Issue 301 | April 19 2013

04

Issue 301, April 19 2013

Radar

04 A first look at FIFA 14

We’ve already booked every Monday

off work for the entirety of next

autumn to make the most of it

08 Ultimate fighters: our pick We bring you the deadliest,

most badass fighters in the UFC.

But we like the mouthiest one

10 Has Joe Hart still got it? It’s not for us to question the form

of Man City and England’s number

one. So we asked David Seaman o this coming weekFeatures

20 Ronnie O’Sullivan

As snooker’s own enigmatic genius

begins his World Championship

defence tomorrow, we go in

search of the real Ronnie

27 Mark Selby The world’s number one cueman

on confidence, and his chances of

bagging snooker’s Triple Crown

30 Amir Khan

The King says he’s learned from his

mistakes ahead of his homecoming

fight against Julio Diaz next weekend

35 Ashley McKenzie The Great Britain judoka on how his

sport and Pokémon saved his life,

and how he rates his chances of

a medal at the Euros in Hungary

Extra Time

56 Grooming The new James Bond Ocean Royale

fragrance: for your nose only, darling

58 Gadgets Sony’s new Bravia TV, and Star

Wars iPhone cases to purr over.

Or whatever it is Chewy does

62 Entertainment

American football gets the graphic

art treatment at Somerset House,

while the White House is redesigned

by North Korean terrorists

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Contents

30 62

| April 19 2013 | 03

04 | April 19 2013 |

Radarp06 – The cricket books to read when the Ashes is washed out this summer

p10– Safe Hands on England’s current number one

first glimpse of a new FIFA is always

an important moment for us. It’s on

a par with starting a new job, or

moving into a new flat, because we know

that we’re going to spending an unhealthy

amount of time in its slick footbally embrace.

Although the screenshots have looked

identical for the past four years now, we’re

assured that there are a raft of gameplay

improvements to look forward to when it hits

our consoles later in the year.

One of the biggest changes will be Pure

Shot, which gives your players the intelligence

to adjust their stride and approach angle for

a better chance of scoring. It’s just a shame

that, in order to add it to the game, they had

to surgically remove it from Fernando Torres.

And reworked ball physics mean you can

score a greater variety of goals, from belters

to screamers to scorchers.

There’s more emphasis on patient build-up

play, and defenders will be able to recover

quickly from missed tackles. With more new

stuff to be announced, we’re officially excited.

No word on goalline technology yet, though.

FIFA 14, coming autumn 2013

p08 – Our favourite UFC fighters and the wisdom of Chael Sonnen

A

Kicking onA first look at FIFA 14

Radar

06 | April 19 2013 |

he new county cricket season

was greeted, in time-honoured

fashion, by the dreary British

sky opening its taps. If you don’t fancy

getting soaked all summer but still

want your fix of bails and byes, here’s

our pick of the best new cricket books.

The Official MCC Ashes Treasures

(1, £24) will whet your appetite for

the upcoming clashes with Australia.

It looks at the history of the rivalry,

with reproductions of memorabilia

such as scorecards and teamsheets

included in pull-out form. Equally lovingly

put together is photobook From the

Boundary’s Edge (2, £20) by Laurence

Griffiths, who captures scenic village

grounds from around the country.

Gentlemen & Players (3, £16) by

Charles Williams also delves into

history and the death of amateurism

– which ended in 1962. A different take

on death comes from The Promise of

Endless Summer (4, £10) a collection

of beautifully written cricketing

obituaries from the Telegraph. Finally,

quarterly The Nightwatchman (5,

£9, thenightwatchman.net) provides

a more topical spin, with a fascinating

collection of articles pulled together

by the makers of Wisden. Howzat!

All from amazon.co.uk, unless stated

T

Extra covers

1.

2.

3. 4. 5.

08 | April 19 2013 |

Radar

Picking the most exciting f

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Anderson silvAThe best fighter in the

history of the UFC,

‘The Spider’ puts on

brutal fight clinics that

veer from disinterested

disdain (see his clowning

against Demian Maia)

to enthralling brilliance

(witness his one-minute

knockout of James Irvin).

Whether he’s dispatching

opponents with Karate

Kid-style crane kicks or

bobbing and weaving like

Muhammad Ali in his prime,

the middleweight champ is

the one fighter in the UFC

you never want to miss.

Anthony PettisDid you watch The Matrix

and wish you could

perform the gravity-

defying kung fu of Keanu

Reeves? Anthony Pettis

did. And then he pulled it

off in real life, running up

the side of the octagon

and kicking Ben Henderson

in literally jaw-dropping

fashion. That was arguably

the zenith of his (and all

MMA) entertainment so

far, but his high-kicking

high-octane style means

the lightweight known

as ‘Showtime’ never fails

to disappoint.

Jon JonesUnbeaten (apart from

one disqualification) and

seemingly unbeatable,

‘Bones’ is set to be the

all-American face of the

UFC for years to come.

A whirlwind of razor-sharp

Muay Thai knees and

elbows, he has beaten

a who’s who of former

champions to retain his

light-heavyweight title.

His clinical finishing blows

have led to accusations of

arrogance, but Jones’

professionalism and

politeness have bagged

him a deal with Nike.

FIVEST

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xciting fighters in the UFC

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Chael SonnenSonnen’s brand of fighting,

while effective, can be

a little dull – but there is

simply no better trash-

talker in MMA, or perhaps

any sport, than the

‘American Gangster’. As

he himself says: “Chael

Sonnen is a tyrant. Chael

Sonnen is a dictator. Chael

Sonnen is the leader of the

free world. Chael Sonnen

has the skills to make

Superman run and hide

like a little girl.” And that

is why he’s on this list.

Martin Potter

@theboxingbrain

Cain VelaSqUezSporting a ‘Brown Pride’

tattoo on his chest and a

thousand-yard stare, the

UFC heavyweight champ is

a fighting machine, having

knocked out nine of his 11

victims. His most recent

victory, a December 2012

revenge win over Junior

dos Santos, was a chilling

display of controlled,

systematic destruction

and one of last year’s

standout performances.

The UFC describes him as

the “baddest man on the

planet”. We’re inclined

to agree.

See Velasquez, Jones,

Anderson and many more

on the UFC Best of 2012 DVD

and Blu-ray (which includes

three hours of bonus footage),

released on April 22.

Available via amazon.co.uk

STARx

x

furious fan runs on to the pitch to attack you. A player springs

to your aid, punching the spectator and knocking him out.

What do you do? If your answer is a Roy Keane-like ‘yell in the

unconscious fan’s face’, this book probably isn’t one for you. Seek help.

What you should actually do, after thanking the player, is to send

him off. That scenario comes from You Are The Ref, a new book that

brings together some of the classic scenarios from the long-running

strip featuring iconic artwork from Paul Trevillion and the sage wisdom

of Keith Hackett, the former head of the Premier League referees.

The book tests you on the full Laws of the Game, and will serve as

a useful guide if you don’t know what you’re doing. We’d like to see a

version that extends to other realms of officialdom. You are policing the

city centre on horseback after an ill-tempered Tyne and Wear derby.

A drunken fan runs up and punches your horse in the face. What do you do?

You Are The Ref (Bloomsbury), out now, £15

Radar

10 | April 19 2013 |

Has Joe Hart still got it?

The form of England’s number one hasn’t been quite as good as it was last year, with a few significant errors earlier in the season. We asked former England stopper David Seaman for his thoughts...

“Obviously he’s made a couple of high-profile

mistakes, but the pleasing thing for me is that

he reacts positively. He makes a mistake and it

doesn’t effect him, and that’s exactly what you

want in a goalkeeper – and especially in a

goalkeeper of Joe Hart’s stature. He’s playing for

England, he’s by far number one. And he’s playing

in top-quality football every week, which is great

because it’s high-pressure football for his club.

It’s what I always used to have, and it puts him

in good stead for England. As long as he stays

clear of injury, he will be the goalkeeper for

England for a long, long time.”

Could complacency creep in now that he’s automatic first choice for club and country?“No – he won’t let that happen. He’s too young

and eager to learn, and when you get to the stage

where you become the number one, you want to

stay there at all costs. You don’t want to give any

other goalkeepers a chance to get any closer

to you. He will just keep driving himself to make

sure he’s number one all the time.”

He has conceded a lot of goals to his left-hand side this season – could he have a problem there?“I doubt that, because if it’s common knowledge

it would be exposed. So he will train at that all

the time, and make sure it isn’t a weakness.

But you know, if people are taking time to think

about his weaknesses on shots, then he’s got

them worried.”

Is he still undisputed number one for England?“By a long way. I’m sure he’ll beat my 75 caps, and

then I hope he beats Peter Shilton’s 120-odd caps.

NOWTV offers instant 24-hour access to all six Sky

Sports channels. Visit nowtv.com for more details

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england’s top

keepers

Peter Shilton125 caps, 80 goals conceded

David Seaman75 caps, 44 goals conceded

Gordon Banks73 caps, 57 goals conceded

Ray Clemence61 caps, 54 goals conceded

David James53 caps, 46 goals conceded

Joe Hart30 caps, 22 goals conceded

Be the man in black

A

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12 | April 19 2013 |

Radar Editor’s letter

Editor-in-chief

Simon Caney

@simoncaney

Sport magazinePart of UTV Media plc 18 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJTelephone: 020 7959 7800 Fax: 020 7959 7942

Email: firstname.lastname@sport-magazine.co.uk

EditorialEditor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951)Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954) Art editor: John Mahood (7860)Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431)Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958), Alex Reid (7915)Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901), Amit Katwala (7914)Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961)Designer: Matthew Samson (7861)Digital designer: Chris Firth (7952)Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963) Contributors: George Ogier, David Lawrenson, Martin Potter

Commercial Agency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991) Advertising Managers: Steve Hare (7930), Kevin O’Byrne (7832), Aaron Pinto del Rio (7918) Sales Executive: Joe Grant (7904)Distribution Manager: Sian George (7852) Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon

Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825) Head of Communications: Laura Wootton (7913) Managing Director: Calum Macaulay PA to Managing Director: Deborah Dilworth (7826)

Colour reproduction: Rival Colour LtdPrinted by: Wyndeham Group Ltd

© UTV Media plc 2012UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for the content of advertisements placed in Sport magazine

£1 where sold Hearty thanks to: Ivan Hirschowitz, Eleanor Green

Don’t forget: Help keep public transport clean and tidy for everyone by taking your copy of Sport away with you when you leave the bus or train.

LAUNCH OFTHE YEAR

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Sports Minister Hugh Robertson says it’s “a bit of an

excuse” to blame last weekend’s FA Cup violence

on the late kick-off, which gave fans the chance to

spend all day drinking and taking drugs.

