Sports Talk March 2013 by Sports Talk

EXCLUSIVE: SAM ALLARDYCE

COLUMN: RON ATKINSON

TUITION: MAN CITY SCHOOL OF FOOTBALL AED 15 Issue 06 March 2013 mesportstalk.com

DRIVEN ROUND THE BENZ LEWIS HAMILTON BLAMES EX-BOSS RON DENNIS FOR HIS MOVE TO MERCEDES PLUS OSCAR PISTORIUS’ DARK SIDE

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WHY THE WEIRWOLF IS STILL HUNGRY

BEN JOHNSON’S CONSPIRACY THEORIES

A DREAM TRIP TO THE FA CUP FINAL

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PRE-MATCH TALK

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Big Sam tips Mourinho for Chelsea; Haye could move to Dubai

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FIRST HALF

Hamilton blames McLaren exit on Dennis; Oscar the Blade Gunner

MARSH

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HALF-TIME TALK

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Big Ron calls the Copa del Rey better than the FA Cup; Robbo attacks Wenger

TRAINING GROUND

Marsh on how to take the perfect penalty; Daf’s kettlebell circuit

SECOND HALF

SHEIKH

JAMES

Johnson calls Lewis a killer; Sheikh tries the Rolls-Royce Phantom

WIN

A DREAM TRIP TO THE FA CUP FINAL

MARCH 2013

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THE GAFFER BEN JACOBS EDITOR

THE ‘QAT’S’ OUT OF THE BAG! H

aving covertly agreed a deal in 2010, Qatar Airways finally confirmed their shirt sponsorship of Barcelona this month. The Doha-based carrier will replace the Qatar Foundation from 1 July. The three-year contract, worth a whopping £75 million, is the secondlargest shirt endorsement behind Emirates’ £90 million agreement with Arsenal. Significantly, it also breaks Barca’s 113-year tradition of not having corporate sponsors on their jerseys. Consequently, die-hard Blaugrana fans have vehemently protested the decision, but let’s not forget the Catalan (or perhaps ‘Qatarlan!’) club, owned entirely by its supporters, did vote in favour of corporate sponsorship back in 2003, so can hardly throw their toys out of the pram now. “We are not selling out,” Barcelona president Sandro Rosell told Sports Talk. “Barcelona have turned down a number of lucrative offers because they did not match our philosophy, but Qatar Airways fits perfectly with our brand, and we have a huge fanbase in Doha too. “I can understand the frustration of some fans, but 90 percent of club members voted in favour of this deal. In the modern game you simply can’t snub strategic investment. Traditionalists might raise their eyebrows, but every Barcelona supporter just wants to see the club continue to win trophies, and Qatar Airways will help us do that.” The deal is yet more evidence of Qatar strengthening its grip on global sport ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Qatar Airways has a renewal clause offering them first refusal to stay on the shirt until then, while previous sponsor, the Qatar Foundation, will become Barca’s Human Development Partner. In addition, David Beckham is expected to be unveiled as an official ambassador for the 2022 World Cup before the year is out after the ex-England captain signed for Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s Paris Saint-Germain. Furthermore, the Qatar Foundation are currently eyeing up a £1.5 billion bid for Arsenal. They are part of a mystery consortium, apparently endorsed by Emirates, hoping to take over from majority shareholder Stan Kroenke and Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov. A deal could be hard to broker, though, given the duo despise each other and barely speak! If successful, however, it would be the world’s biggest football takeover, dwarfing the £800 million paid by the Glazer family for Manchester United in 2005. Although Arsenal fervently deny an offer has been tabled, a consortium source told Sports Talk otherwise. “Arsenal are well aware of who we are,” revealed the Qatari businessman, who asked to remain anonymous. “If Stan and Alisher aren’t interested that is their decision, but our offer is an extremely fair one. The club are in a pivotal position at the moment. They are caught in a cycle of decline, a bit like Liverpool. Our aim is to save them, even if that means paying over the odds. “The whole place just needs change: the structure of the club, and perhaps even the manager, must be reconsidered. Not even Sir Alex Ferguson would have survived eight years without winning a trophy. That said, I am not saying we would sack Arsene Wenger. We just need to decide, should we assume control, who or what is to blame for the lack of recent success.” These clearly won’t be comments Wenger will warm to, but Gunners fans might, because plenty don’t view the 63-year-old as invincible these days. This month, former Manchester United midfielder Bryan Robson even uses his column to attack the Frenchman for prioritising a third place finish above trying to win a domestic trophy, while Ron Atkinson suggests the fourth Champions League spot should go to all FA Cup winners, thus forcing clubs to get back into the spirit of the tournament, which he argues is now inferior to the Copa del Rey. Elsewhere, we look ahead to the beginning of the Formula One season, with new Mercedes recruit Lewis Hamilton downplaying his chances of claiming the 2013 drivers’ championship and talking candidly about his rift with McLaren’s executive chairman Ron Dennis. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone also tells us he will never retire. We discuss Oscar Pistorius too, who is currently on bail after being accused of killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, and hear from London 2012 hero David Weir and outspoken drugs cheat Ben Johnson. There’s also your chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the FA Cup final at Wembley this May. Just vote on our All-Sports Awards, via mesportstalk.com. Enjoy the March issue!

benj@mesportstalk.com @JacobsBen facebook.com/mesportstalk

DAVID BECKHAM IS EXPECTED TO BE UNVEILED AS AN OFFICIAL AMBASSADOR FOR THE 2022 WORLD CUP AFTER THE EX-ENGLAND CAPTAIN SIGNED FOR NASSER AL-KHELAIFI’S PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN.

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

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PRE-MATCH TALK

BREAKING NEWS » CONTENTIOUS VIEWS » TOP TWEETS

THIS MONTH… 08 DUBAI TENNIS

Petra Kvitova and Novak Djokovic triumph at the Dubai Tennis Championships

10 JOSE TO CHELSEA?

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is convinced that the ‘Special One’ is going back to Stamford Bridge

12 DAVID HAYE

The ‘Hayemaker’ reveals if a fight comes off with Vitali Klitschko he may train for it in Dubai

PRE-MATCH TALK AT FIRST I WAS AFRAID, I WAS PETRA-FIED

orld No.8 Sara Errani blamed a slow start for her three-set loss to Petra Kvitova in the women’s final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The 25-year-old Italian lost 2-6, 6-1, 1-6 and afterwards conceded she felt a touch over-awed by the big-hitting Czech’s firepower. “Some of the shots Petra hits are terrifying,” revealed Errani, who has seven WTA titles to her name. “Her forehand is often unplayable, especially on fast surfaces, and before I had time to blink I was a set down. In a big final that is quite unnerving so I had to dig deep. “I responded really well in the second set, after deciding to be a bit more aggressive. Frustratingly, I fell to pieces in the deciding set, but it would have been a different story had I taken advantage of a break point in the opening game.” World No.7 Kvitova, who turns 23 this month, hadn’t dropped a set against Errani in their previous three meetings, so went into the final as the clear favourite, especially after blasting helpless Caroline Wozniacki off the court in the semis (6-3, 6-4). The 2011 Wimbledon champion has a reputation as a big occasion player, having won eight of her ten career titles at Grand Slam or Premier

level (the most prestigious eight events on the WTA Tour), although her Dubai triumph was only her third scalp since defeating Maria Sharapova (6-3, 6-4) at SW19. “I haven’t won as many titles as I should have done,” admitted Kvitova, who was ranked as high as world No.2 in 2011. “Winning in Dubai has given me a huge confidence boost because I was quite down after losing to Laura Robson in the second round of the Australian Open. I am now really excited about the French Open, where I reached the semi-final last year. I feel like I am playing well enough to win my second Grand Slam in 2013.” When Kvitova is in full flight, bludgeoning the ball with impressive power from both flanks, no woman hits it harder, but the likes of world No.1 Serena Williams and No.2 Victoria Azarenka are still a tad more reliable… at least on the court! Having contested a gruelling final in Doha the week before (which Azarenka won 7-6, 2-6, 6-3), the pair both pulled out of Dubai with VA @PETRA_KVITOING innocuous injuries. Their EL AN INCREDIBLE FE HY withdrawal certainly shouldn’t take OP TR ST TO WIN MY FIR anything away from Kvitova’s IN DUBAI! victory but, following a similar occurrence last year, it has left organisers petrified about the tournament losing its wow factor. Unless the women’s event shifts its date, Qatar’s considerably chunkier chequebook will always pose a threat.

gossip: Serena Williams has given a “100 percent guarantee” she will return to Dubai next year

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

DJOKOVIC THE CYBORG

et’s be honest, Novak Djokovic is half-man, half-machine! The world No.1 is known as the ‘Djoker’, but he might consider changing his moniker to CyBorg, as he bids to better Bjorn Borg’s 49-match unbeaten run – a record set in 1978. The 25-year-old’s 7-5, 6-3 victory over world No.6 Tomas Berdych in the men’s final of the Dubai Tennis Championships extended his winning streak to 18, and secured a fourth title in Dubai, having also triumphed at the Aviation Club in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The scary thing is, Djokovic wasn’t even at his best, yet still didn’t drop a set all tournament. Talented but mentally fragile Berdych secured an early break, but made nervy, unforced errors at pivotal moments en route to losing the opening set. In the second set, the 6ft 5in Czech fluffed a horrific forehand smash at 3-4 to gift Novak a crucial break, and from there the serene Serbian confidently served out for his 36th career title. The win moves Djokovic 3,700 points clear of Roger Federer in the world

but if I reach 25, I’ll be targeting 30 and rankings, after the world No.2 lost to then I am over halfway! Berdych in the semis, despite crafting three “Winning all four Slams is going to be match points. very tough, but if I can maintain this It will be a big ask for Djokovic to unbeaten run I will have all the momentum secure all four Grand Slams in 2013 – going into the remaining three. Plus, if I am especially with Rafael Nadal now fit (and to reach 50 that will inevitably include having already picked up titles in Brazil and Roland Garros and Wimbledon, so hitting Mexico) – but it’s not a goal he is ruling that number would make it three Slams out out. However, his main priority remains of three! smashing Borg’s winning streak. “For now, though, I just want to “It would be amazing to get 50 celebrate victory in Dubai. It is such straight victories,” said Djokovic, a special tournament. I love the who hasn’t lost since a second atmosphere on court and I am round defeat to Sam Querrey at @DJOKERNOLE always well looked after. Tomas the Paris Masters last October. LOOK WHAT SURPRISE I FOUND WHEN I CAME BAC pushed me hard in the final, but I “You can’t think too far ahead, K TO THE BURJ AL ARAB! served well and all the important points seemed to go my way.” Djokovic, who went on a 43-match unbeaten run between 2010 and 2011 before losing to Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the French Open, actually won’t hold the world record for consecutive victories even if he does surpass Borg. That honour belongs to Esther Vergeer, who retired in February with a staggering 470 straight wins. However, the way Novak is playing right now it feels like he might get somewhere close to that total!

gossip: Diego Maradona has asked Juan Martin del Potro to be his personal trainer

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

PRE-MATCH TALK

BIG SAM TIPS MOURINHO FOR CHELSEA

est Ham boss Sam Allardyce has told Sports Talk Jose Mourinho is “odds-on” to replace Rafa Benitez at Chelsea this summer. Mourinho, who left Stamford Bridge in September 2007 after a spat with Roman Abramovich, is currently under pressure at Real Madrid, with Los Galacticos struggling to even finish second in La Liga. The selfanointed ‘Special One’ won two Premier League titles at Chelsea, a tally Allardyce expects him to add to. “There’s only one man who can save Chelsea, and we all know who that is,” said Big Sam, who also revealed he almost took the Al Ain job

MOURINHO’S CHELSEA RECORD 2 June, 2004 Joins from Porto 27 February, 2005 Wins first League Cup (3-2 v Liverpool) 30 April, 2005 Wins first Premier League title 4 May, 2005 Signs a five-year contract 29 April, 2006 Wins second Premier League title 27 February, 2007 Wins second League Cup (2-1 v Arsenal) 19 May, 2007 Wins first FA Cup (1-0 v Manchester United) 19 September, 2007 Leaves Stamford Bridge

in 2009 while at Blackburn Rovers. “Mark my words, Jose is going back to Chelsea this summer. It’s a done deal. Bet on it now! “All this nonsense about Pep Guardiola joining, before he committed to Bayern Munich, was just a smokescreen. Jose wants to manage in England again and Chelsea is just about the only club he’d consider, since he isn’t prepared to wait for Sir Alex Ferguson to retire at Manchester United – especially not with his job currently in quite a precarious position at Real Madrid. “I know the old saying is ‘never go back’, but I think Jose quite relishes disproving that theory. Plus, look at it from Chelsea’s point of view. They want to try and get Jose before United finally come in for him. “Roman might have his reservations, but it will hurt him far more to see Jose at Old Trafford than welcome him back to Stamford Bridge. I am telling you he will bend over

@JACOBSB

RAFA BENITE Z: CHELSEA FANS JUST AR EN’T THAT ‘IN TER IM’

gossip: Anzhi Makhachkala boss Guus Hiddink has refused to rule out a return to Stamford Bridge

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

backwards to give Mourinho anything he wants. He knows the Special One is the only real way to pacify the supporters.” Blues fans couldn’t be angrier with Abramovich right now. The temporary appointment of Benitez – a manager who called Chelsea “a fake club” while at Liverpool – has emphatically riled the terraces. Since his shock appointment last November, frequent and ferocious protests have been staged, with Rafa finally cracking after Chelsea’s 2-0 FA Cup fifth round victory at Middlesbrough. In an astonishing (if not uncharacteristic) rant, the Spaniard claimed the ‘interim’ tag in his job title was a faux pas. “It was a massive mistake,” fumed Benitez. “Chelsea were wrong to call me that. They did so because if I failed they could wash their hands of me without any fallback. I didn’t know about the title when I signed, and I don’t agree with it, but there is nothing I can do. It is pointless. Every manager is an interim because someone always replaces you. “When I joined, Chelsea didn’t have another guy in mind, so why did they call me the interim manager? It was just to say to everyone, ‘Because he was at Liverpool, we are covering our backs.’ Was the title a mistake from the start? Yes, 100 percent.” The irony is, despite Mourinho’s legendary status at Chelsea, Benitez’s Liverpool outwitted him in the semi-finals of the 2005 and 2007 Champions League and the 2006 FA Cup. “That is why Chelsea fans hate me,” added Benitez. “But they are wrong to treat me like I am an idiot just because I got the better of them at Liverpool. I have been a football manager for 26 years. I have won the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, Italian Super Cup and Spanish league twice... yet these fans don’t think I have a value at their club, even when we win. “They are really not helping us. At the end of the season I will leave. They don’t have to worry about me, but their actions could cost Chelsea a top four finish. They are wasting time preparing banners. Every game they continue chanting abuse, they are damaging the team. I am just a professional trying to do my job. I want to win every single game for the club, and I stand less chance of doing that if I continue to be victimised.” Benitez makes some pretty valid points, but by admitting he will leave at the end of the season, and with Jose waiting in the wings (if Big Sam is to be believed), it is unsurprising the fans still refuse to take him seriously.

5 FOOTBALL

RANTS

1. JOE KINNEAR (OCTOBER 2008) Just four days after being appointed Newcastle’s caretaker manager, Kinnear went berserk after being accused of not turning up to training on his first day in charge. “You are out of order,” he screamed at the world’s press. “Absolutely f***ing out of order. If you say that again you can f*** off and go to another ground!”

2. KEVIN KEEGAN (MAY 1996) Newcastle boss Keegan reacted angrily to Sir Alex Ferguson’s mind games in the closing stages of the 1996-1997 season. With United needing a draw against Middlesbrough to clinch the title, the former England striker famously raged: “I’ll tell you now, because Sir Alex will be watching this, we’re still fighting for this title and he’s still got to go to Boro and get something. I’d love it if we beat them. Love it!”

3. RON ATKINSON (MARCH 1996) Coventry manager Atkinson reacted furiously to claims by Sky presenters Andy Gray and Richard Keys that he couldn’t save the club from relegation after a 1-0 loss to Southampton. The ex-Manchester United boss cut off the interview and threw his headphones at a producer after saying: “You can sit there and fiddle with all your silly machines. If the boys play badly I’ll whip ‘em, but I ain’t whipping them for that. Thanks lads, goodnight.”

4. SIR ALEX FERGUSON (DECEMBER 2008) Real Madrid director Pedro Trapote claimed that the Spanish giants had an agreement in place to sign United star Cristiano Ronaldo, much to the anger of the United boss. “Do you think I would enter into a contract with that mob?” scoffed a livid Fergie. “No chance! I wouldn’t even sell them a virus. That is a ‘no’ by the way. There is no agreement whatsoever between the clubs.” Six months later Ronaldo left for Madrid!

