “That creates issues. Because, if you're a big-name player who plays for a big club and you go back home to play for your national team – and your coach is a bloke who's won three Ghanaian league titles and that's it – you kind of feel like: 'Well who is this idiot? I'm playing in the Premier League – why would I listen to him?'

“Until African coaches are given chances in Europe and have started to succeed at European clubs in the way that players have, that credibility and respect is never going to be there.”

There are, though, clear advantages to hiring domestic coaches. Firstly, they are a lot cheaper, so money can be freed up for use in other areas, such as paying support staff enough that they don't feel the need to seek out bribes from the players. Secondly, as Wilson explains, domestic coaches will be much more able to drop such disruptive stars from the team.

“If you're a European coach appointed three or four months before the tournament, and suddenly your bigname star starts messing around... well, you can't drop him because you've got no idea of a player in the domestic league who you can bring in. Maybe domestic coaches are in a better position to drop the big names, because they have a knowledge of players further down the structure who they can bring in.”

It seems strange to European sensibilities when players seem to lack the required commitment or even the desire to play for their countries – take Kevin-Prince Boateng, for example, who retired from international football with Ghana in November 2011 at the age of 24, with just nine caps. After all, isn't playing for your country meant to be the pinnacle of the sport?

“Some of the players who have had success in Europe lose focus when it comes to the national team,” says Wilson. “Some get frustrated with the way it's planned, and some find it difficult to cope with the pressure that's put on them to lead the national team from an emotional point of view.” That pressure can be enormous, as Didier Drogba told us last week: “When I missed that penalty in the last final, my parents told me that somebody had a heart attack and died from watching it. Can you imagine being told that?”

Financial pressures can also make players reluctant to represent their countries if it comes at a personal cost. Wilson says: “They're expected to sort of help out.

George Weah, for example, clearly saw it as his duty to help out Liberia – he paid for transport, he paid bonuses to players. That can create resentment, and it's all to do with the lack of infrastructure and resources back at home.”

Ending the drought Despite the problems, there are some promising signs for the future of football on the continent. Zambia's win at the expense of Ivory Coast in the 2012 Cup of Nations demonstrated the growing strength in depth that African football possesses. While the teams at the top might not be any closer to challenging for World Cups, keep an eye out for minnows upsetting more established sides as the 2013 Cup of Nations unfolds.

The pyramid is getting “broader if not higher”, according to Wilson, and that might be a better overall sign of how the continent is progressing than performances in the pressure cooker of the World Cup. Certainly it seems many of the problems putting the brakes on African football can be traced back to the lack of resources and, 36 years after Pele's bold prediction, it's unlikely that an African team will win the World Cup until that changes.

“It's an economic question,” says Wilson. “Until African nations have financial resources that are competitive with Europe, they're doomed to be susceptible to corruption, they're doomed to have a lack of infrastructure, and they're doomed to constantly be scrabbling around because the bureaucrats in positions of authority won't organise things properly.

I'm not sure there's much football can do about it.

“You'd need an economic revolution.”

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala

| January 25 2013 | 27

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The resurrecTion of emmanuel eboué Africa Cup of Nations

Unwanted by arsenal, the IvorIan wInger has foUnd a new lease of lIfe In IstanbUl. he’s even won trophIes. now he has hIs eye on the afrIca cUp of natIons...

John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images

w

hen emmanUel eboUé walks on to the pItch In rUstenbUrg tomorrow for hIs coUntry’s Africa Cup of Nations match against Tunisia, he and his Ivory Coast teammates will undoubtedly be greeted with the special level of adoration that only African fans bring to proceedings. But the former Arsenal winger and right back is no stranger to the darker side of football fandom.

The 29-year-old left the London club in the summer of 2011 to join Turkish giants Galatasaray, but he made headlines for the wrong reasons when was pelted with missiles by the crowd in an away game at local rivals Besiktas. Allegations of racism were swiftly denied, and Eboué himself puts incidents like that down simply to the ferocious rivalries between the clubs in Istanbul – rivalries so fierce that away fans are actually banned from attending fixtures considered to be ’high-risk’. “When you go to play away in Turkey, it’s very hard for the team because we play without the fans,” he explains, in speedily spoken, heavily accented English.

Eboué does suggest that stronger action needs to be taken against all kinds of abuse on the football pitch, and he supports the actions of Kevin-Prince Boateng, who walked off in a friendly for AC Milan earlier this month after suffering racial abuse.