Well, maybe it is. Robertson is right to say that whatever

the circumstances, that level of behaviour is wrong. It makes

no odds whatsoever whether the protagonists were smashed

out of their tiny minds.

But that does not get around the fact that it was not a

good idea, in any way, shape or form, to have a late kick-off.

It may have been good news for broadcasters, who picked

up a slightly bigger audience. But set against the fact that it

merely encouraged spectators to spend a day on the sauce,

it backfired spectacularly.

Let’s not forget, this was not organised violence. This was

just a drunken rabble. Robertson is right to say this was not a

return to scenes of the 1970s and early ‘80s, when rival firms

would plot their fights weeks in advance. But Millwall have a

reputation going back to that time, and some supporters

clearly thrive on it. It only took a small altercation before dozens

of people had waded in – the image of a terrified young girl

crying in the midst of the violence was deeply upsetting.

I don’t blame Millwall – football violence has never been about

the clubs any more than society at large. You can ban Millwall

from next season’s FA Cup, but that won’t address the problem.

You can ban them from existing, but that won’t do it either.

Idiots will find a place to get drunk and have a fight, if that’s what

they’re after – football’s tribal nature has just always made

them gravitate to the game. But letting them get unnecessarily

drunk before a big match? That’s just asking for trouble.

In the main, I was delighted to see Adam Scott win the Masters

last weekend. He seems a thoroughly decent human being, and

(much more importantly) has a golf swing to die for. However,

my enthusiasm for his victory was tempered by the fact he

achieved it wielding a broomhandle putter. I’m delighted they’re

being outlawed, though you have to fear for the likes of Scott,

who simply could not make a conventional putter work for him.

I hope he proves me wrong and goes on to win more Majors.

The very best of luck to everyone competing in the London

Marathon on Sunday. Events in Boston this week beggar belief

and will cast a long shadow over the event, but it will go ahead

because that’s simply the only way.

Punch drunkLet’s give the morons a beer or six and let them loose, eh? On second thoughts, let’s not

Ge

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Reader comments of the week

Thanks @Sportmaguk for

helping with my #golf

knowledge...turns out I’ll be

watching the #masters this

w/e after all!

@parsonsknows

@simoncaney not a big fan

of golf, but the top 10

Masters finishes looked

bloody lovely on the page.

@Cricketer_Dan

Great comment by

@simoncaney on

@GNev2 & @fizzer18 in

today’s Sport. Was

always a huge Neville-ite.

Their love of the game

was always clear.

@thomasjohnsonpr

Fantastic BOD article in

@Sportmaguk today. Put

him on the plane to Oz, the

Lions would be poorer

without him! @simoncaney

@c1arke23

Congratulations

@Sportmaguk on your

300th edition! A must read

mag which has made

commuting a joy!

#HappyBirthdaySportMag

@patrickalexande

Free iPad app available on iPad, Kindle and Android devices

Cover of the Year

Why does @davidflatman

in @sportmaguk always

have a beard in his

cartoon but not in his

head shot...?? His article

is reason I pick up btw.

@dompisani

Get in touch @sportmaguk info@sport-magazine.co.uk

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16 | April 19 2013 |

Radar Opinion

As a rugby player, it never crossed my mind that I was working every weekend.

This is probably because I had every Wednesday

off for 15 years and only really worked hard one

afternoon a week, but it’s also because I didn’t see

it as work at all. As Saturdays go, mind, 20 scrums

and 40 rucks constitute a pretty tough afternoon

when compared to Average Joe’s fry-up, dog walk

and a day spent plonked in front of the telly.

But as I approached retirement it occurred to

me that, for the first time since the age of eight,

when I started playing, my weekends would be

my own. What plans I made: I would indulge in

sightseeing; I would tuck into the red on a Friday

night without a care; and I would mow that lawn

like a banshee on a John Deere.

How wrong I was. What with work and children,

I now have less time at weekends than ever. So, 24

hours off last weekend was too good an opportunity

to turn down. “At last,” sighed Mrs F. “A weekend

with no bloody sport.” How I laughed as I got to

the hotel in London and found a bit of rugger on

channel 19. “Get the club sarnies in, love,” I said

with all the romance of a house brick, and was

promptly clipped round the cauliflower ear and

dragged on to the streets of the capital.

Unfortunately, our fun trip through the big

smoke was ruined by, yes, sport. Well, in a way.

As we approached the Tube platform, we heard a

lot of loud chanting coming from behind and above,

and wondered what on earth was happening.

Seconds later, a posse of blokes draped head to

toe in their team’s merchandise burst into the

small space in which we were awaiting a train and

proceeded to give the beautiful game a bad name.

I love a bit of footie, but grown men walking

through the streets and Tube stations necking

lager, lobbing cans on the floor, swearing at

women, flobbing on the pavement where children

are standing and then, in a killer move designed to

ingratiate the masses, accusing a father – while

standing, looking terrified and holding his young

son’s hand – of being a paedophile, was a bit much.

Just in case the child didn’t know what the word

meant, these adult males offered a practical

demonstration by way of definition. Oh, and the

children who were with them joined in with cackles

of intimidatory laughter, knowing no better.

Of course, as soon as the theatre and intimate

meal for two was finished, I got online and checked

the sports news: crowd trouble at the football.

It’s just such a massive shame. I love football and

would watch it every day if I could. Just not live,

as the experience is too unpleasant. Earlier this

season I went to the Emirates and looked down

to see a grown man spitting over the heads of the

stewards and on to a woman for supporting the

opposition. All the while, his little son cheered

him on. This is about a tiny minority of fans, I know

that – and maybe I’ve gone soft since retiring – but

I think I’ll stick to watching on television for now.

Mrs F’s marital regime aside, it seems safer.

@davidflatman

Da

vid

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ton

Flats on Friday

Giving the beautiful game a bad name

You know what they used to say about nostalgia – well, in the week that

Margaret Thatcher made a dramatic return to

the front pages of the newspapers, extras from the

new Danny Dyer film (see Plank of the Week, below)

started getting all lively at Wembley and measles made

a comeback, it would be remiss not to cast a gimlet eye

over what we really miss about football from the 1980s.

So, as former Top of the Pops presenter ‘Ooh’ Gary

Davies would never have put it: “Here’s the top 10, in no

particular order.”

• Real semi finals. Why should fantastic old grounds like

Villa Park and Goodison be denied top-level football

matches of consequence beyond the procedural

completion of their respective clubs’ fixtures?

• Brian Clough. Just that. Brian Clough.

• Refreshments. Full Members Cup final 1986,

Manchester City v Chelsea – a pie and a pint: £1.89.

FA Cup semi final 2013, Manchester City v Chelsea –

fish and chips and a pint: £13.

• The elegance of Glenn Hoddle, the genius of

Liam Brady and Bryan Robson always being

injured. Beautiful, inspiring and hilarious, in that

particular order.

• Scottish players. I’ll say it again: where the hell have

they all gone? At what point did somebody stop all the

kids in Scotland playing football? I don’t think even

Thatcher can be blamed for this one.

• Proper referees. Mark Clattenburg? Pah! When

George Courtney sent off a player, the crowd thought

they’d have to serve the suspension.

• The football special. A service laid on for the

convenience of thousands of ‘customers’ who need to

travel from A to B on a given day. Ridiculous idea.

• Man City, Chelsea and Newcastle being involved in

relegation battles. One out of three will have to suffice

for the time being but, in a nod to modernity, it was

refreshing to see the Geordies raiding a recycling bin

to find bottles to throw at the police.

• Season ticket books. Substantial and valued items

that slipped in the back pocket of your stone-washed

jeans like a hand in a velvet glove.

• Mark Lawrenson. On the pitch and therefore,

mercifully, off the television.

All that and – because there’s always room for one more

– the Like a Virgin video. Is it really all that long ago?

Can you hear me, Cissy? Cissy?

@billborrows

Plank of the weekTony Shannon, east London (probably)

New haircut? Check. New value-brand jacket? Check.

Ticket for the semi final at Wembley? Check. Knobhead

who has heard too many stories from the big boys in the

pub and steals a copper’s hat? Er... check.

It’s like this…Bill Borrows

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18 | April 19 2013 |

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20 | April 19 2013 |

Ronnie O’Sullivan A Study

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une 6 2012, and a statement

appears on the official

website of world snooker

champion Ronnie O'Sullivan.

"I have decided not to enter any

tournaments for the time being,

including this year's Premier

League and forthcoming WPBSA ranking

events," it began, going on to explain that

he didn't want to sign what he saw as a "too

onerous" players' contract. "I still want to play

snooker... and hope to remain involved in the

sport in some way in the future."

To anyone who has watched O'Sullivan

during a 20-year career of sumptuous highs

and seemingly merciless lows, the statement

didn't come as a huge surprise. For every

maximum break achieved with staggering

ease, for every one of his four World

Championship wins, there have been

regular exclamations of despair, increasingly

anguished expressions of frustration with

his form, his mood, his life. The path of

this particular sporting genius has rarely

run smooth.

"He is clearly a snooker player of huge

ability, but one who has had big struggles

with depression," says Matthew Syed, a

writer and broadcaster who has interviewed

O'Sullivan on numerous occasions, and

whose book Bounce pays particular focus

to the mindset of sporting champions.

"Occasionally you see him in the chair as

the other guy is playing, and he just looks

anguished by it all. I think he's a complex

figure who finds it hard to reconcile playing

high-end sport, and the focus that requires,

with the inner difficulties he has had."

What of those inner difficulties?

Broadcaster Andy Goldstein, who presents

his weekday Sports Bar show on talkSPORT,

has known O'Sullivan since they attended

Wanstead High School together more than

20 years ago. As such, he knows more than

most the devastation caused by his father's

imprisonment for murder back in 1992 –

when the younger Ronnie was just 16.

"A lot of people say he's not normal, that

his head's not right," says Goldstein. "But if

you're 16 years old and your dad gets put

| 21

away for life, and then not long after your

mum goes away for tax evasion, and you have

this talent and everyone wants to be around

you because of that talent, it wouldn't be

normal if you turned out normal. There was

only one way he was ever going to go."

The implication, by extension, is that

O'Sullivan's significant talent has only served

to exaggerate his depressive tendencies.

"One of the reasons that snooker does his

head in so much, and why when he plays

badly he wants to crucify himself, is that he

has this gift which means he doesn't need to

put in as much effort as anyone else," continues

Goldstein. "It's natural. He can open his cue

case for the first time in a year and knock in

a 147. No one else on the planet can do that.

"So I think that, when it goes wrong, he

can't put his finger on why. Players like Steve

Davis or Stephen Hendry would practise for

six or seven hours a day, and if their practice

dropped off their game would get worse.