5. RAFA BENITEZ (JANUARY 2009) Liverpool boss Benitez launched a scathing attack on Sir Alex Ferguson, claiming the Manchester United manager was “the only person who can’t be punished” for attacks on referees: “We had a meeting with managers and the FA about the respect campaign,” the Spaniard explained. “I was very clear: I told them to forget the campaign because Ferguson is killing the referees – killing Martin Atkinson, killing Keith Hackett, killing Chris Foy…”

gossip: A mystery Middle Eastern consortium are planning a world record £1.5 billion bid for Arsenal

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

PRE-MATCH TALK

HAYE OPEN TO DUBAI MOVE IF VITALI FIGHT GOES AHEAD

@MRDAVIDHAYE

ING OFF IN THE GYM BURN AKES... BUTTERMILK PANC :-) IT! H RT WO S WA IT

e all know that boxer David Haye is obsessed with fighting Vitali Klitschko, and if the bout comes off he could train for it at his new Dubaibased gym. The so-called ‘Hayemaker’ has personally endorsed the Fit Boys Gym – a kickboxing facility in Jumeirah Lakes Towers that opened last February. Should the 32-year-old’s dream fight finally come off, he wants to use the venue to prepare. “I am still hoping for a summer showdown with Vitali – everyone knows that,” Haye told us. “If it happens, I would strongly consider coming to Dubai to train. It is a relaxed and private place, with amazing weather and hospitality, and the Fit Boys Gym is world-class. There is nowhere better I could prepare. “Training here would also enthuse young UAE boxers. I want to help local talent win world and Olympic titles. Even if that doesn’t happen, though, perhaps I can encourage the region to get a little healthier. “I grew up looking up to healthy people, but children today instead seem to idolise fast food. I knew I couldn’t succeed if I had McDonald’s every day – I am not sure they do. If a kid comes to a boxing gym, they can’t eat ice cream, smoke or drink alcohol, because if they did, they would get their backside kicked. I want the Fit Boys Gym to teach them that. It is where a healthy and disciplined life can start for them, and where my regime for a Vitali bout could well begin too.” Haye would probably appreciate a bit of peace and quiet after a hectic 18 months. He was pilloried for the manner of his defeat by Wladimir Klitschko in 2011 and then denigrated for his brawl with Dereck Chisora at a post-fight press conference in Munich, which he attended purely as a spectator. Then followed the controversially sanctioned fight with Chisora in front of 30,000 fans at West Ham’s Upton Park, for which Haye pocketed a reported £2 million (AED 12m) after winning with a fifth-round knockout. Haye also bared his bottom in reality TV show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!,

eventually finishing third to actress Charlie Brooks and singer Ashley Roberts in the jungle – hardly the arena he had anticipated performing in when the year began. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen in 2012,” Haye conceded. “I am always optimistic. I knew it couldn’t get any worse after losing to Wladimir, and in the end things turned out fine. I had the fight with Chisora, which wasn’t bad publicity, and then went off to the jungle. Out there, the general public saw a totally different side of me. Usually I rub a lot of people up the wrong way with my opinions, but I was quite happy with how I came across on screen.” Although Haye enjoyed his reality TV debut, the prospect of fighting Vitali, the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, remains his driving ambition before he retires. “He has never had that flagship fight – that one megafight that people will always remember him for,” reasoned Haye. “I guess the only one people remember is Vitali’s fight

with Lennox Lewis, in which he came off second best. He was stopped after the sixth round with a huge gash over his left eye that needed about 60 stitches. “Vitali is a proud man, and I am sure he wants the big victory he has never really had. He has beaten a lot of guys, but in the last 10 years has always started as the overwhelming favourite. If I came up against him, with my power and speed, he wouldn’t be expected to win. It would be a challenge for him to try and cause an upset. Whether he wants to put himself in that position remains to be seen. “I achieved my aim, which was to become world champion. I have also got enough money in the bank to be comfortable and still have my faculties intact, but there is that obsessive thing still there, about facing Vitali in the ring. There’s a final chapter to be written.” Haye is purposefully goading Vitali – who won’t take too kindly to being dubbed the underdog – to try and get one last hurrah for himself. Yet even if he fails it won’t be the last we see of him, because the Hayemaker plans to move into acting next!

gossip: The IOC have controversially suggested wrestling be removed from the 2020 Olympics

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

AZZAM II: RETURN OF THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE

he Volvo Ocean Race will once again stop by Abu Dhabi, with the UAE capital the third port (after Spain’s Alicante and Brazil’s Recife) of the 2014-2015 race. The announcement comes as no surprise, given the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) actually penned a two-year deal ahead of the 2011-2012 event. Abu Dhabi will also enter a team, which will again be skippered by double Olympic medallist Ian Walker. The 43-year-old’s Azzam boat might have won the in-port race in Abu Dhabi (as well as a memorable victory in the blue-riband transatlantic leg between Miami and Lisbon), but could only finish a disappointing fifth during the gruelling nine-month race, which was won by Franck Cammas’ Groupama. “Our involvement with the Volvo Ocean Race captured the imagination of our people, who have strong maritime heritage links,” said Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority

chairman Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan. “The legacy of the last race is an increase in the breadth of sailing and watersport facilities available, which is something we will further improve on for this second outing. “In 2012, over 120,000 visitors joined in the stopover celebrations at our dedicated waterfront race village – and we will be looking to build on our reputation of delivering a stand-out experience that is talked about long after the fleet has left. This second campaign will further galvanise the emirate’s grass-roots sailing development and again give us a global platform on which to promote our deep-rooted maritime heritage.” Abu Dhabi’s stopover will once again be staged at the purpose-built Destination Village – the size of eight football pitches – on the idyllic Corniche breakwater, which was absolutely rammed when the boats came into port in January 2012. However, with that leg marred by piracy concerns, and the ADTA’s contract with Volvo expiring after the next race, there is a strong chance Azzam III won’t be in the offing.

@AD

ORLOG WE’RE RETURN BACK! ABU DH AB S FOR IT S SECON I OCEAN RACE OU D VOLVO TING!

gossip: Rihanna has been asked to perform during the Abu Dhabi leg of the Volvo Ocean Race

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

PRE-MATCH TALK

ALBERTO GOT VERY, VERY LUCKY. HAD HE BEEN EXPOSED AFTER LANCE, NOT BEFORE, THERE IS NO WAY HE WOULD STILL BE RACING.

WADA CALL CONTADOR A SAXO-PHONY

he World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) believe Alberto Contador doesn’t deserve to race for Team Saxo-Tinkoff. Their president, John Fahey, has dubbed him a “cheat” after the Spaniard was stripped of his 2010 Tour de France title for doping while part of Kazakhstani outfit Astana. “I don’t see why Lance Armstrong gets banned for life, but Alberto can carry on racing as if nothing happened,” said Fahey, who is a former Premier of New South Wales. “He is a cheat – the tribunal who heard his case established that. It is as simple as that.” Contador has always maintained he only tested positive for clenbuterol (a muscle-building performance enhancing drug) after eating a contaminated steak, a theory the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) roundly rejected. The CAS’ verdict in Lausanne was delivered 566 days after Contador cycled triumphantly along the Champs-Elysees in 2010 and resulted in

a six-month ban (reduced from the original two-year sentence). Contador, who returned to action in August last year, is now the hot favourite for this year’s Tour de France, although he expects Chris Froome, who beat him in a sprint finish in February’s Tour of Oman, to run him close. “Chris is my main rival,” revealed Contador, who also won the Tour de France in 2007 and 2009 – titles he was allowed to keep. “He is fast, with lots of stamina, so will be right up there. I want to put the last two years behind me, and winning the 2013 Tour de France will certainly help achieve that goal. Cycling needs a positive year, and I hope to help create one.” Contador has now rebranded himself with Saxo-Tinkoff, a team run by another convicted drugs cheat, Bjarne Riis (who lost his 1996 Tour de France yellow jersey after admitting to ingesting TADOR @ALBERTOCON IN DUBAI, banned substances). The pair YS DA HAD A BUSY FEW TRAINING claim to have both learnt their WHERE I ENJOYED WITH MY FANS lesson, but Fahey isn’t too keen to give them a second chance. “Alberto got very, very lucky,” he said. “Had he been exposed after Lance, not before, there is no way he would still be racing. I don’t feel comfortable watching Saxo-Tinkoff parade him about as their poster boy. Alberto is a convicted cheat and I think, if cycling is to be taken seriously, he and all the other dopers must be banned for life.” WADA representatives often make these bold statements, but until they start actively banishing the likes of Contador from professional cycling it is they, not the Spaniard, who come across as phonies. Yet deep down, having lost Armstrong, they are reluctant to clamp down on Contador, because he is now the world’s top cyclist. The authorities better pray he is genuinely reformed or 2013 could be another dark year for the sport.

gossip: The US government is sensationally suing Lance Armstrong for defrauding the public

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

5 FOOTBALL

RANTS

1. JOE KINNEAR (OCTOBER 2008) Just four days after being appointed Newcastle’s caretaker manager, Kinnear went berserk after being accused of not turning up to training on his first day in charge. “You are out of order,” he screamed at the world’s press. “Absolutely bang out of order. If you say that again you can ‘!$%#’ off and go to another ground!”

gossip: A mystery Middle Eastern consortium are planning a world record £1.5 billion bid for Arsenal

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

All-Sports Awards

WIN!

AN ALL-EXPENSES-PAID TRIP TO MAY’S FA CUP FINAL AT WEMBLEY

ur 18 awards, each shortlisted by a panel that included Andrew Strauss, Ron Atkinson and Bryan Robson, cover everything from 2012’s best sportsman and woman to the top tournament and club in the Middle East. Tell us who your vote goes to, via mesportstalk.com, to stand a chance of winning an all-expenses-paid trip to the FA Cup Final at Wembley on 11 May, along with loads of other awesome prizes!

TO VOTE

Go to mesportstalk.com, then click on All-Sports Awards

PRIZES

An all-expenses-paid trip to the 2013 FA Cup final ----------

A signed Paul Gascoigne England shirt ----------

A signed Thierry Henry New York Red Bulls shirt ----------

A signed Alastair Cook England shirt ----------

A signed Andrew Strauss cricket bat ----------

A fourball for night golf at Emirates Golf Club

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

CLIVE AGRAN

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

Is there a link between

fat men and strong maths?

MY INDIFFERENT SUMS SKILLS AND STUNNING ATHLETIC FRAME ARE PRACTICALLY THE ONLY THINGS KEEPING ME FROM A CAREER IN PROFESSIONAL DARTS, WRITES CLIVE ‘THE SNOB’ AGRAN

lessed with steely nerves, moderately steady hands and above average eyesight, I honestly believe I could have become a darts icon. In the hazy excitement of landing doubles, trebles and bulls, and maybe even pulling off the odd 180, it is easy to overlook the vital importance of being able to instantly calculate the score. As an arty OAP, arithmetic is my Achilles’ heel and, sadly, whipping out an abacus at the oche is an absolute no-no. With your opponent anxiously awaiting his turn, thousands of spectators in the hall and millions of TV viewers, you can’t really use your fingers and thumbs to figure out a way of checking out – plus they are kind of busy caressing your darts anyway! Although they are frequently (and sometimes harshly) lambasted for their podgy physique, you have to admire the dazzling numeracy of today’s darts stars. It seems as if there is a genetic connection between being obese and ‘phat’ at maths. Perhaps the University of East Basildon should commission a scientific study. Admittedly, it is relatively easy to remember that 170 is the highest possible checkout (two treble 20s and a bull), but there are also 161 other ways to win a leg. What’s more, I bet you didn’t realise (unless you happen to be Carol Vorderman) that there are seven quasi-mythical ‘bogey’ numbers under 170 which don’t have checkouts. If you do nothing else in darts, never, ever leave yourself on 159, 162, 163, 165, 166, 168 or 169.

Shameless flirting, with models half his age, was clearly not beneath Clive ‘The Snob’ Agran, who has never hit the bull, but certainly talks plenty of it! Darts is now bigger than Andy ‘The Viking’ Fordham’s belly (before he lost 10 stone – and he is still porky!). No longer confined to a smoky corner at the back of a packed pub, it is a multi-million pound entertainment industry. A bit like with boxing, there are two different organisations running the sport, each with their own set of initials and prestigious world championships. I have no wish to MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

CLIVE AGRAN

Don’t be fooled by the obese louts, darts is certainly not for the uneducated

ALTHOUGH THEY ARE FREQUENTLY (AND SOMETIMES HARSHLY) LAMBASTED FOR THEIR PODGY PHYSIQUE, YOU HAVE TO ADMIRE THE DAZZLING NUMERACY OF TODAY’S DARTS PLAYERS. IT SEEMS AS IF THERE IS A GENETIC CONNECTION BETWEEN BEING OBESE AND ‘PHAT’ AT MATHS.

A UAE darts event would have the same frenzied ambience as the Rugby Sevens

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

become embroiled in the murky politics between them, but it does seem to me that the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has the better-known players and is commercially more successful than the British Darts Organisation (BDO). However, a bit like my futile attempts at hitting the bull, I could be hopelessly wide of the mark. Along with the World Darts Championship, the superior PDC also runs the freakishly popular Premier League Darts, which is broadcast globally. The event visits 14 different venues in the British Isles over 14 consecutive weeks and features eight of the biggest names in darts, who confront each other twice in a series of head-to-head clashes. Having already been to Manchester, Aberdeen, Belfast and Exeter, the show rolled into Brighton and I, against my better judgment, decided to join in the carnage! Queuing outside icy Brighton Centre, I became instantly paranoid that I wasn’t properly dressed. Although sporting a fairly fashionable shirt (at least it was in 1950), my second-best pair of denim jeans and some sensible loafers, I felt pretty self-conscious sandwiched in between five chirpy chickens and Super Mario. I clearly didn’t get the memo that fancy dress was required. As an innate defence mechanism, I hastily tucked a pencil behind my right ear and tried to pretend I had come as a journalist. Tragically, my speedily cobbled together disguise wasn’t at all convincing: at best, I looked like a horny teacher; at worst, a sexual predator! Once inside, it soon became apparent that larger was the preferred poison. To complement the numerous bars, there were scores of young, busty wenches dispensing

52-year-old Taylor, now a celebrity in his own right, is a six-time Premier League darts champion and widely accepted as the greatest darts player in the game’s 116-year history pints via tubes connected to rucksack-like containers. It all felt a bit like the Munich Beer Festival. Awaiting the first two competitors, the ambience was nothing short of frenzied. Perched about 50 yards from the stage at a long narrow table between Fred Flintstone and a camp convict, I could just about make out a blurred dartboard in the distance. It is at this point that I guess I owe you a (reasonably) heartfelt apology: my eyesight blatantly isn’t as strong as I initially boasted! Fortunately, there were two super-sized screens on either side of the stage, telling us all about Kevin ‘The Artist’ Painter and his darting prowess. Soon after, accompanied by two leggy lasses, he gladiatorally strolled in to the arena to the blaring accompaniment of ‘I Predict a Riot’. Moments later, Andy ‘The Hammer’ Hamilton made an equally flamboyant entrance, this time to ‘U Can’t Touch This’ by MC Hammer (no relation). As the pair took a few half-hearted practice throws, I pondered what I would choose for my signature tune. Jean Sibelius’s ‘Karelia Suite’ has always been a favourite of mine, but would it alienate the already slender fan base of Clive ‘The Snob’ Agran? As I daydreamed of elegantly waltzing to the oche amidst an orchestra of tambourines, trombones and triangles, I was jolted by a sudden eruption of ogling. It came from a bunch of drunken louts who caused a mini-stampede, rising to their feet to applaud humongous Hamilton, who secured the first 180 of the night en route to taking the opening leg. As the fast-paced match progressed, I realised everyone was hypnotised by the giant screens, and thus knew precisely when the cameras were on them. At least 75 percent of the audience had also crafted witty messages for their friends and family to see back home. Noting this, I suddenly clocked the rationale behind the fancy dress: the more outrageous the outfit, the better the chance of attracting the cameraman’s attention. Fancy dress, plus shameless cleavage, basically guarantees an on-screen cameo. Sadly I had neither. Painter actually had a little man-cleavage of his own on show, but this didn’t hamper his throw. Despite giving himself a mountain to climb, he calmly fought back from a 4-2 deficit to win the match 8-5 and gain the two points which accompany victory in Premier League Darts.

