Issue 275 | September 28 2012

COMES OUT

SWINGING

The Ryder Cup starts here

IAN POULTER

(Why Uncle Sam won’t take Europe’s Ryder Cup without a fight)

Battle for

possession

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The way players control the ball has

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K E Y F E A T U R E S

The most sophisticated artificial

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issue 275, september 28 2012

radar

09 Must Be Nice New snowboarding film reminds us why we should have booked some piste time this winter

10 FIFA 13 Wondering why so few of your colleagues have made it into the office today? Wonder no more

12 Kicking and Screening A football film festival? In London? That’ll do nicely

o this coming weekFeatures

18 Ian Poulter Europe’s talisman delivers his point to Sport before doing the same thing at the Medinah 27 Jose Maria Olazabal The Europe captain on what he learned from Seve – and how he will inspire his team 31 The Ryder Cup: The Teams We bring you the lowdown on each man teeing off in Illinois this week

35 Telly addict Journalist and author Martin Kelner gives us a taste of his new book: Sit Down and Cheer

extra time

50 Gadgets Standalone MP3 players – because sometimes you want to listen to music and not talk to anyone 52 Sophie Horn We don’t resist – too much – as our favourite golfer gives us her opinions on almost everything 55 Kit We wouldn’t let the Ryder Cup pass without giving you three pages of top golf gear, would we?

58 Entertainment Some of the best franchises in gaming are back with a bang

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Titles and prices subject to availability while stocks last at participating stores/online. Prices may vary online.*Get FIFA 13 on PS3 or Xbox for 99p when you trade-in two selected games from our hmv most wanted list. See in-store for details. FIFA Ultimate Edition offer price will vary. **Get a 90 day PlayStation+ subscription only when you purchase FIFA 13 on PlayStation 3 from hmv Oxford Circus (150 Oxford Street), before close of business 30 September. See in-store for full details.© 2012 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, EA SPORTS, and the EA SPORTS logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Offi cial FIFA licensed product. “© The FIFA name and OLP Logo are copyright or trademark protected by FIFA. All rights reserved.” Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc.

The Premier League Logo © The Football Association Premier League Limited 2006. The Premier League Logo is a trade mark of the Football Association Premier League Limited which is registered in the UK and other jurisdictions. The Premier League Club logos are copyright works and registered trademarks of the respective Clubs. All are used with the kind permission of their respective own-

ers. Manufactured under license from the Football Association Premier League Limited. No association with nor endorsement of this product by any player is intended or implied by the license granted by the Football Association Premier League Limited to Electronic Arts. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

EA SPORTS™ FIFA 13 £42.99out today

or 99p*

when you trade in any two of our most wanted titles

offer ends 4 Octoberavailable on Xbox 360 & PS3

exclusive - get a free PlayStation+ subcription**

exclusively at 150 Oxford Street, play demo in-store now

or most of us, winter means big coats, cold ears and an

all-consuming desire to get the hell out of this sodding

country. Not for the chaps in Must Be Nice, a new film

from snowboard manufacturer DC that follows the fortunes of

its professional boarders over the course of a year. That includes them

chucking themselves down mountains, getting riotously drunk and

doing all sorts of things that their mothers would be horrified by.

Featuring the on-piste talents of snowboarding legend Devun Walsh

and others, the feature-length film gets its global premiere on Facebook

on Monday. Meaning you don’t even have to leave the house to see it.

Must Be Nice premieres free at facebook.com/DCSnowboarding on

Monday October 9, and will also be available to download from iTunes

Radar p12 – Ken Block leaves skidmarks at Santa Pod

p10 – FIFA 13: it’s here. We’re there. You’re told off if you swear

p12 – The capital kicks and screens its way into autumn

F

Cold cuts

| September 28 2012 | 09

Co

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Ad

air

10 | September 28 2012 |

Radar

e all know how it is when you’re longboarding to work on

a weekday morning. Well, maybe not. But we do know that

adding a spark of electricity to a mode of transport is almost

always a positive move (with the notable exception of the Hindenburg),

so the Boosted Board definitely caught our eye.

It’s a longboard with embedded motors and handheld controls,

propelling you along for up to six miles with no pesky pushing required.

It’s like a Segway, but riding one won’t instantly destroy your street cred.

Unless, like the guy pictured (right) you’re already way beyond help.

Boosted Boards, from $1,199 plus postage, kickstarter.com

Hot wheels W

FIFA 13 is

out today on

Xbox 360,

PS3, Wii, PC,

PS2, PSP,

PS Vita, 3DS

and iOS

Pumped up kicks

ny absent colleagues today? Don’t be surprised

if they’re already halfway through a season on

FIFA 13, which is in fine shape after its annual

tweaks. The biggest change to gameplay this time is First

Touch Control – no longer will your lumbering League One

centre half be able to pluck the ball from the sky a la

Dimitar Berbatov, as player ability and physics take effect.

Once you are used to it, this lends a pleasingly realistic

pace to the game, and you can use it to your advantage as

well – a flick of the analog stick as you’re receiving the

ball can wrong-foot defenders, and cue endless

debates with your mates about whether or not

you meant it. Your charges can also think a

couple of moves ahead, which can make for

some rather lovely team goals. There are other

nice touches – loading screen mini-games,

Geoff Shreeves giving injury reports from the

touchline and Kinect integration, which lets you

shout out tactical changes and chastises you

if you swear at the ref. Bloody marvellous.