“If it was me, for sure, I will leave like him,“ he says. “Because – when you play football or are on the street – if the fans boo you or call you a monkey, it makes you uncomfortable. So I think he was right to complain. You know, we all came from God and we must always be like a family, so you don’t need to be racist.”

Despite several years as part of Arsenal’s family, Eboué was, disgracefully, booed off the pitch by large sections of the Emirates crowd after a poor performance against Wigan in December 2008. He laughs uncomfortably when Sport brings this up. We ask if it was difficult for him to forgive the Arsenal fans for their shocking treatment of him.

“When you’re a football player, you’re always ready for that,” he admits. ”But that day against Wigan, it wasn’t only me who played badly – only God knows why he put that on me. I still love Arsenal, I love the Arsenal fans.

I prayed for them to win a trophy this year.”

In pUrsUIt of happIness Unlike the Gunners, Eboué has secured some silverware – and without the need for divine intervention. He made 31 appearances as Galatasaray won the Turkish league and earned a return to the Champions League.

“I’m so happy to play for Galatasaray,” he says. “You know the football there is not the same as in England, but they play some good football and they’ve got a lot of good players.

We won two trophies already and we did well in the Champions League, so I’m very happy.”

The defence of that league title is on hold for now, as the Ivorian strives for a bigger prize: “It’s our opportunity this year to win the Africa Cup, because last year we were in the final and we lost on penalties. It’s not easy to take it. This year we must be more focused, because it’s going to be harder.”

Ivory Coast are again favourites for the title, and their talented squad will be out to redeem themselves after last year’s penalty defeat. The country’s golden generation has thus far failed to win a tournament, and this could be the last Cup of Nations for Didier Drogba, who Eboué says is “like a brother”.

There’s a sense of wanting to make up for previous failures, of a group wanting to finally come good: “In our team, you have lots of famous players, but that’s nothing. This is one of the last chances for our generation – we haven’t won anything, so we must work hard for ourselves and for our national team.

We have to win something for our country.” amit katwala @amitkatwala Hear more from Emmanuel Eboue, the Ivory Coast and other teams at the Africa Cup of Nations at puma.com/africanfootball

| January 25 2013 | 29

Charlotte Edwards

Captain’s log

going out there and performing, and I think this is another opportunity for us to showcase our game and our skills at the highest level, in front of what will hopefully be a big TV audience. I think that’s something that’s really spurring us all on, and we’re not seeing it as a pressure.”

the prediCtion England womEn’s crickEt captain charlottE Edwards will lEad think it’s gonna be a really tightly fought hEr tEam as thEy bEgin thEir world cup dEfEncE in india nExt wEEk. “Icompetition.

And I think – especially with it being shE guidEs us through thE tournamEnt, which bEgins on thursday in the subcontinent – that it should bring everyone

“I’ve been lucky enough to play there a lot, and I think everyone in the squad has had experience in the subcontinent, which is always good and will hopefully stand us in good stead. [The atmosphere] all depends on the crowd. I’ve played with some really big crowds in India, but equally I’ve played with not many people there – and I think it’s been interesting to watch the guys and see the lack of crowds at times. We don’t really know what we’re expecting. All we know is there’s a real buzz around cricket in India, which makes it a great place to tour.

And, hopefully, the people will come out and watch.

It’s the heartbeat of cricket, and we’re looking forward to going out there again.”

the group “We’ve set our sights on winning every single game while we’re out there. But, equally, we appreciate we have a tough group with two subcontinent teams (India and Sri Lanka) and the West Indies, who are also a tough team. India haven’t been as

30 | January 25 2013 |

successful in recent times as they have been in the past, but they always play better in India.

So we’re expecting them to be a tough proposition.

We’re going to have to play well, but we’re prepared and ready for that, and looking forward to those challenges.”

the team “Sarah Taylor’s form in the past 18 months has been astonishing, so hopefully she will carry that into the tournament. Lydia Greenway has had a great ODI record over the past 18 months, too. We have a lot of experience in the form of Arran Brindle, and then we have some younger players in Tammy Beaumont and Danielle Wyatt, who are exciting prospects.

I think we have a nice blend there; hopefully that kind of experience mixed with that youth is going to be a great combination.”

the pressure “I think it works in our favour. We don’t see it [going in as holders and favourites] as a pressure. We love

a bit closer together. Our recent form has been good, as has Australia’s and some of the other teams. I know it’s an old cliché, but we have got to take it one game at a time and not look too far ahead in the competition. This is gonna be our toughest challenge as a group, and it’ll be our greatest achievement if we are to be successful out in India.