As he smugly gallivanted off, and the TV feed went to a commercial break, the crowd burst into Planet Funk’s ‘Chase the Sun’, which has become an unofficial darts anthem. Since I stood absolutely no chance of getting on camera, I jumped to my feet, manically waved my arms and tried to hum along. Precisely four minutes later, thoroughly exhausted, I sat down for a breather – but it didn’t last long because Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor was up next. Undoubtedly the greatest darts player ever to down a pint, the 52-year-old has won the World Championship no fewer than 15 times. Phil is a legend, so I showed a modicum of respect by standing up again. He was clearly so overwhelmed by my considerate gesture that he forgot to thank me on his way past. Taylor was up against Gary ‘The Flying Scotsman’ Anderson and, despite the latter being the reigning Premier League Darts champion, he was over-powered 8-1. After another quick burst of ‘Chase the Sun’, James ‘The Machine’ Wade took on Raymond ‘Barney’ van Barneveld. Wade raced into a 6-1 lead but classy Barney battled back to trail 7-6. Wade, however, edged the next set to triumph 8-6. The final darting fracas saw Simon ‘The Wizard’ Whitlock lock horns (or more accurately scantily groomed goatees) with defending world champion Adrian ‘Jackpot’ Lewis. Apparently Lewis earned his nickname after winning a $72k (AED 260k) casino jackpot during the 2005 Las Vegas Desert Classic, but his bounty was withheld because, at 20, he was under-age! In a high-quality match, with 15 180s, luckless Lewis was defeated 8-4 by his Aussie opponent. At this point, I wearily glanced at my watch. It was just before midnight, so miles past my bedtime. What a night, though: who knew eight chubby maths geeks could put on such a show! It is surely only a matter of time before darts takes off in the UAE, especially with the PDC-endorsed Dubai Darts Masters coming to the region this May (23-24). The $200k event will see the world’s top eight, led by Taylor, go head to head at the Irish Village. Before Dubai’s inaugrual professional darts tournament arrives, I would strongly urge you to learn the words to ‘Chase the Sun’. Be warned, though, once you’ve done so you won’t be able to get them out of your head: “Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da da-da-da-da-daaaa...” MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

FIRST HALF

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM » INTERVIEWS » PREVIEWS

THIS MONTH… 22 DENNIS THE MENACE

Lewis Hamilton tells us he left McLaren for Mercedes because “overproctive” Ron Dennis treated him like a child

32 BLADE GUNNER

Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius faces a murder charge after allegedly shooting his girlfriend

38 THE WEIRWOLF

Wheelchair racer David Weir recounts his four gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympics

LEWIS HAMILTON

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

LEWIS HAMILTON

ewis Hamilton is visibly agitated talking about his departure from McLaren – after all, the team was his home for almost two decades. They financed his racing career from the age of 13 and, in turn, he rewarded them with the 2008 drivers’ championship. The man behind Hamilton’s meteoric rise was McLaren’s executive chairman (and former team principal) Ron Dennis. The 65-year-old has been like a second father to Lewis. In 1998, on gut instinct alone, he invested £5 million on a shy, barely waist-high kid, but that gamble hasn’t stopped Hamilton assuming the role of the ungrateful son. Having previously idolised his surrogate F1 dad, the 28-yearold has now entered a quasi-rebellious teenage phase, citing his move from McLaren to Mercedes as due to a breakdown in his relationship with Dennis, who he only told he was leaving via a cursory (and curt) telephone call. “I have the utmost respect for Ron,” revealed Hamilton, who penned a three-year deal worth £60 million with Mercedes last September. “He has done more for me in Formula One than anyone, but I just felt I needed a new challenge, and to work with some fresh faces. “There was no personal rift between me and Ron but, on a professional level, I got frustrated that he and others at

McLaren saw me as just another driver in their team. Mercedes, on the other hand, offered to build a team and car around me. That is why I moved. “What I love about Ron is he was always really caring, but as I grew up he came across as a bit too overprotective. When I first joined I needed some guidance, and sometimes to be bullied into doing stuff, but I am not a teenager anymore. I am an adult, who is quite capable of making big calls. Ron and McLaren must respect my decision to leave, which I think they now do.” After a month of not speaking, Hamilton and Dennis finally met face-to-face for a private dinner in the build-up to last November’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but according to current team principal Martin Whitmarsh, that secret sojourn proved frosty and didn’t entirely clear the air between them. “I think the problem with changing teams in Formula One is when you leave

LEWIS HAMILTON Age: 28 Team: Mercedes Titles: 1 (2008) Wins: 21 Podiums: 49 Fastest Laps: 12

Hamilton and Dennis were once extremely close but, despite winning the 2008 drivers’ championship together, they are now barely on speaking terms 24

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

Lewis could only finish fourth in his final season with McLaren, 91 points adrift of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel

you don’t move hundreds of miles away, like in football,” explained Whitmarsh, who took over from Dennis in 2009. “We will see Lewis just as much because he will be at all the same races. That could create a bit of friction, especially if Mercedes start to challenge us. “Ron, more than anyone, thoroughly admires Lewis, but it is probably fair to say a part of him will feel gutted if he wins a drivers’ championship with Mercedes. We all will. That’s because not many of us fully understand Lewis’ decision to leave, but we have to live with it and move on. “I suppose part of it was to do with Hamilton needing to fly the nest, but even so I was still surprised he didn’t re-sign with us. What you have to remember about Lewis is he just wants to win races, at all costs. I believe staying with McLaren would have offered him a better chance of doing that. “Make no mistake, though, Hamilton is still a real threat to us and Red Bull, but Ron won’t just sit back and let him succeed. In that respect, he is kind of a menace to Lewis, since he is now even more hell-bent on

I HAVE LEFT TO TRY SOMETHING NEW, AND CAN’T RULE OUT COMING BACK ONE DAY BECAUSE MCLAREN STILL FEELS LIKE HOME, BUT FOR NOW IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK FORWARD AND HELP BUILD A WINNING CAR WITH MERCEDES.

2013 F1 TEAMS Team Infiniti Red Bull Racing Scuderia Ferrari Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes

Constructor Red Bull-Renault Ferrari McLaren-Mercedes

Engine Renault RS27-2013 Ferrari Type 056 Mercedes FO 108Z

Lotus

Lotus-Renault

Renault RS27-2013

Mercedes AMG Petronas

Mercedes

Mercedes FO 108Z

Sauber

Sauber-Ferrari

Ferarri Type 056

Sahara Force India

Force India-Mercedes

Mercedes FO 108Z

Williams

Williams-Renault

Renault RS27-2013

Scuderia Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso-Ferrari

Ferarri Type 056

Caterham

Caterham-Renault

Renault RS27-2013

Marussia

Marussia-Cosworth

Cosworth CA2013

Drivers Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa Jenson Button Sergio Perez Kimi Raikkonen Romain Grosjean Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg Nico Hulkenberg Esteban Gutierrez Paul Di Resta Adrian Sutil Pastor Maldonado Valtteri Bottas Jean-Eric Vergne Daniel Ricciardo Charles Pic Giedo van der Garde Luiz Razia Max Chilton

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

LEWIS HAMILTON

guiding Jenson Button and Sergio Peres to the 2013 drivers’ championship.” McLaren are still reeling at Hamilton’s departure. They clearly feel he owed them his loyalty, a theory Hamilton strongly refutes. “I have repaid my debt,” he said. “There’s only so much I can give back, and it would be unfair to guilt me into committing my whole life to one team. I have left to try something new, and can’t rule out coming back one day because McLaren still feels like home, but for now it is important to look forward and help build a winning car with Mercedes. We won the world championship together at McLaren, and I will never forget that, but it is time for change. End of story.” You still sense McLaren would take Hamilton back in a heartbeat, and given success with Mercedes is by no means guaranteed, a sensational (and quick) return is not implausible. Even Hamilton accepts his Mercedes car will not be fast enough to compete for victories at the start of this season, revealing the team must still improve their aerodynamic performance to compete with the best. “The car is still not totally reliable,” he Hamilton. “We need more downforce – that 26

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

is the name of the game right now. We are not looking at wins to begin with. We are just hoping to get into the points and fight for some top ten finishes. I don’t think we are fast enough to be quickest over one lap, but the car isn’t slow either, that’s for sure. “Quite a few people are talking us up at the moment. Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso are even saying we are going to be challenging for the world championship but, personally, I think 2013 is a write-off. By 2014 or 2015, though, it should be a different story, and I wouldn’t have joined Mercedes unless I was 100 percent convinced of that. “You have got to remember the car was sometimes two seconds off McLaren and Red Bull last year. That’s just a fact and something we can’t rectify overnight. Hopefully by the end of the year we will have caught up, but definitely not at the beginning.” Perhaps Hamilton is playing mind games to lower expectations, but it does seem like he has his work cut out this season. Still, succeed or fail, he is calling the shots at Mercedes, which he clearly prefers. That’s why Dennis’ dictatorship at McLaren drove him around (and ultimately to) the Benz!

2013 F1 CALENDAR Race

Circuit

Date

Australian Grand Prix

Albert Park, Melbourne

17 March 24 March

Malaysia Grand Prix

Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur

Chinese Grand Prix

Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai

14 April

Bahrain Grand Prix

Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir

21 April

Spanish Grand Prix

Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona

12 May

Monaco Grand Prix

Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo

26 May

Canadian Grand Prix

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal

9 June

British Grand Prix

Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone

30 June

German Grand Prix

Nürburgring, Nürburg

7 July

Hungarian Grand Prix

Hungaroring, Budapest

28 July

Belgian Grand Prix

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps

25 August

Italian Grand Prix

Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza

8 September

Singapore Grand Prix

Marina Bay Street Circuit, Marina Bay, Singapore

22 September

Korean Grand Prix

Korea International Circuit, Yeongam

6 October

Japanese Grand Prix

Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka

13 October

Indian Grand Prix

Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida

27 October

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi

3 November

United States Grand Prix

Circuit of the Americas, Austin

17 November

Brazilian Grand Prix

Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo

24 November

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

NEVER, I WILL EVER, RETIRE!

BERNIE ECCLESTONE

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone tells Ian Lyle he plans to die at his desk

Ecclestone is often caricatured as a greedy tycoon, but his business nous can’t be questioned

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

ernie Ecclestone’s mischevious sense of humour strikes you even before you get to meet him. There is a mock stack of $10 million on a shelf in the waiting room, a few short strides from his sumptuous office in one of London’s most exclusive and expensive stretches of real estate. This is usually what intrigued visitors to Number Six, Prince’s Gate are studying when the little man, neatly suited, enters the room, offers the gentlest of papal, two-fingers-only handshakes and proclaims: “Ah, I see you have found where I keep my small change!” Ecclestone is well aware that his gaunt, unsmiling and crinkly face, topped by unruly and floppy silver hair, depicts a stern, immovable and resolute image that, in truth, is well distanced from the reality and the inner warmth of the man, a mystery to many outsiders, behind it. However, that is not to say he isn’t one of the world’s most formidable and feared negotiators. His double billionaire status, earned from successful dealings with heads of state, tough international oligarchs, global businesses and difficult Grand Prix luminaries, testifies to his wheeler-dealer skills and haggling ability in securing fortunes from wary, case-hardened money men – not only for his personal benefit but for the good of the sport watched on TV every year by half a billion fans worldwide. At 82, despite a triple heart by-pass and a recent third marriage, there is absolutely no hint of a let-up in his energetic, 16-hour-working-day pursuit of excellence or in his Formula One show, which was a humdinger of a spectacle last season, probably the greatest thriller of all time. Far from it… The tireless, restless man variously dubbed the Ringmaster, the Supremo, the Boss and Bernie the Bolt, promises: “I won’t quit. You can be sure that I will have given it all up when they are lowering me into my grave. Not before. They’d be advised to check inside the coffin, just in case I’m only kidding!” She tried all the time, but not even his stunning ex-wife Slavica, 28 years younger and a full foot taller than his 5ft 4ins, could persuade Ecclestone to ease off and relax in the trappings of their immense wealth at their exclusive Chelsea Square mansion in London, enjoy his two jets, the £30 million yacht off Greece, their ritzy homes around the world or the fine hotel he bought on a whim because he liked the place over lunch in its restaurant in the elegant ski resort of Gstaad. They divorced and he has since re-married to Brazilian lawyer Fabiana Flosi, 46 years his junior, at a ceremony at his Swiss chalet. “Nobody has to remind me,” he says, squinting with a lazy right eye through the steel-rimmed spectacles he wears because he is so short-sighted. “I know I look a miserable

! Ecclestone also had a brief racing career, getting behind the wheel twice for Connaught in 1958

old so-and-so, but I can’t help the face God gave me. But I am not anywhere near as ferocious as I appear to be.” Then, without the remotest glimmer of humour, he fixes you with a stare and avows: “What you should remember is that I am a good and true friend – but I am a bad enemy.” That’s Bernie’s mantra, and in both instances there are many, many people who have good cause to remember his message. He is not the least bit concerned about bribery allegations made against him and due to be heard in Germany in October. He reveals he was approached to settle ahead of the hearing, but wants his day in court: “I am not settling,” he says. “The judge will make his decision on the case. I just wish they would bring it forward – it is going to be very amusing.” The court case follows on from former banker Gerhard Gribowsky’s conviction for corruption and jailing in Germany last June for allegedly conspiring with Ecclestone to undervalue Formula One when a 47.2 percent stake of its value was sold off to CVC, the investment company he represents. “Conspiracy? Nonsense,” he barks. “I would be worried if I was guilty, but I am not...” So, who is the real man behind the deadpan mask? The trawlerman’s son from Suffolk granted me a rare and unique insight into the private world he so jealously preserves – a favour called in by me for a debt he owed and was happy and duty-bound by his own standards to honour. After throwing in, off-handedly, the stunning revelation that he and his firm friend former Benetton and Renault F1 team boss Flavio Briatore came close to bidding for Chelsea, before eventually giving way to Russian multi-billionaire Roman

Abramovich – who has since become a regular contact – he reveals he is now a football fan. Ecclestone and former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan, now a BBC pundit, attend most home games at Stamford Bridge. Abramovich, in return, gets Bernie’s VIP treatment at flagship races like Monaco and Silverstone. “Flavio and I were serious about buying Chelsea, but it was very complicated and would have taken too much time to go through the books,” Ecclestone tells me. “I didn’t want to make it a battle with Abramovich and take him on at his own game, so I backed off. In the final analysis, it may not have been such a bad thing for the club – I am so mean with my cash I wouldn’t have spent anywhere near the money he has in buying such fantastic players and thus we might not have been champions!” The sensational idea of purchasing either Manchester United or Liverpool instead fleetingly crossed his mind, but he explains: “I am a Chelsea fan, and the thought of traipsing up and down, north and south, didn’t seem a sensible plan. I much prefer to be just around the corner. “I used to say that if the two greatest football teams on the planet were playing in my back yard I wouldn’t open the door to watch, but now I am hooked. I can’t stay away from Chelsea and I have taken my plane a good few times to watch them playing abroad. Football, generally, I believe is far more exciting than it ever used to be and Abramovich’s money and passion for the game have worked miracles at Stamford Bridge. “Players like David Beckham are a dream, a fantastic attraction all over the world. And as for his remarkable ability to generate money and sponsorships, wow – I just wish he could drive a Formula One car. Maybe I’ll get one of the teams to give him a test!” MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

BERNIE ECCLESTONE

I WON’T QUIT. YOU CAN BE SURE THAT I WILL HAVE GIVEN IT ALL UP WHEN THEY ARE LOWERING ME INTO MY GRAVE. NOT BEFORE. THEY’D BE ADVISED TO CHECK INSIDE THE COFFIN, JUST IN CASE I’M ONLY KIDDING!

What about turning points in his career? “Without doubt,” he says, “making that £1 million donation to former prime minister Tony Blair’s new Labour party rocketed my face to the forefront of the public gaze. The furore it caused just wasn’t worth it, and my motives were completely misunderstood and misinterpreted. But it made me famous… no infamous… overnight. No one had ever heard of me before that and nobody outside F1 knew what I looked like. I suddenly went from being a paragraph on the sports pages of the tabloids to a headline villain leading the TV news. “I genuinely believed in Blair and thought he was a great guy. I supported what he aimed to do when, and if, he got into power. I had met him at the British Grand Prix, and liked him, so wanted to help his campaign. That’s why I put in my million. I had paid tax on the money – I pay all my taxes all the time – I had earned it. It was mine. I could do what I liked with it. I didn’t want any favours, any special treatment for F1 or to buy titles, knighthoods or lordships for myself. I just fancied giving Tony a boost. He didn’t need to open his mouth, but he did and there was uproar.” Blair’s Downing Street office returned the cheque and it lingered in Bernie’s in-tray for six weeks before he remembered to bank it. What about national honours, recognition for sterling work, millions of pounds of business for Britain’s economy, employment for 50,000, worldwide recognition for the country through his efforts and promotional brilliance, the 30

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

Bernie, and wife Fabiana, are friends with Roberto Mancini, but the 82-year-old has no plans to buy Manchester City advancement globally of the most high-profile of sports? Less deserving figures, pop singers, even DJs, movie stars, showbiz celebs, mostly self-serving, have been recommended by various governments and recoignised by the Queen. Not Bernie. Not even the lowliest MBE. “All around the world, I have been honoured, without asking, by grateful rulers and governments,” he reveals. “And that makes me feel proud. But, really, honours at home don’t interest me. And I certainly wouldn’t want a statue being put up in my memory – not knowing what pigeons do on them! “Have I ever been offered a title or an honour of any sort? I’m not saying. And I am not revealing whether I have ever turned one down. “Whatever I am, whatever my reputation, I can’t help. Sometimes, I know, I come out looking bad, but in reality I am a desperately shy guy who just wants to work hard until my very last breath. “I will never, ever, retire. This is where it will all stop for me, sitting behind this desk, where I will keel over and die!”