A

f you thought the canon of football

cinema began with Escape to

Victory and ended with Shaolin

Soccer, boy are you in for a shock. There’s

a whole world of soccer ciné out there, and

it’s celebrated in the second annual Kicking

and Screening film festival in London.

Hosted at cinemas across the capital, this

year’s line-up features six UK premieres

and two world premieres, and includes

Thierry Henry, a documentary following the

Frenchman in New York, and the kitschy

Colin Firth adaptation of Fever Pitch.

Several of the films are introduced by

special guests from the world of football,

including former Arsenal stars Tony Adams

and Lee Dixon. Though if you raise a hand to

ask a question, they might think you’re trying

to play the offside trap and do the same.

September 28-October 4. Visit kickingand

screening.com/blog/london-2012.html

12 | September 28 2012 |

RadarD

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Burning rubber

Goalson film

lthough it looks like the aftermath

of a particularly nasty traffic

incident, what you’re actually

looking at is a promotional shot for

‘Gymkhana,’ a competitive stunt-driving

competition spearheaded by American rally

driver Ken Block. Two drivers race round

adjacent obstacle courses, doing tricks

and racing to finish fastest.

This fuel-guzzling spectacle is coming to

Northamptonshire’s Santa Pod Raceway

next month, where Block will take on UK

driver Luke Woodham. Check it out for the

kind of skills they don’t teach you in driving

lessons. They probably should – it’d be a lot

more useful than reversing round a corner.

Monster Energy Gymkhana at Santa Pod

Raceway, October 27-28, santapod.co.uk

Telephone support

it back at smug iPhone 5 owners and

support your team simultaneously.

This iPhone 4 case is finished

natural cherry wood, with the letters

engraved by laser. And don’t worry if your

team is emphatically not the greatest team

the world has ever seen – there’s a version

for Liverpool fans as well.

$25, threenil.com

H

A

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © MMXI PT.MERANTAU FILMS.

14 | September 28 2012 |

Radar Editor’s letter

Editor-in-chief

Simon Caney

@simoncaney

Sport magazine

Part of UTV Media plc

18 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJ

Telephone: 020 7959 7800

Fax: 020 7959 7942

Email: firstname.lastname@

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Editor-in-chief: Simon Caney (7951)

Deputy editor: Tony Hodson (7954)

Associate editor: Nick Harper (7897)

Art editor: John Mahood (7860)

Deputy art editor: William Jack (7861)

Digital designer: Chris Firth (7624)

Subeditor: Graham Willgoss (7431)

Senior writers: Sarah Shephard (7958),

Alex Reid (7915)

Staff writers: Mark Coughlan (7901),

Amit Katwala (7914)

Picture editor: Julian Wait (7961)

Production manager: Tara Dixon (7963)

Contributors: Martin Barry, Paul

Mahoney, David Lawrenson

Commercial

Agency Sales Director: Iain Duffy (7991)

Business Director (Magazine and iPad):

Paul Brett (7918)

Business Director: Kevin O’Byrne (7832)

Advertising Manager: Steve Hare (7930)

New Business Sales Executive:

Hayley Robertson (7904)

Distribution Manager: Sian George (7852)

Distribution Assistant: Makrum Dudgeon

Head of Online: Matt Davis (7825)

Head of Communications:

Laura Wootton (7913)

Managing Director: Adam Bullock

PA to Managing Director:

Sophia Koulle (7826)

Colour reproduction: Rival Colour Ltd

Printed by: Wyndeham Group Ltd

© UTV Media plc 2012

UTV Media plc takes no responsibility for

the content of advertisements placed in

Sport magazine

£1 where sold

Hearty thanks this week to:

Gemma Oakes, Charlotte Templeton

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

LAUNCH OFTHE YEAR

2008

Total Average Distribution: 305,676 Jan-Jun 2012

www.sport-magazine.co.uk

@sportmaguk

facebook.com/sportmagazine

T he London Olympics were truly wonderful, but the idea that they might be used as a stick with which to beat another sport seems perverse.

Yet still we hear how football is a

disgrace compared to the Games. Even

after the Hillsborough report was issued,

there are those who claim football fans

are thugs and its players little better.

Yet the respect shown by more than

99 per cent of supporters at Anfield last

weekend – where there was so much

potential for something to go wrong, given

the history between Liverpool and Man

Utd – was exemplary. In any group of

thousands of spectators (grouping

together everyone who attended a

football match last weekend), there will

be idiots who deserve our contempt.

So it was that the United fans who sang

’Always the victims, it’s never your fault’

should be identified and banned; as should,

for that matter, the Liverpool fans who

later issued death threats to referee

Mark Halsey on social media networks.

The idiots are in a tiny minority, though,

where once they had a much greater

voice. Racism is still heard at football

grounds, but it is a fraction of what it

was 25 years ago. It is taboo now, where

once it was commonplace.

I attended a game at Anfield between

Liverpool and West Ham in May 1989, a

month after Hillsborough. The atmosphere

was toxic, stirred as we now know by the

lies of police, politicians and The Sun. I like

to think that if – God forbid – any similar

set of circumstances prevailed today,

then football, and its supporters, would

get it right. I believe, finally, that football

fans may actually respect one another.

