Issue 334 | December 6 2013

On England. On United. On life after football.

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Issue 334, December 6 2013

Radar

06 Messi versus the world Spanish football expert Guillem

Balague reveals the importance of

Lionel Messi’s World Cup mission

08 Deathly draws We recall the toughest groups of

death in World Cup history

10 Hamburgers United Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville launch

their own cafe – with Karren Brady’s

matchday dish of choice

o this coming weekFeatures

18 David Beckham The England legend talks World

Cups, lifelong friendships and why

he’s still an east London boy at heart

25 World Cup draw What could happen, what we want

to happen and what we definitely

don’t want to happen when the

balls are drawn in Brazil today

31 Rio Ferdinand He’s called time on his England

career, but Ferdinand still has

plenty to say on the Three Lions

35 The future of Formula 1 We examine the momentous

changes that are set to rock

the F1 world next season

Extra Time

52 Gift guide for girls Your Uncle Sport gives you a helping

hand with your last-minute shopping

54 Entertainment A darkly comic Israeli thriller and

American Psycho the musical

56 Gadgets A sexy television – with the

least sexy name you can imagine

60 Kit The cross trainers that allow you to

change your exercise without

needing to change your footwear

18 Contents

| December 6 2013 | 05

06 | December 6 2013 |

Radar p10 – Enjoy a prawn sarnie at Ryan Giggs’ and Gary Neville’s footie cafe

p08 – The World Cup’s deadliest groups

Messi’s MoMent?

he world’s best player struggled for

acceptance in Argentina, but has 20 goals

in 22 games under their latest manager.

We ask Spanish football expert Guillem Balague about

Lionel Messi, Argentina and the importance of 2014...

Past struggles with Argentina

“The fans, previous managers, media and Messi

himself have to share the blame. The atmosphere of

the fans: he was whistled sometimes; they said you

only get the best out of him when you pay him in

Europe; he was treated as a foreigner in his

homeland. That didn’t help.”

Close to quitting

“He was very close [to leaving international football].

He would go home to Argentina, be treated badly and

when he came back to Barcelona, it would take a week

for him to recover. It really affected him. His family

would see that and they just didn’t want him to go

through it. It was discussed: shall we not go back?”

New manager

“When you have a player like Messi in your side,

you have to get all of the conditions right to take

advantage of that talent. You’re really going to only

have three or four World Cups to take advantage –

and two of those have passed already for Argentina.

So, after trying different things, including Diego

Maradona, it’s ended up being a humble, quiet coach

[Alejandro Sabella] who has got it right.”

Sabella success

“Alejandro Sabella has created a more balanced side.

Defensively they’re still a bit weak, but he’s managed

to put all of the talent at his disposal at the disposal

of Messi. Now for Argentina, he’s closer to the box

– he doesn’t have to be involved from the beginning

of a move, he can just be in the right place at the

right time. Argentina are almost like a Real Madrid

team: quite a fast, counter-attacking team.”

Balancing act

“He fights all his life to be accepted in Argentina and

– finally – when he is accepted, Barcelona stop being

so dependent on him, then Neymar arrives, and now

the injuries. So he has never had a complete season

or year of happiness.”

World Cup required?

“If you look at the top players in history – Pele,

Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Alfredo Di Stefano –

only one of them hasn’t won the World Cup [Di

Stefano]. But Pep Guardiola says Messi doesn’t

need to win the World Cup. We can see that he is

the greatest, because he’s done it with such a

consistency at such a high level and won so many

trophies now considered as big as the World Cup,

like the Champions League.”

2014 and beyond

“What happens in this World Cup is going to define so

much of what happens to him, to Barcelona, to

Neymar. Because, if Messi wins it, he’ll go back and

give a sigh of relief: ‘I’ve done this now.’ And he can

concentrate on, perhaps, becoming a different

player. A deeper player, more a midfielder or a

number 10. But if he doesn’t win it, he’s going to still

try to keep pressing everybody, still wanting to score

90 goals per season – and how does that affect the

balance of Barcelona? So it’s a

fascinating World Cup. It’s a turning

point in his career and in his life.”

Messi by Guillem Balagué –

published with the authorisation of

the Messi family – is out now (Orion),

hardback £20/eBook £10.99

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Radar

England’s opening World Cup games will be settled in Salvador this

afternoon, but every team will hope to avoid the dreaded Group

of Death. We preview the draw in full from page 25. But first, whet

your appetite with some of the deadliest groups in World Cup history...

Death draws

Group 3, mexico 1970

Featuring Brazil in their pomp,

defending champions England,

1962 runners-up Czechoslovakia

and Romania, this group was the

origin of the term ‘Group of

Death’ – although it was first

coined in Spanish as the grupo de

la muerte by Mexican journalists.

It didn’t really live up to its

awesome moniker, however, as

the eastern European sides failed

to impress. England (with two

1-0 wins) and eventual champions

Brazil (three out of three) both

enjoyed safe passage through,

not to mention a matey match-up

between Pele and Bobby Moore.

Group c, spain 1982

This grupo de la muerte spawned

one of the great World Cup games,

the awkward 24-team set-up leading

to a second three-team group stage

– including one with Brazil, Italy and

holders Argentina. A side featuring

a youthful Diego Maradona lost both

its games, setting up a head-to-head

between the attacking verve of

Brazil, who had won four from four,

scoring 13 goals, and a defensive

Italian side (three draws, one win).

The Europeans won 3-2 thanks to a

hat-trick from Paolo Rossi (above),

and went on to lift the trophy.

The great Brazil playmaker Zico

called it “the day football died”.

Group F, south korea and japan 2002

Another match-up with Argentina

promised much, given the way that

England had crashed out four years

earlier. Add a Sweden side featuring

Freddie Ljunberg and Henrik Larsson

alongside a talented Nigeria team

– with many of the players who had

won Olympic gold in 1996 and gone

on to top their group in 1998 – and

we had a party. Or so we thought.

Group F flattered to deceive, as is

often the case with England. The

Three Lions nailed a sweet 1-0 win

over Argentina (pictured), who failed

to get out of the group for the first

time in 40 years – but Sweden went

through top on goals scored.

Group c, Germany 2006

Only four Argentina players

survived from 2002, with Carlos

Tevez and Lionel Messi among the

new faces, and the group was

even tougher. The Netherlands had

brought in new talents like Arjen

Robben and Robin van Persie, the

Ivory Coast had a golden group of

players coming through, and

Serbia and Montenegro had gone

through qualifying unbeaten. The

favourites won out, though, with

the most memorable moment

coming in Argentina’s 6-0

drubbing of the latter – a 25-pass

move culminating in a goal from

Esteban Cambiasso (above).

speed readone-of-a-kind book, the ‘Bernie Edition’ of the Formula 1 Opus

is signed by Mr Ecclestone and all 22 living world champions.

It comes in a carbon fibre presentation box that’s almost as big

as the man himself, as well as tickets to every race next season, access

to the exclusive Paddock Club and the chance to meet Ecclestone over

a cup of tea. Although, for the guide price, we’d probably demand some

posh biscuits. Granted, if the last few months of this season are anything

to go by, you could enjoy the same action for a lot less by putting your

feet up with a cuppa and watching a repeat of any given race on Sky+.

The book, which covers F1 present and past, will however be auctioned

off, with bidding closing on December 24, if you’re interested. That guide

price we mentioned is a cool $1m. But it’s probably tax deductible...

Find out more at thisisopus.com/thebernie

A

10 | December 6 2013 |

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ronnieshalvisparkour pioneer

merican Ronnie Shalvis is one of

the pioneers of parkour, or free

running. He’s probably best

known for a series of YouTube clips

based on the Assassin’s Creed series,

and he’s recently been working on ‘ice

parkour’, which sounds pretty slippery.

Ice must make everything a lot trickier?

“It’s more difficult, but pretty much

anything I can do on hard ground I can do

on ice. The only difference is on ice you

can incorporate spinning or slides that

I wouldn’t normally be able to do.”

What’s your best trick?

“One of the stunts I’m known for is a

move called the Dash Bomb – it’s a vault

over something, where you start jumping

backwards over an obstacle with your

hands behind you, then immediately flip

the other way doing a full front flip

forward. I did it out of a 10-foot tall

parking garage.”

What are you working on?

“Right now I’m working on a trick called

a ‘Kong Gainer’, which is similar to the

Dash Bomb that I landed, but opposite.

So you go forward with your hands,

pushing up from an obstacle, and then go

into a back flip forward over the obstacle.

It’s a fairly dangerous one – I’ve seen a

lot of people land on their head or hit

their head on the obstacle. I can do it in

the gym, and I’m training to be able to do

it safely outside on hard ground.”

Do you have to plan your moves out in

advance, or can you just start running off

over rooftops like an action hero?

“I’ve reached the point where I can just

look at a drop and know whether I can do

it or not, but it’s all the training I’ve done

up to that point that has allowed me to

be able to do that. I’ve practised it so

many times at different heights that I

can just look at it and know exactly how

I need to do the flip or jump.”

Is the sport becoming more competitive?

“When parkour first started, the

community was kind of against

competitions. But lately, with free running

being slightly different from parkour,

people are making more out of it.”

Any tips for people that want to try it?

“Start very simply. Start with movements

that you already know how to do – like

the shoulder roll. It’s a simple move to

start learning and, if you trip and fall,

you can go into the roll, which will

prevent you from getting hurt.”

Ronnie Shalvis is an ambassador for Alfa

Romeo UK and stars in the campaign for

the ALFA D.N.A System. alfaromeo.co.uk

Eat mygoal

Football and food have an unhealthier

relationship than Jose Mourinho

and Michael Essien, but a new

restaurant founded by Gary Neville and

Ryan Giggs (who admit they can cook

little more than a bacon sandwich and a

bolognese between them) is looking to

change that. With a menu inspired by

terrace favourites, Cafe Football – opening

in Westfield Stratford this month – brings a

touch of class to the sausage roll. On offer

are burgers, pizza and steak plus ‘The Treble

Pies’ (get it?). There are also some celebrity

fans’ favourites, including Karren Brady’s

pie and mash. Not a prawn sandwich in sight.

cafe-football.com

A

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12 | December 6 2013 |

Radar Editor’s Letter

Editor

Tony Hodson

@tonyhodson1

As a Liverpool fan, and particularly after the dismal

defeat at Hull last week, I am as worried as the

next Red about the current absence through injury

of Daniel Sturridge. But, as an England fan too, I am totally

behind Roy Hodgson in his refusal to apologise for playing

the striker for 90 minutes against Germany last month.

Word is that Liverpool were furious at the physical

condition in which Sturridge – a player whose career has

been blighted by injury problems – returned to Anfield after

that game. But Hodgson has been quick (and correct) to

point out that the ankle injury set to keep Sturridge out for

up to two months is nothing to do with the troublesome

thigh that had bothered the forward in the run-up to the

latest international break.