OSCAR PISTORIUS

Hero with a

DARK

PARALYMPIC CHAMPION OSCAR PISTORIUS FACES A MURDER CHARGE AFTER ALLEGEDLY KILLING HIS GIRLFRIEND, WRITES OLIVER HOLT

T Pistorius is accused of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

side

hey all raved about what a gentleman Oscar Pistorius was. As he ambled around the garden of the hotel last July, chatting happily with the locals, embracing friends, the old lady who was waiting tables said everybody loved him. “He was part of the family in the small town of Gemona del Friuli in northern Italy where he trained,” she smiled. “He was very popular.” Pistorius lived up to his billing. When he sat down to talk, he was charming, amiable and articulate. In sport’s Lance Armstrong era, where disillusion and dismay often follows in the wake of our heroes, he seemed different. It was impossible not to be inspired by him. The South African talked openly and easily about how he had overcome the amputation of both legs below the knee after he had been born without fibulas. He recalled how his mother, Sheila, had refused to allow him to indulge in self-pity when he was growing up in Pretoria. “I was part of a household with my elder brother, Carl, where my mother didn’t ever mention my disability,” said Pistorius. “She didn’t treat me any differently. She was probably harder on me because of it and never let me pity myself. She said to me, ‘Carl puts on his shoes in the morning and you put on your legs and that’s the last I want to hear about it.’” Pistorious also told an anecdote about an incident that happened a few weeks earlier when he went out with an ex-girlfriend and some other mates. “We have got a friend who’s in a wheelchair,” he said. “And he has got a stunning girlfriend. We went out the other night. The barman asked his girlfriend what he would like to drink. So my friend said to

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

OSCAR PISTORIUS

PISTORIUS’ CAREER 1986 Born on November 22 in Sandton, Johannesburg. Pistorius has both his legs amputated below the knee when he is 11 months old after suffering from fibular hemimelia.

2008 The IAAF Executive Council bans Pistorius from all able-bodied competition, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport soon overturns the decision. Despite clocking a personal best of 46.25s in the 400m at the Spitzen Leichtathletik meeting in Lucerne, he fails to meet the Olympic ‘A’ standard time by 0.70s.

2004 Takes up athletics following a serious knee injury playing rugby. In his first competitive race in January he breaks the 100m world record, with a time of 11.72s. Aged just 17, he competes in the Paralympic Games in Athens, beating double T44 100m gold medallist Marlon Shirley. 2009 On 21 February Pistorius is involved in a boat accident in Johannesburg, resulting in head and facial injuries. He is airlifted to hospital, where he remains in a coma for three days and later recalls how he “thought it was all over”.

2013 On 14 February Pistorius is detained by police after his 29-year-old girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp is shot and killed at his home in Pretoria.

2006 Wins three golds (100m, 200m, 400m) at the Paralympic Athletics World Championships in Assen.

2011 Pistorius wins three IPC Athletics World titles in New Zealand, but suffers his first defeat in seven years in the 100m, to American Jerome Singleton. He finally achieves the ‘A’ standard qualifying time in the 400m in July 2011. His personal best of 45.07s in the 400m makes him the 15th fastest man in the world. He represents South Africa in the World Championships in Daegu.

2007 Embarks on the able-bodied world circuit for the first time in the 400m at the Rome Golden Gala, finishing second – 0.18s behind Stefano Braciola. The IAAF uses the event to analyse his running style and see if he gains an unfair advantage over competitors. 2012 In March, with a time of 45.20s, Pistorius runs fast enough to be selected to compete in his maiden Olympic Games and in doing so becomes the first amputee runner to achieve this feat. He reaches the semi-final in the 400m and competes in the final of the 4x400m (South Africa finish eighth) in the Olympics and cements himself as a global icon for his perseverance and accomplishments. He also wins two golds (400m, 4x100m) at the London Paralympics.

EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED? A representation of the scene in Oscar’s house, according to South African press reports. Reeva was allegedly in the bathroom with the door locked. She was wounded there after four shots were fired. According to the police the toilet door was broken down with a cricket bat. TOILET

WINDOW

2005 The so-called Blade Runner competes in the able-bodied South African Championships and finishes sixth in the 400m.

SHOWER

CORNER BATH

BALCONY

This is what the toilet looks like, with Reeva killed while sat on the seat. 2 BEDROOM

WARDROBES

PISTORIUS ALLEGEDLY STOOD HERE AND FIRED FOUR SHOTS

SPORTS TALK

WARDROBES

MARCH 2013

This is what the bathroom looks like, with the toilet door on the right.

the barman, ‘I’m right here, you can ask me.’ Then the barman looked at him and said, ‘What would you like to drink?’ in a really loud voice. So my friend said, ‘I’m in a wheelchair, I’m not f***ing deaf!’” By then, as he prepared to become the first double amputee to compete in the Olympic Games, Pistorius had already become the personification of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. He represented an unwillingness to bow to disability, a refusal to be pushed into a dark, forgotten corner somewhere and dismissed with a label. It was Pistorius, the Blade Runner, who blazed a trail for disabled athletes everywhere. Long before the London Paralympics helped to redefine our attitudes towards disability, Pistorius was an evangelist for the event. He was the original superhuman. That is the horror of the tragedy in Pretoria. It once seemed there was nothing brave Oscar couldn’t overcome, but he will never be able to mend this. However fast he sprints, however advanced the blades that help to propel him around the track, he will never outrun the events that ended with his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp lying dead on his bathroom floor. It was tempting to think that victory over his disability somehow made him immune from further misfortune, and that because he was such an inspirational figure, a man who, like Armstrong, had become a symbol of hope for so many, he was untouchable. But Pistorius’ life had been affected by tragedy long before what happened in the early hours of Valentine’s morning. His family was torn apart when his mother died 10 years ago at the age of 42 after a hospital error resulted in an allergic reaction to treatment for suspected malaria. Pistorius has the dates she was born and died tattooed on his arm. On the track, he could be headstrong. He was a ferocious competitor and a man of fierce ambition. To reach the semi-finals of the Olympic 400m as a double amputee requires iron will and ruthless single-mindedness. He could be intense and moody. His ungracious reaction to defeat by Alan Oliveira in the men’s T44 200m final at London’s Paralympic Games surprised many. So did his behaviour when he met two English journalists in South Africa last year. Sullen and monosyllabic, his charm deserted him temporarily. But the fact remains that most who met Pistorius were deeply moved and affected by him and his story. I was no different. He made as big an impression on me as any sportsman ever has. Like other greats, his impact stretched way beyond athletics and helped to change society. He almost single-handedly banished the notion that disability is taboo. Even in his everyday life, he attempted to break down barriers. When he spotted a child staring at his prosthetic legs, he would go and talk to him, breaking the ice by telling him that he had had to have them amputated because he hadn’t eaten his vegetables!

“The point I want to get across to the kid is that this isn’t something that is wrong, it is just different,” he explained. “I can still walk, I can still run, I can still stand. What’s actually fundamentally different between him and me? There’s nothing. The way his leg looks maybe. But the next time he sees someone with a prosthetic leg he has got information and thus doesn’t feel the need to think of it as something that is weird. “Parents need to start teaching their kids this message too. A lot of them grew up with the mentality that if you see someone in a wheelchair, don’t look at them. There is a big problem with disability, even worse than with gender inequality or race. The reason for this is a total lack of education. People are still afraid to talk about it.” Before our conversation finished, I asked him whether there had ever been anything that had defeated him. He had to think: “When I was at school in Pretoria,” he finally revealed. “We went streaking once at the girls’ dorm next door. We got caught and had to do ballet with them for two months as punishment. Getting up on my tippy-toes – that was a challenge!” Now there is a far graver problem, a bigger struggle than anything even Oscar has faced before. Now people are staring at him again, but this time there are no soothing words or friendly jokes that will fix it.

MY MOTHER DIDN’T EVER MENTION MY DISABILITY. SHE DIDN’T TREAT ME ANY DIFFERENTLY. SHE WAS PROBABLY HARDER ON ME BECAUSE OF IT AND NEVER LET ME PITY MYSELF.

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

the barman, ‘I’m right here, you can ask me.’ Then the barman looked at him and said, ‘What would you like to drink?’ in a really loud voice. So my friend said, ‘I’m in a wheelchair, I’m not bloody deaf!’” By then, as he prepared to become the first double amputee to compete in the Olympic Games, Pistorius had already become the personification of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity. He represented an unwillingness to bow to disability, a refusal to be pushed into a dark, forgotten corner somewhere and dismissed with a label. It was Pistorius, the Blade Runner, who blazed a trail for disabled athletes everywhere. Long before the London Paralympics helped to redefine our attitudes towards disability, Pistorius was an evangelist for the event. He was the original superhuman. That is the horror of the tragedy in Pretoria. It once seemed there was nothing brave Oscar couldn’t overcome, but he will never be able to mend this. However fast he sprints, however advanced the blades that help to propel him around the track, he will never outrun the events that ended with his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp lying dead on his bathroom floor. It was tempting to think that victory over his disability somehow made him immune from further misfortune, and that because he was such an inspirational figure, a man who, like Armstrong, had become a symbol of hope for so many, he was untouchable. But Pistorius’ life had been affected by tragedy long before what happened in the early hours of Valentine’s morning. His family was torn apart when his mother died 10 years ago at the age of 42 after a hospital error resulted in an allergic reaction to treatment for suspected malaria. Pistorius has the dates she was born and died tattooed on his arm. On the track, he could be headstrong. He was a ferocious competitor and a man of fierce ambition. To reach the semi-finals of the Olympic 400m as a double amputee requires iron will and ruthless single-mindedness. He could be intense and moody. His ungracious reaction to defeat by Alan Oliveira in the men’s T44 200m final at London’s Paralympic Games surprised many. So did his behaviour when he met two English journalists in South Africa last year. Sullen and monosyllabic, his charm deserted him temporarily. But the fact remains that most who met Pistorius were deeply moved and affected by him and his story. I was no different. He made as big an impression on me as any sportsman ever has. Like other greats, his impact stretched way beyond athletics and helped to change society. He almost single-handedly banished the notion that disability is taboo. Even in his everyday life, he attempted to break down barriers. When he spotted a child staring at his prosthetic legs, he would go and talk to him, breaking the ice by telling him that he had had to have them amputated because he hadn’t eaten his vegetables!

MY MOTHER DIDN’T EVER MENTION MY DISABILITY. SHE DIDN’T TREAT ME ANY DIFFERENTLY. SHE WAS PROBABLY HARDER ON ME BECAUSE OF IT AND NEVER LET ME PITY MYSELF.

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

DAVID WEIR

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

SAM PILGER CATCHES UP WITH MULTIPLE OLYMPIC CHAMPION DAVID WEIR AHEAD OF MARCH’S PARALYMPIC GRAND PRIX IN DUBAI

henever David Weir closes his eyes he conjures up images of the greatest summer of his life. “After winning the marathon, I was sitting in the middle of the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace and the sun was shining,” the 33-year-old recalled. “This was the final event of the whole of London 2012, and my son Mason was on my lap wearing my gold medal, the fourth I had won that week. At that moment I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Life doesn’t get any better.’ It was simply an overwhelming and dreamlike experience. To win four gold

medals was incredible, because I never thought it was really possible, but I had done it; I had done the impossible.” Over the course of seven races, covering a total of 35.3 miles in just nine days, during the London 2012 Paralympics, the so-called ‘Weirwolf’ solidified his place as one of Britain’s top sportsmen by winning every single race he entered, thus procuring gold medals in the T54 800m, 1,500m, 5,000m and marathon. “Although I had already won three gold medals at the Olympic Stadium, the marathon was the one I really wanted since

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

DAVID WEIR it was on the streets of my hometown and the final event of London 2012,” said Weir, who gave his daughter Tillia the middle name London to mark his success at the Olympics. “But those three other races had taken a lot out of me, and I had no idea if my body could deal with the pressure. For most of the first five miles I felt absolutely shattered, and didn’t even know if I could finish the race. I felt so bad, but I kept going because pulling over to the side of the road and thus ending London 2012 as a loser was simply not an option. “It was around this stage I took a shot of beetroot juice, which gave me an instant energy boost. With about four miles remaining, the rest of the field were teaming up on me, so I knew I had to spilt up the pack and destroy them. I thought, ‘I’m going to try and hurt you.’ I pushed hard, and frankly killed them! I could soon see they were blowing hard, and their lips were blue. “On the final straight I sensed I couldn’t be beaten, no one was getting past me now. I was in front, the wind was behind me, and if I pushed as hard as I could for the next minute I would win the gold medal. “I am not an emotional bloke, but I broke down in tears at the end, it all just got to me. I had come such a long way. 12 years earlier I was living off benefits in my flat on the estate watching the Sydney Paralympics on television from my sofa, but now here I was.” Since then Weir has finally received the recognition he deserves from the world of sport: “Now I am not a disabled athlete, just another athlete judged along with all the others,” he smiled.

IT IS HARD TO WATCH BACK MY ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT IS ME OUT THERE. I KEEP ASSUMING I HAVE A MORE TALENTED IDENTICAL TWIN WHO DID IT ALL INSTEAD! Indeed, BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner Sir Bradley Wiggins hailed his achievements as the greatest of London 2012, and claimed the Weirwolf, who finished fifth, was “far more deserving” of that much coveted award. In the last four months Weir’s life has been a blur of open-top bus parades through the streets of London, trips to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen – picking up a CBE in the New Year’s Honours list to go with his MBE – glitzy red carpet events and fancy award ceremonies. “I promise you, I still think I am dreaming and someone is going to shake me awake and say, ‘Dave, we’ve got a race in five minutes,’” he laughed. “It is hard to look back at my achievements and actually believe that is me out there. I keep assuming I have a more talented identical twin who did it all instead!”

Weir’s performance at the London 2012 Paralympics impressed a number of high-profile athletes including Usain Bolt, David Beckham, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods 38

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

FAZAA INTERNATIONAL ATHLETICS COMPETITION Dubai will stage the first of six Paralympic grand prix in 2013 as the International Paralympic Committee hope to build on the unprecedented popularity of the London 2012 Paralympics. From 23-26 March, the Dubai Police Club will play host to the FAZAA International Athletics Competition, which will see athletes compete in track events ranging from the 100m to 5,000m and field formats including the shot put, discus, javelin and long jump. UAE’s Olympic heroes Abdullah Sultan Al Aryani (who won gold in the mixed R6 50m rifle prone event) and Mohammad Al Hammadi (who took silver in the men’s T34 200m and bronze in the 100m) will both compete. Following Dubai, the six-event series will then move to Beijing, Sao Paulo, Grosseto, Arizona and Berlin.