The game has a long way to go, no

question. But let’s give it a chance.

The impact Seve Ballesteros had on European golf will never be forgotten, and this week – the first Ryder Cup since his death – he will be at the forefront of our thoughts. He was the ultimate Ryder Cup warrior, who once famously said: “I look into their eyes, shake their hand, pat their back and wish them luck, but inside I am thinking: ‘I am going to bury you.’” When the going gets tough for Europe this weekend, and it surely will with a raucous Chicago crowd, they need only remember that Seve would have relished it. Bring it on.

Last week, a Sport team took part in

the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay –

a 10-person event around the City of

London, of which we were the media

partner. Everyone ran a mile, and

considering our ambition was to not

come last, we were delighted to finish

(very out of breath) 65th of 98. Full

results in our iPad edition this week.

Give football a breakAfter many dark years, it seems to be doing its best – even if there’s a long way to go

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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A just cause: Anfield celebrated the Hillsborough report’s release, with

the majority of fans respectful

Reader comments of the week

Best opening paragraph to

an article about me I’ve

ever seen! And the photos

aren’t bad either! Thanks

@Sportmaguk

@andrewthodge

Twitter

Well done for keeping the

Hillsborough story going.

Justice must now be done.

Peter, via email

@simoncaney

@Sportmaguk keeping

hillsborough in news until

justice is done is vital.

Keep up good work.

@rob_thomas1710

via email

The lovely

@andrewthodge is

looking v.dapper in

@sportmaguk this

morning. Perks/problems

of being an Olympic gold

medallist eh?!

@cymruangel

Twitter

Well done to @sportmaguk

for doing another @UFC

feature in the mag this week

– maybe they’re finally

waking up to #MMA

@laylett

Twitter

Free iPad app available on Newsstand

Cover of the Year

16 | September 28 2012 |

Frozen in time

Range roverA point for anyone who knows where in the

world the Trango Towers can be found...

that’s right, Pakistan – they’re part of

the Baltoro Muztagh, a subrange of the

Karakoram range. We all knew that, of

course. But if you’ve ever clambered up

one of the Trango Towers’ near-vertical,

icy faces using little more than rope, hands

and some big old balls, then have yourself a

bonus point! And the results just in: unless

your name’s David Lama, we’re afraid you

didn’t win. The prize is in the post, David.

| 17

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Ryder Cup 2012 Ian Poulter

LET ’S GO TO

WAR

| September 28 2012 | 19

The Ryder Cup is golf’s great reducer, a tournament

designed to make quivering wrecks of the game’s

biggest names. But, as Europe prepares to take on the

US, Ian Poulter tells Sport why he’s as fearless as ever...

When the American golfer Billy Casper was asked what it felt like to be standing on the first tee at a Ryder Cup, he answered

a question with a question: ”Did you ever try to hit a

golf ball without any oxygen in your system?” When

Irishman Philip Walton was asked what it had been

like to stand over what would ultimately be the winning

putt at Oak Hill in 1995, he said: ”I could feel the hair

standing on the back of my head... and then my right

leg started shaking.”

When they asked his compatriot Padraig Harrington

what it felt like teeing it up on the first, on his Ryder

Cup debut in 1999, he laughed nervously: ”I couldn’t

see the golf ball. I was just so nervous, I couldn’t even

see it.” But at least he had a ball to address. ”I could

not get the ball on the tee,” laughs Lee Westwood of

his nerve-filled fumbling in 1997. ”It’s quite funny

watching it now on television.”

Funny now, but not back then. Not when Westwood

found himself in golf’s great spotlight – watched by

thousands around him at Valderrama and a global

audience in the millions... all of them rabidly partisan,

all of them watching and waiting. And waiting.

And waiting. Harrington has six Ryder Cup

appearances to his name, but it never got much

easier for him. ”As it’s happening,” he reflected,

”You’re thinking: ’Why am I doing this?’”

Of them all, though, Ronan Rafferty summed the

terror of representing Europe up best, remembering

his Ryder Cup debut at the Belfry in 1989.

”I played with Bernhard Langer in the opening

foursomes, and he was down to hit the first shot,” the

Northern Irishman explains. ”When we eventually got

to the tee, there were 80,000 people watching, lining

the hole. Bernhard asked me, the rookie, how I was

feeling. I told him I was fine. He said: ’Good, you can hit

the first shot.’ Then I was shitting myself!” >

RYDER CUP 2012 SPECIAL

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They all soil their strides, it seems. Every man on

either side – even the ones who don’t let on. No one is

immune to the unique horror of teeing it up in the most

terrifying sporting event on the planet. Apart from Ian

James Poulter, that is. The man they call The Postman.

For whom the bell tollsIan Poulter has played in three previous Ryder Cups –

one in Europe, two in the white heat of the US of A.

When you ask him about the pressure of representing

an entire continent in a Ryder Cup, he just laughs.

”The Ryder Cup? That isn’t pressure, I love it,” he

says, his eyes bulging wide. ”I ab-so-lutely love it and

I cannot wait for it. Honestly, I love it. Bring it on!”

And then, by way of confirmation, he laughs again.