I think that’s something that’s really motivating us as a group at the moment.”

the future “I think a lot is being done. We’ve gone from 90 clubs in 2000 to now more than 500 clubs. The growth in the game is fantastic, and a lot of that is down to the increased profile of the game – which has grown because of the team’s success. Hopefully young girls see that and are inspired by what they see, and then take it up themselves. That is the best way we can attract players to it.”

Charlotte Edwards was speaking to Amit Katwala. The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup is part of the year-round schedule of live women’s sport on Sky Sports

Paul Thomas/Getty Images

the venue

PARK LIFE 32 | January 25 2013 |

Olympic Park Legacy

THE OLYMPIC PARK

Officially renamed Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on January 1, the 2.5 square kilometre site that hosted some of London 2012’s finest moments, from Super Saturday in the stadium to the unforgettable tears of big Bert le Clos in the Aquatics Centre, is now the world’s most security-conscious building site. Lord Coe’s bid-time promise that London 2012 would create “a real and lasting legacy” for one of the city’s most neglected areas is in full effect, with the Boris Johnson-led London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) overseeing the park’s £300m transformation.

The wrangle over the stadium rumbles on, but huge

changes are taking place elsewhere, with the future of six of the park’s eight permanent venues (Copper Box, Aquatics Centre, Orbit, Athletes’ Village, Velodrome and Eton Manor) secure. And the park itself is set to open in phases, from July this year until spring 2014, when Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will open fully.

Until then, there are free bus tours for anyone who wants a close-up view of what’s happening – although getting off the bus is strictly forbidden (until the end, obviously). Book via parktours@springboardmarketing.co.uk or 0800 023 2030. More active types can cycle or stroll along the Greenway for a good view of the stadium and Aquatics Centre.

COPPER BOX

Capacity: 7,500 including field of play; 6,000 without.

Features: 24 marked courts for badminton, basketball, five-a-side football, handball, netball, volleyball.

Selling point: Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) will manage the venue, and LLDC have promised it will cost no more to hire a court in the Copper Box than the average price in a local leisure centre.

Opens: July 2013.

AQUATICS CENTRE This weekend, six months will have passed since the Queen parachuted into the Olympic Stadium to declare the Games of the XXX Olympiad open. So, with London 2012 an increasingly distant memory, what is to become of the venues that, for a few glorious weeks, turned Stratford into the only place to be?

Capacity: 2,500 permanent seats, able to expand to 3,500.

Features: Two 50m Olympic-sized pools, 25m Olympic-sized diving pool, dry-dive training facility with trampolines.

Selling point: Another GLL-operated venue, you’ll be able to swim here for the same price as the average east London swimming baths.

Opens: Spring 2014.

Home to the Olympic handball competition, the Copper Box will become the first sporting venue to reopen this summer, along with the North Park Hub – which will come to life with a series of music and cultural events to mark the first anniversary of the Games. It will also be one of London’s largest indoor arenas (larger than, for example, Royal Festival Hall), and possibly its most versatile – able to host anything from a major badminton competition (it’s won the the London leg of the World Badminton Grand Prix later this year) to an Emeli Sandé concert.

Zaha Hadid’s sumptuous wave-shaped building will finally look as it should, with the two huge wings of temporary seating to be replaced by 3,000 square metres of glass.

Inside, the two Olympic-sized pools that were in place throughout the Games (one is the warm-up pool, hidden from public view) and the diving pool will remain. They will be available for public use and also provide a venue for world-class swimming meets.

Just the place to take your own beautiful boy to get him started in the water, then. >

| 33

Olympic Park Legacy VELodRoME

Capacity: 6,000 Features: The 250m indoor velodrome will also contain a new conditioning gym and bike workshop.

Selling point: The velodrome will form the heart of the new Lee Valley VeloPark – one of Europe’s best centres for cycling.

Opens: Early 2014.

The LLDC are expanding the cycling facilities that were in place during the Games – those being the velodrome and BMX track – by adding a one-mile outdoor road circuit across the north of the park and around eight kilometres of mountain bike trails. Bike hire will be available on site for visitors who don’t have their own wheels, and there’s no need to worry about losing too many teeth on the BMX track – it is being downgraded from the deadly levels of difficulty it posed during the Olympics. That’s no guarantee, mind.

MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS IN THE PARK Annually Ride London, Festival of Disability Sport

Eton MAnoR

oLYMPiC stAdiUM

Capacity: 60,000 Features: Two running tracks.

Selling point: Forever synonymous with the highs of Super Saturday.

Opens: TBC Whether West Ham finally agree a deal to move in, we do know the stadium will be the

tiMELinE

new national centre for athletics, replacing the decrepit Crystal Palace venue. It will also have two tracks available for public use – one of them having been used as a warm-up facility during the Games.

No changes to the stadium will get under way until its future is decided, but the LLDC are hoping to hold concerts there in July.

Emile Sandé... again? Probably.

Capacity: 3,000-seat hockey stadium.

Features: Two hockey pitches, four indoor (and six outdoor) tennis courts, floodlit, water-based hockey training pitch.

Selling point: Capacity can rise to 15,000.

Opens: Spring 2014.

2014-2017 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters

The Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on the site of Eton Manor will act as a regional centre of excellence for wheelchair tennis.

2015 European Hockey Championships

AnY othER BUsinEss?

The Press and Broadcast Centre will be home to BT Sport from this summer, with other tenants set to sign up in the coming months, while the Athletes’ Village is being turned into 2,800 flats ,the first of which will open this summer. With the Basketball Arena being removed, another new neighbourhood, called Chobham Manor, is being built in its place.

January 1 2013

July 2013

Summer 2013

Early 2014

Spring 2014

2014-2016

Olympic Park officially becomes Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

First sporting venue, the Copper Box, opens. North Park starts to open with a series of music and cultural events.

BT Sport begins broadcasting from Press and Broadcast Centre; East Village (part of converted Athletes’ Village) opens; Ride London event starts from North Park, August 3-4; Basketball Arena completely removed; Water Polo Arena removed.

Lee Valley VeloPark opens.

Park fully opens, including South Plaza public space, Aquatics Centre, ArcelorMittal Orbit and Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre.

Stadium reopens, date depending on final outcome of bidding process.

34 | January 25 2013 |

2014-2018 Badminton Grand Prix

2017 IPC World Athletics Championships, IAAF World Athletics Championships

Bids in to host

2015 Rugby World Cup 2016 European Swimming Championships 2016 Track Cycling World Championships 2018 Gay Games

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CASe Study

In each of the next four weeks, we will speak to a serving Rating, to get an insight into what a career in the Royal Navy can offer.

First up is Nicholas†, an Able Seaman Warfare Specialist from HMS Illustrious...

What first inspired you to become a Royal Navy Rating?

“I was inspired to join the Royal Navy by a number of things – but mainly my father and grandfather, both of whom have had involvement with the Navy. I was also impressed by a presentation at the college I

was attending at the time – before then, I had wanted to join the Army.”

first, but looking back now I am very glad that I stuck it out.”

What role are you training for, and what does this entail?

“I trained initially as a Warfare Specialist, but then I sub-specialised as an Electronic Warfare Specialist. One of the good things about being a Warfare Specialist is if you are not sure about your job initially, it is very easy to sub-specialise into a different job within the warfare branch. As a Warfare Specialist, I was an integral part of the operations room and force protection teams operating both upper-deck weapons and radar systems to a high standard.”

What skills have you learned that you can take into everyday life?

“I have gained a wealth of skills since joining. I now communicate more effectively and work well as part of a professional team – and I am more organised and more motivated than I ever was before joining.

I even gained a GCSE in English at grade A, all organised and paid for by the Royal Navy.”

Tell us about the part of your training you have enjoyed the most, and why.

“I really enjoyed the comradeship and the teamwork side of the training. It felt really good to be part of a close-knit team, and it was great having that extra level of support from your fellow trainees.”

How do you think you have developed since joining?

“I feel that I have become a more mature, professional and confident person since joining. It was a massive culture shock at

For further information on Royal Navy careers, call 08456 07 55 55 or search 'Navy Jobs' online

What do you feel you have gained most since joining the Royal Navy?

“I feel that I have entered into a highly enjoyable and satisfying career, with excellent opportunities to progress both professionally and in a sporting sense.”

On that note, what is your favourite sport?