Born with a spinal cord transection, Weir has never had full use of his legs or been able to walk unaided. There is some feeling in his lower half, but he can’t lock his legs or stand up, and needed five operations just to straighten his feet. In his teens he wore calipers and walked with a stick until his upper body became too heavy and he changed to a wheelchair. But he was never given special treatment by his parents, who were adamant he would lead a normal life, or by his friends on the Roundshaw estate in Wallington, on the southern fringes of London. “I was no different, I did the same as everyone else,” explained Weir. “I climbed trees and larked about. In football I went in goal and used my stick, which made me a pretty formidable goalkeeper!” When Weir was eight he was first introduced to wheelchair racing, which appealed to his competitive spirit and gave him a means to harness his determination. In his first race he had to compete in a standard chair. He didn’t win, but he knew he had found his calling. “There has always been a drive in me, it has been there since birth,” he said. “I relish working hard, I love being close to people when we race, in that pack, getting under the skin of opponents.” Weir had found his calling; training under his coach and mentor Jenny Archer, he won the junior London Marathon. He then went to his first Paralympics in Atlanta in 1996, at the tender age of 17, but that whole experience was a massive let-down. “There was no interest in the Paralympics back then,” conceded Weir. “Honestly there was about five people in the stadium, the athletes weren’t treated very well and it made me question everything I had been doing my whole life. I really thought, ‘Have I sacrificed being with my family and friends and for this?’ I was so disheartened.” As a result, Weir briefly fell out of love with the sport and didn’t even bother to enter the next Paralympics in Sydney in 2000. Instead he found himself watching it in his boxers on television at home. Yet the medal-winning feats of fellow Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson in Australia inspired him to give athletics a second chance. Four years later he competed in Athens and won his first Paralympic medals – a silver in the 100m and a bronze in the Weir was appointed Commander of the Order 200m – but that was just a warm-up. He of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New arrived at the next games in Beijing Year Honours for services to athletics stronger and more focused, and came home with four medals – two golds in the 800m and 1,500m, a silver in the 400m and a bronze in the 5,000m. This was all invaluable experience ahead of London 2012, where Weir was totally dominant. He won every event he entered, having undertaken a gruelling training regime in London’s Richmond Park where he would race for 15 miles each morning in often freezing conditions. “Sometimes I sit there and question whether I could have done this or that better, but I look back at my races in London and think, ‘Dave, you did everything as well as you possibly could have done,’” said Weir, who carried the British flag at the closing ceremony. “I prepared for every single scenario, and got my tactics spot-on, and that is why I performed so well and won four golds.” MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

DAVID WEIR Weir claimed six gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Paralympics, and has won the London Marathon six times, making him the most successful British wheelcheer athlete of all time

WEIR’S MEDALS Paralympic Games Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Silver Silver Bronze Bronze

Weir is a throughly engaging and amiable character, who always speaks humbly and quietly, but his coaches talk about how his personality radically changes as soon as he gets on the track. That is when he transforms into the Weirwolf! His life might have changed remarkably (he is now recognised all the time), but he is yet to reap the rewards. For instance, he still lives in the same rented council house he grew up in. “I haven’t got my own property yet, I can’t afford it,” Weir admitted. “I would like a nice four-bedroom house in Surrey, but at the moment it is impossible. I am still not earning that much, but my quality of life is getting better, so I can’t complain.” Weir, however, knows he can’t go on forever, and isn’t yet sure if he will be at the next Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 to defend his four titles. “I haven’t decided, it is a tricky call, so I am thinking it all through right now,” he explained. “It will be a struggle to get myself motivated to do it all over again. Can I really do another four years of training? I am not so sure. I know that would be really tough. It would be great to go to Rio and defend my titles, but the sport is evolving so fast. “I am unsure I can get another 20 percent out of myself and my training. I gave absolutely everything I had at London 2012, so I am not convinced I can do it all over again. That was the last big push, and whatever happens in Rio it could never match winning four gold medals in my hometown.” In the short term, Weir wants to run in next month’s London Marathon, a race he has won six times. He also aims to compete in the 2014 Commonwealth games in Glasgow. Beyond that he would like to indulge his love of DJ-ing, and has already been offered some sets on the Spanish party island of Ibiza. More crucially, he is determined to play his part in building the legacy of London 2012, and has bold plans to open an academy for disabled children interested in following in his footsteps. “I want to be there for them and give as much input as possible, tell them all about what I have been through,” said a passionate Weir. “With the number of 40

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

Beijing, 2008 Beijing, 2008 London, 2012 London, 2012 London, 2012 London, 2012 Athens, 2004 Beijing, 2008 Athens, 2004 Beijing, 2004

800m 1,500m 1,500m 5,000m 800m Marathon 100m 400m 200m 5,000m

IPC Athletics World Championships Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Silver

Assen, 2006 Assen, 2006 Assen, 2006 Christchurch, 2011 Christchurch, 2011 Christchurch, 2011 Assen, 2006

100m 400m 1,500m 800m 1,500m 5,000m 200m

Paralympic World Cup Gold Gold

PWC, 2007 PWC, 2007

400m 1,500m

IPC Athletics European Championships Gold Silver Bronze

Helsinki, 2005 Helsinki, 2005 Helsinki, 2005

400m 200m 100m

disabled people in this country, we should have a lot more David Weirs, not just one. I will found the academy in South London, but I would also love to tour the whole country, doing workshops and enthusing kids.” Weir would prove an excellent teacher to such children, since ‘the poor disabled kid who found himself sitting in the middle of the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace with four gold medals around his neck’ is the perfect rags-to-riches story to truly inspire them.

Reseller ME S_Liberty 270x207-E.indd 1

6/25/12 2:49 PM

HALF-TIME TALK

BIG-NAME WRITERS » GUEST COLUMNISTS » DEBATE

THIS MONTH… 44 RON ATKINSON

Big Ron thinks the FA Cup winners should get the fourth Champions League spot

46 BRYAN ROBSON

Robbo tells Arsene Wenger to start worrying about domestic trophies not Europe

RON ATKINSON

GIVE A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPOT TO ALL FA CUP WINNERS THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS CARE ABOUT THE FA CUP IS TO HAND THEM QUALIFICATION TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IF THEY WIN IT, writes Ron Atkinson

very year we tediously debate whether the FA Cup has lost its magic. The answer is simple: of course it has! Whenever we see an upset, we argue otherwise, to try and protect the integrity of what we Brits dub the world’s greatest knockout competition. Yet it can’t be that special when virtually every Premier League side fields a reserve team in the early rounds, and breathes a secret sigh of relief when they get knocked out because it helps alleviate a congested fixture calendar. You still can’t take anything away from giant-killing heroes like non-league Luton (who won 1-0 at

Norwich) and Oldham (who beat Liverpool 3-2), but upsets are statistically more likely when the top players are rested. A true shock, like Hereford’s 2-1 win over Newcastle in 1972, seems virtually impossible these days. Back then, the Magpies took the likes of Terry McDermott and Malcolm MacDonald to muddy Edgar Street and still came away empty-handed. The only way to get Premier League teams to really commit to the FA Cup is to hand each winner the fourth Champions League place. Admittedly, there is a chance a lower league side might end up claiming it – after all Millwall (2004) and

Cardiff (2008) have both reached the final in recent years. Yet I think the minnows would struggle to repeat their feat with that kind of prize at stake. Plus, if they did, it would only add to the romance. These days, the Premier League and Champions League are all the big clubs really care about. 30 years ago, when I first won the FA Cup with Manchester United, that was not the case. Getting to Wembley was practically our top goal because we knew a visit there would stimulate the whole club and city. Consequently, I would have been hung, drawn and quartered if I had even considered fielding a weaker team.

Non-league Luton beat Nuneaton (1-1, 2-0), Dorchester (2-1), Wolves (1-0) and Norwich (1-0) en route to this season’s FA Cup fifth round, before finally losing to Millwall (3-0)

SPORTS TALK

MARXH 2013

RON ATKINSON EX-MANCHESTER UNITED BOSS

PERSONALLY, I WOULD START PUNISHING SIDES FOR FIELDING WEAK TEAMS. IN 2011, BLACKPOOL HAD TO PAY £25K FOR RESTING TEN PLAYERS IN A 3-2 PREMIER LEAGUE LOSS TO ASTON VILLA, SO A RECENT PRECEDENT IS THERE.

Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-1 last May to win the 2013 FA Cup

RON’S FA CUP FINAL WINS 26 MAY, 1983 MANCHESTER UNITED 4 BRIGHTON 0 (REPLAY) We went into the final as big favourites, but could only draw 2-2. We played Brighton off the park, but got sloppy towards the end, allowing Gary Stevens to equalise. In the replay, Bryan Robson scored twice in a comfortable victory, even though all our shirts got stolen before the game and we had to scramble around to find new ones. After the match, I was so busy celebrating that I almost missed the last train back to Manchester, so a police bike had to whizz me through the crowds and I made it by the skin of my teeth! 18 MAY, 1985 MANCHESTER UNITED 1 EVERTON 0 (AET) Everton had won the league and Cup Winners’ Cup, so we went in as underdogs. Our cause wasn’t helped when Kevin Moran got sent off for fouling Peter Reid and apparently preventing a clear goal-scoring opportunity, even though Reidy was 50 yards from goal! My assistant Mick Brown urged me to shut up shop and play for a replay, but I just sensed it was our day, so I moved Frank Stapleton to centre-back, leaving Mark Hughes up front by himself. The ploy worked and Norman Whiteside scored a wonder goal to win the tie in extra-time.

That trend only started after foreign coaches filtered into the Premier League and, to an extent, when the final briefly moved to Cardiff (2001-2006) while Wembley was being developed. In addition, shifting the final away from the last game of the season didn’t help, so I am glad the FA have now U-turned on that decision this season. Manchester United also damaged the FA Cup, with FA endorsement no less, when they chose to snub the tournament in favour of the 2000 World Club Championship in Brazil. United’s decision was even more shocking when you consider they were the defending champions. I hate to say it, but the Copa del Rey is now more prestigious than the FA Cup. The Spanish teams go blood and thunder to try and win it, and due to the gulf between themselves and the rest, Barcelona and Real Madrid always meet in the latter stages, which adds a bit of extra spice. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the first names on the teamsheet for each side in every round. Personally, I would start punishing sides for fielding weak teams. In 2011, Blackpool had to pay £25k for resting ten players in a 3-2 Premier League loss to Aston Villa, so a recent precedent is there, but the fine needs to be much bigger to act as a real disincentive. The other problem is even if managers pick their top stars there is no guarantee they will be up for the

game. Look at Fulham, who clearly didn’t fancy an away cup tie at Manchester United. They were a disgrace, losing 4-1, and may as well have just conceded the game in advance. Why even bother getting on the bus if you have no interest in winning? If I were Fulham, I would have refunded all the loyal fans who travelled to Old Trafford. I have little sympathy for managers who don’t respect the FA Cup, but I can understand the need to use the tournament (and the League Cup as well) to blood new talent. After all, these days reserve team football is extremely weak, so chucking talented kids into first team football is really the only way to test them. Reserve sides used to be stronger and competitive, but now some don’t even enter them, or if they do they only consider selecting academy members. In the 1990s, I remember when Manchester United were so intent on winning the Reserve League that they took a full first team to Leicester and still lost, in front of 20,000 fans at Filbert Street! Now the league is poor, so managers want to test out fringe players or hot prospects, and the Cup is one of their only options. I can understand that, but it still dilutes the appeal of the FA Cup. If you rewarded the winner with a Champions League spot, no sane team would tinker with their line-up and the tournament would thus, overnight, go back to being the best in the world. MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

BRYAN ROBSON

ARSENE WENGER IS TALKING UTTER NONSENSE I CAN’T BELIEVE THE ARSENAL BOSS THINKS FINISHING THIRD IS AS GOOD AS WINNING A TROPHY, writes Bryan Robson

Since joining Arsenal from Nagoya Grampus in 1996, Wenger has won three Premier League titles, as well as the FA Cup and Community Shield four times, but the 63-year-old is without a trophy since 2005

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

iscussing ‘the race for third and fourth’ isn’t something we did a lot of during my playing days, but with Manchester United surging towards the Premier League title, that’s where the interest and excitement will come from this season. The Champions League is all the big clubs care about these days. Given the financial rewards the tournament brings, I can understand this, but what I can’t fathom is why Arsene Wenger would claim qualifying for it is just as good as winning a trophy. I have never heard such rubbish! To a businessman that would make sense, but do players see it that way? Not a chance! Footballers gauge success on what they’ve won. Trophies trump everything. That’s the way it has always been, and today is no different. If you gave me a choice between qualifying for the Champions League six years in a row and winning nothing, or lifting four major trophies without tasting a single minute of European football, I would take the medals every time – it’s a no-brainer, and had Wenger’s Arsenal not gone without a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup, I am convinced he would agree. It doesn’t matter whether it is the league title, FA Cup, League Cup or something else, a professional footballer will only feel content when they can look themselves in the mirror and know they have been a winner. Participating in the Champions League is a fantastic experience, but

BRYAN ROBSON EX-MANCHESTER UNITED & ENGLAND MIDFIELDER

WHAT I CAN’T FATHOM IS WHY ARSENE WENGER WOULD CLAIM QUALIFYING FOR THE CHAMPIONS LEAUGE IS JUST AS GOOD AS WINNING A TROPHY. I HAVE NEVER HEARD SUCH RUBBISH!

qualifying for it every year and getting knocked out still isn’t a patch on collecting a prize. Just ask the Celtic boys. When I go around to my ex-Manchester United teammates’ houses, I look up at the photos on the wall, all from days when we won the league, the European Cup or one of the English cup competitions. Those are the memories you cling to forever – not top four finishes. Nonetheless, it is still intriguing to debate who will grab those coveted top four spots. Despite Chelsea’s internal problems, I do think the Blues will end up in third place. They have got a lot of experience, real goal threats in the form of Demba Ba, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard, and more strength in depth than their rivals should injuries occur down the stretch. Tottenham and Arsenal will fight it out for fourth, and I must confess that I’m leaning towards Andre Villas-Boas’ men. They look stronger this year, while Arsenal are playing like a team under enormous pressure. Of course, Gareth Bale is another reason to back Spurs. He is a top player in the midst of some extraordinary form. I believe you can never tell how good a player is going to be until they hit their mid-twenties. That’s when youngsters really find their feet and begin to reach their full potential, and it’s clear that Bale (at the age of 23) has an awful lot of it. His physique and power distinguish him from the rest – so much so that I struggle to think of a single player from my era who was even remotely similar. Back then, wingers tended to be small, wiry and nimble, whereas Bale is a big athlete with formidable speed and dynamism. He is a type of modernday footballer who simply didn’t exist a few decades ago. I think credit has to go to Villas-Boas for allowing him the freedom of the pitch. Under Harry Redknapp he was stuck out on the left wing and couldn’t always influence matches, but now he’s drifting all over the place and that means he can be destructive from anywhere across the front line. This is why his goalscoring ratio has gone through the roof of late.

Bale has scored 24 goals for Spurs and Wales this season, including a hat-trick against Aston Villa on Boxing Day

Caption style for images on them or near them Pore etur? Apis re nos mo volupitiunt officat am, nation es expelita alignis etur sit vit arum quia dolorem esci

Bale could plausibly end up being a centre-forward. He protects the ball very well, and would be an unwanted and highly dangerous threat to any defender if he stood on their shoulder. Perhaps that will be his best position eventually, where he might be even more impossible to stop. As a manager, I would instruct my players to double up on Gareth in a bid to crowd him out, and under no circumstances would I let them show him onto his left foot. I would also consider man-marking him, but to do that you would need an aggressive defensive midfielder who was also extremely quick. If they couldn’t match Bale’s pace they would get ripped apart, no matter how dogged or diligent they were. If Spurs want to keep hold of him I think they are going to have to start winning things, because he has emerged into a world-class talent who could play for anyone on the planet. I can’t finish without a quick mention of Bale’s childhood hero, and my old teammate, Ryan Giggs, who recently clocked up his 1,000th senior appearance for Manchester United. As a kid Giggsy always had unbelievable fitness, so I am not the least bit surprised he is still playing.

RYAN GIGGS Age: 39 -------Appearances: 1,000 (932 for Manchester United; 68 for Wales) -------Goals: 180 (including a career high 10 v Spurs) -------Honours: Premier League (12), Champions League (2), FA Cup (4), League Cup (4)

In training, whether it was a five-yard sprint or a marathon, Ryan would always win it. He has such an engine and competitive spirit, allied with wonderful football ability. He also has phenomenal mental toughness, which is imperative to stay at the top for so long. Giggsy has basically dedicated his life to being a footballer, through his diet, yoga, lifestyle and daily obsession with the beautiful game. He is a wonderful example and, despite turning 40 this November, I fully expect to see him playing a pivotal part for Manchester United next season too. Who knows, at this rate he’ll be playing until he’s 50. Stranger things have happened! MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

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TRAINING GROUND

TOP TUITION » SPORTS NUTRITION » GYM ROUTINES

THIS MONTH… 50 JONNY MARSH

The Manchester City School of Football coach teaches you how to take the perfect penalty

54 DAFYDD JAMES

The ex-Lions star shows you how kettlebells can improve your cardiovascular system

56 MATTHEW NUTTING

The Bespoke Wellness guru explains why thinking too positive in sport can have a negative effect

JONNY MARSH

HOW TO TAKE THE PERFECT PENALTY BLAST IT OR PLACE IT? WAIT FOR THE KEEPER TO MOVE OR JUST PICK A SPOT AND STICK TO IT? THESE ARE THE THOUGHTS WHICH RATTLE THROUGH A FOOTBALLER’S BRAIN MOMENTS BEFORE A CRUCIAL SPOT KICK, writes Manchester City Soccer of Football coach Jonny Marsh 50

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

he perfect penalty is simply one that finds the back of the net, but there are some technical and psychological ways to improve your odds of scoring.The taker is expected to triumph, so it is prudent to line up for a spot-kick with an bit of a cocky air. Sergio Aguero is Manchester City’s top taker for a reason. He is cool as a cucumber, knows exactly where he is going to place the ball and refuses to be fazed by even the most intimidating of

goalkeepers. Decide early if you are going for power or placement, then pick your spot and stick to it. Statistically, a well placed penalty into the top corner gives the keeper no chance, but this is quite risky to execute. Plenty of pros thus go for a firm low strike into the bottom corner or, if nervous, just leather it like Stuart Pearce at Euro ‘96! The point is, whichever option you choose, just force the keeper to pull off an exceptional save to deny you.

MAK E UP YOU R MIN D One of the most frustrating things in football is a half-hearted penalty. A goalkeeper is halfway to a save if the taker appears indecisive. Remember, the goal is on your side. If you find the corner even a penalty specialist, like former German keeper Oliver Kahn, will have his work cut out. Just don’t try anything too flashy. Last year Baniyas midfielder Theyab Awana scored with a backheel for the UAE against Lebanon – but they were 6-2 up at the time! Unless the penalty really doesn’t matter always keep your execution simple.

THE RUN-UP This varies depending on whether you opt for power or placement. For placement, take five or six steps back, at a slight angle to the ball, then run directly towards it. For power, your run-up is more central and a little bit longer. There is no need, however, to jog all the way back to the halfway line! Be careful not to give too much away with your arms, since keepers like to look at them to help guess which way you will go. Finally, remember to continue running even after you have struck the ball so you are in a prime position to slot in the rebound should you miss.