As you read this, some 4,000 miles away in Illinois,

Poulter and his Euro pals are preparing to take Uncle

Sam on in his own back yard in the 39th Ryder Cup,

surrounded on all sides by patriotic Americans

chugging Bud and baying for European blood. At the

time of this interview, however, we’re at the more

sedate Woburn Golf Club, Poulter’s home course when

he’s not residing in Orlando and ripping around the

PGA Tour. It feels hotter than Florida and Poulter is

dressed accordingly and entirely as you’d expect:

a box-fresh white polo shirt, pristine red slacks with a

dangerously sharp crease, plus a complementing red

sun visor. He tops this off with a pair of reassuringly

expensive red and white sunglasses. We can’t see his

underpants today, but we’d wager they are colour

co-ordinated to complete the ensemble (Poulter suffers

sartorial OCD and admits even his coat hangers have

to be lined up with the IJP logos facing the same way).

Europe head for Medinah as Ryder Cup holders after

edging it 14½-13½ at Celtic Manor two years ago.

At around 1.20pm our time, a bell will

toll, the baying mob will fall silent and

one very brave chap will step forward.

He will try to focus on his ball and

take a swing. If the occasion doesn’t

suck the breath from his body, the

ball should head long and more or less

straight down the middle, and he’ll

breathe a sigh of relief.

At the time of writing, we don’t know

who will take that first shot – but if it’s

Ian Poulter, he’ll laugh in the face of fear.

”Nervous? Nope. I’ll be excited being up there –

really, really excited,” he says. ”Because the way I see

it is, if I’m standing on that tee, then I’m completely

in control of the situation. And if I’m in control, then

there’s absolutely nothing for me to be worried about

because the crowd won’t affect how I play my shot.”

The cold, hard statistics bear out that claim.

A maestro of matchplay golf, Poulter’s previous

three Ryder Cup appearances have yielded a highly

impressive eight points from 11 – hence them dubbing

him ’The Postman’. The fact he needed a wildcard pick

to make the team after narrowly finishing outside the

qualification places is neither here nor there.

”I said at the end of play two years ago, if Poulter

was 50th on the list, you would pick him,” says

victorious 2010 captain Colin Montgomerie. ”It’s just

the confidence of the guy, and that’s what any captain

wants: a team full of confidence.”

Poulter’s confidence is legendary, of course.

Such chutzpah means he sports pink trousers with

not an iota of irony and, in 2008, could claim that only

he was fit to challenge the then-peerless Tiger Woods.

He was born this way, he says, making no apology.

It first manifested itself in junior football, where he

took every free-kick and attempted repeatedly to

score direct from corner kicks. When he took up golf

professionally, the boy’s fizz was quickly picked up on

by his first boss in the club shop at John O’Gaunt Golf

Club in Bedfordshire, who likened him to a peacock –

the bigger the occasion and the greater the attention,

the greater Poulter’s focus and performance.

No pressureSo why, unlike so many of his colleagues, does he feel

no fear? ”Because I realised representing Europe in the

Ryder Cup is one of the best stages I could possibly be

at,” says Poulter. ”I’ll be honest – I felt the heat before

my first tee shot on my first Ryder Cup, but I quickly

realised it should excite me. You should try having to

hit a green from 225 yards in pre-qualifying for Tour

School, with your whole career on the line and a narrow

gap in the trees to get through. Now that is pressure.

If I hadn’t made that shot I wouldn’t be here today.”

By now, we’re merely here to take notes and nod.

Poulter is on one of his favourite subjects, and on a roll.

”It feels unlike anything else you experience in golf and

you try to soak it up as much as you can,“ he says. >

Special delivery: Poulter tees off in 2010 (above); and (inset) faces Tiger in the fourballs

Ryder Cup 2012 Ian Poulter

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

Want more?To see Ian Poulter explaining why he’s always late – and why the Americans ruin a bacon sandwich – download our app version of Sport magazine now

FIRST THEY TOOK HIS DAUGHTER.NOW THEY’RE COMING FOR HIM

I N C I N E M AS O CTO B E R 4TakenMovie

ALAN FRANK, THE DAILY STAR

22 | September 28 2012 |

“When you’re on the first tee, you find your senses

are heightened so that, as you’re waiting, you can feel

and hear every single thing. Then the bell goes, you

step up and you go into a kind of tunnel vision where

everything gets shut out and you’re focusing only on

that shot. If you’re not focusing entirely, if you allow

anything else to creep in, you’re going to be in trouble.”

Luckily, Poulter is rarely in trouble in the Ryder Cup.

The Postman always delivers – or, at least, delivers

when it matters. His eight from 11 record made

his inclusion in the team a formality for José María

Olazábal, Europe’s captain and one half of the most

celebrated pairing in Ryder Cup history. The other half,

of course, was Severiano Ballesteros, the man who

dragged Europe off its backside and took the fight

to the Americans. No European has ever played the

Ryder Cup with such ferocious passion as Seve, but

the fist-pumping, eyes-bulging Poulter comes close.

”Why does it mean so much to me? I think the

Ryder Cup does strange things to people because the

stakes are so high,” he laughs. ”I think it’s partly the

camaraderie you have with your teammates, which

I love, and partly the energy you get from the fans.

At any regular event, golf fans are generally there

to watch 155 guys play – they respect the game and

if you play a good shot, they’ll clap. In the Ryder Cup,

you’ve got 20 to 30,000 fans cheering solely for you

and your team, watching matchplay golf in which

every shot counts. And that just gives it a completely

different vibe. That just brings out the extra passion

in me. I feed off them and they feed off me.”