“I regularly go mountain biking, and the Navy has really supported my aspirations within the sport. Out of base port, there are opportunities to go mountain biking, not to mention other sports such as skiing and rock climbing. And if you are good enough at a particular sport, the Navy will offer you opportunities to play at a professional level in the Royal Navy team.”

| 37

The UK’s number 1 for ski holidays

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

JAN HIGHLIGHTS 25-JAN 31 » Football: FA Cup Preview » p40 » Tennis: Australian Open » p41 » Hockey: Super Sixes Finals » p41 » Athletics: Glasgow International Match » p42 » Golf: Qatar Masters » p42

Saturday WINTER SPORTS | FIS SKI WORlD CUP: MEN’S DOWNHIll | KITzbUHEl, AUSTRIA | bRITISH EUROSPORT 2 10.30AM

Francis Bompard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

Downwardly mobile There’s a World Championships on the wintry horizon next month, but for the elite of men’s downhill skiing there is nothing to get the blood pumping quite like this weekend’s World Cup event at Kitzbuhel, Austria.

The two-mile Streif downhill at the Austrian resort is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous courses in the world, and has been the scene of a number of spectacular crashes in recent years. Drama is as good as guaranteed, but for 2013 so is a new winner – Didier Cuche has emerged victorious in four of the past five stagings of this prestigious race, but the Swiss veteran retired at the end of the 2012 season. Instead, current World Cup leader Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway (pictured) will start as favourite.

Elsewhere on Saturday, former international sprinter

Craig Pickering will feature for Great Britain in the FIBT Bobsleigh World Championships in St Moritz (British Eurosport 2, 12.15pm). The 26-year-old is competing in the two-man bob, alongside pilot John Jackson, but the pair look unlikely to make the podium after finishing 19th in a World Cup event in Germany earlier this month.

Over in Canada, meanwhile, the Snowboarding World Championships are coming to an end this weekend. It’s been a successful meet for British boarders, with Billy Morgan finishing fourth in the men’s slopestyle event and Jenny Jones registering sixth in the women’s equivalent. Can Zoe Gillings match them, or even go better, in the ladies’ snowboardcross? Check out British Eurosport 2 at 10pm on Saturday to find out.

| January 25 2013 | 39

7 Days Sunday Football | Fa Cup Fourth round: oldham v liverpool boundarY park | itv1 4pm

Reds face Latics test

2-1 win away at blue square premier side mansfield in the third round this year. With all due respect to former accountant neil Joy, oldham don’t have a glamourpuss chief executive in the mould of mansfield’s Carolyn radford, but they do have an arguably more dangerous weapon: Jose baxter is an ex-everton wonderkid once billed as the new Wayne rooney. the 20-year-old is reviving his career at oldham – and his second-half performance was key to their knocking out nottingham Forest in the last round. still, oldham’s chances likely depend on how many stars brendan rodgers chooses to rest. but it would be a classic Fa Cup story were an ex-toffee to put liverpool in a sticky situation.

Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images, Clive Mason/Getty Images

Liverpool may not have beaten a team above them in the league yet this season, but the flip side to that is they have generally been strong against teams below them in the table. bad news for league one strugglers oldham, who sit more than 50 places below the reds and were dumped out of this competition 5-1 by the same opposition in last year’s third round. however, the anfield club did need a helping hand from luis suarez to sneak a

Sunday Football | Fa Cup Fourth round: leeds united v tottenham | elland road | espn 2pm

Opportunity Warnocks Andre Villas-Boas won’t have happy memories of his previous meeting with neil Warnock. last season’s 1-0 defeat to Qpr was one of the low points of his Chelsea reign, and now he has Warnock’s mrs doubtfire-esque face up in his suave portuguese grille again. they might miss the presence of injured midfield enforcer sandro at elland road, but tottenham have been playing with an attacking verve missing from leeds united’s play this season. rather, it will be the physical presence of luciano becchio – 19 goals already this season – who presents the most likely route to an Fa Cup upset for Yorkshire’s famous old underachievers, currently lying 11th in the Championship.