TEC HNI QUE

PRACTICE DRILL Place a cone on either side of

A deftly placed spot-kick is taken with the side of the foot, while power penalties require you to point your toe down and hit through the ball with the laces. Whichever option you plunge for, lean back if you want to go high or get your head over the ball to keep it low.

POWER

the goal, five ball lengths from the post. The idea is to land your spot-kicks outside the cones. Have five goes on each side.

PLACEMENT

HOW TO SAVE

THE PERFECT PENALTY

Jonny Marsh is a coach at the Manchester City School of Football in Abu Dhabi. To contact him about coaching sessions, email jonny.marsh@mcfc.co.uk, call +971 2 403 4200 or visit mcfc.co.uk.

Goalkeepers are in a win-win situation. No one expects them to save penalties, but when they do they become instant heroes. To increase his odds, Joe Hart watches videos of penalty takers he might come up against to study their preferred habits. Aside from doing his homework, he also likes to have some camaraderie with the guy he is up against – nothing sinister, but a little chat can sometimes upset a taker’s focus. Other than that, the key is just to make yourself as big a target as possible. Place your feet right on the edge of the line, push your arms out wide and step off the line as early as is legally possible to narrow the angle. Stay big and tall and don’t commit too early. MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

HOOFBEATZ

HORSE TRICKS YOU DON’T NEED A STUNT DOUBLE FOR STUNT RIDING IS NOT NEARLY AS TREACHEROUS OR COMPLICATED AS IT FIRST LOOKS, writes HoofbeatZ instructor Sandor Boros

nyone who has watched a good old fashioned Western will have seen cowboys and Indians gallivanting around on wild horses, sprawling off the side of their saddles as they shoot their foes. It looks dangerous and dusty – not something to try at home! However, trick riding is actually pretty simple, so much so that even beginners can have a go. Originally, the sport wasn’t an act of performance, but a weapon for the Cossacks to dodge their enemies. When the birth of communism forced them out of Russia, many fled to America and began using their equine skills to earn money. Thus trick riding quickly turned from a means of self-defence to an art.

STAND ON THE WOODS

This awesome trick, usually performed at a canter, sees the rider stand upright on a special saddle with blocks (called woods) on either side. Grab the girth and shuffle forwards slightly, then push your legs back onto the blocks behind you. Once confident, stand up and wave to your adoring fans! This is a fantastic exercise to improve your balance.

SANDOR’S TIP

Once your feet are stable on the woods, try not to look down or you could lose your balance. 52

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Riders such as Rex Rossi soon became famous stunt-doubles, standing in for the likes of Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner. Shirley and Sharon Lucas even got to do Marilyn Monroe’s dirty work! The key to pulling off any horse stunt is solid technique. I won’t let anyone on a horse before they understand the trick and are fully aware of our rigorous safety procedures here at HoofbeatZ. I have used my gorgeous horse, Bello – a cheeky 10-year-old who I bought in Hungary – to show you three basic moves. If you like the look of them, feel free to contact me and come down to HoofbeatZ to give them a try!

SANDOR’S TIP

The faster you go, the easier the stunt becomes, although beginners will start on a totally still horse. Once you get the hang of it you can try the trick at a canter.

DEAD MAN HANG

As the name suggests, this trick requires you to throw yourself off the side of the horse and pretend to be dead – you get bonus points for your acting skills! The key is to hang off the side with your feet firmly in the stirrups. First you slide across to your left, then fall head-first from the edge of the saddle. The closer you stay to the horse, the easier the trick is.

CHEST STAND

The chest-stand is easily the most spectacular (and complex) of the three stunts. The idea is to tilt forwards so your chest is touching the horse, then grab the leather safety strap to help raise your feet in the air. Ideally, your legs should be closed and totally straight. The aim is to hold the chest-stand for about five seconds. The trick works best at a canter or gallop. Once you get the hang of it, you can show off to your friends by doing it with your legs open instead of closed.

SANDOR’S TIP

This is quite a physically demanding stunt, so only tr it if o are confi ent you can support your bodyweight on your hands.

Sandor Boros is a HoofbeatZ instructor. For more information on stunt riding, email info@hoofbeatz.com, call +971 5 0181 0401 or visit hoofbeatz.com. MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

DAFYDD JAMES

PUT THE KETTLE ON! USING KETTLEBELLS WILL HELP IMPROVE YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM AND AEROBIC CAPACITY, BUT YOU MAY NEED A CUP OF TEA AFTERWARDS, writes former British & Irish Lion Dafydd James

METABOLIC POWER CIRCUIT 1. WARM-UP (10 MINS) 2. 3X100M ROW; SUMO SQUATS TRX ROWS, TRX PRESS-UPS (15-20 REPS) 3. 3X100M ROW; KETTLEBELL SWINGS, TRX ATOMIC PRESS-UPS, TRX ‘TS’ (15-20 REPS) 4. 3X100M ROW; KETTLEBELL SNATCHES; TRX SQUAT JUMPS & ‘YS’ (15-20 REPS) 5. WARM-DOWN (5 MINS)

ettlebells are a tremendous aid designed to build strength, especially in the lower back, legs and shoulders. They thus form a vital part of this month’s metabolic power circuit. This is a high-intensity workout, so prepare to feel thoroughly revitalised, but also shattered! Have plenty of water (or tea!) on standby. The only other tools you need are a rowing machine and a TRX, which is essentially just a harness. The below session, which has five parts, should last about 35 minutes.

DAF’S TIP

When rowing, ensure you mostly use your legs, not upper body, to generate power. Push with your legs first, keeping your arms straight, and only start to pull back when you get three-quarters of the way through the extension of the legs.

WARM-UP (10 MINS)

Start off with a gentle 500-metre row. Don’t strive to be Sir Steve Redgrave just yet - there’s plenty more rowing still to come! Following this, do about five minutes of dynamic stretches (squats, lunges or lifts). 54

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PHASE 1 Now the real rowing starts! Do three intense 100-metre stints taking a 20-second break between each one. After that (as with every phase) move on to three separate exercises, all carried out without a rest. Start with 15-20 sumo-squats. These will work your glutes, quads and inner thighs. Keep a straight back at all times and try to breathe continuously. A lot of people seem to rather irrationally hold their breath and soon feel faint. Next, it’s time for a TRX row. Trust me, your back and biceps will thank you for this! Adjust the rope’s resistance depending on how hard you want to work – the more horizontal, the harder it will be. Remember to keep your spine in line at all times. Finally, end with some TRX press-ups. For balance, having done a pulling exercise, it is prudent to do a pushing motion too.

PHASE 2 Before you begin phase two, take a one-minute breather, then do another three 100-metre rows. Next comes some kettlebell swings, designed to get your heart rate racing, as well as put your glutes, quads, hips and shoulders through their paces. The key here is to power up from the hips. Follow this with a few TRX atomic press-ups. These can feel pretty taxing because they demand both core and upper body strength. Place your feet in the stirrups and assume a press-up position. Bring your legs up to your chest, push them back down, then do a press-up. That’s one rep. Lastly, it’s time for 15-20 TRX ‘Ts’ – a pulling exercise which will work your back and improve overall posture.

PHASE 3 Grab another one-minute break then return to the rowing machine for three 100-metre bursts. Next, do 20 one-arm kettlebell snatches (10 reps with your left, 10 with your right). Stand up straight and push your buttocks out as you bend over. Look forward and grip the kettlebell really hard, keeping your body tight.The trick is to use your legs to generate momentum, lifting the kettlebell up from the floor to about 90 degrees before flipping it over your wrist and up above your head. By now your heart should be pounding, but don’t worry there isn’t too long to go! End with some TRX squat jumps and ‘Ys’, both designed to work your back muscles.

WARM-DOWN Again, take a quick one-minute rest, then warm down with some bicep and tricep curls and 15-20 TRX pikes. For the latter, place your feet toe-first into the stirrups and assume the suspended plank position. Instead of letting your hips sag, raise them in a pike by bending at the waist. Keep your feet together, and back and legs straight, then drive your head down in between your arms. Once complete, grab a refreshing cold shower and put the kettle on!

Dafydd James is now a Dubai-based personal trainer. For inquiries about private sessions with him please contact Daf on dj@dafydd-james.com or visit dafydd-james.com. MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

MATTHEW NUTTING

W HY PO SI TI VE IS N E G AT IV E NEUTRAL THINKING IS THE ONLY WAY TO SUCCEED IN SPORT, writes Matthew Nutting

e all know that a negative mindset can affect our performance, but so can thinking too positively. Some mental coaches believe standing over a penalty or putt and assuming you will score or sink it is paramount, but if you miss, that attitude does more harm than good. The key to consistency in sport is to adopt a neutral mindset: if you keep musing over your game plan, action, technique and results you will go insane. Accepting that anything is possible will limit expectations. That was golfer Seve Ballesteros’ philosophy: he just hit the ball, found it and hit it again. Curbing expectations in this manner

10%-12%

Theory of th e M ind CONSCIOUS MIND CRITICAL FILTER

–

Positive and negative experiences filter from the conscious to the subconscious

SUBCONSCIOUS MIND PRIMITIVE MIND

90% of our thou ghts emerge from the subc onsc ious

will improve your performance, since it prevents both negative thinking and false bravado. If you say to yourself, “This free kick is going in, it can’t miss,” it won’t turn you into Cristiano Ronaldo (who, by the way, doesn’t adopt that approach either). If you psyche yourself up this way and then balloon the ball into Row Z, you will quickly bounce to the other extreme – then the next time, you will stand over the ball with a bruised ego. To achieve your sporting peak you must remove these kind of mental fluctuations. Of course, this is all well and good, but what do you do when you have just made a

S tan d in Tall

l a r t u e N k in g Th in

POSSIBLE

Always believe anything, positive or negative, can happen

INTENTION Don’t over-think your goals in sport

ANALYSIS Don’t over-celebrate success or get bogged down by failure

ACTION

RESULTS

Don’t over-analyse your swing or stroke

Don’t beat yourself up over every outcome

triple-bogey and are storming off the green with a locked jaw, fantasising about snapping your putter? Because negative thinking most dramatically alters your physiology, urgently addressing and reversing its impact is imperative to get your game back on track. The two symptoms of this state are an increased heart rate and tension in the muscles. The quickest way to relieve these ailments is to control your breathing, which always mirrors our emotions. Plenty of sports stars shoot me a raised eyebrow that Roger Moore would be proud of when I tell them this, but just give it a go before you knock it! Try to imagine you are breathing through your heart. After just a couple of breaths you will

really feel the thumping stop and the tension ease out of your body. Do it as you line up for a key conversion, prepare for a sprint race or stroll towards the putting green, and it should cure a confidence crisis and banish those irksome nerves. Another simple tip is to adjust your posture. If you are playing an outdoor sport, like tennis, choose a high landmark (perhaps a tree or the clubhouse) and glance up at it before you serve. Next time you see Roger Federer miss a routine forehand, you will notice he is standing pretty tall, looking up with a wistful smile on his face. This helps him relax his muscles and thus reduces the chances of him making back-to-back mistakes. If you breathe the right way you can prevent a sporting meltdown, which is also far less likely to happen if you think neutral.

Matthew Nutting is a performance coach at Bespoke Wellness. You can contact him about private sessions via info@bespoke-wellness.com or visit bespoke-wellness.com. MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

l a r t u e N k in g Th in

POSSIBLE

Always believe anything, positive or negative, can happen

INTENTION Don’t over-think your goals in sport

ANALYSIS Don’t over-celebrate success or get bogged down by failure

ACTION

RESULTS

Don’t over-analyse your swing or stroke

Don’t beat yourself up over every outcome

Matthew Nutting is a performance coach at Bespoke Wellness. You can contact him about private sessions via info@bespoke-wellness.com or visit bespoke-wellness.com. MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

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SECOND HALF

AWARDS » DREAM PRIZES » RIB-TICKLING HUMOUR

THIS MONTH… 60 BEN JOHNSON

The disgraced drugs cheat claims Carl Lewis tried to kill him at the Seoul 1988 Olympics

66 RUTH HENIG

The House of Lords peer shares her love of Championship side Leicester City with us

72 DRIVE HOME

Shahzad Sheikh takes the new Rolls-Royce Phantom for a spin around Dubai

BEN JOHNSON

CARL LEWIS TRIED TO

KILL ME BEN JOHNSON TELLS JAMES MONTAGUE HOW NINE-TIME OLYMPIC CHAMPION CARL LEWIS ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO MURDER HIM

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

BEN JOHNSON

Johnson and Lewis’ strained, emotionless handshake was one of the iconic images of the Seoul Olympics and relations between the pair clearly haven’t improved since

ike the assassination of JFK, everyone remembers where they were during the greatest ever 100 metres final, but was it also the scene of another shocking assassination attempt? Ben Johnson certainly thinks so... The Canadian sprinter romped to victory at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, smashing the world record with a time of 9.79 seconds. In doing so, he crushed an illustrious field which included his fiercest foe, Carl Lewis. Johnson’s sensational performance, however, was only the start of easily the most scandalous (and gripping) controversy in Olympics history. Within 48 hours, the then 26-year-old failed a drugs test for steroids, was acrimoniously stripped of his gold medal and was sent packing to Scarborough, Ontario in disgrace. Initially he denied any wrongdoing, but when the televised Dublin Inquiry – set up to discover the extent of drug use in Canadian sport – called him up to testify, he conceded he had been covertly cheating for five years. At the same time though, Johnson also fervently maintained he was scapegoated – a claim somewhat substantiated by the demoralising fact that six of the eight runners who started the 1988 100 metres final were all later implicated in their own drugs scandals. Lewis was the most high-profile of them. Even prior to Seoul, the nine-time Olympic champion had tested positive for drugs on three separate occasions, but his ban was rapidly overturned by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). Johnson argues that the American sprinting mafia, led by Lewis, got the American off before stitching him up at Seoul, not only spiking his post-race drink, but dosing him with enough Stanozolol to kill him. The whole murky experience also killed his own lust for athletics, which Johnson now refuses to watch. Instead, since Seoul, he has dabbled in a string of unusual career choices – including a stint in Libya as personal trainer to Colonel Gaddafi’s son, Al Saadi, during the fleeting epoch when he decided to be a footballer rather than a playboy. These days, Johnson is a coach at the Genova International Soccer School but, in his spare time, he is still actively trying to put Lewis behind bars.

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MARCH 2013

After leaving Boca Juniors in 1997, Diego Maradona employed Johnson as his personal trainer in Toronto, while the Canadian also claims Usain Bolt follows his fitness regime

What evidence do you have that Lewis tried to murder you? Carl would do anything to win, and I had beaten him three times in the build-up to the 1988 Olympics. Consequently, after I thrashed him in Seoul, his camp spiked my drink with enough drugs to kill a cow. Unlucky to test positive? I was lucky to leave Seoul alive, so don’t think I am going too far when I allege attempted murder. I fully admit I took steroids, as did almost every other athlete of my generation. However, I stopped taking drugs six weeks before the 1988 Games. Thus, no one was more shocked than me to test positive. Plus, I used Farazobol, yet it was large traces of Stanozolol that were discovered in my system. My coach expressly told me not to use this since it tightened the muscles, yet after the race a humongous dose was found in my bloodstream – one so big it could have killed me on the spot. I know someone from the Lewis camp slipped something into my drink.

What drink, and why did you not raise suspicions at the time?

Johnson argues he would have bettered 9.79s had he not raised his hand in celebration

I was handed a drink in the drugs testing room after the 100 metres final. It came from this big man who took it out of the refrigerator and handed it over in a really awkward manner. My lawyer has since found a photograph of the incident. It turns out the bloke was an American footballer and friends with Lewis. How the hell did he get into such a high security area? I had no reason to suspect any wrongdoing at the time. I had just smashed the world record and won gold. I was buzzing and, since I had been clean for six weeks, saw the test as a simple formality.

Have you since tracked down the mystery man? Yes, but I can’t reveal his name. In 2007 I got an anonymous call from someone claiming to be the infamous drink spiker. I arranged a meeting but he didn’t show up. At the same time, we also spoke to Lewis’s agent, who conceded Carl did send someone into the room to ensure I didn’t take a masking agent before the test. For a while, we took them at their word, but a year later the man got in contact again. I met him in Los Angeles with a wire and he admitted to interfering with my drink. We will hopefully use this as ammunition against Carl one day. Our feud has gone way beyond athletics though: his actions are criminal and, personally, I think he should be punished accordingly.