In 2010, Poulter was photographed screaming at

his playing partner Graeme McDowell after victory

(see overleaf). The image both confused and terrified

his young daughter. ”She couldn’t look at that picture

without flinching,” he told Golf World. ”She says:

’Daddy, you look very frightening.’”

Does he ever look back at the shots of him, eyes

exploding, and wonder what the hell possessed him?

”Ha, not at all. I mean, listen, if you don’t get excited

playing in the Ryder Cup, what’s the point?”

Showing some brassThe Ryder Cup was born in 1927 as a test of golfing

prowess between the finest golfers Great Britain

had to offer and their American adversaries. The

brainchild of British entrepreneur Samuel Ryder, he

hoped the biennial event would ”influence a cordial,

friendly and peaceful

feeling throughout the

whole civilised world” and

be ”a powerful force that

influences the best things

in humanity”.

But between 1927

and 1971, all it did was

confirm how mismatched the two tribes were. The

US won 16 of the first 19 tournaments, so they bent

the rules in 1973 and GB became Great Britain and

Ireland. With the Americans still winning the next three

tournaments, the public’s interest began to wane.

”In America the Ryder Cup now rates somewhere

between Tennessee Frog jumping and the Alabama

Melon-Pip Spitting Championship,” noted journalist

Peter Dobereiner. So, in 1979, GB&I became Europe

– and the balance of power finally began to shift.

Our brave chaps almost won it in 1983, when it

went into the final day’s singles tied 8-8. US captain

Jack Nicklaus was gripped by the fear of failure.

”I will not be the first captain to blow this thing,” he

told his team. ”Now you guys show me some brass.”

Thanks largely to a wonder shot from Lanny Wadkins,

the US showed him enough brass to sneak it 14½-13½,

and Nicklaus was later heard chuckling: ”Lanny, that

little son of a gun. He needs a wheelbarrow to carry

his brass around!”

But finally, in 1985 at the Belfry, Seve, Woosnam,

Faldo, Torrance and Langer swept Europe to victory,

16½-11½. For the first time since 1957, the USA had

failed to retain what had become their birthright,

which they didn’t much like.

At Kiawah Island in 1991, the Americans won back

the cup after six years amid claims of brinksmanship

in the infamous ’War on the Shore’. It reminded

us of Peter Alliss’ view: that the Ryder Cup is not

a showcase for the best things in humanity, more

just ”two teams trying to knock seven bells out of

each other”. >

just incredible," he smiles. "We went to that Harbour

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“The crowd brings out the extra passion in me”

Joy ride: British captain George Duncan is presented with the cup by founder Samuel Ryder (above); Justin Leonard and the US go crazy on the 17th green at Brookline (below)

Ryder Cup 2012 Ian Poulter

Friday

The RydeR Cup: day 1 |

Medinah CounTRy

Club, illinois |

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24 | September 28 2012 |

Eight years later, the noble auld game descended

into terrifying farce with the ’Battle of Brookline’,

which ended with American players trampling over

the 17th green while Olazábal lined up his putt. ”I have

never been more scared in my life on a golf course

than I was at Brookline,” claimed European Tour bigwig

Ken Schofield afterwards, his ears ringing to the cries

of ’Kill, kill!’ and ’Bring out the body bags!’.

Fever pitchBridges have been rebuilt since Brookline, the

tragedy of 9/11 being credited with realigning a few

perspectives and helping thaw relations. The fact so

many Europeans now ply their trade in the States and

face the Americans week in, week out has also helped.

Even so, Colin Montgomerie has warned that Medinah

will be ”an environment where the US will crank up the

atmosphere to fever pitch” – an atmosphere in which

Europe’s players will need a barrow-load of brass of

their own if they are to retain their trophy.

Back at our table in sunny Woburn, Poulter rubs

his hands at the prospect of showing his own brass.

But while another smile breaks out across his face,

he urges caution. ”There

won’t be any grief out

there, believe me,” he

says. ”I’ve played in

three Ryder Cups and I

know there will be a lot

of respect between the

teams and from the fans

on both sides. There is

still a huge, huge rivalry and it will get heated. But not

in a negative way. Hole your putt, give it a bit of the old

fist pump and that’s all you need. I don’t think it helps

anyone or represents the game in a good way for things

to get ’nasty’ out there. It will be a very healthy rivalry.”

When Europe won the Ryder Cup in 2010, Poulter

took the trophy home and ate cereals from it, sharing

the moment on Twitter. Golf’s blazered brigadiers spat

out their port and lemon at this. Being reminded of the

uproar now elicits a good-natured rage in Poulter.

”Listen,” he booms, pounding the table with his fist.

”If I’m prepared to give blood, sweat and tears to win

that trophy, then I have the right to get my hands on it

for a couple of days and I’d say it’s my trophy to pretty

much do whatever I want. Within reason.”

Within reason? ”Yes,” he grins. ”Believe me, Cheerios

is not even close to being the worst thing that’s been

in that trophy.” Can he expand on the worst thing that

has been in the Ryder Cup trophy? Yes he can. But he

won’t – consider it a golfing omertà. Would he do it

again, should Europe prevail? ”Of course I would,” he

laughs. ”In a heartbeat. It’s only the stuffy brigade that

get wound up by it. They just need to lighten up.”