Fa Cup: The oTher FixTureS FRiday millwall v aston villa, 7.45pm

SatuRday stoke v man City, 12.45pm, itv1 bolton v everton, 3pm brighton v arsenal, 3pm derby v blackburn, 3pm huddersfield v leicester, 3pm hull v barnsley, 3pm

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macclesfield v Wigan, 3pm middlesbrough v aldershot, 3pm norwich v luton, 3pm Qpr v mk dons, 3pm reading v sheff utd, 3pm man utd v Fulham, 5.30pm, espn

Sunday brentford v Chelsea, 12pm, espn

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See www.snowandrock.com for full list of stores 40 | January 25 2013 |

Saturday/Sunday tenniS | auStralian open: SinGleS finalS | Melbourne park | bbc tWo & britiSH euroSport 8.15aM

Survival of the fittest It’s been a captivating and, at times, exhilarating first Grand Slam of the year, played in often brutal temperatures in Melbourne. the british girls impressed, with laura robson’s marathon secondround victory over former Wimbledon champion petra kvitova the pick of the performances; while two-time champion novak Djokovic (pictured) again reminded us of what a warrior he has become in seeing off the brave challenge of Stan Wawrinka in the last 16. but the weekend is here, and that means trophies are up for grabs.

Watching both finals live will mean relatively early rises on both Saturday (for the ladies) and Sunday (for the lads), but last year’s men’s final between Djokovic and the still absent rafael nadal was one of the all-time great matches. you wouldn’t want to risk missing something similar, would you?

Sunday Hockey | Maxifuel Super SixeS finalS | WeMbley arena | Sky SportS 2 3pM

Six appeal

William West/AFP/Getty Images, Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

Hockey’s bid to avoid being one of those sports you watch only during an Olympic Games kicks off at Wembley arena this weekend, with the finals of the Maxifuel Super Sixes – a shorter, faster-paced indoor version of the outdoor game – coming to our screens. teams of six compete for the national titles in both the men’s and ladies’ games, with the winner in each qualifying for the euroHockey indoor club championships. the two sides contesting the men’s final will be decided earlier in the day, with defending champions east Grinstead facing a semi final against canterbury. the highlight, though, might just be the women’s final between reading, featuring london 2012 bronze-medallists kate Walsh, emily Maguire (left, in the red) and Helen richardson, and Sutton coldfield – who could well line up with a team including former olympic medallist Jane Sixsmith. the 45-year-old won bronze in barcelona way back in 1992.

| 41

7 Days Friday >Golf | CommerCial Bank Qatar masters | Doha Golf CluB | sky sports 2 9.30am

Well that didn’t go according to plan, then. Pairing world numbers one and two Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods together for the first two rounds of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship seemed a good idea at the time, but you could have taken the longest of odds that both would miss the cut.

Thursday CriCket | iCC Women’s WorlD Cup: inDia v West inDies WankheDe staDium, mumBai | sky sports 1 9.30am

Ladies in waiting England’s women are in the subcontinent next week, as favourites to defend the world one-day title they won in australia four years ago. eight teams are split into two groups for the first stage, with england in Group a alongside the hosts india – who open the tournament against the West indies on thursday – and sri lanka, who are the champions’ first opponents in mumbai next saturday (sky sports 1, 4am). the english women recently made it to the final of the t20 World Cup, and are a formidable force who should progress easily from the group. keep an eye on talented wicketkeeper-batsman sarah taylor (pictured), who is tipped to play men’s cricket at county level in the summer.

42 | January 25 2013 |

saTurday athletiCs | GlasGoW international matCh emirates arena, GlasGoW | BBC one 1.30pm

Easy Jeter?

Glasgow’s shiny new Emirates Arena hosts a decent field of international athletes on saturday, when a Great Britain squad featuring olympic high-jump medallist robbie Grabarz, pole vaulter holly Bleasdale and hurdler perri shakes-Drayton faces off against teams from the usa, russia, Germany and the Commonwealth.

But the likely star turn is us speedstress Carmelita Jeter (pictured), who completed a clean sweep of gold (4x100m relay), silver (100m) and bronze (200m) at london 2012. she will be favourite to hose up in the 60m here.

Steve Bardens/Getty Images, Michael Steele/Getty Images, Warren Little/Getty Images

No cut is safe

Still, that didn’t lessen the excitement over the weekend, and in the end Welshman Jamie Donaldson prevailed over Justin Rose. And it’s Rose who looks like being the star turn this weekend, as the Qatar Masters draws to a close in Doha. American Jason Dufner and South African Louis Oosthuizen should provide a very decent backing group, though you can never rule out doughty Scot Paul Lawrie (pictured) in Qatar. He has won twice here previously – and there is, after all, quite a resemblance between Doha and Aberdeen.