You paint yourself as a victim, but you also openly admit to taking drugs – why should people believe your conspiracy theory against Lewis? I am honest enough to own up to steroids, which tells you I don’t tell lies. My biggest crime in the eyes of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was telling the truth. It made me a threat. The fact is, virtually every top sprinter, past and present, is doing drugs, but athletics is a big business and the IOC can’t afford for this damning fact to get out. When Lewis set me up he was helping them discredit me. In return he got protection. All the Americans did, even though they were just as drugged up as me. In 1983, before I had ever remotely considered steroids, I went to the Pan-American Games in Caracas. I was sitting in the canteen when, out of the blue, all the Americans jumped up, left their breakfasts half-eaten and jogged out of the village. I asked what was going on and someone told me they knew the testers were coming. That was (and probably still is) America’s idea of a random drugs test. Ultimately, nothing has changed as a result of all the drugs controversies over the years. Most top athletes still do steroids. Why? Because without them it is not humanly possible to keep producing top performances. In the late 1980s, the Americans were consistently running under 10 seconds. How could they do so without taking something? Unaided, I managed those kind of times

CARL’S CAMP SPIKED MY DRINK WITH ENOUGH DRUGS TO KILL A COW. UNLUCKY TO TEST POSITIVE? I WAS LUCKY TO LEAVE SEOUL ALIVE, SO DON’T THINK I AM GOING TOO FAR WHEN I ALLEGE ATTEMPTED MURDER. twice a year, and I was the best athlete of the bunch. As for today, loads of sprinters are doing tons of drugs, but what is insane is most are still running slower than me!

In hindsight, do you view taking drugs as morally wrong or just a necessity to survive at the top? It depends what you mean by drugs. If we are talking cocaine or heroin then, of course, that’s wrong. Those are the kind of nasty drugs which kill people. Steroids, on the other hand, are not bad, providing they are controlled. I only took what I had to in order to keep pace with the rest of the field. There is plenty of stupid chat about what steroids can do to the body, with a lot of idiots citing casualties in wrestling as evidence not to touch them. But it is not the drugs which damage a fighter’s kidneys or other organs, it is the continual crashing down on the mat that has killed about MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

BEN JOHNSON

JOHNSON’S CAREER Born on December 30 1961 — Emigrated to Canada from Jamaica in 1976 — Joined the Scarborough Optimists track and field club under Charlie Francis, Canada’s national sprint coach — Won two gold medals, two silvers and a bronze at the 1982 and 1986 Commonwealth Games — Finally beat Carl Lewis in 1985 after seven consecutive losses to the American — Held the five fastest times over 60m indoors, including the 1987 world record of 6.41s — Set the 100m world record of 9.83s in Rome, then beat it with 9.79s in the 1988 Olympic final — Was later stripped of both medals and his records expunged after testing positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol — Reached almost 50km per hour at his peak — Retains two bronze medals from the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles for the 100m and 4x100m relay

Linford Christie clocked 9.97s to finish third, taking silver after Johnson’s disqualifcation despite himself testing positive for the drug Pseudoephedrine

200 of them in recent years – that and alcohol abuse. Steroids had no negative effect on me. Perhaps they made me slightly angry, but I channelled that to my advantage on the track. I really didn’t want to take them, but the problem was without them I couldn’t prove I was the world’s fastest man.

Have you been unfairly judged by history? The IOC and IAAF hung me out to dry, while simultaneously turning a blind eye to the actions of others. Both bodies constantly harp on about punishing every single drug user, but they ignore most of the cheats, and always will. If they ever put their foot down they would lose big bucks. In fact, if they banned everyone who tested positive for illegal substances they would totally ruin their industry. I know six sprinters who tested positive in Seoul: some were in my final, some ran in the 200 metres. They were all protected by either high-profile contacts or sponsors. I got shafted in their place because I wasn’t part of the US sprinting mafia. It was obviously not fair, but life goes on.

How fast could you run if still competing today? 9.5 seconds – comfortably! If you put me on a track today, with the same power, mentality and mindset as in 1988, I would shatter Usain Bolt’s 64

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MARCH 2013

world record. I was blessed with far more talent than the current crop of sprinters, and was running on poorer conditioned surfaces. If I was racing now, I would definitely be faster than Bolt. He clocked 9.59 seconds without half my power or brains.

Should your Seoul run still be considered as one of the greatest ever sprints? Regardless of what the IOC or IAAF think, it was definitely the best race ever run, and the scary thing is I wasn’t even at my peak. No one could match my speed, particularly out of the blocks. Going fast is just in my genes, which is why I know, even now, I am naturally the fastest man on the planet. Lewis and his American cronies quickly cottoned on to this, and that was my downfall. It is also important to note, steroids didn’t give me any extra speed. They simply allowed me to recover faster between races. The reason I was quick was because I came out of my mother’s womb that way, then trained for 40 hours a week to nurture my talent. The IOC can keep my 1988 gold medal. I don’t need it to know I am the best sprinter the world has ever seen. My victory in Seoul was one of the finest achievements in any sport and, in my eyes, nothing anyone says about me can ever undermine it.

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MARCH 2013

s she strolls through the historic, musty corridors of Westminster, Baroness Ruth Henig must be slightly wary about conceding she is besotted with the Blue Army – just in case her fellow Labour peers erroneously suspect she has defected to the Conservative party! There is nothing conservative about her long-standing love of football. Against her better judgement, the fervent Foxes fan, who gained patronage to the House of Lords from Tony Blair in 2004, has been following Leicester City since the early 1950s. At 68, Henig is one of the few female supporters to have religiously tailed her team for over 50 years. Her eyes light up at the mere mention of football. She displays a youthful zest, as if fresh from her very first game. This is all the more extraordinary considering that actually came 58 years ago – a 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Filbert Street – and, ironically, wasn’t even an agreeable experience. “It was packed, icy and boring,” admits Henig, whose fellow peer Lord William Bach is also a fanatical Leicester fan. “I was first dragged to Filbert Street under duress. My father, who positively hated football, told my older sister she could only go if she brought me with her, so she bribed me, handing me sixpence to tag along. “I was only 11 and pretty unimpressed with what I saw. However, by the time I turned 13 I had caught the bug. In the end, it was the lively Leicester crowd who won me over. In those days, Filbert Street could hold up to 40,000, and I guess I was just intrigued by what all the commotion was about. “My first memories are from the 1957-58 season. I remember Leicester began with a 3-0 loss to Manchester United in August. I was hugely impressed by the Busby Babes, especially Duncan Edwards. It was heartbreaking to learn that, six months later, he was one of eight players to lose their life in the Munich air disaster.” The tragedy in Munich – which saw British European Airways Flight 609 crash at take-off on a slush-strewn runway, killing 23 people – caused acute grief around the world, including at Henig’s own secondary school, Wyggeston Girls. “I was a little more addicted to football than my other female friends, but I think Munich proved plenty of other young girls were into it too,” she says. “The day after the crash, I vividly remember one girl was in hysterics. Manchester United was her team. I would estimate about half my class of 30 had at least a vague interest in football by the late 1950s. They may not have gone to as many games as I did, but I certainly don’t think they thought my obsession with Leicester was odd.” What is wonderfully weird, and reasonably unique to sport (especially pre-millennium, before the brazen ‘glory hunter’ species became endemic) is that the majority of fans, Henig included, never allowed the ennui

of watching a perennial underachiever like Leicester quell their infatuation. Defeats were nonchalantly batted away with wry pessimism, with many supporters even garnering a perverse thrill in watching their side heroically surge to the brink of success, only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. In the early 1960s, under the loyal leadership of Scottish manager Matt Gillies, Leicester made this their tragi-comic trademark, especially in the FA Cup. They did lift the 1965 League Cup after a gutsy 4-3 aggregate triumph over Stoke, but also suffered FA Cup final heartache in both 1961 and 1963. The first saw a 2-0 loss to league champions Tottenham Hotspur, who thus became the first club to do the double since Aston Villa in 1897. It was a harsh result considering Leicester, in an era before substitutes, lost full-back Len Chalmers to a broken leg just 20 minutes into the game.

I WAS FIRST DRAGGED TO FILBERT STREET UNDER DURESS. MY FATHER, WHO POSITIVELY HATED FOOTBALL, TOLD MY OLDER SISTER SHE COULD ONLY GO IF SHE BROUGHT ME WITH HER, SO SHE BRIBED ME, HANDING ME SIXPENCE TO TAG ALONG. Two years later, a David Herd brace helped Manchester United overpower lacklustre Leicester 3-1 at Wembley. Having finished a surprise fourth in the First Division, the Foxes – playing in white since their blue shirts clashed with United’s red on black and white television – actually began the match as slim favourites, a tag the Baroness was never comfortable with. “Seemingly everyone, except me, expected us to win the 1963 final,” says Henig, who was back at Wembley three years later to witness England’s pulsating World Cup final triumph over Germany. “It had been an extremely strong year. There was a big freeze over the winter and, due to the undersoil heating at Filbert Street, Leicester was one of only a few sides capable of staging regular football. That helped us keep momentum and sharpness, but as soon as City got to Wembley they never got motoring. I think we were a bit paralysed by expectation.

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

RUTH HENIG

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Keith Weller parades his fetching white tights against Norwich Gordon Banks can’t prevent Terry Dyson securing Spurs the 1961 FA Cup Matt Elliott lifts the 2000 League Cup, after scoring both goals against Tranmere

“Personally, I always suspected we would lose. The longer you support Leicester, the more you develop an innate pessimism! That said, not all of my memories of playing Manchester United are bad. We did manage a league double over them that season while, in 1960, we also thumped them 6-0!” In 1969, under Irish boss Frank O’Farrell, Leicester reached their third FA Cup final of the decade, this time suffering a banal 1-0 defeat to Manchester City. It remains the closest they have come to lifting the world’s most famous domestic trophy. If Wembley was cursed turf for Leicester in the 1960s, it quickly became hallowed ground in the 1990s. Under Brian Little (1991-1994) and Martin O’Neill (1995-2000), they reached four playoff and three League Cup finals. During this prosperous period, the free-flowing Foxes were twice promoted to the Premier League, most notably against fierce East Midlands rivals Derby County in 1994. They also won two League Cups. In 1997, after a dramatic 1-1 draw at Wembley, a sensational extra-time winner from industrious Steve Claridge handed them a tense 1-0 replay win over Middlesbrough at Hillsborough. Three years later, Leicester also fought off spirited Tranmere Rovers 2-1 to again secure silverware. “The 1990s was a phenomenal decade,” beams Henig, whose other sporting passion is bridge. “There is no doubt about it, Martin O’Neill is the best manager in Leicester’s 128-year history. Under him, we didn’t just gain promotion and win cups, we also produced an exceptionally attractive brand of football. The legendary midfield, of Steve Guppy, Muzzy Izzet, Neil Lennon and Robbie Savage (all either Premier League rejects or lower league gems), was one of the greatest I can remember. This is all the more impressive considering O’Neill cobbled them together on a shoe-string budget. Leicester supporters in their 20s or 30s are really quite blessed. They have grown up during arguably the club’s greatest ever period of success. “The 1970s, under Jimmy Bloomfield, was the other real peak. Armed with the likes of Frank Worthington, Len Glover and Keith Weller, we scored a ton of goals, which helped keep us in the First Division for six years. We also reached the 1973 FA Cup semi-final, eventually losing to Liverpool in a replay. “Weller was one of my idols. He was admirably direct, with limitless stamina and bountiful flair and dash. One of my favourite 68

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Leicester goals was his fabulous 1979 strike against Norwich in a 3-0 FA Cup victory. It was a chilly January day – far too cold for talented yet temperamental Keith, who had the audacity to turn out in white hosiery! He then proceeded to ignore a raft of terrace ribaldry to score a stunning goal in one of his final games for the club.” Of course, tights are now commonplace, especially among wimpish foreigners, but fearless Weller had the nerve to don a pair during an epoch known for hard men. Football was a very different game back then: stadiums weren’t yet all-seater, allowing for bumper attendances and electric ambience, while most owners and players had strong local ties, making them discernibly more accountable to punters. These days, the link between owners or players and supporters is worryingly brittle. For example, 17-year-old striker Harry Panayiotou is the solitary member of Leicester’s current first-team squad who was actually born in the city – quite a contrast to Foxes sides of the past who were built around home-grown sensations like Gary Lineker, Peter Shilton or Graham Cross. It is no coincidence that the seismic shift from provincial to global occurred immediately after Leicester succumbed to two high-profile foreign owners. First, former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric took charge in 2007, before selling the club to Thai duty-free mogul Vichai Raksriaksorn in 2010. Shortly after the so-called Asian Football Investments consortium took over, Bangkok airport became absurdly chocker with Leicester shirts; the club appointed its first ever foreign managers (Paulo Sousa and Sven-Goran Eriksson); Real Madrid christened the newly rebranded King Power Stadium in a glitzy friendly which cost Leicester £3 million (AED 18m); salacious loan bids for David Beckham and Michael Owen were tabled and rebuffed; and over £20 million (AED 120m) was splashed on new signings. Ultimately, the bellicose attempt to buy Premier League promotion failed as inconsistent Leicester faded into mid-table mediocrity. The exasperated owners reacted by reappointing dependable Nigel Pearson in November 2011 – the manager who led the club to the 2008-2009 League One championship. Yet even the plucky ex-Sheffield Wednesday captain struggled to make an impact as his pre-season title favourites limped to a bathetic ninth-place finish last season.

THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, MARTIN O’NEILL IS THE BEST MANAGER IN LEICESTER’S 128-YEAR HISTORY. UNDER HIM, WE DIDN’T JUST GAIN PROMOTION AND WIN CUPS, WE ALSO PRODUCED AN EXCEPTIONALLY ATTRACTIVE BRAND OF FOOTBALL.

RUTH HENIG

BARONESS RUTH HENIG • Born 10th November, 1963 • Her parents, Kurt and Elfrieda Munzer, were refugees who came to the United Kingdom from Holland in 1940 • Graduated from Bedford College in 1965 with a BA in history • Awarded a PhD in history from Lancaster University in 1978 • Labour member of Lancashire County Council between 1981-2005 • Awarded a CBE for services to policing in 2000 • Made a life peer by Tony Blair in 2004

Henig has no qualms with such high spending or expectations, but at Leicester (like most clubs with rich backers) it has been emphatically accompanied by impatience and instability, making rapid commercial growth beneficial and damaging in equal measure. “I do believe Pearson can guide us into the Premier League this season,” reveals the unusually optimistic Baroness. “He spent wisely over the summer, rather than wasting money on over-priced flops. I am 70 percent sure we will go up. The future certainly looks promising, but Leicester must be careful not to lose their identity as they expand. “Like many clubs, they are moving further away from the average fan. All this big spending is very exciting, but it does come at a non-financial cost. I used to feel a real association with Leicester. I knew some of the directors personally. Most lived relatively close to me. Now they are based on the other side of the world. In all honesty, I have absolutely no affinity with our new Thai owners. “It was fun to land at Bangkok airport and see Leicester shirts everywhere, but it is was also quite surreal and made me think to myself, ‘What on earth does this have to do with me?’ I used to sense my views mattered. Now, I am powerless. Obviously I can still have my say, with more social network sites about than ever before, but there is also a worrying sense that people like Mandaric are untouchable. These days, football has become pretty remote: whereas 50 years ago it was pure entertainment, it is now an out-andout business. Sooner or later the current model will prove unsustainable. If clubs lose the fans they can’t possibly survive.” Henig is shrewd enough to appreciate the worth of football’s global evolution, but believes it has come at the expense of some of the game’s traditional values. Whereas Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards brazenly maintains football’s new-fangled trappings, like televised games or alcohol, are an intrinsic part of the sport, Henig believes they have led to the extinction of the 70

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old-fashioned traits upon which the game was founded in the late nineteenth century. As the old adage goes, “Football is a gentleman’s game played and watched by thugs” – a clichéd idiom born from the waves of horrific hooliganism that marred the 1980s and saw English clubs banned from Europe after rioting Liverpool fans caused the death of 39 Juventus fans at Heysel Stadium in 1985.The Bradford City stadium fire (1985), which killed 56, and the Hillsborough disaster (1989), which saw 96 fans crushed in Sheffield, further shamed British football. Yet Henig, who chaired the Safety of Sports Grounds committee for Lancashire County Council, is adamant that, until the advent of alcohol at stadia, football was always very safe – a gentlemen’s game played and watched by gentlemen.

STRUCTURALLY, GROUNDS ARE FAR MORE SECURE. ONE THING THAT REALLY HORRIFIED ME ABOUT HILLSBOROUGH WAS IT COULD HAVE EASILY HAPPENED IN LEICESTER. “It is a myth that since Hillsborough, and the subsequent introduction of all-seater stadiums, football is unequivocally safer,” argues Henig, who once had to dodge flying bricks en route home from a Leicester-Liverpool game. “Of course, structurally, grounds are far more secure. One thing that really horrified me about Hillsborough was it could have easily happened in Leicester. There were times when I stood at the front of the Kop and would feel a great crowd surge, pushing me right against the front barriers.Thankfully, stadia are better designed these days, yet as long as there is alcohol present

football matches will always be potentially volatile. “Before it was introduced, the terraces were harmless. Growing up, I was mostly surrounded by sober, flat-cap wearing working men in their 50s, 60s or 70s, who would reminisce about Leicester’s pre-war woes. You got a tremendous feel for the history of the game and there was lots of camaraderie too. Everything changed when drink came in during the late 1970s. It exacerbated every issue, on and off the field. Sir Dave Richards is wrong. Football and alcohol didn’t go hand in hand from the start. For 100 years football stadia were nothing even close to grandstand pubs.” If alcohol magnified certain issues, so did television. Although the first live football game actually took place as early as 1936 (a specially arranged friendly between Arsenal and Arsenal Reserves), the blanket coverage that accompanied the formation of the Premier League in 1992 was what really placed everything – from sub-standard officials and cheating to post-match rants and violence – firmly under the microscope. As a result, although football has undeniably altered over the years, there is also a false perception that some now very visible aspects of the game, like diving, are entirely new vices. For instance, the media rightly lambasted Manchester United striker Ashley Young for his shameless play-acting against Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa; yet, lest we forget, Manchester City forward Francis Lee frequently employed the same shady stunt in the 1970s. The only thing that has changed is the scrutiny: football is now far better policed. At face value, this is a positive thing, but what quietly saddens former police advisor Henig is the fact her beloved sport needs to be in the first place.The crowd and players who first lured her to the beautiful game now too often expose their ugly side – whether fuelled by alcohol, or just unbridled hatred for their foes. Luckily, football’s unique, endearing quality is that one gorgeous goal, like Weller’s dazzling dribble in his white leg-warmers, can make even the most cynical supporter forget its dark side, which is why Baroness Henig’s love for Leicester remains peerless.