Let battle commenceBefore we wrap up, we come to the big question:

who’s winning this, the 39th Ryder Cup?

”If you look at the world rankings, the teams are

extremely closely matched and probably the deepest

they’ve ever been,” he says, for once less sure of

himself. ”So it’s too hard to predict which way it will go.”

This may be fence-sitting of the vilest brand, but

he does have a point. The US team average a higher

position in the world rankings than the Europeans,

but Europe boasts three of the top four players in

the world. Europe is a team, the US has the greater

individuals, we suggest. But Poulter’s not about to

clamber down from his fence. ”In previous Ryder

Cups, we’ve definitely been able to gel better than

the Americans, which has contributed to the team’s

success,” he says. ”But the guys on the US team have

all become much closer in recent years, and I expect

this year’s matches to be some of the best ever.”

Will home advantage be any real advantage? ”It’s an

advantage because of the fans they’ll have cheering

for them, but that won’t be a difference-maker,” says

Poulter. ”You still have to hit the shots and make the

putts, and no amount of home fans can affect that.”

That won’t stop the Americans from trying, of

course. But Poulter, for one, cannot wait. ”I love the

battle,” he smiles. Fortunately for him – if not his

teammates – the waiting is finally over.

Nick Harper

Ian Poulter uses COBRA PUMA GOLF equipment

and footwear. See cobrapumagolf.com for details

“If you don’t get excited playing in the Ryder Cup, what’s the point?”

Ryder Cup 2012 Ian PoulterR

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Engineered with

Ryder Cup 2012 Jose Maria Olazabal

| September 28 2012 | 27

He earned his Ryder Cup spurs as Seve

Ballesteros’ sidekick. Now Jose Maria Olazabal

has the big job, and nobody is better qualified

When the 21-year-old Jose Maria Olazabal made his Ryder Cup debut in 1987, he ended the week dancing a

flamenco across a green after helping Europe

win for the fist time in the United States.

That victory, beating Jack Nicklaus’ team on

his own course at Muirfield Village, Ohio, not

only came in an era of European dominance

in this biennial dust-up; it also ushered in

the legendary pairing of Olazabal and Seve

Ballesteros. Seve and Ollie, the sorcerer and

his apprentice, became Europe’s most feared

double act in Ryder Cup history. They played

15 matches together up to 1993. They won 11

times, halved twice and lost only twice.

So, 16 months after European golf’s adored

talisman Ballesteros lost his fight with cancer,

his influence will still loom large as captain

Olazabal sends out his players to tee off in

the 39th Ryder Cup today.

“Obviously I miss Seve,“ Olazabal says.

“I miss his desire, his passion, his will, his

determination – all those elements that

made him so special. He never gave up,

and he always believed we could turn things

around, whatever the situation. The last

time [at Celtic Manor in 2010], Seve spoke

on the telephone the night before the

match and it lifted the whole team. I have

never experienced so much energy around

another player.

“I’ve seen great players – Jack Nicklaus,

Tom Watson, Tiger Woods – but Seve was

extra-special. The way he talked, the way he

moved around the greens. The way he looked

at you, the way he looked at the opponents.

The way he looked at the crowd, the way he

played. The intensity of everything around

him, the way he fought. And he did that every

single day. There was an aura around him.

We all know how important he was for

European golf, and I’m sure his spirit will be

with us in the team room at Medinah.“

All over the placeOlazabal says he has no intention of replicating

the loving but dictatorial, control-freak father

approach that so consumed the passionate

and uber-competitive Seve as he buzzed

around Valderrama in his buggy when he was

a victorious captain in Spain in 1997.

“He was really all over the place,“ Olazabal

recalls. “I don’t know how he managed to be

in so many places at the same time. He was

very close to the players – sometimes a little

too close, trying to hit the shots. I’m not going

to go that far. I remember he made a phone

call at three in the morning to Miguel Angel

Jimenez, who was vice-captain [as he is again],

and said to him: ’Come to my room because

I’ve had a few ideas for pairings tomorrow,

and I need to discuss that with you.’ >

RYDER CUP 2012 SPECIAL

PASSIOn PLAY

28 | September 28 2012 |

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I’m not going to be

waking up at 3am

and calling any of

my vice-captains to

check on pairings...“

Olazabal is a

quietly spoken

gentleman who is

respected on both

sides of the Atlantic,

but US captain Davis

Love knows he is

no soft touch. While

Seve had a short

fuse, Olazabal’s is a

slow-burner – but

when he blows his

top, blood can be

spilled. There were

nearly fisticuffs

in 2008 at Valhalla, Kentucky, in Nick Faldo’s

post-defeat press conference. A raging

Olazabal didn’t like the tone of a question

directed at his captain from a British

reporter; he interjected, sending a death

stare across the room and a volley of how

dare yous. The Spaniard stopped just short

of inviting the reporter to say that again

outside, but this is a warning for anyone lulled

into a false sense of security by his charming

disposition: there is fire in Olazabal’s belly.

The Europeans in the team room in 2008

witnessed a further example of what to

expect from Olazabal, when the then vice-

captain gave what has become a legendary

but closely guarded impassioned speech on

the eve of the final day’s singles matches.

Europe lost, but the Spaniard displayed his

unquestionable leadership qualities.