“I suppose you could argue we did put his resolve to the

test,” said Hodgson this week. “But I don’t apologise for it.

I am delighted he did get out there, because that means

in the future I will know I can trust him in an England team

and he is not going to be playing when he feels like it – he is

going to be playing when he’s fit.”

Strong words, but well timed in a week when the fans’

attentions are turned towards the all-important World Cup

draw in Brazil. Hodgson is paid a handsome salary to coach

the national team, but for the most part has to suffer in

silence as clubs seemingly endeavour to pull their prized

assets out of England fixtures for the flimsiest of reasons.

It is Hodgson’s head on the block when his squad flies to

South America, however, and he is showing a welcome

determination to ensure he takes with him a carefully

selected group of players exhibiting the kind of attitude

that will be required to achieve anything beyond the bare

minimum in Brazil. If that means occasionally putting the

clubs back in their (lavishly decorated) box, then so be it.

Rory McIlroy has ended his annus horribilis with a tied

sixth at the HSBC Champions, a tie for fifth at the World

Tour Championship, and victory at the Australian Open

– where he saw off the challenge of Adam Scott, Masters

champion and form golfer in the world this year, on home

soil. He could be a young man to keep an eye on next year.

Things about Tom Daley that matter to me: 1. He is a

world-class diver who might just win Olympic gold for

Team GB in Rio; 2. His legs are hairier than mine. That’s it.

Roy plays hard ballOn the eve of the World Cup draw, the England manager asserts his authority over the clubs

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Reader comments of the week

@Sportmaguk run a cover

story on Gareth Bale and he

gets a hat-trick the next day.

Article on Fernando Torres

this week please?

@Matty_Wheels

@Sportmaguk timely article

about @GarethBale11,

given his hat-trick heroics

the other day. Spurs could

do with a player like him

@Johnchallen

@tonyhodson1 finally

someone in the press

says what we all know

about Trott. There is no

shame in a disease that

affects so many. Well said.

@vinniesarah

Thank you @sportmaguk

for bringing me

@sonnybwilliams this

morning! #dreamy

@MeeraJade

Interesting #sponsorship

piece in @sportmaguk on

long-running partnerships.

Will have to leave this page

open on my CEOs desk...

@NickMott

Fab interview with

adventurer/explorer/

runner Sir Ranulph

Fiennes in @Sportmaguk.

A true British sporting

hero

@xempouk

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

Focused on the job in hand:

Hodgson has shown a quiet

determination with England

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14 | December 6 2013 |

Radar Opinion

Flats on Friday

Everyone knows that the margins in elite sport are incredibly fine. While not

always the case, opportunities at the top tend

to arrive and vanish in what seems like an instant.

I remember being told I needed to play well in a

Heineken Cup game by the England coaches, as Trevor

Woodman was putting serious pressure on my place in

the squad. We travelled to Ulster and, as so few teams

manage to do, beat them in reasonable style. I wasn’t

smiling in the showers, though, partly because I was

conducting my ablutions next to the unarguably more

physically impressive Richard Hill – but primarily

because I knew I had blown it.

During the first half, we lost a scrappy lineout and

their openside flanker scooped up the ball and began

running at a natural hole in our defensive line. I tackled

him – but only after hesitating and, assuming the man

next to me would hit him, missing the opportunity to

smash a bloke backwards before he achieved total

balance. Two seconds – moment gone. And in the

second half I received an impromptu pass from Kyran

Bracken from a turnover, and froze a bit. I wasn’t sure

whether I should charge the ball up or spin it wide, so I

stood still – for roughly a second. “F***ing run, man!”

shouted skipper Francois Pienaar, and I did, but that

split second of doubt did the damage.

They were my two shots at making an impact away

from the tight phases, and I ballsed them up. I still

don’t know why. The only thing that makes this memory

bearable is that no third party was involved; I made the

mistakes, so I can live with them.

I wonder how George Groves feels this week as he

reflects on what was, bizarrely, his finest yet most

disastrous moment in boxing. In terms of preparation,

he looked in a different league to Carl Froch, the

defending world champion and certified tough hombre.

Round after round, Groves took Froch apart, and it was

mesmerising to watch.

Then, in the ninth round – after being floored and,

frankly, battered by the challenger, Froch saw an

opportunity. How, after such a hammering, he managed

to take that opportunity, I do not know. The mental

toughness he holds in reserve is, I feel comfortable

enough to profess, what sees him sat atop the tree.

Groves, now, will reveal what reserves he has. He

saw his dream taken away not by his opponent or his

own errors, but by a referee who stopped the fight

way, way too early. Groves was in trouble, no doubt –

but nothing like the trouble into which he had thumped

Froch in the preceding rounds – yet he was not given

anywhere near the same chance to dig in as his more

decorated opponent. So he finds himself praying for a

rematch, relying on Froch to do the right thing and not

dodge it. And he has to get over the referee’s premature

annihilation of his dreams. It’s all out of his hands.

Tell you what, though. I’ll fight anyone for a ticket

when the time comes. No referees allowed.

@davidflatman

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Ignore fair-weather bores

It’s like this…Bill Borrows

And so the fixtures for the 2015 Rugby World Cup have been announced, with the astounding

revelation that 37 of the 48 matches are to be

played below the Watford Gap. So that leaves five

in the Midlands, and six to be shared by the major

conurbations of Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.

“We have taken the game to the whole country,”

boasted Debbie Jevans, chief executive of England

Rugby 2015 – a touch disingenuously – when the

host stadiums were announced back in May.

“It’s disgraceful,” thundered Roger Bowen,

chairman of Sale Sharks Supporters Club in

The Daily Telegraph, before adding enigmatically.

“They’re talking with a forked tongue.”

Unusually, you might suppose, I have some

sympathy for Ms Jevans. An even geographical

spread would be financial suicide, and I’m glad

there are only a few games in the north. Events

like these, suddenly shoving a sport into the

national consciousness, produce a certain kind of

pop-up fan. And, to paraphrase Morrissey, it’s

worse if they’re northern.

This has nothing to do with rugby union. I toured

South Africa with the Lions as a journalist in 1997

and loved every minute, interviewed Martin

Johnson on the eve of the 2003 World Cup and

even tried to persuade my ex-wife to “hang on

for a bit” as she went into labour before the start

of the 2007 final. She refused. We lost.

It’s any sport that leaps from the back pages to

a lead item on the evening news, and it almost

made London 2012 unbearable. Ben Ainslie? “Yep,

that’s four consecutive Olympic golds,” the pop-ups

would announce like they had been following his

career since he first pulled on a lifejacket.

Don’t even get me started on what they thought

they knew about Sir Bradley Wiggins or the

Paralympians, and have since forgotten.

It’s all talk. They drop these learned-by-rote

facts at dinner parties or in the boozer in an effort

to sound au courant. Rarely will you find them at an

actual event – unless it’s a hot corporate ticket

and they’re depriving a real fan of a place.

And so that’s why Ms Jevans has got it about

right. First of all, the core support in the south

should get the tickets, but they’re also welcome to

the battalions of bar-room bores who will suddenly

know the second line to Swing Low Sweet Chariot.

Generally speaking, we don’t dig fake in the north.

@billborrows

 

Plank of the weekDave Whelan, Wigan

You sacked Owen Coyle because Wigan fans weren’t

happy about losing three games at home in a week?

Had they beaten Derby, they would be in contention

for a playoff place. Be careful what you wish for.

16 | December 6 2013 |

Frozen in time

| 17

We are quite amusedCommon lore has it that, when a train on which

she was travelling neared Birmingham, Queen

Victoria ordered the blinds in her carriage to be

pulled down, so she need not look out upon the

filth of 19th-century industry. No such contempt

from great-great-great-great-grandson Prince

William, however – Aston Villa’s most famous fan

who isn’t a violinist dressed as a tramp stopped

the train, got off and made his bespectacled way

to Villa Park last weekend, where he seemed to

enjoy a tedious 0-0 draw with Sunderland. Locals

didn’t seem quite as taken with the show, mind.La

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18 | December 6 2013 |

David Beckham

The England legend talks exclusively to Sport about life after football and today’s World Cup draw k

W h o

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D a v i D

B e c k h a m ?

David Beckham

20 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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It’s hard to picture

David Beckham as a

living, breathing man. It is now a generation and more

since a young footballer burst on to

the scene at Manchester United, fresh-

faced and full of the swagger and

desire that would grace the beautiful

game for the best part of two decades.

Today, we see a grizzled hunk adorning

countless television adverts, billboards

and magazine covers. The boy became

a man, and the man became a brand.

Waiting in a London hotel on a grey

Thursday morning, we hear his voice

before we finally see him – the

moderated east London tone, largely

unchanged by moves to Manchester,

Spain, America, Italy and France.

And then he’s through the door, looking

model-perfect in a dark T-shirt framed

by ink, storied hair swept straight back

above a wolfish beard. The room has

been set up for TV interviews, so it

is illuminated only by a couple of

lighting rigs. Combined with Beckham’s

insouciant style, it all feels a bit unreal,

as if we’re conducting the interview

inside a fragrance advert.

The 38-year-old has always had to

be pretty good at blocking out the

glare of the spotlight to concentrate

on the task at hand, though. And, as he

sits down opposite us with a smile and

a handshake, he’s polite and focused.

It’s all as inevitably effortless as one

of his trademark free kicks, but with

today’s World Cup draw in mind, our

first question takes him back to a

strike he put everything behind –

probably the hardest anyone has ever

struck a football. Beckham’s penalty

against Argentina in the 2002 World

Cup group stages was powerful, low

and unerring. It closed a painful

chapter in his international career that

began, as we all know, with a dismissal

in the 1998 World Cup second round

for a petulant flick out at Diego

Simeone. He pauses to collect his

thoughts before telling us how he felt

when Argentina’s ball was pulled out of

the pot and placed in England’s group.

“As soon as their name came out,

I knew it was something I was looking

forward to,” he tells us. “I was excited,

because I knew that there was a time

I could put things right, to an extent.”

We suggest England’s current crop

of players will be anticipating this

afternoon’s draw with a similar sense

of excitement. “It’s something that you

always watched out for,” says

Beckham. “It’s something I think every

Englishman watches out for. Once you

reach the World Cup finals, you’re

always waiting to see who you’re going

to play in the group stages.”

N a t i o N a l p r i d eEngland safely navigated the group

stages in four of the five major

tournaments at which Beckham played,

but greater success sadly eluded him.

“I look back at my career and, if

there’s one thing I could change, it

would be winning something with

England,” says Beckham, who remains

fiercely proud of playing for his country

despite the abuse he received from

fans after that sending-off in 1998. k

“ i l o o k b a c k a t m y c a r e e r

a N d , i f t h e r e ’ s o N e t h i N g

i c o u l d c h a N g e , i t w o u l d

b e w i N N i N g s o m e t h i N g

w i t h e N g l a N d ”

50836F232X300.pdf Page 1 25/09/13, 00:15

David Beckham

22 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

“I’m proud of the amount of times

I’ve played for England [115] and I’m

proud that I’ve captained my country.