They would know that if they upped their

practice again, they would get better. k

22 | April 19 2013 |

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with perhaps the most sustained display of

composed and controlled snooker he had put

together in his entire career. The triumph

was in no small part attributed to the work

he had done with Steve Peters, a highly

respected sports psychiatrist best known

for his successful association with British

Cycling, and Victoria Pendleton in particular.

"He has never not loved snooker," Peters

explains. "I think what happens is that things

have clouded the issue in his own mind, so

what he did with me was say: 'Can you just

remove the clouds?' I don't think it was

ever a case of helping him fall in love with

snooker again. I think he's always been in

love with it; it's just that things cloud you

and influence your feelings.

"What I do is try to educate people into

understanding what the mind does and how

it functions, so you learn what you can and

can't do with your mind. Ronnie engages

amazingly with that; he takes on board what

you say, he goes away and thinks about it,

he comes back and questions it so he can

understand it better, and then he applies it.

Ronnie O’Sullivan A Study

But with Ronnie, he can't understand why

he's not playing well."

It's a confusion that has been all too

evident throughout his career – not least

when a tormented O'Sullivan walked out of a

UK Championship quarter final against the

aforementioned Hendry in 2006. He trailed

4-1 in a best-of-17 match when, after running

out of position and missing a tricky red, he

shook his opponent's hand and departed...

leaving Hendry, referee Jan Verhaas and

a stunned crowd behind him.

"It was incredible, I was absolutely

amazed," recalls Hendry. "But I remember

asking him afterwards if he was okay, and he

said yeah, that he just didn't fancy it. I think

Ronnie is different to the rest of us in that

way, in that he just goes with his instinct –

if he's not feeling it or doesn't want to do it,

then he just doesn't do it. In a way, you have

to commend him on that."

This weekend, O'Sullivan returns to

championship snooker more than 10 months

after he last played a competitive match, and

a year after claiming his fourth world title

He's an excellent student, and it has been

a privilege to work with him."

Therein lies the enduring enigma of

snooker's greatest talent. Those who know

him identify a man who is both charming and

open one minute, yet guarded and distant the

next. As soon as he seeks society, it seems, he

craves isolation. "Sometimes at tournaments

he would speak to me and be really friendly, k

O'Sullivan celebrates

world title number four

with his son, Ronnie Jnr

THE TASTE OF crAnbErry, limE Or bluEbErry.

THE EFFEcT OF rEd bull.

WingS FOr All TASTES.

RB_Special Editions_Sport_300x232_UK_AW 4 25/02/2013 16:06

24 | April 19 2013 |

Ronnie O’Sullivan A StudyC

red

it

and then at others he wouldn't speak to me

at all," remembers Hendry. "You never really

knew where you were with him, but in the

last two or three years we've got on a lot

better. We share a common view on snooker

in general, and we speak quite a lot. I've

always liked him, and would like to think

we were mates."

Goldstein tells a similar story. "I've been

presenting Premier League Snooker and

spoken to him for half an hour in the green

room beforehand, just like best pals," he says.

"Then I've gone out and opened the show,

and he's come down and answered my

questions like we've never met before.

"He's the sort of guy who will send you 40

texts in a night and then the next day not

reply to any of yours. I've been in a text

conversation with him one night, and then

not heard from him for weeks."

O'Sullivan has proven particularly elusive

since announcing his intention to return to

snooker for the World Championship back

in February. That is less surprising than it

sounds, given that he has been working on

a second book with the Guardian features

writer Simon Hattenstone – another who has

documented his subject's inconsistencies.

"He's a hopeless friend, really," he revealed

in a piece in early 2006, after working on the

Rocket's first book. "He only phones if you tell

his mum that he's not been returning calls,

then he rings out of the blue at 1am to tell you

he's popping round tomorrow."

As much as O'Sullivan's personal life may

have been defined by his father's long-term

absence, his professional life has been

defined by his relationship with snooker.

Regardless of how much time he has spent

away from the game, and of what he has at

times said about it, he has always returned.

"If Ronnie found something beyond

snooker that he enjoyed doing and that gave

him meaning, he could retire soon," says

Syed. "I'd be very surprised if he was still

going on in the way that Steve Davis has, and

I think at some stage he's going to want to do

something else with his life. But maybe the

problem is that snooker is still the thing he

cares most about."

How does Hendry, who retired from

competition after exiting last year's World

Championship, see it? "People ask me why I

didn't keep playing just for the enjoyment,"

he says. "I tell them that winning games was

the enjoyment for me – so if I'm losing to

players I know shouldn't even be on the same

table as me, then there's no enjoyment.

"But I think snooker means a lot to Ronnie.

He still loves playing, and I think he still

needs the thrill of winning, of making 147s,

of playing at the Crucible and feeling that

special buzz of the crowd. The thing that

killed me was knowing that I wasn't the best

any more. But right now, Ronnie is still the

best player in the world, the biggest draw

and the defending world champion.

"He's had a good few months practising,

and I actually don't think it will be that much

of a shock if he comes back and wins the

World Championship again. John Higgins

was banned for six months [in 2011], came

back and won his first two events. Higgins is

one of the best players in the world, of

course, but Ronnie's better."

Time will tell which O'Sullivan turns

up at Sheffield in the next fortnight: the

composed champion of 12 months ago, or the

troubled character who walked out on that

match against his old rival Hendry in 2006.

It augurs well that he continues to work with

Peters, however.

"What you've got with Ronnie is two very

different parts of the brain working that

present very different outlooks and

personalities," he explains. "Ronnie has

realised that, and is now managing the skill of

saying: 'I don't want to go with this impulsive

emotional machine; I'm going to present the

real Ronnie O'Sullivan.' And the real Ronnie

O'Sullivan is an extremely pleasant,

courteous person."

Perhaps even more than that, the real

Ronnie O'Sullivan is still the 12-year-old

prodigy who walked up to an older boy at

school back in the day, and challenged him to

a game of snooker.

"One day, this little pipsqueak came up to

me and said: 'I'm better than you,'" recalls

Goldstein of their first meeting. "He

introduced himself and I found out that he

lived round the corner from me. He'd heard I

was pretty handy, so he challenged me to a

game at his house the following weekend.

"My dad dropped me off that morning and

I knocked on the door. His dad answered and

immediately asked: 'You here to play my

boy?' I nervously said I was, and he said:

'Yeah, how much for?'

"Bearing in mind I was about 14 and

Ronnie was about 12, I knew I needed to

go big with my answer to impress his dad.

The last thing I wanted to do was make a fool

of myself by saying something stupid. '£1?' I

replied. 'Nah, £50 or nothing,' he said, as the

door slammed shut."

More than a quarter of a century later, that

12-year-old playing for £50 a time has grown

into a four-time world champion still playing

the game he has always loved. When it comes

to Ronnie O'Sullivan and snooker, the door

will never be slammed shut. Ch

ris

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WATCH ON DEMAND & ONLINE NOW

“ENORMOUSLYENTERTAINING”

EMPIRE

“SMART, EXPLOSIVEAND VERY FUNNY”

ESQUIRE

COLIN FARRELL SAM ROCKWELL WOODY HARRELSON CHRISTOPHER WALKEN

FROM ACADEMY AWARDr WINNING WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF IN BRUGES

ALSO AVAILABLE ON DVD & BLU-RAY NOW© 2012 BLUEPRINT PICTURES (SEVEN) LIMITED, FILM4AND THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

SevenPsychos_Sport_Page-19Apr 12/4/13 14:00 Page 1

Mark Selby

| April 19 2013 | 27

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This time last year, Mark Selby could barely bend down to hit a ball. Now he’s won two of the season’s big three events, and has his eyes on the hat-trick with a first World Championship. Is it any wonder the world number one is feeling good? k

happy p tter

Saturday > World Snooker ChampionShip | The CruCible, Sheffield | bbC TWo 10am

Wars of the worlds

Mark Selby

28 | April 19 2013 |

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You lost to Neil Robertson in the final of the China

Open last month, but you’re still world number one.

How’s your confidence going into the worlds?

“It’s probably the best season I’ve had, so confidence

is pretty high going into the weekend. Having said

that, I know what it takes to become a champion –

and it’s obviously very tough. With the standard how

it is today, it’s going to be very difficult.”

How big a part does confidence play in snooker?

“It’s huge, I’d say 85 per cent of the game is about

confidence. There are so many great players on the

tour who people probably don’t get to see – and it’s

not because they’re not good enough, just that they

lack that little bit of self-belief. You can’t teach

confidence – it just comes from winning.”

Steve Davis has said there are a lot more good

players on the tour now compared with when he

was at his peak. Do you agree?

“I think the standard’s probably as good as it’s ever

been today, and that’s down to Barry [Hearn] getting

on board and putting more tournaments on, because

it means everyone’s a lot more match-sharp.

Three or four years ago, we had only six or seven

tournaments; after one finished, you’d be having a

break for four or five weeks before the next, so not

everyone was that sharp. With the PTC [Players Tour

Championship] going well, too, players coming into big

tournaments in the first round are getting to play the

likes of John Higgins and Mark Williams week in, week

out. So the fear factor they might once have had in

qualifying for a ranking event isn’t there any more.”

How serious was the neck injury you had last year?

“Very. When I first pulled out of the China Open, I

couldn’t get down on the cue at all – but I didn’t know

what it was and I was scared I might never play again.

I got an MRI scan, and they said I had a disc bulge in

between C5 and C6 on the vertebrae – so when I was

tilting my head back, it was putting pressure on it

that was causing it to go all down my arm and affect

the nerve system. Thankfully, I got some treatment...

it’s still there now, just nowhere near as bad.”

Heading to the Crucible knowing you had that injury

must have been tough?

“It was tough, because it’s the biggest tournament

we play in and the pinnacle of our sport, so everyone

wants to win. Going there knowing I was only 40 to

50 per cent fit was hard. I thought I might be able to

squeeze through the first round, and then get four

or five days’ break to get more treatment, but it

wasn’t to be [Selby fell at the first hurdle, going

down 3-10 to Barry Hawkins]. Thankfully, I’m in

a better frame of mind this year.”

You won the UK Open in December. Was that the

point at which the injury was finally put to bed?

“Yeah, just playing again this season was a massive

plus, considering I more or less pulled out of the last

two tournaments last year. Once you get over the

hurdle of actually winning another tournament, you

realise that you can still play at the top level. I’ve

pushed on from there and I’m feeling good now.”

Then you won your third Masters in January, so

the worlds would give you the Triple Crown in one

season. Is that a distraction, or great motivation?

“It’s in the back of my mind, because obviously it

would be a great achievement – but at the same time,

even if I hadn’t won those two events, it is still

massive to be going to the World Championship with

a chance of winning. It’s going to be tough, though –

especially with Ronnie coming back.”

Does his return help take the pressure off you?

“A bit. He’s only played in one tournament this year,

and I think the tour has progressed without him – but

he gives a lot to the sport when he does play, and as

defending champion I think it’s great that he’s back.