TAM ME SPORT TALK FP.pdf

CMY

5/16/12

10:46 AM

DRIVE HOME

ARMED WITH ONLY A SPICE GIRLS MIX TAPE, TRIES THE SECOND GENERATION MODEL OF THE ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM

Shahzad Sheikh

THE PHANTOM... OF THE OPULENT KIND

s the old adage goes, “If it’s a hit, it deserves a sequel” – but, as the Spice Girls proved at London 2012’s closing ceremony, the follow-up (or in their case comeback) is often a disappointment. Had they sung off the bonnet of Rolls-Royce Phantoms instead of black cabs I might have been more impressed! Of course, not all sequels are worse than the originals. Just look at Terminator 2, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan and, for those who enjoy their American comedy-horror, the second Gremlins movie! Yet, on this occasion, we are not dissecting your run-of-the-mill popcorn muncher, so shouldn’t belittle the subject matter by comparing it to flicks. We are talking about arguably the best car in the world! The Rolls-Royce Phantom, as we know it, was launched in 2003 and just under a decade later it was time to (cautiously) revamp this flagship motor. Series II of the so-called ‘Flying Lady’ arrives on our shores this autumn, but don’t expect to be wowed by its newness. It

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has the feel of riding an old girlfriend (maybe after a sly boob-job). Forget chucking the baby out, at first glance it seems Rolls-Royce have left most of the bathwater in too (not literally – rest assured the swanky leather seats are dry!) You can hardly blame the vigilant designers. If you created... yes, I will say it again, the best car in the world and, 10 years on, there was no sign of flagging demand from easily the most discerning and fastidious clientele on the planet, you wouldn’t deviate too far from your proven formula either. However, far from resting on its laurels, Rolls-Royce hasn’t just dribbled out a few half-hearted revisions to its range – nope, the entire Phantom family, which includes a saloon (in both regular and long-wheelbase flavours), the Coupe and the ‘Drophead’ (or convertible to you and me) has been relaunched in one fell swoop. Nevertheless, all three models bow to the ‘evolution not revolution’ philosophy, so if you think the new Phantom looks precisely the same you are not entirely wrong.

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

DRIVE HOME

Rolls-Royce’s cool Phantom range simply oozes class

The most noticeable change is the light cluster at the front of the car. The clunky round lamps are gone, replaced by two rectangular light apertures with full-LED clusters. These not only intelligently follow the direction of travel, but change the spread based on your speed. There is also a new bumper, which like Kim Kardashian (or should I say ‘Cardashian?’) has a few cheeky additions to the rear, including a stainless steel highlight across the top. The Phantom’s engine has not been tweaked with. This is because a complaint has barely been uttered about the serenely smooth yet majestically mighty 6.75 litre V12 cylinder, which can shift over two-and-a-half tons of metal from 0-100kph in under six seconds. That is quicker than most hot hatches – and, coincidentally, the same amount of time it takes for most guys to get off over Kardashian’s ‘thatch!’ It hardly matters to a Rolls-Royce connoisseur, but the fuel economy has improved by 10 percent, purely due to the new eight-speed transmission which results in seamless shifts that slur silently through the ratios. As part of the optional dynamic pack, there is also a cool-looking ‘S’ button on the steering wheel. You might think that means ‘sport’ (and it probably

The Phantom series was designed to “lower the pulse”. This doesn’t mean it can’t pick up substantial skirt and mix it up with fastest moving of traffic at a moment’s notice, but its purpose in life is more as a four-wheeled spa than car.

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does), but I like to think it stands for ‘swift’ – a far more becoming term for a ‘Roycean’ (a fittingly high-brow phrase of my own invention for owners of this classy car). Describing a Rolls-Royce in sporty terms is hardly appropriate since its owners don’t care much for gallivanting about at an unseemly high rate of knots. They prefer to just sink into the sumptuous cabin and luxuriate, at a gentle canter, in the height of automotive opulence. The already exquisite interior has been spruced up a touch too. There is a far larger infotainment screen and the sat-nav is mega high-tech. Its connectivity is bang up-to-date, so you can happily blaze out the Spice Girls’ greatest hits (yes... all one of them) from your phone on the Harman Kardon sound system with its ninechannel amplifier, subwoofers in the double floors and ‘exciter’ speakers in the cashmere headlining. The quality of the Phantom’s interior and generally posh ambience remains unparalleled. There are 43 pieces of wood crafted to mirror-match on each side of the car, acres of hand-selected leather from the buttocks of Alpine bulls, not to mention the traditionally chunky lambswool carpets which absolutely require you to treat them like a mosque,

ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM SERIES II Price: Saloon, $460k; Coupe, $515k; Drophead, $545k Engine: 6.75 litre, V12, 453bhp @ 5,350rpm, 531lb ft @ 3,500rpm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Fuel Economy: 14.8L/100km Performance: 0-100kph: Saloon, 5.9s; Coupe & Drophead, 5.8s Weight: Saloon, 2,560kg; Coupe, 2,580kg; Drophead, 2,630kg

Shahzad Sheikh is editor of Motoring Middle East. You can read his work via www.motoringme.com.

throw your shoes off and sink your feet deep into the spongy floor mats. Even when outside the car, it is also tempting to try and dive into the lustrous paintwork and swim around. Don’t though, you will only end up with a broken nose! Given all this, it won’t come as a major shock that it takes 60 people 450 hours to craft each Phantom – so don’t go scratching the thing and ruining their hard graft. Rolls-Royces can be a bit bump-prone because they aren’t exactly easy to manoeuvre into driveways. Fear not though, the new surround-view cameras help avoid irksome scratches, plus the Phantom’s squarish frame make extremities reasonably routine to judge even without them. The turning circle is surprisingly tight too and the steering is fingertip light. Waftability (a byword in itself the world over for old English class) is key to all Rolls-Royces. It is a term employed by motor junkies to describe the sensation of generating power without effort, so is especially apt for the Phantom series which its makers designed “to lower the pulse”. This doesn’t mean it can’t pick up substantial skirt and mix it up with the fastest moving of traffic at a moment’s notice, but its purpose in life is more as a four-wheeled spa than car. In other words, if you are expecting dramatic wheelspin and violent power delivery, look elsewhere (perhaps a Bentley). Indecent though it may sound, in ‘swift’ mode the throttle response is keener, will kick down earlier and hold onto ratios for longer – perhaps a tad too long for a Rolls-Royce. It is actually quite fun watching the ‘power reserve metre’ on the instrument panel, which replaces the traditional rev counter and serves to remind us just how little of the V12’s potential is actually being deployed. This is very much a car that drives within itself. There is little body roll through the corners – even less so on the Coupe with its fractionally tauter suspension – and this big hyper-luxury motor stays composed and neutral through direction changes, even those conducted flagrantly fast. It does so with a typically British stiff upper lip. You certainly can’t, to quote ‘Spice Up Your Life’, “slam it to the left” or “shake it to the right if you’re havin’ a good time!” The Phantom doesn’t feel anywhere near as unwieldy as you might think from the driver’s seat. Overall, despite the new face and the ‘Series II’ designation, the Phantom is basically just the previous car updated and enhanced. When you are dealing with something that is already the best out there, you don’t need to do too much. Just ask the Rolls-Royce of football clubs, Manchester City, who in their own bid to build on last season’s success made only a handful of summer signings. As French poet Antoine de Saint-Exupery once mused: “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” City then aren’t quite perfect just yet – they could still do with offloading James Milner! MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

CLASSIFIEDS

YOUR GUIDE TO SPORT IN THE MIDDLE EAST

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LE MERIDIEN DUBAI Box on the beach Location: Garhoud  +971 4 702 2430 * info@lemeridien-dubai.com  lemeridien-dubai.com

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MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

CLASSIFIEDS

SPORTS CALENDAR 1-3 MAR, ATHLETICS: EUROPEAN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, GOTHENBURG

30 MAR, RACING: DUBAI WORLD CUP

5-9 MAR, CRICKET: 1ST TEST, NEW ZEALAND V ENGLAND, DUNEDIN

31 MAR, ROWING: OXFORD V CAMBRIDGE BOAT RACE, LONDON

7-10 MAR, GOLF: WGC-CADILLAC CHAMPIONSHIP, MIAMI

2-3 APR, FOOTBALL: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS (LEG 1S)

7-17 MAR, TENNIS: INDIAN WELLS MASTERS, CALIFORNIA

3 APR, CRICKET: INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE

9-10 MAR, FOOTBALL: FA CUP 6TH ROUND

4 APR, FOOTBALL: EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS (LEG 1S)

13-17 MAR, CRICKET: 2ND TEST, NEW ZEALAND V ENGLAND, WELLINGTON

4-6 APR, RUGBY: HEINEKEN CUP QUARTER-FINALS

14 MAR, F1: AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX, MELBOURNE

4-6 APR, RACING: GRAND NATIONAL, AINTREE

18-31 MAR, TENNIS: MIAMI MASTERS

9-10 APR, FOOTBALL: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS (LEG 2S)

21-25 MAR, CRICKET: 3RD TEST, NEW ZEALAND V ENGLAND, AUKLAND

11 APR, FOOTBALL: EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS (LEG 2S)

24 MAR, F1: MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX, KUALA LUMPUR

11-14 APR, GOLF: US MASTERS, AUGUSTA

HORSE RIDING HOOFBEATZ Horses and humans in harmony Location: Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club  +971 5 0181 0401 * info@hoofbeatz.com  hoofbeatz.com

ORIENTAL KARATE & KOBUDO CLUB Kicking ass since 1987 Location: Airport Road  +971 2 445 7375 * karate@emirates.net.ae  orientalkarate.com SHOTOKAN KARATE UAE’s first Japanese sports centre Location: Sharjah  +971 6 554 6160 * info@shotokanuae.com  shotokanuae.com

MOTOR SPORTS

MARTIAL ARTS DUBAI AIKIDO CLUB Live the Samurai dream Location: Al Wasl Road  +971 5 0795 2716 * aikido.jr@gmail.com  aikido.ae DUBAI LADIES CLUB Fight in a tranquil ambience Location: Jumeirah Beach  +971 4 349 9922 * marhaba@dubailadiesclub.com  dubailadiesclub.com MUAY THAI War on the shore Location: Sheikh Zayed Road  +971 5 5311 3503 * info@muaythai.ae  muaythai.ae

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

FERRARI WORLD Ride the world’s fastest rollercoaster Location: Yas Island  +971 2 496 8001 * sales@faraleisure.com  ferrariworldabudhabi.com YAS MARINA CIRCUIT Home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Location: Yas Island  +971 6 559 9999 * customerservice@yasmarinacircuit.com  yasmarinacircuit.com

POLO DUBAI POLO & EQUESTRIAN CLUB The place for camel polo Location: Dubai Studio City  +971 4 361 8111 * info@poloclubdubai.com  poloclubdubai.com DUBAI POLO ACADEMY Learn the world’s oldest team game Location: Arabian Ranches

 +971 5 0887 9847 * info@dubaipoloacademy.com  dubaipoloacademy.com

RUGBY

DUBAI FROGS ‘Oui nide iou’ Location: Umm Nahad  + 971 5 0452 9596 * im@aen90.com  dubai-frogs.com

ARABIAN POTBELLIES True barbarian rugby in the Middle East Location: Jebel Ali  +971 5 6603 1989 * francoscott@hotmail.com  arabianpotbellies.com

DUBAI HURRICANES Cooking up a rugby storm Location: Al Ain Road  +971 5 0578 1479 * hurricanepauly@hotmail.com  dubaihurricanes.com

DUBAI EXILES An ‘exilent’ club Location: Al Ain Road  +971 5 0459 5693 * chairman@dubaiexiles.com  dubaiexiles.com

JEBEL ALI DRAGONS Play with fire Location: Jebel Ali  +971 5 0657 9827 * woodtj@emirates.net.ae  jebelalidragonsrfc.com SHARJAH WANDERERS Over 700 active members Location: Sharjah  +971 6 566 2105 * swsc@eim.ae  sharjahwanderers.com

SAILING ABU DHABI INTERNATIONAL SAILING CLUB A cosmopolitan sailing experience Location: Abu Dhabi Corniche  +971 2 681 5566 * sailing@adimsc.com  adimsc.com ABU DHABI SAILING CLUB Your home from home Location: Meena Zayed  +971 2 673 1111 * info@the-club.com  the-club.com

SHTOHT E

OF MONTH

e! Sports Talk is ac

Sports Talk was all over the Dubai Tennis Championships, with many of you (and even the odd stray cat!) getting your mitts on a free copy at the Irish Village. Tag yourself at facebook.com/mesportstalk and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll enter you into the draw to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the FA Cup final at Wembley in May.

MARCH 2013

SPORTS TALK

CLASSIFIEDS * jagrs@jaihotels.com  jebelali-international.com THE RITZ-CARLTON DUBAI BEACH CLUB Tennis in a five-star environment Location: Ritz Carlton Dubai  +971 4 399 4000 * dxbrz.leads@ritzcarlton.com  ritzcarlton.com

WATERSPORTS AL BOOM DIVING Leading dive operator in the UAE Location: Al Aqah Beach Resort  +971 4 342 2993 * abdiving@emirates.net.ae  alboomdiving.com CLUB MINA 500m private beach and club Location: Le Meridien Mina Seyahi  +971 4 399 3333 * club@lemeridien-minaseyahi.com  lemeridien-minaseyahi.com DUBAI AQUARIUM An underwater zoo Location: Dubai Mall  +971 4 448 5200 * enquiries@thedubaiaquarium.com  thedubaiaquarium.com

DUBAI OFFSHORE SAILING CLUB Internationally acclaimed sailing club Location: Umm Suqeim 1  +971 4 394 1669 * administration@doscuae.com  dosc.ae

SWIMMING AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SWIM SCHOOLS Get an aquatic education Location: Fairmont Dubai  +971 4 386 5718 * swim@aiss.ae  aiswimschools.com HAMILTON AQUATICS Learn to swim Location: Jumeirah  +971 5 0250 5216 * info@hamiltonaquatics.ae  hamiltonaquatics.ae MUSHRIF PARK Dubai’s largest, oldest park Location: Mirdif  +971 4 288 3624 * info@mushrifcentralpark.ae  mushrifcentralpark.ae STA AL WASL SWIMMING ACADEMY Become a stronger swimmer Location: Al Wasl Club  +971 4 446 7400 * swimming@vipeduc.com  vipeduc.com

SPORTS TALK

MARCH 2013

TENNIS CLARK FRANCIS TENNIS An ace academy Location: Garhoud  +971 5 6719 7042 * tennis@clarkfrancistennis.com  clarkfrancistennis.com CLUB JOUMANA Caroline Wozniacki sometimes swings by Location: Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa  +971 4 814 5555

EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION Inspiring people to care about our oceans since 1995 Location: Dubai Creek  +971 4 393 9390 * diving@emiratesdiving.com  emiratesdiving.com GLOBAL SCUBA DIVE Go on a diving break to Oman Location: Oman  +968 2 469 2346 * enquiries@global-scuba.com  global-scuba.com MONTY’S ROWING SCHOOL Getting fit is just a stroke away Location: Al Boom Tourist Village  +971 5 0738 0910 * details@montysrowingschool.com  montysrowingschool.com

DUBAI WATER SPORT ACADEMY Try your hand at some of Dubai’s wackier water sports Location: Dubai Marina  +971 5 0478 0114 * info@bristol-middleeast.com  bristol-holding.com

NAUTICA 1992 Fish, windsurf, paraglide and kayak Location: Mina Siyahi Beach  +971 5 0426 2415 * info@nautica1992.ae  nautica1992.ae

EASY DIVERS EMIRATES Enjoy an underwater adventure Location: Emirates Hills  +971 4 447 2247 * info@easydiversemirates.com  easydiversemirates.com

7 SEAS DIVERS UAE’s oldest dive centre Location: Khor Fakkan  +971 9 238 7400 * bestdive@emirates.net.ae 7seasdivers.com

Sports ME 207x270mm.ai

1/21/13

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