“What I said wasn’t that important,“ he

says. “It was the way I said it, because it came

from my heart. That’s the way I am. I’m a soft,

sentimental guy. I will tell the players in

Chicago what the Ryder Cup means to me,

and talk from my heart. Hopefully that will be

enough to reach them and make them play a

little harder. But what I have learned is that

everything is right or wrong. There is nothing

in between. That is the way it is. You have to

live with that.“

Entente cordialeOlazabal and Love agree there will be no

repeat of any shenanigans between the

players that left a bad feeling after the

Ryder Cups of 1991 and 1999 in particular.

“The relationship between the players is one

of respect now,“ Olazabal insists. “A lot of

Europeans play in the States and we know

each other better. We have left behind those

years when the atmosphere was not good.“

The same, sadly, cannot always be said about

crowd behaviour. The home fans in Kentucky

in 2008 were whipped up into a frenzy by US

captain Paul Azinger, and encouraged to cheer

missed putts by Europeans. Chicago this

weekend is expected to provide the raucous

backdrop characteristic of a major sporting

city, but Love and Olazabal are promoting

a rowdy yet fair contest.

“I know Chicago will be loud,“ Olazabal says.

“They love their sport, and I’m not going to

judge them based on two or three idiots who

might say the wrong thing at the wrong time.“

In this new era of entente cordiale, both

captains say they will continue the recent

tradition of the teams coming together to

party on Sunday night, and leave as friends

afterwards. “But don’t be mistaken,“ Olazabal

adds. “Even though we have a lot of respect for

each other, we are still competitive – and are

going to try to beat each other like hell.“

Paul Mahoney

“We are still going to try to beat each other like hell”

Ryder Cup 2012 Jose Maria Olazabal

Days in the sun: Olazabal and Ballesteros shake

hands at Kiawah Island in 1991 and (inset) Ollie leans

on Seve for a better view

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

| September 28 2012 | 31Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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Europe

JOSE MARIA OLAZABALCAPTAIN

One of the greatest Ryder

Cuppers ever, forming

a near-unbeatable

partnership with Seve

Ballesteros (they lost just

two out of 15 matches

together), Olazabal will

surely be an inspirational

skipper. If anyone can

channel Seve’s passion

and pass it on to his team,

then it is he. And while he

seems mild-mannered,

nothing will give him

greater pleasure than

sticking it to Uncle Sam.

He’ll want a rout.

P31 W18 L8 H5

MARTIN KAYMERHard to think Kaymer was

world number one just 18

months ago – he’s been in

freefall ever since and is

now ranked 32. Unless he

has particularly impressed

Olazabal in practice, it’s

hard to see him getting out

much before the singles.

P4 W2 L1 H1

FRANCESCOMOLINARI

Played alongside brother

Edoardo in 2010 but failed

to get any wins on the

board in three attempts.

He’s certainly improved in

the two years since (unlike

his brother, who has got

worse) but may not get

much time on the course.

P3 W0 L2 H1

LUKE DONALDCame of age in 2010,

winning two foursomes

points and seeing off

Jim Furyk in the singles.

Before long he’d won the

WGC Matchplay title and

become world number one.

Still to win a major, but

he's a matchplay assassin.

P 11 W8 L2 H1

SERGIO GARCIAIf there’s one man who

can rival Westwood’s

ball-striking, it is Garcia,

who brings a Seve-esque

intensity to the Ryder Cup.

Olazabal will wind him

tighter than a watchspring

in the locker room, open

the door and unleash hell.

P24 W14 L6 H4

JUSTIN ROSEInexplicably missed the

2010 match, but having

him back in the team is a

huge boost. Quite simply

one of the best in the

world, and unfazed by the

big occasion. Expect him to

team up with Ian Poulter

and do some damage.

P4 W3 L1 H0

LEE WESTWOODLike Donald, his CV won’t

be complete until he has

won a major, but nobody

hits the ball better tee to

green than Westwood. His

laidback approach means

he’s a perfect partner –

expect Ollie to give him

a rookie or two.

P33 W16 L11 H6

NICOLAS COLSAERTS

A bold wildcard choice

for Olazabal (Padraig

Harrington would have

been the safe option),

Colsaerts gives his skipper

options. He hits the ball a

mile, and could be a star

for Europe – especially in

the fourball format.

ROOKIE

PAUL LAWRIEMany will see him as a

weak link, but probably not

Olazabal. Lawrie has been

supremely consistent in

2012 and is famously

strong in bad weather.

The Chicago forecast this

week is not good: the Rain

Man will be in his element.

P5 W3 L1 H1

RORY McILROYNobody in the world is

even close to playing as

well as McIlroy right now

and, having experienced

the unique pressure of the

Ryder Cup in 2010, the

youngest man in the

competition will be ready.

He’s the best player there

– and he’ll prove it.

P4 W1 L1 H2

GRAEME McDOWELL

Will probably partner

wonderboy McIlroy, but

G-Mac is a terrific player

in his own right and holed

the winning putt at Celtic

Manor. Keeps the ball

straight and holes clutch

putts under pressure –

the perfect combination.

P8 W4 L2 H2

PETER HANSONThe forgotten man of

Celtic Manor, where he

won one point from three,

Hanson qualified off the

world points list – which

shows what a good year

he has had. Plays well in

big tournaments and

seems unflappable.