There’s another factor – if you win a tournament with

Ronnie involved, it makes it that much more special.”

You’ve said you like the Masters because it’s a

one-table format, so every game feels like a final

– and you also have a knack of winning from behind.

Do you thrive under pressure?

“Well, I’d rather not be in the position of coming from

behind – but I never give up until the last ball is potted,

whereas some players go three or four frames

behind and let their heads drop. That’s something

you either have or you don’t. I’ve been like that ever

since I started playing, although it helps that I still

love the game as much now as I did when I started.”

So if you win the World Championship, you wouldn’t

be tempted to walk away on a high?

“No way. I feel like I’ve got a lot left in me, and my

hunger for the game is as great as it was when I

first got on the tour. If I get to the stage where I feel

like I can’t compete any more, I’ll knock it on the head.

Until then, I want to play for as long as possible.”

Mark Coughlan @coffers83

We pick out three first-round matches to keep an eye on in the first few days at the Crucible

Ronnie O’Sullivan (1) v Marcus Campbell

He has played only one tour match since winning

last year’s title (a defeat to then world number 75

Simon Bedford in Gloucester), so all eyes will be

on Ronnie’s return when he steps up to the table

on Saturday morning. He needs to be careful,

too, because the man he faces has previous.

Campbell battered Stephen Hendry 9-0 in the UK

Championship back in 1998 – and, having reached a

first ranking semi final at the start of this season, is

a man in (relative) form. It would be typical Ronnie to

whitewash Campbell here. It would also be typical

Ronnie to lose miserably and retire once again. Hell,

it would be ‘typical’ of Ronnie to get on the table

and dance a jig. Either way, it’ll be worth watching.

Judd Trump (4) v Dominic Dale

A Sport favourite ever since he sang My Way in a

press conference, Dominic ‘The Spaceman’ Dale

took on Trump at this stage last year, and led the

tie 4-2 before a slice of luck gave Trump a way

back into the match. The number four seed has

struggled for consistency in a season during

which he has been world number one, but he has

also beaten Dale twice since last year’s meeting –

and accused him of slowing his game in a bid to put

him off the last time they played. The Spaceman

did it his way, Judd – that’s just the way he is.

Graeme Dott (12) v Peter Ebdon

Two former world champions meet in this rematch

of the 2006 final, in which Dott (below) prevailed

after one of the most tediously titanic battles ever

seen on the baize. Both men have struggled for

form this season (no great surprise there), so don’t

expect a classic. Instead, expect a whole bunch of

slooow frames and a shot clock

that just runs and runs. Settle in

for the long haul, this one could

be a case of last man standing.

“You can’t teach confidence – it just comes from winning”

A E N 3 9 1 4 _ S U B S P O R T - 1 2 0 1 3 - 0 4 - 1 5 T 1 2 : 4 1 : 5 5 + 0 1 : 0 0

Amir Khan

Unfinished BUsiness

30 | April 19 2013 |

The advantages are openly acknowledged

in sports like football, but can fighting at

home have an impact on boxers?

“Being backed by home fans can make a

massive difference – especially because,

when you’re in the ring, you’re on you’re own.

So to have people cheering for you and

supporting you can give you that extra edge

in tough rounds. Also, my fans have followed

me everywhere from day one; they’ve spent

a lot of money to travel and see me fight in

Vegas and all over, so I thought I’d show a

Tell us about your opponent on the night,

Julio Diaz. What does he bring to the ring?

“Julio Diaz is a tough guy. He fought [unbeaten

US prospect] Shawn Porter in his last fight,

and I thought he might have won – but it

was declared a draw. He’s a former world

champion and it was very difficult to get any

opponent in the 140lb division. We offered it

to [Vyacheslav] Senchenko, who beat Ricky

Hatton, and he refused it. We offered the

fight to so many names and they just didn’t

take it. So I had to negotiate with guys who

are at the weight above me. Diaz is coming

down from 147lb and I’m going up to

143-144lb.”

Is that also because you’re struggling to

make 140lb now?

“It’s never easy to make 140lb, but I’m a

dedicated and disciplined fighter. So if I >

Ahead of a UK homecoming fight next weekend, Amir Khan tells us that he’s learned from his mistakes

bit of loyalty and come back home to

put a fight on.”

You’re fighting in the hometown of your

rival Kell Brook. Is there an element of

one-upmanship here?

“Well, it’s partly that I’ve never fought in

Sheffield before, and it’s a big boxing city.

They had Naz [Prince Naseem Hamed] there,

and it’s not too far for boxing fans to travel

from London or Bolton or Manchester. But

I did speak to the people who run the venue

[the Motorpoint Arena] and they said the

most Kell Brook has ever sold is probably

8,000 tickets. He’s never really had the

place sold out fully, and they were impressed

that we’re on course to sell a lot more.

Kell Brook is more than welcome to come

by and experience a show that will be

100 per cent full.”

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

S p o r t _ C a r l i n g _ 1 5 0 4 - 1 2 0 1 3 - 0 4 - 0 4 T 1 2 : 3 3 : 4 8 + 0 1 : 0 0

32 | April 19 2013 |

Amir Khan

have to make 140lb, then I will. But this time,

just by putting that three or four pounds on,

I’ll hold a little bit more muscle and I’ll be more

hydrated. Maybe you’ll see a better Amir Khan

at 144lb.”

It’s nine months since your stoppage loss

to Danny Garcia [pictured right]. What have

you learned from that fight?

“Getting into all the arguments at press

conferences and reacting to the criticism

from his team was a mistake. It’s not really

my style, and all the back-and-forth got to

me a little bit. It taught me just to be myself.

Next time, I know to stay nice and calm.

Also, we trained very hard for the fight, but

one of the reasons I moved to [new trainer]

Virgil Hunter is because I thought that

offensively I’ve got it, but defence is

something I need to improve. I should never

have been getting caught with the shots I was

getting caught with in that fight. I was getting

caught with every shot he was throwing.

It’s all about being smarter next time.”

Was it difficult to lift yourself again after

that defeat?

“It was tough, but I had to make a change – so

I went with Virgil, and I also changed the way

I am in between fights. I’ve been doing mini

training camps, going for a jog or to the gym

for a little bit – whereas before, I didn’t used

to do anything between fights. So that will

help me, because it’s made me more hungry

in a way – to not cheat myself and to be more

professional. That’s what I am now.”

After December’s win against Carlos Molina,

this is your second fight with Virgil Hunter.

What differences has he made for you?

“He’s honest. He tells you how it is, and he’s

not really bothered whether you’re happy or

unhappy about what he has to say. That’s what

I want: to have a trainer who’s very straight up.

Having him in my corner against Molina was a

big help. He was always shouting, motivating

me and giving me the right instructions.

Also, he told me about my style, the way I make

defensive mistakes and how I can improve.

He’s making me understand boxing, instead of

just telling me what to do and what not to do.”

What’s made you such an exciting fighter,

though, is that you have that warrior streak:

when you’re hit, you hit back...

“Yeah, I know, but that can be a bad thing

sometimes. There were times in the past

where I could have just taken a step back to

breathe and boxed instead of being too brave.

It can be bad for you, but that stuff made me

an exciting fighter, because I’ve traded in

fights and no one knew what to expect from

me. But I’ve learned from that now. When I

used to get hit before, I’d want to hit my

opponent back with a shot twice as hard;

now, it’s about what I can do differently to

avoid getting hit again. After you recover

fully, that’s when you go back in to attack.”

“I was gettIng caught wIth every shot he was throwIng”

| 33

Promoters Golden Boy have a plan for your

weight division: the winner of Danny Garcia v

Zab Judah takes on the winner of Lamont

Peterson v Lucas Matthysse – then you fight

the overall winner at the end of this year.

Who do you think that fighter will be?

“I think Garcia will beat Judah, but Matthysse

and Peterson is a tough one because of the

workrate and the pressure that Peterson

puts on. That will be a close fight, but I believe

either Peterson or Matthysse could beat

Garcia if they box him smartly. So it could be

one of those two.”

But you definitely want to fight the winner?

“Yeah, it’s good in that it quickens the route to

becoming the world’s best light-welterweight.

The winner of that tournament will then be

number one in the division, and then against

me everything will be on the line. Hopefully I

can beat the winner of that tournament and

then move up to the next weight. It is getting

very hard now to make 140lb, but I’ve got

unfinished business in this weight category,

so I don’t want to move up yet. It’s a must-win

against Julio Diaz, though, and I’m focused on

that first.”

You talk about training more professionally

– but please tell us the chocolate drawer

you keep at home still exists?

“Definitely! It’s more of a mental thing than

anything: to know you have a chocolate drawer.

You do crave chocolate and stuff when you’re

making weight, but mainly because you know

you’re not allowed it. When at home, I hardly

touch it. It’s mainly for the [friends’ and

family’s] kids – they use it more than I do.”

What’s your weapon of choice if you do

go for one, though?

“Something like a Kit-Kat or a Twix. Or I might

spoil myself and go for a posh one like a

Ferrero Rocher or something. But there’s

often not any left because the kids tend to

choose that one before I can get to it.”

Alex Reid @otheralexreid

Tickets for Amir Khan v Julio Diaz on April 27 can

be purchased from motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk

or by calling 0114 256 5656

“He’s an Honest coacH. He tells you How it is, and He’s not really botHered wHetHer you’re Happy or unHappy about wHat He’s got to say”

Jo

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extra iPad content

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the free

Sport iPad

app for more

images of

Amir in

training

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971.114_Sport Magazine 232x300_V2.indd 1 16/04/2013 16:28

Judo Ashley McKenzie

| April 19 2013 | 35

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A tearful first-round exit in the

2012 Olympics wasn’t what

-60kg judoka Ashley McKenzie

had in mind. But things have

rarely gone to plan for the

23-year-old from Queen’s Park,

who starred in BBC Three

documentary Bad Boy Olympian

before the Games and has

since appeared in Channel 5’s

Celebrity Big Brother. As

McKenzie prepares to fight in

next week’s European Judo

Championships in Hungary, he

tells us how different his life

could have been were it not for

a run in with an estate bully at

the age of 11...

Why did you get into judo?

“Basically, I used to play on the

street as a young kid, and I used

to play with Pokémon cards.

One day I was trading my cards,

and one of the guys on the

estate took it off me. It was a

nice little shiny one. He took it

off me and I was like: ’Mate, you

need to give me that back.’ He

didn’t want to give it back and

he threw me, and so I went to

hit him and he threw me again.

“I went home and asked my

mum to type ‘throwing’ into the

internet, and judo came up. So

I went to my nearest judo club

and there was the guy who had

my Pokémon card. So I got my

card back, and after that I made

a success out of judo and went

to the Olympics.”