Would I have liked a trophy at the end

of it? Yeah. I’d give up a lot to have a

trophy for my country.”

With redemption on the line and

the ball on the penalty spot, the pitch

can feel like a very lonely place.

But Beckham was fortunate to be

among friends for his showdown

with Simeone in Sapporo, Japan.

“I can remember him coming up

to me during that match against

Argentina,” he said. “I turned around

and I saw Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and

Gary Neville. I knew I had their support,

and you can’t replace that.”

Beckham is promoting The Class

of ’92, a documentary that brings

together the six Manchester United

youth team players who developed into

treble-winners: Beckham, Scholes,

Butt, Ryan Giggs and Gary and Phil

Neville. We ask whether the players

– Giggs aside – were able to carry

the understanding they had at club

level with them when they were on

England duty.

“I felt that we could,” says Beckham.

“When we first got into the England

team, there were literally more than

six United players – there was Andy

Cole and a couple of others as well.

We were kind of dominating at the

time, and the five of us always got on

when we were away with England.

We always stuck together. People

talked about the Manchester United

and Liverpool divide, but there was no

divide – it was just the fact that we’d

sit together at dinner or talk.”

“I always look back on my time with

those lads as the best time in my

career,” he continues when we ask

whether the fun of playing football

evaporated as his career took him

away from his friends at Old Trafford.

“To have grown up like we did as mates

and to have the success we had with

club and country – that’s any kid’s

dream. Obviously I moved on to Real

Madrid, then to the Galaxy, and played

for Milan. I was able to carry that

feeling over with me to other clubs,

but it was nothing compared to what

we had.”

M a n c h e s t e r M e M o r i e sThere’s a moment in the film when

Giggs laughs as he recalls the

nickname he used to have for Beckham

when they were apprentices at United:

“Alright treacle?” The others chip in:

“Flash Cockney” and “Pretty boy” are

the suggestions from Gary Neville,

one of Beckham’s closest friends in

football. In The Class of ’92, the group

remembers the attention Beckham

paid to having the best car in the group.

“I think it’s because I’m from east

London!” he laughs. “That was

something I always wanted as a kid:

leather seats and nice wheels and

a good music system, and that’s not

changed. Times change – but I still

like a nice car.”

Beckham has plenty of those now,

along with property and business

ventures that make him one of the

highest-earning athletes in the world

– and one of the world’s most

recognisable faces.

“I never wanted to be a star,” he

insists, however. “I never wanted to be

famous. I just wanted to be a footballer.

I wanted to be a professional footballer

and I wanted to play for Manchester

United and play for England. Obviously,

though, I have been very privileged –

and I am very proud of everything that

has come with that.”

In his recent autobiography, Sir Alex

Ferguson says of Beckham that he

“felt uncomfortable with the celebrity

aspect of his life”. It has been

suggested that this contributed to

Beckham’s departure from Old

Trafford after 12 years, six league

titles, two FA Cups and a Champions

League trophy. He has admitted to

being devastated when he left United;

there were private tears when he

signed for Real Madrid. But if Beckham

could go back, would he trade what he

There were tears in Paris as

Beckham left the pitch for the final

time as a professional in May. A few

months on, how is he coping?

How are you adjusting to life

without football?

“There were a few weeks where I

really missed the game, but I had

everything set up. Literally the day

after I finished playing at PSG, I was

flying across to the US about my

MLS franchise. So I kind of jumped

into something straight away, which

helped me get over the fact that I

wasn’t playing – and I’ve been so

busy since then I’ve kind of not had

the time to sit down and be sad

about the fact that I’m not playing.”

How are things progressing with

the franchise? Will it be Miami?

“The announcement is not out yet

– we haven’t announced Miami.

We have looked at other places.

People are talking about Miami

because they’ve seen me there, and

definitely that is an option, but we’ve

not put the announcement out.”

Do you think your move to LA

Galaxy did help grow the sport?

“If you look at statistics, then yes.

I don’t like to talk about my impact in

America; I think it’s down to other

people to talk about that, and it’s

better coming from them because

they’re not biased. I’ve seen the

impact of the new stadiums that

have been built around the country

solely for football, I’ve seen the

league and the interest grow, and

I’m proud to have been part of that.”

What do you miss about playing?

“That regimented schedule of

getting up in the morning, training,

coming home, seeing the kids. I miss

that, I miss training every day, being

around the lads. And game days.

Nothing can replace that.”

What don’t you miss?

“Training in the cold most days,

apart from when I lived in the US.

That’s something I don’t think

anyone enjoys – but if I had the

choice, I’d love to do it all again.”

Do you have any guilty pleasures

now you don’t have to train?

“I’ve been lucky enough that I’ve

always been able to kind of eat

what I want over my career and not

put on too much weight. I’ve hardly

put on any since I finished playing.”

has now – the money, the fame, the

imminent MLS franchise – for a few

more years with the number 7 on

his back?

“I’d never trade anything that I’ve

done in my career for that,” comes

the firm reply. “I feel special about

Manchester United because they gave

me my chance to live my dream with

a club I’d supported my whole life and

will continue to support. But I’m very

proud of my achievements outside of

Manchester United. And the fact that

I was – which is very difficult, by the

way – able to go on from Manchester

United and be successful with Real

Madrid, PSG, the Galaxy. I’m very proud

that I played for some of the other

biggest clubs in the world, and I would

never change that.”

With that, our time is up, and

Beckham is whisked away. We’re left

with a clearer picture of him – and it’s

a sharper version of the image we

already had: the east London boy

turned style icon; the sporting diplomat

on a par with princes; a business, and

a businessman. Six months after his

retirement, Beckham is all these things

and more. You suspect that’s exactly

what he wants.

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala

The Class of ‘92 is available now

on DVD (Universal)

L i f e a f t e r f o o t b a L L

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w e d i d a s M a t e s a n d t o

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on the draw

World Cup Draw

| December 6 2013 | 25

It started with 203 teams attempting to qualify. Gradually

the likes of Montserrat, Eritrea, Turkmenistan and Scotland

were whittled away, and 31 nations went through. Add in

hosts Brazil and you have the golden 32 that will play at

World Cup 2014. The draw starts at 5pm on Friday

December 6, which is when all of the ball-delving fun begins.

First of all, the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that

Pot 4 currently contains nine teams, while Pot 2 has seven.

That’s because early on in the draw, one European team will be

taken from Pot 4 and put into Pot 2 to even out the numbers.

That European team will be kept away from the UEFA seeds

(to ensure that no group has three European teams in it), but

it’s probably not a fate Roy Hodgson will want for England.

It leaves open the possibility of England getting a tough South

American Pot 1 seed such as Argentina or Brazil – as well as

a European Pot 4 team such as Italy or the Netherlands.

To ensure that no group has two South American teams

in it, Chile and Ecuador will be kept separate from the four

South American seeds. Clear as mud? Good, let’s press on.

That riveting Pot 2 complexity aside, it’s a draw of eight

groups made up of one team from each pot. What's really

intriguing is that there is the possibility of wild variety in the

quality of team in each group. For example, it's possible for the

draw to bring up a group of death (say, Spain, the Netherlands,

Chile and the USA), while also delivering a group of dross

(Switzerland, Greece, Algeria and Honduras, for example).

Donning both our English hat (a bowler) and our

international hat (probably some kind of flag-festooned

sombrero), Sport has examined each pot to assess the

strength of the teams involved on a sliding scale. Thus England

fans can get a quick gauge on the nations they ideally want to

draw and avoid, with a particular eye on any dark horses that

stand, snorting their nostrils in wait. k

Pot 1 (SeedS)ArgentinaBrazilColombiaUruguayBelgiumGermanySpainSwitzerland

Pot 2 (CaF, ConMeBoL + one UeFa*)AlgeriaCameroonGhanaIvory CoastNigeriaChileEcuador

Pot 3 (aFC + ConCaCaF)AustraliaIranJapanSouth KoreaCosta RicaHondurasMexicoUSA

Pot 4 (UeFa)Bosnia-HerzegovinaCroatiaEngland FranceGreeceItalyNetherlandsPortugalRussia

Asian Football

Confederation (AFC)

Confederation of African

Football (CAF)

Confederation of North,

Central American and

Caribbean Association

Football (CONCACAF)

South American Football

Confederation

(CONMEBOL)

Union of European

Football Associations

(UEFA)

ahead oF the worLd CUP draw, we teLL yoU aLL yoU need to know

Friday FIFA World Cup drAW

BAhIA, BrAzIl

BBC tWo 4.30pm

4pm

*To be taken from Pot 4

and moved in to Pot 2 at

the start of the draw

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World Cup Draw

26 | December 6 2013 |

Pot 1

“The giant is back,” crowed Brazil’s raucous fans as the

Selecao spanked world champions Spain 3-0 in the final of the

Confederations Cup. They still look less than rock solid at the

back, with David Luiz often doing more clean-up work than

a school janitor, but this is a team packed with physically

dynamic yet technically adept players. Throw in the burgeoning

brilliance of Neymar and Oscar, plus home advantage, and you

have the most challenging opponents in the competition.

Also on the list of teams England would really rather avoid is

Argentina. Lionel Messi (below) – finally producing his best

form for his country – heads up a squad rich in goal-scoring

prowess (35 in 16 qualifying games). Argentina’s previous World

Cup triumphs, in 1978 and 1986, came on South American soil.

We suggest 2014 offers an excellent opportunity for a third.

Europe’s two best sides make up the quartet of pre-

tournament favourites, with the depth of talent at manager

Jogi Low’s disposal making Germany a serious threat. Mario

Gotze, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos, Thomas

Muller, Marco Reus and (if fit) Sami Khedira are all competing

for their place – and that’s just the midfield. However, the

pressure is on Low: the feeling in Germany is that it’s time

this team won a trophy as reward for all its pretty football.

Spain know all about coping with pressure. Their own

midfield is also gorged with talent, yet there’s a feeling this is

a side on the wane. The ageing limbs of Carles Puyol in defence

and David Villa up front haven’t been convincingly replaced.

That said, voices whispered the same thing before Euro 2012

and they ended up wrecking Italy 4-0 in the final. Still a threat.

The next four seeds are less established, but of those

Colombia could be the coming force (so long as Pele hasn’t

tipped them by the time you read this). Finishing second only to

Argentina in South American qualifying, the team boasts one

of the world’s elite strikers in Radamel Falcao, prolific Porto

marksman Jackson Martínez, and a ‘golden generation’

including Monaco starlet James Rodriguez backing them up.

The other football hipster’s fancies are Belgium. We’re only

too aware of how strong the spine of this team is (Simon

Mignolet, Vincent Kompany, Marouane Fellaini, Eden Hazard,

Christian Benteke and/or Romelu Lukaku) because we see it in

the Premier League each week. But this is a team that’s only

begun making the most of its talent recently, and a lack of big-

tournament experience could cost them. Belgium are a dark

horse that could go all the way – or plough into the first fence.