SUN 27 JAN 2013 at 12:30

wembley arena top clubs & olympic stars fun for all the family dazzling skills superb six-a-side goals guaranteed

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P52 Coming soon, to a tesco freezer near you (probably)

Making the most of your time and money

Gadgets

White goods

No Noise x Beats Studio Headphones

It’s been a good week for branded goods, with the argument that they’re pretty much the same as the own-brand stuff taking a horse-flavoured hit in the news. These pallid headphones from Beats by Dre result from a collaboration with Selfridges, who have ‘debranded’ a host of famous products for sale in their ‘Quiet Shop’. You can think of them as a Tesco Value version of the iconic Beats, although they retail at full RRP and don’t contain any hooves. £280 | selfridges.com

Walkman W273

Sony’s music player has come in many shapes and sizes, but always stuck to its music-you-can-walk-with remit. Until now.

The W273 is the first waterproof Walkman.

Resistant to a depth of two metres, it has 4GB of memory and lasts for 60 minutes on a three-minute ‘flash charge’. £59 | sony.co.uk (available February)

44 | January 25 2013 |

Canon PowerShot N

Is your Facebook feed clogged with hundreds of versions of what is basically the same picture of the snow? Canon’s 12.1-megapixel hinged camera seeks to alleviate such repetition thanks to Creative Shot mode, which automatically generates five creative versions of every shot you take. £269 | canon.co.uk (available April)

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

et

Kit

the only personal trainers you’ll ever need

We asked Runners Need store manager Sam Barnes to pick out the best of their bunch.

All available at runnersneed.com

adidas adizero Xt 4

Everything you need and nothing you don’t from a trail shoe. Fly down the trails in total confidence with a lightweight upper, like a road racer, and a rugged, effective beast of an off-road outsole. The result is enhanced speed, thanks to a microfibre synthetic upper, and superior grip and traction from a Continental (they of the tyre) rubber outsole.

Take on any conditions, any surface, in any weather. £79.99

nike Zoom structure+ 16

Supremely versatile trainer and shoe of choice for Galen Rupp, Mo Farah’s training partner and Olympic silver-medallist.

Fans of the former Structure Triax model will notice the traditional support post has been substituted with the introduction of ‘dynamic support’, which means it will suit a broader range of runners.

Approximately 16 per cent lighter than its predecessor – and more responsive than ever. £94.99

46 | January 25 2013 |

new Balance 5000

A mind-bogglingly lightweight racer weighing in at slightly less than 70 grams, this shoe provides excellent traction and a hint of cushion. Designed for track and speed workouts and road racing at distances of up to 10,000 metres, it’s right up there with the fastest on the road. It also features FantomFit, a skeletally engineered upper that provides ultra-light support and fit. Expect extreme performance. £89.99

saucony proGrid Kinvara 3

This is a much-garlanded series for good reason. A low profile with a light and flexible feel offers more shock absorption and durability than seems feasible. The latest model has a slightly roomier toe box and the same 4mm heel-to-toe drop – ideal for anyone taking their first step into a minimalist shoe.

Expect a responsive performance from a roadrunning shoe that is, quite simply, revolutionary. £94.99

Brooks adrenaline Gts 13

This series of moderate stability trainer has quietly become more and more popular. There’s very little fault to be found here, and very few changes to the latest model. Brooks have, though, added Omega Flex grooves in the outsole, which boosts flexibility and efficiency. But – importantly – the fit remains unchanged. Consistently preferred for fit, cushioning and durability – there’s no more reliable shoe. £99.99

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et

Grooming

here coMes the science

In the F1 off-season, we’re obliged to bring you some alternative winning formulas. Pay attention – there will be a test at the end

the skincare range

Milk

A new skincare brand from Aussie Olympic swimming gold-medallist Michael Klim, because he didn’t think what was already on the market was good enough. Milk (‘your daily essential’) is natural and formulated specifically for male skin, which – Klim’s people tell us – tends to be thicker and has a higher

density of collagen compared with female skin. Choose from: Moisturising Shave Milk (£11.95); Face Wash + Scrub (£12.95); Face Moisturiser + Sunscreen SPF 15+ (£19.45); Body Wash (£11.95, not pictured). The Milky way – certainly not cheap, but it’s worth it. boots.com

the anti-ageing serum neo stem

the tattoo stuff Forever ink

A tattoo is only as only as good as the skin it’s on, say Forever Ink – a skincare range with a unique formulation created for the care of tattooed skin and developed with none other than a tattoo artist who has had a crack at David Beckham.