If only someone had taken our

Pokémon cards, we might have

made it to the Olympics, too...

[Laughs] “Honestly, I was a lucky

one. I wasn’t the best in school,

and judo helped balance that

out. I was getting excluded from

school and my mum wasn’t the

happiest with me, but every time

I got another judo medal she

was actually pleased with me.”

You have ADHD – did that make

it difficult to concentrate?

“Yeah it was hard at times –

I just wanted to get everything

done, and school was quite a

long process. I’d want to walk

out of class and I just couldn’t

concentrate for that long. I take

Equasym, which helps. I was

also on Ritalin – but that wasn’t

allowed once I started judo.”

You’ve had other problems, too?

“Yes, I’ve been banned [from

competing] a few times – once

for one month, once for three

months and once for six months,

thanks to me just going out and

doing what I want, really. I didn’t

really go according to what they

wanted me to do. When I was

younger, I was just a rebel.”

What was the turning point?

“When I was 16, the Olympics in

London were announced.

Believing in myself wasn’t my

strongest thing, but someone

said to me: ‘You could go to the

Olympics if you put your mind to

it’. From then, I just went for it.”

It must have been devastating

to go out in the first round?

“For me it was always going to

be about my first experience.

I was always looking forward to

Rio – I think London was always

going to be a learning curve.”

Do you think you can come back

from Hungary with a medal?

“I like to think I can. I’m in the

top 10 in Europe at the moment,

so I don’t see why not.”

Why did you decide to go on

Celebrity Big Brother?

“They asked me to do it, and I

thought: ‘Why shouldn’t I?’ It was

like living in a cave and everyone

telling you what to do 24/7. It’s

a big game, but I wasn’t really

playing the game, so I kind of

enjoyed the experience.”

Where would you be without

judo, do you think?

“Probably in jail, if I’m being

honest with you. I wasn’t going

to be working in McDonald’s or

nothing like that, cause I can’t

hack a job like that. So yeah,

probably in jail.”

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala

Ashley is supporting the BHF’s

campaign Fight for Every Heartbeat.

Text FIGHT to 70123 and give £3,

or donate by visiting bhf.org.uk

How the Olympics(and Pokémon)

saved my life

Olympic judoka and reformed

‘bad boy’ Ashley McKenzie spoke

to Sport ahead of the European

Championships next Thursday

36 | April 19 2013 |

BMX Liam Phillips

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A pedal malfunction saw him crash out of the medals in the Olympic final. Now Liam Phillips is out to make amends at today’s BMX Supercross World Cup

Crash Course

No London regrets“I can’t really look back on 2012 without

going back even further. In 2011, I didn’t race

BMX at all. I basically got scared of getting

injured, so I took some time out and went

on to the track instead. That meant I didn’t

race [a BMX] from October 2010 until

February 2012. So I felt like I was playing

catch-up for a lot of the past season.

So, despite what happened in the Olympic

final, I have only fond memories of 2012.

Ultimately, I know the sort of risks that are

involved in the sport. You need only make one

mistake and that’s it – your chance has gone.

That’s almost what’s so appealing about the

sport, in some respects.”

You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone...“It got to the stage where I was absolutely

sick of working my socks off and making

gains in BMX racing, only to get an injury and

end up back at square one. So I evaluated

things at the start of 2011 and decided that

it was all about the Olympics for me, and if I

had a better chance of success in another

area then I’d be stupid not to take it. So I

switched to track cycling. But almost

immediately, I missed BMX more than I ever

could have imagined. I didn’t think I’d be

bothered at all. Sometimes when you do

something for so long – and I’ve been racing

BMX bikes since I was five – you take it for

granted a bit.”

Breaking my collarbone 10 weeks before the Games was brilliant“When I crashed at the World Championships

last May, I thought my Olympics was over

before it had begun. The type of impact I had

and the speed I was going at meant I feared

the worst. So when the doctors said I’d only

broken my collarbone and a few ribs, that

was brilliant... although I did break my

shoulder blade as well. But it could have

been so much worse. I went in for surgery

straight away and was back on the track

after five weeks. That was really pushing it,

but I had no choice. It was time to go all in.

I knew that if the medical team could give me

five weeks on my bike, I could still go to the

Games and perform at a high level.”

Come rain or shine, we ride“The indoor BMX track in Manchester

has been a complete game-changer

for us since it opened about 18

months ago. It’s the only permanent

indoor BMX facility in the world,

and with the weather we have

here it means we can actually plan our

sessions because we know we’re going to

be able to train every day. Before, when we

couldn’t ride because of snow or heavy rain,

we used to go out to a series of tunnels that

run underneath the runway at Manchester

Airport to get our sprint sessions on the

bike done. It was still bloody cold down there,

though. It was brutal, in fact. But it’s really

made me appreciate the facilities we’ve

got now.”

Home advantage is huge“Having the Supercross World Series opening

round on our home track [in Manchester] this

weekend is a huge advantage, really, in terms

of knowing the track itself. But having said

that, with the way BMX is now, [the critical

part of] the race is actually from the top of

the start ramp to the bottom. And that’s only

about two and a half seconds. There are

other countries that have the same start hills

as we do in Manchester, so it doesn’t matter

how good you are around the track – if the

start of your race isn’t up to scratch, then

it’s essentially worthless. But from a

psychological aspect, being comfortable with

the surroundings and the environment – and

knowing that you use that track day in, day

out – is worth its weight in gold.”

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Liam Phillips will be competing at the UCI BMX

Supercross World Cup in Manchester on April

19 and 20. For more information and to find out

how to buy tickets, visit bmxsuperx.com

It is now possible to get safety equipment on the scheme without needing to buy a bike.

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3393_SPC Sports Ad_232x300.indd 1 25/03/2013 09:14

Desert blues

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7 DaysAPR 19-APR 25

HIGHLIGHTS

» Football: Premier League Preview » p40

» Football: Champions League Semi Finals » p42

» Rugby Union: London Wasps v Exeter Chiefs » p44

» Athletics: The London Marathon » p46

» Boxing: Nathan Cleverly v Robin Krasniqi » p48OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

SUNDAY FORMULA 1 | BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX | SAKHIR | SKy SPORTS F1 1PM, HIGHLIGHTS ON BBC ONE FROM 5PM

For the second year in succession, Bernie

Ecclestone's travelling circus has made its way

to Bahrain amid an atmosphere of unrest that's

undoubtedly been stirred up by the world's gaze.

Protests against the government continue, and

human rights activists are again arguing that the

race should be cancelled because of the use of

torture by Bahraini authorities. Online group

Anonymous has threatened to disrupt websites and

online services relating to the race. Meanwhile, in the

captial Manama, tear gas has been fired at protesters

demanding the release of a colleague arrested last

week, and last Sunday a car bomb was set off in the

Financial Harbour district of the city. With so much

money invested in the race, however, the show will

go on – whether it should or not.

While one Australian was belly-putting his way to

victory in Augusta, on the other side of the world

another was having one of the worst weekends of

his life. After losing out to Sebastian Vettel's

disobedience in Malaysia, Mark Webber's luck in

China was so bad that his team principal Christian

Horner was forced to deny there was a conspiracy

against him. Demoted to the back of the grid after

running out of fuel in qualifying, the 36-year-old

ended up parked by the side of the road in the race,

his right rear wheel rolling across the track after it

was not properly secured at a pit stop.

In the desert heat, tyre management will again

be crucial – and Ferrari (above) look best equipped

to take advantage of that, despite Pirelli deciding

not to take the softest compound tyre to the race.

Their soft tyre was used for the first time in China,

but drivers found it degraded so quickly that no one

spent more than seven laps on it in the race.

Mercedes and Red Bull are quick, but Fernando

Alonso demonstrated in Malaysia that his car looks

after its tyres better than most of his rivals.

Elsewhere, Nico Rosberg has had luck of Mark

Webber-like proportions, having finished just one

race this season thanks to technical problems, while

Australian Daniel Ricciardo put in an impressive

performance in his Toro Rosso to finish seventh in

China. McLaren struggled again, with Sergio Perez

failing to score points. They will, however, have

upgrades waiting for when they get back to Europe.

And, much like the F1 authorities, will just hope to

finish this controversial race without any disasters.

38 | April 19 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

40 | April 19 2013 |

7 Days

Tottenham have had 10 days to muse upon their Swiss

heartbreak and rouse themselves again for one last

push in the league. Their fight for fourth begins with

the visit of FA Cup finalists Manchester City on Sunday,

the champions having played twice in the time since

Spurs last laced up their boots.

Manager Andre Villas-Boas will have been thankful for

the break, and specifically the chance to welcome key

players back from injury, including Gareth Bale – who

could return despite being carried off on a stretcher

during Spurs’ first-leg draw with FC Basel. The Welshman

has netted 22 club goals this season, and Spurs haven’t

won a match in which he’s not scored since January 1.

Sergio Aguero has been almost as influential for City

in recent weeks, scoring four goals in his past five

appearances ahead of City’s midweek tie against Wigan.

The Argentine has also scored two goals in City’s last

three games against Spurs, netting the equaliser in their

2-1 win at the Etihad last November. He also scored the

last time City played at White Hart Lane, but that was a

mere footnote to Edin Dzeko’s four-goal haul that resulted

in a 5-1 hammering. A repeat is unlikely, but you have to

go back to December 2012 to find the last time Spurs kept

a clean sheet at home in the league (against Stoke). Odds

are that City will score, then – while the odds on Spurs

winning almost certainly hang on the fitness of Mr Bale.

Is the belief back at Arsenal?

Results ahead of their midweek tie

against Everton suggested so, but

the feeling that a defensive calamity

lies around the corner won’t go away.

Luck was on their side last weekend

– and one win in their last four at

Craven Cottage suggests they could

do with more on Saturday. With

Fulham boss Martin Jol happy that

they’ve now reached their goal of

40 points, Arsenal will hope

Fulham’s foot is well off the gas.

Reading’s club record run of eight

straight defeats in all competitions

ended with a draw against Liverpool

last weekend. However, as manager

Nigel Adkins said: “It’s only one

point; we need three.” The Royals

are without a win in their past three

against the Canaries (though two

of those have been draws), but

then Norwich have to play fellow

relegation battlers Stoke and Aston

Villa after this – three six-pointers

in a row that could seal their fate.

saturday norwich v reading | carrow road | 3PM

Tottenham return from their late-season break hoping it’s not too late to steal fourth, while Rafa Benitez looks forward to an Anfield love-in. It’s been a while, after all

saturday fulhaM v arsenal craven cottage | 3PM

Premier League

sunday tottenhaM v Manchester city | white hart lane | sky sPorts 1 1.30PM

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

SATURDAY qpr v stoke | loftus road | 3pM

| 41

SATURDAY sunderland v everton | stadiuM of light | 3pM SATURDAY swansea v southaMpton

liberty stadiuM | 3pM

Newcastle’s defeat to Sunderland

last weekend was compounded by

the loss of goalkeeper Tim Krul to

injury for the rest of the season.