Uruguay are another team that are tricky to gauge. They

boast the goal-grabbing prowess of Luis Suarez and Edinson

Cavani and are reigning Copa America champions, yet finished

behind both Chile and Ecuador in South American qualifying

and required a playoff win against Jordan to reach the World

Cup. That said, results improved as qualification went on, so

it’s very possible that cunning coach Oscar Tabarez has found

a formula for La Celeste success at the right time.

The weakest of the seeds is Switzerland. They have a

savvy manager in Ottmar Hitzfeld and boast midfield talent

with the likes of Bayern Munich’s fleet-footed Xherdan Shaqiri

and Napoli lynchpin Gökhan Inler. However, their forward line is

short of goals (central defender Fabian Schar was their top

scorer in qualifying – with a grand total of three) and they tend

to stink the joint out at major tournaments.

Pot 1

Pot 2

Pot 2

With a mixture of African, South American and one European

side (identity to be confirmed), Pot 2 is the biggest lottery of

them all, with Chile the bogey team most European sides will

want to avoid. The Chileans initially struggled after Marcelo

Bielsa departed in 2011, but new coach Jorge Sampaoli –

who arrived midway through their qualifying campaign –

has reintroduced a high-pressing, ultra-attacking game.

La Roja have lost only two of the 15 games since his arrival,

have a genuinely world-class talent in Alexis Sanchez (above)

and should enjoy playing on home soil (continentally speaking).

The random European side adds an element of chaos to this

group, because nobody knows if it’ll be one to avoid (please

not the Dutch!) or a relative soft touch (no offence, Croatia).

However, we do know that the African threat will come strongly

from Ghana, who fired in an impressive 25 goals in eight

qualifying matches, with Asamoah Gyan still the main man.

Ivory Coast beat Senegal 4-2 in the African playoffs, and

while they were not quite as convincing as the scoreline

suggests, the Elephants do boast a fearsome array of

world-class superstars. That’s something Nigeria cannot

claim, but the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions went

unbeaten in qualifying and look a united team under

inspirational manager and former captain Stephen Keshi.

Cameroon, meanwhile, aren’t the force they once were,

with 32-year-old Samuel Eto’o still very much their stand-out

threat going forward. German Volker Finke is the man tasked

with leading the Indomitable Lions at the World Cup, but reports

of rifts with Eto’o already don’t fill you with confidence.

The weakest prey in this pot is Ecuador and Algeria.

For Ecuador, goals are the issue, with a lot of pressure on

Lokomotiv Moscow man Felipe Caicedo to lead the line. As for

Algeria: anyone who remembers their 0-0 draw against

England four years ago will be praying to avoid a rerun of one

of the dullest World Cup matches ever played. Away goals

helped the Algerians past Burkina Faso in qualification, but

while defensive solidity is their gameplan, they tend to offer

little threat going forward. k

Pot 4

There’s a one-in-nine chance that England could be ripped

from Pot 4 and chucked into Pot 2 before the draw even

starts (see page 25 for an explanation). In an ideal world,

England would like to stay safely in Pot 4 – preferably with the

likes of the Netherlands and Italy – to ensure they can’t

possibly be drawn together. That danger duo both came

through their UEFA qualifying groups unbeaten and are

perhaps unlucky not to be seeded. Louis van Gaal’s Dutch side

scored 34 goals in 10 qualifiers and are the biggest threat.

Elsewhere, Portugal might have come through a playoff,

but Cristiano Ronaldo proved he’s ready for the big stage

– who knew? – and he alone means they’ll be more feared than

a Russia side that beat them to the top of their qualifying

group, thanks to a team built on solidity at the back. The CSKA

Moscow trio of Igor Akinfeev, Sergei Ignashevich and Aleksei

Berezutski will make them a tough team to break down.

France tend to either implode hilariously or surpass

expectations in major tournaments, and Didier Deschamps’

men are already showing the required inconsistency.

A dreadful first-leg performance in their playoff against

Ukraine was blown away by a brilliant 3-0 win in the home leg.

With Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema, Yohan Cabaye and a

seemingly rejuvinated Samir Nasri just a handful of the

world-class players they can call upon, the French are a

dangerous but unpredictable animal.

Debutants Bosnia-Herzegovina won their qualifying

group with strikers Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic scoring a

whopping 18 goals between them. They can look dodgy at the

back, however, and Asmir Begovic could be a busy man in Brazil.

Croatia and Greece are not the forces they once were.

The former have more talent, although the fact that forward

Mario Mandzukic will start the World Cup suspended is a blow.

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World Cup Draw

28 | December 6 2013 |

Pot 3

The team to avoid in pot four are JAPAN. They cruised

through their qualifying group, with Mainz forward Shinji

Okazaki carrying their largest threat. He is a potential star of

2014, while Manchester United’s Shinji Kagawa (above) is

hardly goal-shy at international level either (16 in 52 games).

USA come next, where Tim Howard, Landon Donovan and

Clint Dempsey remain the major names on Jurgen Klinsmann’s

teamsheet. They’re a team that play as more than the sum of

their parts, and are capable of pulling off an upset.

Iran come into the World Cup with a predictability about

them, in that they’re just hard to play against. On their road to

qualification, Carlos Queiroz’s men kept 10 clean sheets in 16

games, and conceded just seven times altogether. Nil-nil

draws are the priority.

A change of manager after securing qualification make

South Korea, on the other hand, a bit of an unexpected outfit.

Son Heung-Min, Koo Ja-Cheol and veteran Lee Dong-Gook have

the talent, but unpredictability might be South Korea’s weapon.

Australia are a team you wouldn’t mind drawing, on

current form. The Socceroos managed only three wins from a

group containing Iraq, Oman, Jordan and Japan, lost a friendly

against France 6-0 in October and sacked their manager.

Not to be outdone, Mexico won only two of 10 games in

CONCACAF qualifying, scoring just seven goals. New boss

Miguel Herrera led them through a playoff win against New

Zealand by dropping all of the Europe-based Mexican stars.

At least Mexico have stars to call on, however, and could pull

themselves out of the mierda in time for next summer. Costa

Rica and Honduras have no such luck. The former won every

home match in qualifying but – ominously – struggled badly on

their travels, failing to win at all. HONDURAS recently tested

the waters in Brazil and lost 5-0 to the hosts, offering up a

couple of defensive errors along the way. It does not augur well.

Pot 3

Pot 4

Rio Ferdinand

| December 6 2013 | 31

Once a skipper…Former England captain Rio Ferdinand talks World Cup draws, groups of death and the questions Roy Hodgson needs to answer before boarding the plane to Brazil k

Rio Ferdinand

| December 6 2013 | 33

The words flow fast and furious from

the mouth of former England captain

Rio Ferdinand. Clearly, wearing the

shirt – a total of 81 times at senior

level, in Ferdinand’s case – does not

render you immune from suffering

the same frustrations as those of us

who have not (overpriced replicas

don’t count). The Manchester United

defender announced his retirement

from international duty earlier this

year, and has since been appointed to

the FA’s commission into the future of

English football, set up by Greg Dyke to

“find a way of delivering long-term

success for the England team”. It’s a

topic that, in both its immediate sense

and as an ongoing concern, is at the

forefront of Ferdinand’s mind.

The World Cup draw takes place on

Friday. Is it something you got excited

about as an England player?

“I’ve always been relaxed about it,

whether that’s for England or for

United in [the draw for] the Champions

League. I can’t influence it, so I didn’t

get excited by it. But once I know who

we’ve got, especially if it’s a team we

haven’t played much, then I’ll go away

and look at it. I think we had Ecuador

one year [in the second round, in

2006], and we’ve had Nigeria [in the

group stage, in 2002]. It’s a lot easier

to go away and look at stuff on your

own time now, with YouTube – but we

had the TV and video guy at England

who would give you DVDs if you

wanted them, so that you could look

at individuals and some of their

team play.”

Was that something you liked to do?

“Yeah, I always wanted to know who

I was playing against, especially the

centre forwards. I wanted to know the

four centre forwards they would

probably take and watch them to find

out their best traits. Not everyone

is like that, though. Some just like to

play their own game – especially the

attacking players. They’re confident in

their own ability and it’s up to them to

break the defenders down. With me,

I’m having to react to a forward’s

movements, so by watching footage of

him play I can look at his body position

and see whether he favours his right

foot or likes to drop a shoulder –

things like that.”

Would you prefer to see England

draw a straightforward group, or is

it better to be in a tougher group and

measure people’s expectations?

“It’s better to go into a solid group,

rather than an easy group where

people expect you to just turn teams

over because, as we know, it’s never

as easy as it looks on paper. A solid

group means there’s no chance for

complacency to creep in. But you don’t

want a group of death either, because

that could take too much out of you in

a tournament. If you have three tough

games in your group, then by the

time you get to the quarters or the

semi finals, you could be gassed out.

So you want a group that will keep

you focused, but one that won’t take

too much out of you if you approach it

right, mentally.”

England lost back-to-back games

at Wembley recently. But is it better

for the team to play tough friendlies

against the likes of Chile and Germany

than smash a hatful past a side such

as San Marino?

“I think even playing against a Norway

or a Denmark isn’t going to throw up

any new equations for us to work out

[England’s next friendly is against

Denmark, on March 5]. We need to play

against the South American teams, and

maybe an African team, too. They’re

the kind of teams we don’t play against

often. We play against the Nordic

countries and people like that quite

often, so we know how to play against

them and what to expect. Whereas we

don’t play against the African, South

American and Asian countries often

and, once we get to a tournament,

we don’t want to be surprised.”

What questions did the Germany and

Chile games throw up for Roy Hodgson?

“You’d have to ask Roy that. But it’s

going to be hot out there, and

possession is going to be key. When we

played against Germany and Chile, they

kept the ball very well – something

we need to work on. It’s not just this

generation of players, though. Even

when I was playing for England, we

didn’t keep the ball as well as other

teams. In a tournament, if you’re

chasing the ball for 60 or 70 minutes

out of 90, then come the later stages

you’re gonna be out on your feet.”

Are there any teams you think could

spring a surprise in Brazil?

“Chile. I was impressed by the way they

played at Wembley – they played risky

football and, at the top level, sometimes

you have to take risks to be successful.

They have players like Alexis Sanchez

and Arturo Vidal, who can cause

problems. Colombia as well – they

won’t be much of a surprise in South

America, but in Europe they will be.

Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez –

they have a really good team and a

good record. Both those teams are

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accustomed to the conditions in Brazil,

so it’s a real opportunity for them.”

We’ll be expecting big things from

Cristiano Ronaldo in Brazil. What were

your first impressions of him?

“I just remember thinking: ‘Let’s sign

him.’ We played Sporting Lisbon in

2003, and I was just thinking: ‘Wow.’