The balm (£6.99 for 30g) provides a combination of anti-bacterial manuka honey and vitamins B and E to moisturise, nourish and protect, the aim being to help restore a healthy skin barrier. The shield (£12.99 for 50g) will give you SPF 45 protection and help keep colour vivid on those regrettable gap yah Sanskrit characters on your left calf. boots.com

48 | January 25 2013 |

This anti-ageing serum was developed by researchers working on treatments for rare genetic diseases and accelerated ageing. From genetics to cosmetics, then, this by-product of that research contains two active ingredients: Omega Statine and the Z-Dronate, which together stimulate collagen synthesis for denser skin and boost stem cell renewal. In short, it will revitalise and rejuvenate your tired mug. And no, we don’t know what the apple’s for. £59 for 30ml | marksandspencer.com

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Extra time Sonya Looney

50 | January 25 2013 |

| 51

onya Looney is a professional mountain biker, writer and – in her own words – “outdoor junkie, guitar lover, mountainchasing adventure seeker, laughter addict, beer snob and ex-engineer”. She’s currently in training for the Yak Attack, billed as “not just the world’s highest mountain bike race – a life-changing experience”. Held in the Himalayas, the race takes riders across elevations of up to 17,000ft over nearly 10 days of racing and is, as Looney points out, “hard as hell – especially with a bike on your back at 4am on the ice, snow and sub-zero temperatures”. Still, she is confident her training has gone well enough for her to finish in less than 30 hours. So much so, she even took time out to pose for this year’s Cyclepassion calendar – the Calendar of International Cycling Stars. cyclepassion.com

S

Looney tunes up

Daniel Geiger

ET

Games In association with

ExTRA ExTRA-TERRESTRIAlS

Two sequels in which blasting away aliens is the order of the day, and George Washington goes a little power-hungry in our regular end-of-month games special

PS3, xbox, Wii U, PC

PS3, xbox, PC

Dead Space 3

Aliens: Colonial Marines

We know what you’re thinking: since when have video games based on movies ever been as good as their source material? But, from what we’ve seen so far, Aliens: Colonial Marines could be the one to break the mould.

It follows the story of what happened on Hadley’s Hope, the ill-fated human colony established on the planet LV426. Seventeen years ago, an entire regiment of marines were lost – and you’re being sent to find out just what

PS3, xbox

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Despite its name, this Metal Gear edition is unlike any other – the hide-and-sneak gameplay has been ditched in favour of overthe-top slice-and-dice swordplay.

You play ninja cyborg Raiden, a rocket-fuelled solider capable of cutting through enemies, cars and even giant robots with a single swipe of his katana.

Released February 22

52 | January 25 2013 |

A horror game that lacks scares? That was one of the concerns from fans when the latest instalment in the Dead Space series was announced last year. But fear not (or, actually, do), because although the sequel takes the series in a slightly different direction – including co-op play so you can venture into space with friends – it still promises the same edge-of-the-seat action. Playing, once again, as Isaac Clarke, your mission – should you choose not to die at the hands of the Necromorphs – is to make your way through a wonderfully atmospheric and tense shooter to stop the Necromorph plague spreading and save mankind.

Released February 8

the hell happened. With a story that promises not to step on the toes of James Cameron’s film and enough explosive action to blow up the Nostromo (again), all carefully crafted

by Borderlands creators Gearbox, we’re cautiously optimistic that this Aliens tie-in can deliver a first-person shooter steeped in the eerie, claustrophobic and terrifying atmosphere that made the films so great. Just another glorious day in the corps, then.

Released February 12

PS3, xbox, Wii U, PC

Assassin’s Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington Remember when the most famous Founding Father set himself up as the tyrannical King of America? No, us neither. But that’s the story in this download for Assassin’s Creed III, set to be released over three instalments.

It’s up to titular assassin Connor to overthrow the dictator and restore the nation’s liberty.

Coming soon

Wii U

Rayman legends

iOS, Android

Originally planned as a launch title for the Wii U, the sequel to the acclaimed Rayman Origins is almost here – and the charming platformer will support up to four players using Wii remotes and a fifth using the GamePad. Co-op mode is probably the best way to get the most out of the game, but there’s plenty of fun to be had playing solo, too.

Released February 28

Real Racing 3

Chances are you’ve never heard of the Real Racing franchise, but this series designed for iOS and Android phones and tablets has consistently racked up glowing reviews. The latest entry is unlikely to break that pattern, with cars from the likes of Porsche, Audi and Dodge making a welcome return and authentic tracks making a first appearance.

Released February

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