With the Magpies not entirely safe,

and with games against Liverpool

and Arsenal to come, Alan Pardew’s

bum may be squeaking should they

lose on Saturday. The Baggies

haven’t won in their past three,

though, and have lost their previous

two meetings with Newcastle.

So Pardew may yet beat the squeak.

SATURDAY west broM v newcastle | hawthorns | 1.30pM

After both teams had tough

midweek games against Mancunian

opposition, this could be survival

of the fittest. Wigan have the

motivational edge, knowing their FA

Cup success will mean little should

they fail to beat the drop. They can

take comfort from the fact they have

already beaten West Ham twice this

term, their Capital One Cup win

coming at Upton Park, too. The

Hammers have lost only four league

games at home this season, though.

SATURDAY west haM v wigan | upton park | 3pM

Stoke’s record away from home

is dire. They have one win from 17

on the road in all competitions this

season and face three more before it

comes to a close, starting Saturday.

QPR’s time in the Premier League is

all but over, though Harry Redknapp

can’t yet admit it... “otherwise I may

as well go on holiday now”. QPR

beat Stoke 1-0 at Loftus Road last

May – a result that helped keep them

up. It’s never too la... actually, in this

case, it probably is.

With the Paolo Di Canio effect

in full swing at Sunderland,

David Moyes will be wary of taking

Everton to the northeast for their

third game in a week. But the

journey will at least conjure some

positive memories for the Toffees

– their last away win (before their

midweek game at the Emirates)

came at Newcastle in January.

Then again, Everton have drawn

their previous three at Sunderland

in the league.

The Swans have had two weeks off

after ending a run of three defeats

with a draw against Norwich. With

boss Michael Laudrup insisting

a top-10 finish is within reach, he’s

targeting two wins out of their three

remaining home games. With one of

those against Manchester City, one

imagines Saturday’s game against

Southampton is one he has marked

with a ‘W’. Saints are unbeaten in

five, though, and will equal Swansea’s

points haul with a win here.

Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez chose an

interesting time to voice his conviction that his

future lies back at Anfield. The ex-Liverpool boss

took the Chelsea job 10 days after these two teams

last met (in a 1-1 draw at the Bridge), so this will be

his first visit to Anfield as occupier of the Chelsea

hot/ejector seat. After their FA Cup defeat last

weekend, which was swiftly followed by a game

against local rivals Fulham in midweek, Benitez

could struggle to get the best out of his side

on Sunday. Considering the Spaniard’s long-term

ambition involves him ending up as manager of

their opponents, that might suit him best.

SUnDAY liverpool v chelsea | anfield | sky sports 1 4pM

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The predicted ‘bounce’ from

Matthew Lowton’s incredible strike

against Stoke didn’t materialise.

A draw at home against Fulham last

weekend was a disappointing result

for a team fighting relegation and

with a trip to the likely champions on

the horizon. It wasn’t for lack of

effort – Villa’s 33 interceptions were

the most made by any side last

weekend. But too many chances

were wasted... not something they

can afford to do at Old Trafford.

monDAY Man utd v aston villa | old trafford

sky sports 1 8pM

Liverpool have had

more shots on target

than any other

Premier League side

in April, but are one

of only two sides

not to score

One manager will be on the e

ford.co.ukProud sponsor of the UEFA C

42 | April 19 2013 |

7 Days

Pep Guardiola will be watching this one with

interest. The Spaniard coached Barcelona to 14

trophies in four years, and will take over from Jupp

Heynckes at Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

With his side already crowned Bundesliga champions

(they have a 20-point lead with six games to go),

Heynckes is bowing out on a high, and he insists he

won’t be tempted to call on his successor to find out

the secrets to Barcelona’s success.

At any rate, Barca’s secret was obvious during the

Catalans’ lacklustre first hour against PSG in the

second leg of their quarter final. Leo Messi’s arrival

from the bench has been written about in awed

terms that haven’t been used since the Gospels;

although it was far from miraculous, his performance

certainly seemed to galvanise Barca when they

looked to be heading out of the competition.

In contrast, Bayern were in control of their tie

against Juventus from the first minute of the first

leg, when David Alaba opened the scoring, to the

closing stages of the last, as Claudio Pizzarro netted

to add the final touches to the 4-0 aggregate

scoreline. The Germans are in unbelievable form

– they have won 17 of their past 18 games, and have

lost just three games in all competitions this season.

An equally formidable stat: Barcelona are unbeaten

in their last 17 games against German sides, a run

stretching back to 2001.

Bayern’s top scorer Mario Mandžukic is suspended

for Tuesday’s clash, but Mario Gomez is a worthy

replacement – he hasn’t started regularly this

season, but Messi and Karim Benzema are the only

active players with a better goals-per-game ratio in

the Champions League than the German.

Both teams have made regular appearances at

this stage in the past few years, and it’s slightly

surprising that they’ve only met once. In 2009,

Barcelona got the job done with a 4-0 home win at

the Nou Camp. A 1-1 draw in Munich followed –

expect a similarly tight game between two teams

that have only matured since then. And, of course,

a Spanish manager in the crowd wondering how

he can possibly improve on this.

A big night for...

Tactically, there are parallels between the

sides – both Heynckes and Tito Vilanova

normally ask their sides to press high

up the pitch, and both teams have

players who like to start wide and

drift inside. Munich are more

likely to attempt to hit their

opponents on the break. With Carles Puyol

and Javier Mascherano both injured and usual

stand-in left-back Adriano suspended, 22-year

old centre-back Marc Bartra (there he is, look –

to your right) could be in for some hard running.

No Pep talk required

TUESDAY FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI FINAL FIRST LEG: BAYERN MUNICH v BARCELONA | ALLIANZ ARENA | ITV 7.45PM

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e edge of his seat. Guardiola.

FC Bayern München v FC Barcelona Tuesday 23rd April 7.45pm

A Champions League for 21 years

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand | 43

Germany divided

WEDNESDAY FOOTBALL | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI FINAL FIRST LEG: BORUSSIA DORTMUND v REAL MADRID | WESTFALENSTADION | SKY SPORTS 2 7.45PM

José Mourinho's Real Madrid are also

heading to Germany, where their hunt for

a tenth European Cup came off the rails last

season. They have pursued that goal with a

single-minded obsession that has seen all

other competitions fall by the wayside this

season – and with the manager surely on

the way out, it's his last chance to complete

the job he was hired for.

Looking to stop him are Jurgen Klopp's

exciting Dortmund team. On paper, they

might seem like the easiest proposition

of the four semi-finalists, but they caused

Madrid real problems in the group stages,

taking four points from the Spanish

champions. Admittedly, Madrid were

suffering from defensive injuries and were

forced to pull in former Chelsea hatchet

man Michael Essien to play at left back,

but Dortmund pressed high and were

deserving winners.

Klopp is an astute tactician, and he will

likely ask his side to set up in a similar way

– although they may not have as much luck

against a full-strength Madrid, who also lost

Sami Khedira to injury that day.

As well as taxing our subeditor,

Dortmund's home-grown midfield quintet

of Kevin Großkreutz, Sebastian Kehl, llkay

Gündogan, Marco Reus and Mario Götze

will pressure Madrid’s own midfield, and

look to win the ball high up the pitch, then

create chances through clever interplay.

They may also target the left back again, as

Cristiano Ronaldo tends to be given licence

not to track back when out of possession.

It's well justified in his case, of course –

the Portuguese forward has scored 11

in his past eight club games; his brace

against Atlético last weekend included

a free-kick that would have looked

ridiculous even on FIFA.

Regardless of who goes through, it's

likely to be a German-influenced outcome.

Because, as well as Dortmund's central

five, Madrid's own Deutsch-duo could be

pivotal. Khedira has the energy to disrupt

Die Schwarzgelben’s clever play and, at the

other end, Mesut Özil will try to find space

and unpick Dortmund's defence.

Eleven years is a long time for a team as

accustomed to success as Real Madrid to

wait for a European trophy – they last won

Ol’ Big Ears by beating another German

side, Bayer Leverkusen, at Hampden Park

in 2002. But Mourinho will make sure they

know that these two ties with Dortmund

could prove as tough as anything another

final might throw at them.

A big night for...

Both teams are at their best when on the

counter-attack, but Madrid might

dominate possession at the

Westfalenstadion – as they did in

the group stage. Dortmund

goalkeeper Roman

Weidenfeller (right) could

be kept busy – as you’re

probably well aware by

now, both Ronaldo and

Ángel di María will cut in

from their respective

flanks to shoot.

Two games are left in the Premiership season, and three

points separate the three sides currently chasing the

all-important sixth place that means Heineken Cup rugby

next season. What a time, then, for Wasps (in eighth) and

Exeter (sixth) to meet – especially considering that Bath, in

seventh, face Leicester and Saracens in their final games,

so face an uphill task to trouble the top six.

Wasps’ recent form has been patchy, to say the least, but

the power they possess up front is always dangerous, and

Billy Vunipola is sure to want to bow out in style before he

leaves for the plastic pitch at Saracens. It’s out wide where

the Londoners’ real threat comes, though, with Tom Varndell

(with 12) and Christian Wade (10) the league’s top try

scorers, and Elliot Daly (pictured) at 15 having twice troubled

the try of the week committee in recent rounds. Admittedly,

Wasps’ defence has been pretty poor of late – but with the

finishing class they have, the good weather and firm grounds

could have arrived just in time.

The Chiefs have shown in recent weeks that they can

compete with the best – most notably with their win away at

Harlequins. They’ve slipped out of top-four contention (bar a

miraculous final fortnight), but they will not give up on Europe.

Fly half Gareth Steenson has been in electric form since that

visit to The Stoop, while their all-round fitness and desire

mean Wasps won’t get a moment’s rest. Neither side can

afford to lose, but the neutrals could be the real winners here.

Heineken for one

Following their 84-6 hammering by Wigan

Warriors on Easter Monday, Hull Kingston

Rovers came back impressively six days

later to beat St Helens 22-14 at Craven Park.

And the pair meet again in the fourth round

of the Tetley’s Challenge Cup on Saturday,

with all the promise of a typical blood-and-

thunder cup tie.

Craven Park has traditionally been a tough

place for the Saints, and they will need some

of their injured personnel back on board if

they hope to progress. History is on their

side, though, in that they have won the

Challenge Cup 12 times (the last time in

2008) while Rovers have only carried off the

trophy once – and haven’t made the final

since way back in 1986.