We’d just lost out on Ronaldinho, and I

thought: ‘I hope we get this kid.’ He was

still finding himself – he had funny hair

with two little bits hanging down and

he was a really skinny little lad, then.”

How does he compare now to the

player who first arrived at United?

“He’s more decisive. He’s got it into

his head that it’s not just about skills

and showboating. He’s all about end

product now. He’s looking to get on

the ball to really hurt the other team –

get shots on target, score, set people

up. And he’s scoring all types of

goals – headers, left foot, right foot.

It’s just ridiculous.”

Did anyone get particularly annoyed

by Ronaldo’s flicks and tricks?

“Ruud van Nistelrooy. He’d say: ‘I don’t

know when he’s gonna cross the ball.

How can I make my runs? I look like a

fool.’ Ruud was reliant on other people

to put chances his way, so when

Ronnie came along and he was about

skills and showboating, he used to go

mad. There were tantrums.”

Sarah Shephard @sarahsportmag

Rio Ferdinand appears in EA

SPORTS FIFA 14 on Xbox,

out now. Order your special

edition Xbox One and FIFA 14

at www.amazon.co.uk

“At the top level, sometimes you have to take risks to be successful”

“When you look at our teams in the Premier League, there’s loads of movement. So why is that not transferring to the England team? It’s rigid.”

| December 6 2013 | 35

Formula 1: A Study

You can trace the state of modern

Formula 1 back to a drivers’ meeting at

the Dorchester Hotel in June 1970.

After a memorial service at St Paul’s for

Bruce McLaren, the New Zealander who gave his

name to the British team but died in a crash at

Goodwood, the drivers gathered in a hotel suite to

talk about safety. It was almost non-existent back

then: McLaren was the first of three drivers on the

grid to die in 1970; Piers Courage lost his life in a

crash at Zandvoort in the Netherlands; and Jochen

Rindt died at Monza while leading the world

championship – he was never caught, and is the

only driver to be awarded the title posthumously.

It was the Nurburgring that topped the agenda

that day, though. Led by Jackie Stewart (pictured,

right), the drivers voted to refuse to race at the

famous-but-dangerous German circuit after

being denied their request that improved safety

measures be put in place.

Forty-three years later, and the exclusive hotel

still has the same old grandeur it had in 1970, but

Formula 1 has evolved beyond recognition. Sitting

once more in a suite at the Dorchester, Sir Jackie

Stewart reflects on the safety improvements that

stemmed from that drivers’ pact.

“It’s been 19 years, six months and 14 days

since a driver lost his life in a Formula 1 car,”

A n e w f o r m u l An e x t y e A r m A r k s t h e b i g g e s t t r A n s f o r m At i o n to f o r m u l A 1 i n d e c A d e s . s p o r t e x A m i n e s t h e c h A n g e s , A n d A n A ly s e s w h o i s b e s t p l A c e d to b e n e f i t f r o m t h e m

he tells us, hesitating only briefly to work out the

exact numbers since Ayrton Senna’s death at Imola

in 1994. “If we had allowed the Nurburgring to stay

on the calendar, the other race tracks wouldn’t

have changed either – that was maybe the most

significant turning point in the history of motor-

racing safety.”

Modern circuits are built with plenty of room for

manoeuvre: big run-off areas and escape routes,

though Stewart explains not everyone agrees with

the way the tracks have developed. “Stirling Moss

would say it’s wrong that we have so much safety,

because drivers are not caring enough,” he says.

“He would say: ‘If we went off the track, we died.

If we collided with someone, we died.’ So the

liberties that are allowed to be taken today have

made it less disciplined than it was in his day.”

They are undeniably safer, but some of the newer

circuits have been criticised for creating dull

races. They are mostly designed by the same man

– German architect Hermann Tilke – who Stewart

says is probably better at “knowing where to put

the cabling” than designing interesting circuits.

Still, he insists that the sport is “still as exciting,

still as glamorous, still as colourful” as it was when

he was racing. “People still like to see mistakes

made and accidents happen, but nobody likes to

see death – it’s not a pretty sight,” he says. k

“ i f w e h A d A l lo w e d t h e n u r b u r g r i n g to s tAy o n t h e c A l e n d A r , t h e ot h e r r A c e t r A c k s wo u l d n ’ t h Av e c h A n g e d e i t h e r – t h At wA s m Ay b e t h e m o s t s i g n i f i c A n t t u r n i n g p o i n t i n t h e h i s to r y o f m oto r - r A c i n g s A f e t y ”

s i r j A c k i e s t e wA r t

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Formula 1: A Study

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“My wife Helen and I counted 57 people who had

died to whom we were close enough to go travelling

with; holidaying with. Motor racing wouldn’t be alive

if we hadn’t changed the safety. The insurance

company never would have carried the risk.”

a s t r at e g i c s e a s o nNow, Formula 1 stands at an equally momentous

turning point. Next year sees the introduction of

brand new engine rules, and a move from V8

engines to smaller, turbo-charged V6 engines

to save fuel and promote efficiency.

“It’s almost like a whole new series,” says Sky

Sports F1 analyst Ted Kravitz. “It’s a massive

change. You have 100 kilos of fuel to do the whole

race – more than a third less than they’d normally

have now.” To compensate for this, teams will

harvest and reuse heat energy from the car

with an expanded version of the KERS system that

has been in place for a few years.

With Red Bull’s continued dominance – four

championships and nine race wins in a row for

Sebastian Vettel – the series is in dire need of

some excitement. Fans will be hoping the new

regulations will shake the order of things up a bit.

“I think it will make for exciting racing,” says

Kravitz. “Just on the basis that we don’t know how

it’s going to work, and we don’t know who’s going

to do a better job. It’s possible that you could get to

the middle of the race and suddenly the engineers

are going to see that they’re not going to make it

on the fuel they’ve got. It might well be that you’ll

see a driver drastically having to back off or take

it easy in the middle of a race – but then he’s saved

enough by the end to be able to come forward and

charge through the field.”

“There’s going to be a lot of fuel-saving,” says

Max Chilton (below, left), the 22-year-old British

driver who has just completed his first season in

Formula 1 with Marussia. “You’ll be completely

controlled by the engineers back in the garage

telling you what settings to go to, and that will

influence how quick the lap times are going to be.”

It will be a more strategic season, then, with

drivers managing both their fuel load and their

tyres, as well as factoring in what their opponents

are doing. “Strategy is still part of racing – it always

has been,” insists Chilton when we ask whether

this represents a move away from ‘real’ racing.

The rookie has done well in his first season,

finishing every race – which is pretty much the

best you can hope for competing for one of the

minnows on the moneyed Formula 1 grid.

“At the moment, there is a four to five-second

deficit in race pace between us and the front cars,”

he continues. “If it was within two seconds and you

get your strategy right and you drive a good race,

then everyone would be battling all race.”

We ask Chilton what he thinks the gap between

him and four-time world champion Vettel would be

if they were in the same car. “It’s an unanswerable

question, but it would be a hell of a lot less than it

is now,” he replies. “It would be much more like the

gap between the top 10 in GP2. In GP2, the cars

are all exactly the same – they’re set up differently,

but they’re the same. If you’re the best driver in

GP2, you’ll still be in the top 10 – even if you’re in

the worst [set-up] car. The gap between the drivers

in F1 is a huge amount less than what it looks like.

You look at qualifying and you regularly see

teammates all next to each other on the grid, which

shows they’re at the limit of the car and that’s the

best they’re going to do.”

i t i s a b o u t t h e c a rIn terms of the driver/car balance, things might

not be changing for the better as far as Clifton is

concerned, according to Kravitz. “At the moment,

it’s 60 per cent about the car and 40 per cent

about the driver,” he says. “I think next year it’s

going to be much more like 80 per cent about the

car and 20 per cent about the driver.”

With three engine manufacturers confirmed for

next year’s grid – Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes

– success could come down to which one of those

companies gets the hybrid technology right.

“It’s accepted in the paddock that Mercedes

have spent longer developing these engines,” says

Kravitz. “They realised how big a change this was

and kind of got the jump on everyone. Whether that

will make them better, who knows? But if Ferrari

have done a brilliant job, the Ferrari-powered

teams [Ferrari, Marussia and Sauber] could fill the

points. You could see Marussia scoring consistent

points if Ferrari have done the best job.” k

“ Y o u ’ l l b e c o m p l e t e lY c o n t r o l l e d b Y t h e e n g i n e e r s b a c k i n t h e g a r a g e t e l l i n g Y o u w h at s e t t i n g s to g o to , a n d t h at w i l l i n f lu e n c e h o w q u i c k t h e l a p t i m e s a r e g o i n g to b e ”

m a x c h i lto n

Tire, change: Vettel races in India (left); Bruce McLaren sits

on the wheel of his car at Brands Hatch in 1970 (below) – he

would lose his life at Goodwood later that year; Jochen Rindt’s

Lotus-Ford is removed from the Monza circuit (bottom)

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Formula 1: A Study

38 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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Stewart also tips Mercedes and Ferrari to be

competitive. “It’ll be a year of more mechanical

failures, so whoever has top reliability will have a

considerable advantage in the first year,” he adds.

In terms of the drivers, Kravitz tells us that the

general consensus is that the experienced ones

will have an advantage; he agrees that “ultimately,

you’ll see the best drivers at the top again”.

“Someone like Kevin Magnussen, the new McLaren

driver who has never driven an F1 race in his life,

could have a better ability to save fuel and manage

all the buttons, because he’s so used to doing it on

the simulator,” he adds, however. “For him, it’s like

a video game exercise.”

Chilton disagrees – he thinks that new drivers

have a hard enough time adapting to Formula 1

as it is: “It’s definitely gonna be harder for the

rookies. It’s not easy coming into Formula 1 now,

with the tyres and the way the car handles. And, for

next year, the changes are so big that it’s gonna be

really hard if you’re coming straight into it fresh.”

T h e n e e d f o r c h a n g eWhile there’s debate over whether the changes will

improve the sport as a spectacle, the people we

Although a lot of fuel will be saved next year,

some of that will be undone by the extra travel in

the sport’s continually expanding calendar – next

year’s features Mexico and Russia. But it doesn’t

always work out. Take the Indian Grand Prix, hosted

at the specially constructed $400m Buddh

International Circuit. After selling out in its first

year, crowd numbers fell by 30,000 last year and

it again attracted considerably fewer this year

(above, right). Now it’s off the calendar. Stewart

insists this will change as the sport develops in

India, but Formula 1 can perhaps be accused of

resembling a horde of locusts: swooping in and

taking much while offering little in return.

It can be damaging for the sport, too. There are

currently 22 races on next year’s provisional

calendar – three more than this year – and a good

number many feel is too high.

“I’m not sure the calendar is going to be as big

as they say,” says Chilton, who went from doing

12 races in GP2 in 2012 to 19 F1 races in 2013.

“It’s a big strain on human resources, with

mechanics on the road all the time travelling

long haul,” says Stewart. “But there’s so many

countries wanting to have a Grand Prix because

it’s such a huge magnet for business – on the

commercial side as well as tourists.”