But St Helens are struggling up front and

at half-back, while the home side are well

placed in both departments. And what the

Saints would give for a scrum half of the

quality of Rovers’ Michael Dobson (pictured)

– the Australian is the heartbeat of his side,

and his kicking game is exemplary. Up front,

meanwhile, Cory Paterson, Micky Paea and

Rhys Lovegrove are a real handful. Saints’

youngsters have been competitive of late,

but they need the likes of Tony Puletua and

Jonny Lomax back to give them a real edge.

The only other all-Super League tie sees

Leeds Rhinos at home to Castleford Tigers

(Friday, 8.30pm). The Tigers recently parted

company with head coach Ian Millward but

got a morale-boosting win over Widnes last

weekend. They will need to step up another

level if they are to unseat the Rhinos, though.

A possible cup upset could come at The

Stoop, where London Broncos take on

Championship side Featherstone Rovers

(Saturday, 3pm) – a team with Super League

ambitions who knocked Castleford out of this

competition last year.

7 Days

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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Saints on the cup run from Hull

Sunday Rugby union | aviva pRemieRship: Wasps v exeteR | adams paRk | espn 2pm

SaTuRday Rugby League | ChaLLenge Cup: huLL kingston RoveRs v st heLens | CRaven paRk | bbC one 2.30pm

44 | April 19 2013 |

7 Days

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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Sunday Athletics | Virgin london MArAthon | BBc one 8.30AM

46 | April 19 2013 |

The mood around one of the nation's favourite

sporting events will inevitably be more sombre

than usual on Sunday, as thousands of runners from

the international elite to the everyday jogger

congregate in the capital for the London Marathon.

Events in Boston on Monday will rightly be to the

forefront of people's minds, but organisers moved

swiftly to insist that the race would go ahead as

planned this weekend – hopefully in part as a fitting

tribute to those affected by the blasts.

Fast track"The London Marathon course itself is one of the

fastest in the world," says Liz Yelling, who competed

for Great Britain in two Olympic marathons. "Paula

Radcliffe has run a world record on it, so it must be

fairly quick, but for all the runners there are key

landmarks. The little loop featuring the Cutty Sark

[between miles 6 and 7] is usually a really great

section for the crowd; Tower Bridge [just short of

halfway] is a massive landmark for a lot of people,

many of whom will be holding out to get there; and

then you have Canary Wharf – a quieter part in terms

of the crowd, and the calm before the final six miles.

Then you hit Tower Bridge again [mile 23], and come

along Embankment – that always felt like the home

straight for me, where the crowd practically carries

you to the finish line."

New girlThe 2013 race marks a decade since Paula Radcliffe

set a world record for the women's marathon that

still stands – in her absence, though, Yelling sees

hope for the future. "Paula was an extreme talent,

and to have had her in our country in our lifetime was

just incredible," she says. "She's inspired a lot of girls,

I think, but this year we have a great challenger in

Freya Ross. She made her marathon debut in last

year's London Marathon and went on to run at the

Olympics [where she finished 44th]. She's a really

promising British runner who will be trying to hang

on in there with the top international elite."

Half a MoMuch has been made of the fact that Olympic track

hero Mo Farah will be running only the first half of the

marathon this year, but Yelling thinks this is a very

wise move for the long term.

"I did exactly the same the year before running

London for the first time," she reveals. "It was a great

learning curve, and will really help Mo get experience

of the start of the race, the vibe around it and the

preparation you need to go through. That will all

help him for when he does step up to the marathon

distance. He still has some business to do on the

track, but if he's careful with his training and stays

injury-free, he has another eight to 10 years left

on the road – and that could be great for British

distance running."

If you are going down to watch on the day, visit

#Mile23, where Lucozade Sport will be fuelling

runners, and a few famous faces will be giving

them an extra boost towards the finish line

The show goes on

Saturday horse rAcing | corAl scottish grAnd nAtionAl | Ayr | chAnnel 4 & rAcing uk 3.50pM

An encore from Auroras?Another marathon of sorts on

Saturday, when the Scottish Grand

National takes place at Ayr. There is

a certain buoyancy about jumps racing

at the moment, after the success of

the English equivalent at Aintree a

fortnight ago – and the winner of that

race, Auroras Encore (right), could line

up to bid for an historic double that

hasn't been achieved since the great

Red Rum won both races in 1974.

The 11-year-old, trained in Yorkshire

by Sue Smith and set to be ridden by

a fit-again Ryan Mania, was second in

the race last year – but he will have to

carry top weight here after his Aintree

heroics, and may encounter softer

ground than he would like at the

Scottish course. The odds are stacked

against him, then, but he's a horse and

doesn't know that. An encore may yet

be possible.

Endurance nutrition. Without compromise.

I use these gels when I need energy.

They’re simple to take and easy on the stomach,

so all I have to do is focus on my run.

scienceinsport.com Twitter Facebook YouTube

Available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Boots

Sport_RUNNING_male_300x232.indd 1 16/04/2013 13:55

It has been a turbulent few months for promoter Frank Warren,

but a much-altered Rule Britannia show at Wembley Arena finally

takes place this weekend. And topping the bill will be one of Britain’s

most underappreciated world title holders: Nathan Cleverly (above).

Cleverly faces Kosovo-born German Robin Krasniqi in the fourth

defence of his WBO world light-heavyweight title, in a fight seen by

many as a stepping stone to a unification bout between Cleverly

and Bernard Hopkins, boxing’s elder statesman. However, after a

series of mismatches and less-than-stellar showings from Cleverly,

the Welshman knows that only a punch-perfect performance will do.

A stacked undercard sees the return of Dereck Chisora, as he

looks to get his career back on track against the Argentinian Hector

Alfredo Avila following a spate of losses – most recently (and

notably) to David Haye. Fireworks can definitely be expected as

southpaw Liam Walsh puts his unbeaten record on the line against

the talented but unpredictable Scott Harrison.

As is often the case on Warren shows, fans will be treated to a

look at the future of British boxing. Young prospects with huge

potential such as Frank Buglioni, Mitchell Smith and Gary Corcoran

round out what has the potential to be a great night in the ring.

7 Days

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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Warren’s night finally comes

The NBA playoffs begin on Saturday,

and the main question will be whether

anyone can stop the Miami Heat. The

bookies have them as favourites to be

NBA champions, at odds of just 5/6. They

had the second longest winning streak in

NBA history – winning 27 straight – and in

the second half of the season they have

been virtually unstoppable, losing just

three times since the end of January.

Theirs is (at the time of writing) one of

only two fixtures to be confirmed – they

will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the

first round more determined than ever,

says LeBron James (pictured): “We had

that feeling [of being champions last

year], and we want it back. That makes us

even more hungry.” James himself is

coming off a season with career highs in

three-pointers and field goal percentage.

Too hot to handle

SATURDAY BASKETBALL | NBA PLAYOFFS | SKY SPORTS (DETAILS TBC) SATURDAY BOXING | NATHAN CLEVERLY v ROBIN KRASNIQI | WEMBLEY ARENA | BOXNATION 7PM

Perhaps the New York Knicks have the

best chance of stopping the Heat – they

beat them three times during the regular

season, with Carmelo Anthony scoring 50

points in their previous meeting at the

beginning of April, and are 9-1 in their

past 10 games (at the time of going to

press). They face the Boston Celtics in

the other confirmed first-round tie.

Last season’s runners-up, the

Oklahoma City Thunder, are second

favourites for the title – but after trading

James Harden at the start of this season,

they are even more reliant on star man

Kevin Durant and were easily beaten in

the finals last year (4-1). The LA Lakers

should scrape into the playoffs, too, but

without the injured Kobe Bryant it will

require something special to see them

progress beyond the first round.

48 | April 19 2013 |

www.thamespathchallenge.com

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OR

Take on the Thames Path Challenge. Walk, jog or run either

100 or 50km from Putney to Henley along the famous

Thames Path – all in aid of a charity of your choice!

Walk It – An epic endurance walk along the iconic Thames Path –

a real test of mental strength and stamina – go at your own pace,

with a target time of 12hrs for the 50km or 24hrs for the 100km.

Run / Jog It - step up from a marathon distance with either a

50km ‘Marathon-Plus’ or 100km Ultra Challenge - go further than

ever before and set a new personal record.

Enter as an individual, or with a team of friends and colleagues.

Exclusive corporate packages available allowing you to fundraise

and support your charity of the year.

14 - 15 SEPTEMBER 2013

TPC13 FP Sport 232x300 Ad AW.indd 1 16/04/2013 16:26

50 | April 19 2013 |

Extra timEMaking the most of your time and money

That time has come around

once more, when we present

you with the very best new

watches on the market.

We kick off four themed pages

with our pick of timepieces in

negative, from Storm going

slimline to an iconic piece

from Hugo Boss.

P62

Something for

everyone at the

Pick me Up

art fair – even

an elephant

on strings

Watches

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

First row (L-R): Storm Slim-x xL, £119.99 | www.stormwatches.com; Hugo Boss iconic, £395 | www.bosswatches.co.uk; Braun x Dieter rams,

£120 | www.mrporter.com Second row (L-R) : Nooka Zub ZenV 38, £100 | www.urbansurfer.co.uk, rado D-Star rattrapante, £4,425 | www.rado.com;

Citizen Stiletto Blade, £399 | www.citizenwatch.co.uk Third row (L-R): meccaniche Veloci Due Valvole, £1,775 | www.djjdistribution.co.uk ;

Nixon Newton, £100 | www.nixon.com; Uniform Wares 100 Series, £120 | www.mrporter.comPh

oto

gra

ph

y b

y J

am

es

Lin

co

ln, w

ww

.jam

es

linc

oln

.co

.uk

Swiss movement, English heart

In 1912 Malcolm Campbell christened his car “Blue Bird” and a legend was born. More than 100 years later this iconic name continues to challenge for world speed records using futuristic electric vehicles.

Christopher Ward is proud to be Bluebird Speed Records Official Timing Partner and, in celebration, we have released this stunning timepiece in a limited edition of 1,912 pieces.