Chilton says: “If you asked most people in the

paddock – take the business side out of it – then 15

or 16 would be the perfect race-calendar length.”

The expansion has been overseen by diminutive

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. “He’s done an

amazing job,” says Stewart of a man nine years his

senior. “He’s a dictator, but he’s made it work. And

he’s made a lot of people rich. I’m one of them.”

At 83, Ecclestone shows no sign of stopping –

although he recently named Red Bull team principal

Christian Horner as his preferred successor.

Whoever’s in charge, Formula 1 is set for a

turbulent few years as it once again remodels

itself to fit the needs of the market. In the 1970s it

was safety; now it’s green technology, all in the

name of attracting new manufacturers keen to

create a marketable product and enter new

territories with money to spend.

As we leave Stewart at the Dorchester, there’s a

gold-plated Bugatti Veyron parked outside. People

stop to take photos. It’s a fitting metaphor for

Formula 1: it doesn’t really matter whether the

engines are V6 or V8 – money will still be the motor

that really drives the sport. And people will keep

turning their heads to watch.

Amit Katwala @amitkatwala

Weekend of a Champion, a 1971 documentary about

Jackie Stewart directed by Roman Polanski, has been

re-released on DVD, out now. Sky Sports F1 HD is the only

place to watch the entire 2014 Formula 1 season live

“ h e ’ s a d i c TaTo r , b u T h e ’ s m a d e i T wo r k – a n d h e ’ s m a d e a loT o f p e o p l e r i c h . i ’ m o n e o f T h e m ”

s i r J a c k i e s T e wa r T

speak to are generally agreed that it’s the right

move. “I personally would have held it back until the

economy came right, but it’s too late to change it

now,” says Stewart. “But, ecology-wise, we have to

change – with the new formula we’ll be using half

the fuel we’re using now, so there’s less pollution.”

The change has seen more car manufacturers

show an interest in the sport again, thanks to the

overlap between the technology needed to make

a Formula 1 car run efficiently and the hybrid

engines being developed for road cars. Honda will

re-enter the sport in 2015 in partnership with

McLaren, and Kravitz thinks that Volkswagen, Audi

and Toyota could follow in the coming years.

“Now it’s relevant to their road cars, they’re

thinking about getting back in,” he explains.

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7 DaysDEC 6-DEC 12

HIGHLIGHTS

» Football: Premier League » p42

» Football: Champions League » p44

» Rugby Union: Heineken Cup – Exeter v Toulon » p46

» Horse Racing: Tingle Creek Chase » p48

» European Short Course Swimming Championships » p48OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

40 | December 6 2013 |

Saturday Boxing | DaRREn BaRkER v FELix STURm | PoRSCHE aREna, STUTTgaRT | Sky SPoRTS 1 8Pm

No easy way out

Tradition dictates that after a boxer

wins a world title – particularly the way

Darren Barker did, dragging himself up

from a hard sixth-round knockdown

to outwork Australia's Daniel Geale in

Atlantic City last August – he deserves

an easy first defence. A part-time

roadsweeper on home soil, perhaps.

What 31-year-old Barnet middleweight

Barker actually has is a pick ’em fight

against classy former champion Felix

Sturm. In Germany.

The 34-year-old Sturm saw off title

challenges from Brits Matthew Macklin

(via split decision) and Martin Murray

(a spirited draw) back in 2011. He was

outworked at times in both of those

fights, but he remains a precision

puncher with a hard, accurate jab

and a solid left hook.

Sturm may only have 17 stoppages in

his 43 fights (38 wins, three losses, two

draws), but he had enough mustard on

his punches to buzz both Macklin and

Murray late on in their respective bouts.

To come out of Germany a winner,

Barker (26 wins, 16 via knockout, with

just one loss) will have to show all of

the guts he displayed in winning his

world title. On the plus side, his new

aggression allied to his fine boxing skills

proved too much for Geale, who himself

edged out Sturm on points in 2012.

Barker was, however, caught too often

for comfort by Geale, and put down by

a vicious body shot. Sturm, a useful

body puncher, will have noted this.

Sturm remains a top-class

middleweight, though his workrate

has slowed in recent years. And while

Barker is coming off one 12-round war,

Sturm has numerous on his CV. Barker

is, however, the fresher of the two.

If 'Dazzling Darren' can maintain

a high tempo, slip Sturm’s jab and

establish his own, he has it in him to

gain an impressive win. However he’ll

know he's facing a bit of a tightrope

act – and that the vast majority of the

crowd will be baying for him to take

a fall throughout.

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42 | December 6 2013 |

7 Days

It’s tough at the top, so the saying goes. And, this

month, Arsenal will discover whether they are tough

enough to handle it. Starting with Sunday’s game against

Everton, the Gunners face a testing three-week period

that sees them travel to Naples for a crucial Champions

League tie, to the Etihad to face Manchester City, and

then head back to the Emirates for the visit of Chelsea.

Everton’s route into the New Year isn’t quite as

fearsome, with games against Fulham, Swansea and

Sunderland following their trip to north London. But the

Toffees haven’t beaten Arsenal since 2007, when Andrew

Johnson scored a 90th-minute winner at Goodison.

And you have to go back another 11 years to find the last

time Everton beat Arsenal away from home, courtesy

of an Andre Kanchelskis winner). In simple terms, David

Moyes’ tenure did not yield a single win at Highbury or

the Emirates.

With Roberto Martinez’s side learning to relish the

attacking freedom he encourages, Everton will present a

different proposition this time around, however. Not least

because in Romelu Lukaku they have a player with the

best minutes-per-goal rate in Premier League history

(with a minimum of 20 goals). But in Wojciech Szczesny

(above) he faces a keeper with the best saves-to-shots

ratio in the league this season (at time of writing). Expect

frantic goalmouth action, then. And probably a draw.

Saturday manchester united v newcastle

old trafford | bt sport 12.45pm

This tie provided thrilling Boxing

Day entertainment last year, with

Newcastle coming agonisingly close

to beating Manchester United at Old

Trafford for the first time since 1972.

Alan Pardew’s side couldn’t quite

pull it off, though, going down 4-3

thanks to a late winner by Javier

Hernandez. Wayne Rooney was an

injured absentee from that game

but, unfortunately for the Magpies,

he’s currently playing like a man at

the peak of his powers – scoring or

assisting 59 per cent of United’s

league goals this season (not taking

into account Wednesday’s game

against Everton).

Yet Newcastle’s win against West

Bromwich Albion last weekend

(thanks partly to Yoan Gouffran,

pictured) saw them start the week

as the second most in-form team in

the league, with four wins from four.

It’s their best run for 19 months and,

with Pardew getting the best out

of his French contingent (18 of

Newcastle’s 19 league goals have

been scored by Frenchmen) the

Magpies will believe they can ask

some big questions in Manchester.

The league leaders embark on a testing three weeks in their tilt at the title, while the current champions get stuck into a tie that rarely fails to entertain

Premier League

Sunday arsenal v everton | emirates stadium | sky sports 1 4pm

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Saturday southampton v manchester city

st mary’s | 3pm

| 43

West Ham have failed to score a

single goal on their past five visits

to Anfield. They came close to

ending that fruitless run last season

– when Lucas Leiva (pictured)

cleared a late Jack Collison header

off the line – but the game finished

0-0, meaning it has been 50 years

since the Hammers won at Anfield.

Their away form isn’t indicating they

won’t clock 51 years either, with Big

Sam’s side winning just once away

from home in the league this term.

Cardiff have had the edge in the

Premier League battle between

these two promoted sides so far,

taking some big scalps along the

way. But it’s these matches against

the fellow ‘smaller scalps’ that often

prove crucial come the end of the

season. Cardiff’s best results have

come on home turf so far, and they

lost 3-2 at Selhurst Park last term

(albeit thanks to two penalties),

so their own scalp is by no means

safe this weekend.

Saturday stoke v chelsea | britannia stadium | 3pm

Norwich have a decent record at

The Hawthorns, taking away three

points on two of their last four visits.

But before this week, the Canaries

had won only once on the road in

the league this season – a 1-0 win at

Stoke coming courtesy of Jonny

Howson (pictured). West Brom,

meanwhile, have arrested the poor

run of form that saw them lose their

first two home games of the season.

They beat Crystal Palace and drew

with Aston Villa last month.

Saturday west brom v norwich

the hawthorns | 3pm

The week before Manchester City

come to town is the worst time to

lose your goalkeeper to injury. Bad

luck, Southampton. Artur Boruc was

part of a side that had conceded

seven goals in 12 matches before

playing Chelsea last weekend. It

leaves Saints with Paulo Gazzaniga

(pictured) in goal. The Argentine

had a brief run in the team last

season, but could hardly have

picked a tougher team to start

against this time.

It has been 11 months since his

nightmare 90 minutes against

Chelsea, but Stoke’s Jon Walters

(pictured) will remember every

second of it when the Blues return.

Then, his two own goals and missed

penalty helped Chelsea to a 4-0

win, ending the Potters’ 17-game

unbeaten run at home in the league.

Walters made his 102nd consecutive

appearance against Everton last

weekend. He will hope consistency

is the key to success.

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Saturday liverpool v west ham | anfield | 3pmSaturday crystal palace v cardiff

selhurst park | 3pm

The Liberty Stadium hadn’t been a

happy hunting ground for Swansea

going into this week – domestically

speaking, at least. The Swans have

lost just one of their five home

games in the Europa League, but

managed just one win from their

first six games at home in the

Premier League. Boss Michael

Laudrup will hope to have Michu

back from injury in time for Hull’s

visit, adding some much-needed

firepower to the Swans’ attack.

monday swansea v hull | liberty stadium

sky sports 1 8pm

December is a hectic month for

Tottenham, with Europa League

and League Cup ties squeezed in

among a packed league schedule.

For Andre Villas-Boas’ side, who

started the week without a league

win since October, a trip to the

Stadium of Light – where Spurs

have lost only one of their last four

matches – offers hope. But as

Sunderland showed against

Manchester City, they are capable of

throwing a spanner in the works.

Saturday sunderland v tottenham | stadium of light

sky sports 1 5.30pm

His second game in charge sees

Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen

face a team that have not won a

game at Craven Cottage for the past

three seasons. But the last time

Aston Villa visited, the clubs’

fortunes were almost reversed, with

Villa enduring their worst start to a

season in the top flight since 1986

and Fulham racking up their third

home win from four. Paul Lambert’s

side are a different prospect this

term. As, indeed, are Fulham.

Sunday fulham v aston villa | craven cottage

sky sports 1 1.30pm

44 | December 6 2013 |

7 Days Champions League

It sounds simple: Arsenal merely need to avoid a

three-goal defeat in Napoli on Wednesday to be sure

of advancing to the Champions League knockout

stages for the 14th year in a row. And they face a team

they dealt with in straightforward fashion at the

Emirates in October, two goals in the first 15 minutes

settling the tie. True, Rafael Benitez’s side was missing

star striker Gonzalo Higuain that night – but even the

former Liverpool manager would admit that the man

who topped Arsenal’s hit list for much of last summer

is unlikely to have made much of a difference to the

end result, such was the home side’s dominance.

This time, Higuain is likely to get his chance – not

only to show the Gunners exactly what they missed

out on, but also to secure Napoli’s place in the last 16.

To do so, Benitez’s side need to better Dortmund’s

result from their final match against Marseille – a tricky

prospect, considering the French team’s lacklustre

display against Arsenal last time out, which suggests

their enthusiasm for this Champions League

campaign can be summed up with little more than

a Gallic shrug of the shoulders.

Group F was labelled the Group of Death when the

draw was made, and it hasn’t disappointed. With four

wins, the Gunners should be home and hosed, but the

possibility remains that the three top teams could still

end up tied on 12 points. “It’s the first time I’ve seen

that in more than 150 Champions League games” said

Arsene Wenger. “But it’s a reality, and we have to

finish the job.”

In that scenario, a mini-league involving only the

results of those teams is created. If that happens,

Dortmund would be guaranteed to qualify because

their ‘mini-league’ goal difference is +1 (thanks to

beating Napoli 3-1 in Dortmund) and cannot change;

Arsenal have +2 and Napoli -3. Napoli can therefore

only qualify from the mini-league if they beat Arsenal

by three goals, which would send the Gunners into the

Europa League and also give the Serie A side top spot.

Got it? Good.

Lucky no.14?

WEDNESDAY GROUP F: NAPOLI v ARSENAL | STADIO SAN PAOLO, NAPLES | SKY SPORTS 2 7.45PM

P W D L Pts

group f

Arsenal 5 4 0 1 12

Borussia Dortmund 5 3 0 2 9

Napoli 5 3 0 2 9

Olympique de Marseille 5 0 0 5 0

1

2

3

4

Chelsea’s qualification for the knockout stages

came via an unsatisfactory defeat to Basel.

A goalless draw between Steaua and Schalke on the

same night means the Blues get a step further than

they managed last year, when they became the first

reigning champions to be eliminated at the first

hurdle. Wednesday’s game is something of a dead

rubber, then, with Steaua already out of the running,

but Jose Mourinho’s side can ensure they top the

group with a win – and they will be confident of

doing just that after smashing four goals past Steau

in Bucharest. Basel need a point from their match

away at Schalke to join the Blues in the last 16.

They were beaten when the teams met at St

Jakob-Park and, with qualification still within the

German side’s grasp, the best action of Group E

will likely take place away from west London.

Winning losers

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

TUESDAY GROUP D: BAYERN MUNICH v MANCHESTER CITY | ALLIANZ ARENA, MUNICH

SKY SPORTS 2 7.45PM

| 45

Manuel Pellegrini’s side kept themselves in the

hunt for top spot with a 4-2 win over Group D

whipping boys Viktoria Plzen last time out, but only

after two late goals saved them from the ignominy

of giving the Czechs their first point of the group

phase. To top the group, City will have to end Bayern

Munich’s record-breaking 10-game winning streak in

the Champions League – a run that includes the 3-1

defeat the Germans inflicted upon City at the Etihad

in October. City’s domestic struggles away from

home this term haven’t ben replicated in Europe,

with two convincing wins over Plzen and CSKA

Moscow. But with Arjen Robben starring in Bayern’s

win in Moscow last time out, and Mario Gotze

scoring a fine individual effort, City might have to

be content with second – and that all-important

first ever place in the knockout rounds.

TUESDAY GROUP A: MANCHESTER UNITED v SHAKHTAR DONETSK

OLD TRAFFORD | ITV 7.45PM

Manchester United secured their passage through

to the knockout stages with a 5-0 thumping of

Leverkusen, but aren’t yet guaranteed top spot.

Lose to Shakhtar on Tuesday and they will finish the

group as runner’s-up – although after winning the

prize of a meeting with Real Madrid for topping their

group last year, that might not be such a terrible

thing. United are unbeaten in the competition so far,

with even the absence of an injured Robin van Persie

not derailing their campaign. With Leverkusen

facing the already-eliminated Real Sociedad,

Shakhtar have to win to guarantee their own

progress. Should the Ukrainian champions – with a

distinctly Brazilian flavour in striker Luiz Adriano and

midfielder Douglas Costa – lose and Leverkusen

draw or win in Spain, they’ll be knocked out, with the

German side holding the head-to-head advantage.

BEST of ThE rEST | ALL ON SKY SPORTS 4 MATCH CHOICE UNLESS SPECIFIED

WEDNESDAY GROUP E: CHELSEA v STEAUA BUCHAREST | STAMFORD BRIDGE

SKY SPORTS 3 7.45PM

In Group B, Real Madrid’s place in the last 16 is secure,

leaving Juventus and Galatasaray to battle it out for

the second spot in Istanbul (Tuesday 7.45pm). A point

will see The Old Lady through. Paris Saint-Germain

are confirmed winners of Group C, with Benfica

needing a better result against PSG than Olympiakos

manage in their game against Anderlecht to qualify

(both Tuesday 7.45pm). In Group G, a win for Zenit

over already-eliminated Austria Vienna (Wednesday

7.45pm) will ensure they join Atletico Madrid in the

knockouts, while Group H sees a straight shootout at

the San Siro between Milan and Ajax (Wednesday

7.45pm). The Dutch side need a win; Milan require just

a point to take second spot. Barcelona will top the

group with a win over Celtic (Wednesday 7.45pm).

Toptrumps

Bring it, Bayern

All

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Basel 1893 5 2 2 1 8

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Bayern Munich 5 5 0 0 15

Manchester City 5 4 0 1 12

CSKA Moscow 5 1 0 4 3

Viktoria Plzen 5 0 0 5 0

Manchester United 5 3 2 0 11

Shakhtar Donetsk 5 2 2 1 8

Bayer Leverkusen 5 2 1 2 7

Real Sociedad 5 0 1 4 1

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46 | December 6 2013 |

To

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Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Pool partyWith two games done, and four to go, the

Heineken Cup gets seriously interesting this

weekend: it’s the start of the double-headers

that make or break so many teams’ hopes.

If nothing else, it’s worth tuning in to make

the most of the tournament before it

becomes dominated by talk of breakaways

and the almost inevitable in-fighting.

Pool 2 is where the most interest lies this

weekend, because a mixed bag of results in

the opening two rounds sees its four teams

separated by one point. Exeter and Toulon

both have six points, while Cardiff and

Glasgow are both on five.

The star-studded Toulon – complete with

Jonny Wilkinson, Michael Claassens, Matt

Giteau and captain Joe van Niekerk – arrive

at Exeter, then, knowing two wins in the

next two weeks is vital for a team with lofty

ambitions. Five away defeats on the bounce

have left Bernard Laporte’s men struggling

domestically, but they are joint top of the

pool and will target two big wins.

The Chiefs, for their part, are hardly on

flying form either. Last week’s 21-16 defeat to

Bath was a third loss in a row for Rob Baxter’s

men, but a return to European rugby is a

welcome break as they look to build on the

44-29 victory over Cardiff that kicked off

their campaign in style. The forward power of

Dean Mumm, Ben White and co is key to the

high-tempo game the Chiefs will hope to use

here to upset the visitors, while Gareth

Steenson (pictured) will need to bring his

kicking boots.

Friday night, meanwhile, sees Sam

Warburton and his Cardiff Blues host

Glasgow. The chance is there for either side

to wrestle control of the pool, with Toulon

facing two tough weeks against the Chiefs.

Still in Kansas

Saturday Rugby union | Heineken Cup: exeteR v toulon | Sandy paRk | Sky SpoRtS 2 1.35pm Saturday Football | mlS Cup: SpoRting kanSaS City v Real Salt lake | SpoRting paRk,

kanSaS City | bt SpoRt 2 9pm

Real v Sporting – two giants of European football meeting in

a… wait. Stop. This is actually a preview of Sunday’s MLS Cup

final – the closing game of the American season – between Real

Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City. Both teams finished second

in their respective conferences, but navigated their way

successfully through the playoffs for their shot at the biggest

prize in American football. Or soccer, if you will.

They’ve won one each before – Kansas City (then the Kansas

City Wizards) won it in 2000, while Real Salt Lake last lifted

the Philip F Anschutz trophy (typically, it’s named after a US

billionaire) in 2009, beating David Beckham’s LA Galaxy in a

penalty shootout. Kansas City’s 2-1 away win over Real Salt

Lake in July at the Rio Tinto Stadium was one of the most

controversial and card-laden games of the season, with six

yellows, a red for Salt Lake defender Chris Wingert, and a

97th-minute winner for Kansas City.

This time, they have home advantage thanks to their superior

regular-season record – and they’ve won 17 home games in the

regular season, more than anyone else. They are defensive

stalwarts, conceding just one postseason goal in their run to

the final, and are many people’s favourites, but Real Salt Lake

have just as much attacking verve as their Spanish namesakes,

with the likes of Alvaro Saborio and Javier Morales (pictured)

likely to be particularly dangerous.

7 Days

48 | December 6 2013 |

Fra

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Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

THURSDAY > SWIMMING | EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS | HERNING, DENMARK | BRITISH EUROSPORT 2.45PM

7 Days

This summer’s World Championships in

Barcelona yielded just a single medal for

Team GB’s swimmers. It went to Fran Halsall

(pictured), who at least ensured Britain made

it on to the medal table, winning bronze in

the 50m freestyle. Now, four months on, she

leads a British squad of 12 swimmers to

Denmark for the European Short Course

Championships, with a haul of five medals

from last year’s competition to live up to.

It was Hannah Miley who starred then,

winning a gold medal in the 400m individual

medley (IM), and silvers in the 200m IM and

800m freestyle. The 24-year-old Scot, who

could manage only fifth place in the 400m IM

final at London 2012 – an event in which she

was expected to medal – has been in good

form of late, winning silver in the 400m IM at

the final FINA World Cup of 2013 meet in

Beijing last month.

Olympic silver-medallist Michael Jamieson

is also scheduled to compete, despite

needing his heart restarting following a

training session. “I went into an irregular beat

after reaching 203 heart rate in a session

[max is 193],” said Jamieson. “The specialist

said he's only seen this three times, all

Olympic medallists – pretty cool!”

Brits down but not out

There is a very real chance that the biggest race

of the jumps season at Sandown will go off

without its brightest star on Saturday, with

Sprinter Sacre a serious doubt to make the start

of the prestigious Tingle Creek Chase.

The most exciting horse in training (pictured)

was set to defend the crown he won at a canter a

year ago, but an unsatisfactory tracheal wash on

Monday threw a spanner in the works of trainer

Nicky Henderson. “Unfortunately it’s something

you can’t treat,” said Henderson. “It’s an absolute

nightmare and I wanted to let everyone know as

soon as possible. You can’t take chances, especially

with a horse like him, but don’t rule him out yet.”