111_ChristopherWard_SportMagazine.indd 1 16/04/2013 18:00

52 | April 19 2013 |

First row (L-R): Citizen Royal Marines Commando, £299 | www.citizenwatch.com; Casio GA-1000, £250 | www.hsamuel.co.uk; TW Steel Pilot TW422 45mm,

£325 | www.twsteeluk.com Second row (L-R): Bell & Ross BR 01-92 Carbon, £2,950 | www.bellross.com; Nixon Quad, £100 | www.nixon.com;

Victorinox Original Chronograph Limited Edition, £395 | 020 7647 9070; Police Raptor, £160 | www.watchshop.com

Extra time Watch Special

Military precision

Battle your way into work every morning with

one of these top-rate watches, from Citizen’s

Royal Marines Commando to the Hamilton

Khaki Aviation QNE. If your pockets run deep,

you have a fighting chance of being able to

afford the Tutima Military NATO Chronograph.

| 53

Third row (L-R): Timex Originals Indiglo Weekender, £47.99 | www.watchshop.com; Hamilton Khaki Aviation QNE, £900 | www.hamiltonwatch.com;

Rotary Gents White Case, £199 | www.rotarywatches.com; Tutima The Military NATO Chronograph 760-01, £3,520 | www.djjdistribution.co.uk

50 | April 5 2013 |

UltralookIt’s a definite first-world

problem, but we find it quite

hard to watch football in

standard definition now. At first

it was terrifying – being able to

see every crude gesture from

the crowd, every gaping furrow

in Alan Hansen’s storied brow

– but now we’re

used to it. We can only imagine

what new depths of excitement

and terror Toshiba’s new range

Kit

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

It’s a definite first-world problem, but we find it quite hard to watch football in standard definition now. At first it was terrifying – being able to see every crude

gesture from the crowd, every gaping furrow in Alan Hansen’s storied brow – but now we’re used to it. We can only imagine what new depths of excitement and

terror Toshiba’s new range of UltraHD televisions will bring, then. The first of their kind to be launched

Top to bottom:

Tissot Visodate, £385 | www.tissotshop.com;

Cartier Tank Americaine,

£5,500-£6,000 | www.watchesofknightsbridge.com;

CK Surround, £185 | 0845 296 2447;

Certina Podium Square, £480 | www.certina.com;

Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Cinq Aiguilles,

£3,150 | www.mauricelacroix.com;

Dreyfuss & Co Rose Gold Half Skeleton,

£1,725 | www.dreyfussandco.com

Extra time Watch Special

A good vintage

Aim for the classical look with one of these vintage pieces.

The Ball Trainmaster Eternity could help improve your

carriage, or you could be a touch more adventurous with

the 1967 Rolex Explorer. Sail through life with the Omega

Seamaster Aqua Terra on your wrist, or just go for the

power of the Cartier Tank Americaine. The choice is yours.

54 | April 19 2013 |

Top to bottom:

1967 Rolex Explorer,

£2,000-£2,500 | www.watchesofknightsbridge.com;

OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra,

£3,420 | www.omegawatches.com;

Ball Trainmaster Eternity,

£1,350 | www.roomofluxury.co.uk;

Grand Seiko SBGH001,

£5,000 | www.grand-seiko.com;

Corum Gran Précis, £11,500 | Harrods, 020 7730 1234

£100

evanscycles.com/tradein

The Great Evans Cycles Trade-in.

Bring in your old banger this week and

we’ll give you up to £100 off a bike from

our wide range of famous brands.

04.11_Sport_EvansCycles.indd 1 12/04/2013 09:20

56 | April 19 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Thunderball

eT Grooming The snooker starts tomorrow. And if Ian Fleming’s super-agent wouldn’t

approve of this selection, we’re sure Nigel ‘00-147’ Bond would

The post-shave lotion

lab Series PrO lS

all-In-One Face Treatment

Now pay attention, 007, because this

Lab Series formula not only instantly

soothes and calms the look of redness

and irritation from shaving while potent

moisturisers restore moisture back to

your skin – it also leaves you with a

shine-free appearance and, over time,

helps diminish the appearance of lines

and wrinkles. So no matter how long

you’ve been kicking villains’ backsides

and saving the world, a dab or two of

this and you can return to any poker

game as unruffled as you left it –

without the wrinkles of Roger Moore.

£22 for 50ml | labseries.co.uk

The close shave

The bluebeards revenge

Bond appears, briefly, with a beard

in Die Another Day (take our word

for it – for god’s sake don’t watch

the film), as he does in Skyfall.

Both soon return to the smooth,

sharp-suited stud we know and

love – thanks, in Daniel Craig’s case,

to the cut-throat razor. Bluebeards’

Shavette (£9.99) will do you

the same service, the difference

between this and a straight razor

being the changeable blades.

Prep first with the brand’s luxury

Shaving Cream (£9.99 for 100ml)

and doubloon bristle Shaving

brush (£6.99), then reach for their

Post Shave balm (£9.99 for 100ml)

with witch hazel and aloe vera to

nourish the skin. Then simply look

your best in front of anyone who

has been expecting you, Mr Bond.

bluebeards-revenge.co.uk

007 Ocean royale ‘Thunderball’ was a term used

by US soldiers to describe the

mushroom cloud seen during

the testing of atomic bombs,

and therefore lends the fourth

Bond movie its name. Bond

himself never wore cologne, but

shoorly he’d find thish hard to

reshisht: an invigorating, aquatic

fragrance with top notes of lime,

aniseed and bergamot, and a

heart of teak wood. Base notes

of cedar wood and sandalwood

are complemented by tonka bean

and Jamaican coffee to “harness

the dangerous sophistication

and masculinity of the world’s

favourite secret agent”. So shplash

shome on, old shun, and create a

thunderball of your own.

£25 for 50ml | boots.com

The fragrance

21 STORES NATIONWIDE AND AT HIGHANDMIGHTY.CO.UK

THE LENGTHS WE GO TO

HAM0404 - The lengths we go to - Sportmag_Layout 1 11/04/2013 11:56 Page 1

Sony Bravia W900A

Bravia TVs offer ‘colour like no other’, and we can’t think of a better way to

put that to the test than with Barcelona’s horrific away kit. As well as doing

that... er, justice, the W900A includes a wi-fi connection and punchy audio.

Available for pre-order from £1,400 | store.sony.com

58 | April 19 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

ASUS FonePad

Ever wished you could make a

phone call from your tablet?

Well now you can, with the

FonePad – a seven-inch Android

tablet that, unlike most similar

offerings, includes the ability

to make phone calls. Not to

be confused with the ASUS

PadFone, which is (actually)

a different product entirely.

£180 | amazon.co.uk

Philips Soundbar HTL5120

This isn’t, as we first thought, a

high-tech vuvuzela. It’s actually

something much better – sit it

under your TV and this integrated

sub-woofer will boost your bass

without taking up space. Your

home entertainment system will

sound so good that watching

African football on it will be

almost unbearable. Brrzzzz!

£250 | John Lewis stores from

Samsung DA-F60 Speaker

NFC technology like that found

in your Oyster card makes it

easy to pair this wireless speaker

with all the latest smartphones

and tablets via Bluetooth and

wi-fi. We also tried tapping our

contactless bank card on it, but

it just played the ‘wrong answer’

buzzer noise from Family

Fortunes. Upsetting.

£249 | johnlewis.com, from May

Star Wars iPhone 5 Cases

Let’s face it – if you’re not

already geeking out over this,

nothing we can write here

is going to convince you. So

we’ll only add one thing – the

Chewbacca case has a coating

of ‘real’ Wookie fur. All the other

phones will make fun of yours,

of course, but it’s a small price

to pay. Easy, Chewy.

£20 | firebox.com

THe gADgeTS yoU’re Looking For

eT gadgets Revamp your spare time. Because, once you show your friends your new Star Wars phone case, you’re going to have a lot more of it

When last we brought

you model, Playmate

and MotoGP grid girl

Lauren Vickers, she was engaged

to MotoGP Power Electronics Aspar

rider Randy de Puniet. In other

words, there was still some hope.

Our wildest dreams were,

however, crushed (they always

are) last December, when she

mystifyingly said ‘I do’ to the

handsome 32-year-old French

action man. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that ol‘

‘Legz’ here (she’s still 5ft 11ins)

remains something of a polymath.

As the lady herself explains:

“Fashion. Beauty. Glamour.

Motorsport. TV presenting. Charity.

Spokesmodelling. I do it all, and

I love every minute of my work.”

So, aside from the marriage snafu,

what – we ask you – is not to like?

Apart from the spokesmodelling.

We’re not really sure what that

actually is.

60 | April 19 2013 |

Extra time Lauren Vickers

picdesk.com

Pretty polymath

| 61

My Criminal World

Henry Sutton

David Slavitt has a strained

marriage, a pushy editor and

an agent who thinks his writing

needs more violence. But the

issues for the protagonist in

Henry Sutton’s literary crime

novel really begin when his latest

story starts intertwining with

his life – leaving him to question

what’s real and what’s fiction.

Out now

62 | April 19 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Edgeland

Karl Hyde

The Underworld lead makes his

solo debut with a nine-track

album he says was inspired by

cityscapes and hidden corners.

Cut Clouds is the standout

track, but the album’s full of

percussion-light and deliberately

crescendoing treats. “Shouting

lager lager lager” seems a very

long time ago now.

Out Monday

Olympus Has FallenIf films about one man’s mission to stop

terrorists who have taken over the White

House are your thing, 2013 is shaping

up nicely. Channing Tatum’s White

House Down arrives later in the year, but

first the duty of protecting the home

of the leader of the free world falls to

Gerard Butler. The president, played by

Aaron Eckhart, is kidnapped and held

hostage by North Korean gunslingers

who kill a bunch of people, take over the

presidential hangout and demand missile

launch codes – all of which is somehow

related to reuniting North and South

Korea. Cue Secret Service agent Butler

– who, out to redeem his prior failings,

sneaks in and takes out the terrorists

one by one. But if you’re thinking Die

Hard in the Oval Office, you’re wrong.

Director Antoine Fuqua insists they’re

nothing alike (spoiler alert: they are).

The worryingly timely plot has all the

explosions and cheesy lines you’d expect,

except one: Yippee-ki-yay, Mr President.

Out today

Pick Me

Up Graphic

Arts Festival

In addition to

showcasing

and selling

original artworks, this fair at

London’s Somerset House

offers plenty of variety beyond

the usual ‘old painting on wall’

format. Whether it’s 3D models,

Modern Toss comics, interactive

T-shirt printing or playing with

claymation gurus Aardman

(of Wallace & Gromit fame),

something is bound to pique

your interest. And, with tickets

at just £8, they’ve done a

cracking good job, Gromit!

Open until April 28

Stepping Out

Anthony Strong

Not since Jamie Cullum burst

on to the scene have jazz and

mainstream seemed such natural

bedfellows, but Anthony Strong’s

second album mixes classic

jazz and upbeat swing to create

an ideal soundtrack for long

summer evenings. BB King called

Strong’s work “real great music”,

and who are we to argue?

Out now

The Prisoner of Heaven

Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The third in the Daniel Sempere-

narrated series takes us back

to the atmospheric Barcelona

backstreets and bookshops that

Zafon so wonderfully creates, as

the Spanish author interweaves

narratives to explore another

mystery long thought lost

among the pages of the

Cemetery of Forgotten Books.

Out now

Film Exhibition

MusicBookMusic Book

A GOOd dAy TO dyE HArd

ET Entertainment The White House comes under attack – not for the last time

this year – and there’s T-shirt printing at Somerset House