A secondary test was due on Thursday, before

the final declarations and after we went to press,

but if the unbeaten chaser does miss the race it

would deal a huge blow to fans wanting to see one

of the sport’s few genuine superstars. Henderson

has a potential substitute in Captain Conan, while

both Sire De Grugy and the rejuvenated Somersby

are talented horses in their own right, but Sprinter

Sacre is the gold dust in the race – without him,

this would be a Tingle Creek without the tingle.

Sprinter stuck in the blocks

SATURDAY HORSE RACING | BETVICTOR TINGlE CREEK CHASE | SANDOWN | CHANNEl 4 3PM

Refinery Skincare Essentials For MenA perfect hat-trick from The Refinery, albeit

one that eschews the left and right foot and

concentrates on the face. It includes their

Revitalising Moisturiser (50ml), Eye Gel

(15ml) and Face Scrub (100ml), formulated

with carefully selected botanical extracts and

essential oils with rejuvenating properties

for skin that is clear, smooth and revitalised.

It’s exactly what you need in your stocking,

given the December you have planned.

£65 | aromatherapyassociates.com

Aesop The Athlete Grooming KitA trio of essentials for the active gentleman,

put together exclusively for Mr Porter.

The Athlete contains the Geranium Leaf

Body Cleanser (200ml) the minty Classic

Shampoo (200ml) and Parsley Seed

Anti-Oxidant Hydrator (60ml) – all in a

durable case. It also comes with some advice,

courtesy of American theologian and author

James Freeman Clarke: “Never hurry; take

plenty of exercise; always be cheerful.”

£80 | mrporter.com

Dove Men+Care Premium Wash BagThe ‘authority on man maintenance’ bring

you their Clean Comfort Anti-Perspirant

Deodorant (150ml) for 48-hour protection,

though we suggest using the Clean Comfort

Body and Face Wash (250ml) after 24 hours

at most. The non-greasy Hydrate+ Post

Shave Balm (100ml) is in there, too – to be

used at a time of your choosing. Though

Sport recommends applying after shaving.

Honestly, what would you do without us?

£12 | boots.com

50 | December 6 2013 |

It’s in the bag

ExTRA TIMEMaking the most of your time and money

Bulldog Skincare Kit For Men What better than a big ol’

slobbery kiss from man’s

best friend at Christmas?

We speak, of course, of the

Bulldog and his Original

Moisturiser (100ml), with

eight essential oils, green

tea, green algae and

vitamin E. Together with his

Original Face Wash (175ml)

– with those same oils, plus

green tea – and Original

Face Scrub (100ml), with

pumice, coconut shell,

rosehip oil and shea butter,

it’s worth hanging around

under the mistletoe for.

£15 | boots.com

P54

Gur Bentwich plays

bad cop/bad cop in

Big Bad Wolves

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Grooming

The last-minute gift guide for women

52 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

1. The Bliss Chocolate Hamper Includes milk, dark and white chocolate selections, feisty peppermint truffles, silky champagne truffles and more £150 | hotelchocolat.com;

2. Mulberry Bayswater Goat Leather Handbag Featuring the signature Postman’s Lock fastening £1,100 | selfridges.com; 3. My Little Pony Mug 1980s nostalgia at its

cutest £7.99 | selfridges.com; 4. Ruark R1 MKII DAB Digital Radio Gorgeous compact design with a pastel blue finish £179.95 | johnlewis.com; 5. Good Night Luxurious

Bedtime Bath Elixir The perfect way to relax tired minds and bodies £25 | roullierwhite.com; 6. Joseph Joseph Baking Gift Set Includes adjustable rolling pin, pie timer,

pastry brush and small spatula £40 | josephjoseph.com; 7. Denon AH-W150 Bluetooth Fitness Sports In-Ear Headphones Sweat-proof, with a battery life of seven hours

£107.45 | amazon.co.uk; 8. The Mini B SS Includes applied stud indices on a concave dial ring £110 | nixon.com; 9. Nike Air Max The cult classic trainer in sand and neon

yellow £150 | net-a-porter.com; 10. Bodum Chambord Cappuccino Set Ideal for becoming a barista in your own home £15 | johnlewis.com; 11. Marc Jacobs Tri-fold

Wallet Understated, will slot into any handbag collection £175 | selfridges.com; 12. ESPA Sleep Couture Gift Set Contains Soothing Bath Oil (50ml), Soothing Body Oil

(50ml), Soothing Aromatic Mist (100ml) and Soothing Candle (200g) £55 | harveynichols.com; 13. Charbonnel et Walker Champagne Truffles Sheer indulgence in a

chocolate-covered truffle £19 | johnlewis.com; 14. Acqua Di Parma Iris Nobile Gift Set Presented in a luxurious hatbox £70 | harveynichols.com; 15. Barbour International

Polarquilt Jacket The famous biker jacket gets set for winter £143.20 | johnlewis.com; 16. Stephenson Satchel by Proporta Featuring a removable compartment for iPad,

plus space for a Bluetooth keyboard £89.95 | proporta.com; 17. The Chocoholic Pinotage A delightfully decadent way to round off a meal £11 | harveynichols.com

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54 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

American Psycho

Almeida Theatre, London

Former Dr Who Matt Smith

regenerates as Patrick Bateman

for this musical version of Bret

Easton Ellis’ pitch-black comedy.

It began this week and the run is

already sold out until the end of

January. However, more tickets

go on sale on December 6. So

be quick and have your business

card – sorry, credit card – ready.

On now

Live at The Cellar Door

Neil Young

At the peak of his powers in

1970, Neil Young performed six

intimate solo shows. This album

cherry-picks the best of each,

delivering pared-back versions of

13 of Young’s finest songs, from

Only Love Will Break Your Heart

to Old Man (debuting two years

before it would be released).

Spine-tingling, ear-pleasing stuff.

Out Monday

Big Bad WolvesIt’s trumpeted as Quentin Tarantino’s

favourite film of 2013 – and you can see

why Big Bad Wolves would appeal to the

motormouthed director. There’s a hint

of Tarantino’s early work to this violent,

riveting, darkly comic Israeli thriller.

It starts like a fairytale, with an

ominous children’s game of hide and

seek near a deserted house. A girl is

taken – one of a series of abductions.

Both her fearsome father and a vigilante

cop are sure they know who did it: a

timid schoolteacher. When he’s released

because of a police blunder, the pair take

the law into their own hands, with brutal

results. Not an original concept, but Big

Bad Wolves offers some excellent twists.

In particular, the flashes of humour –

such as a tough, skinhead police chief

bringing his boy along on a father-son

work day – work a treat. This stomach-

churning whodunnit keeps you guessing,

and on the edge of your seat, until it

reveals its hand in the very last scene.

Out today

Homefront

Jason Statham

as an undercover

DEA, sporting a

fake mullet and

riding a Harley.

Any film that

starts this way is

probably not being deliberately

released in December as Oscar

bait, but is likely to put a cheesy

grin on your mush. Sylvester

Stallone is the screenwriter

for Homefront, providing the

dialogue for The Stath to growl

through as former agent Phil

Broker, trying to start a new

life in smalltown USA with his

daughter. However, when local

meth kingpin Gator (James

Franco, chewing the scenery

with relish) discovers Broker’s

secret past, the newcomer finds

himself a marked man. Cue the

fists, bullets and one-liners flying.

Out today

Nebraska

Sideways director Alexander

Payne serves up another rye

look at US life with this deadpan

comedy-drama about stubborn

old coot Woody, who receives

a scam letter and sets off on a

road trip with his son to collect

his million dollars. Of course, once

word gets out that Woody is

‘rich’, local chancers do their best

to claim a piece of the pie.

Out today

Join the Dots Toy

More swirling psych rock from

the London band on their second

album. While they take a few

risks – the opener is a hypnotic,

seven-minute long instrumental –

it’s their slick pop song structure

that stands out. The title track

is a perfect example of their

whirling melodies, backed by

a throbbing bass and languid

vocals. We say: give Toy a play.

Out Monday

Film Film

Theatre Music Film Music

WoLF AT THe Door

eT entertainment Tense crime drama mixes brutality with black humour, while

The Stath bares his teeth when you threaten his daughter

IN THE SHADOW OF THE WALL, NOTHING IS CLEAR

As Shadow Marshal Lucas Kellan, you know fi rst-hand that keeping the peace on both sides of the vast wall dividing your home world comes at a cost. But when a stando� between humans and their

Helghast cousins spills out into open confl ict and the lines between right and wrong begin to crumble, you’ll have to decide the type of hero you really are.

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56 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

curves in all the right places

et gadgets Don’t fight over the prime telly-watching spot this Christmas – this TV’s

curved screen means a better picture from a wider range of viewing angles

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lg 55” OleD 3D smart tv With a curved screen

designed to create a more

immersive viewing angle,

the 55EA980W is certainly

a striking piece of kit.

It also has a unique

four-colour pixel OLED

display, with self-lighting

pictures for perfect

contrast. In short, it looks

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58 | December 6 2013 |

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60 | December 6 2013 | Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

CROSS TRAINERSRunning, jumping, skipping, lifting – do the lot with a pair of these

Kit

Nike Free Trainer 5.0 NRG

Nike Free technology gives this

shoe a barefoot feel, adjusting

to your foot’s natural motion.

A Phylon midsole provides

lightweight cushioning, while

DiamondFLX traction supports

multidirectional movement.

The upper’s intertwined bands

provide a supportive fit.

£85 | nike.com

Reebok CrossFit Nano 3.0

Designed for CrossFitters

(although you don’t have to be

churning out multiple muscle-

ups to buy them), the Nano 3.0

combines forefoot cushioning

with heel stabilisation. So you

can lift heavy and jump high

with no mid-session costume

change required.

£95 | reebok.co.uk

Inov-8 F-Lite 230

Made by a brand renowned for

making functional, lightweight

and minimal footwear, the

F-Lite 230 has a 6mm heel-to-

toe drop that makes it ideal for

Olympic lifting and transitioning

into a natural running style.

Try lifting in these and stick

another 20kg on the bar.

£100 | inov-8.com

adidas Adipure Trainer 360

A dynamic, flexible midsole

delivers a natural feel when you

train, while a breathable air

mesh upper for maximum

ventilation and an OrthoLite®

antimicrobial moisture-wicking

sockliner should see you

through the toughest,

sweatiest of workouts.

£65 | adidas.co.uk

Under Armour Cam Highlight Training Shoes

Built for Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, a beast of an athlete, these

provide extra support via the CompFit sleeve that supports your ankle.

With ultra-light and responsive Micro-G cushioning, they’re designed

for comfort, speed and no little style. £150 | underarmour.com

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Sport CoverWrap_FM14_232x300_V14_SPREADS.indd 5 28/11/2013 15:47

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Sport CoverWrap_FM14_232x300_V14_SPREADS.indd 2 28/11/2013 15:44