P3 W1 L2 H0

IAN POULTERWhat else is there to say

about our cover star? He’s

a supreme competitor,

a brilliant matchplayer

and the talisman of this

European team. His

infectious confidence will

be as valuable in the locker

room as it is on the course.

P11 W8 L3 H0

You can’t miss Olazabal’s m en

– they’ll be decked out in bright orange

Meet the

teams

RYDER CUP 2012 SPECIAL

JIM FURYK

One of Love’s wildcards,

presumably to bring some

experience to a team that

has more than its share of

rookies. Furyk is a doughty

competitor but his Ryder

Cup record has been poor

since his debut in 1997. A

bridge too far for Jimbo.

P27 W8 L15 H4

BRANDT

SNEDEKER

Golf’s new $11m man,

Sneds stormed into a

massive lead at the Open,

only to fall away over the

weekend. Hugely talented

but question marks remain

over his mental fortitude

for the big occasion. He

might suffer this week.

ROOKIE

32 | September 28 2012 |

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USA

DAVIS LOVE III

CAPTAIN

No stranger to the team

game, Love teamed up with

Fred Couples (vice-captain

this week) to win the World

Cup of Golf four times on

the spin in the 1990s.

Highly respected by his

team and still competitive

on Tour, but can’t offer

Olazabal’s intensity or

motivational skills.

P26 W9 L12 H5

MATT KUCHAR

Succeeded Tiger Woods

as US Amateur champ in

1997, but has played in

only one Ryder Cup despite

15 years in golf’s upper

echelons. Arrived at Celtic

Manor as the form player

in 2010, but was famously

taken down by Ian Poulter.

P4 W1 L1 H2

BUBBA WATSON

The Masters champ should

be a lock for the fourballs,

with his booming drives

and ability to pluck birdies

out of nowhere. He’s a

better player than his

debut in 2010, but it’s still

hard to see Love picking

him for the foursomes.

P4 W1 L3 H0

ZACH JOHNSON

The key to any matchplay

golf is holing putts, and

when he’s on song there

are few more dead-eyed

than Johnson. Doesn’t hit

it miles, but then neither

does Luke Donald. Has

enjoyed a renaissance in

2012 and could be key.

P7 W3 L3 H1

PHIL MICKELSON

Has bewitched spectators

and opponents alike for

years with his sublime

short game, but has won

just 11 matches out of

34 in eight Ryder Cup

appearances – and has

never really gelled with

any partner either.

P34 W11 L17 H6

JASON DUFNER

One of the world’s form

players earlier this year,

and could be a surprise

package. Makes lots of

birdies (great for fourballs)

and keeps the ball in play

(ditto foursomes). Could

get a lot of game time if

he’s impressed in practice.

ROOKIE

KEEGAN BRADLEY

Another rookie, last year’s

PGA champion is a serious

talent. One of a select

group to average more

than 300 yards off the tee

this year, and has few

obvious weaknesses to his

game. Don’t be surprised if

he racks up the points.

ROOKIE

TIGER WOODS

He may be one of the

greatest players of all

time, and he led the

points standing for US

qualification, but Tiger is

still a long way from the

player he once was – and

the Ryder Cup has never

really inspired his very

best golf.

P29 W13 L14 H2

WEBB SIMPSON

Ladies and gentlemen,

your US Open champion,

lest you forget. Seemingly

the ultimate journeyman

made good, but Simpson

does have the mentality

for the big occasion. His

presence should hold no

fears for Europe, however.

ROOKIE

DUSTIN JOHNSON

No surprise Love opted to

give Johnson a wildcard

– he’s been in solid form

for the last two months

and gives his captain

another massive driver.

This US team is long: don’t

be surprised to see Love

push back the tee boxes.

P4 W1 L3 H0

STEVE STRICKER

The oldest player in Love’s

team at 45, Stricker will

almost certainly get the

job of partnering Tiger

Woods – they won twice

on the first day at Celtic

Manor. Stricker’s a tough

nut, but his 2012 form has

been average at best.

P7 W3 L3 H1

Only three of the victorious team from four years

ago at Valhalla have made it to Medinah

Meet the

teams

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Martin Kelner

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England v Germany, World Cup Final 1966There will come a time when we will be like

First World War veterans, those of us who

were around to watch England win the World

Cup in 1966. Young reporters will crouch at

our feet and ask what it was like to be alive

in that hour.

Frankly, no big deal. No, really not. We had

great players, we were England, and there

would be many more World Cups, European

Championships and victories over the old

enemy Scotland in the Home International

Championships to come – or so we thought.

It is only in retrospect that the 4-2 victory

over Germany has become such a landmark.

Just 21 years before that afternoon in July

1966, the nation had celebrated another

rather more crucial victory over Germany.

Manchester, where I grew up, was still

studded with bombsites. Compared with the

conflict we had so relatively recently survived,

the World Cup was small beer.

“Sod this, chaps, get the footy on!”To coincide with his new book on the very subject, TV critic Martin Kelner sits down (well, stays sat down) to select his five most momentous moments in televised sporting history

The man who called the match on the BBC

– I’ve never met anyone who watched it on

ITV – was a war hero himself. An RAF man,

the late Kenneth Wolstenholme flew a hundred

missions over enemy territory – and, unlike

dozens of his comrades, survived to receive

the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar.

Understandable, then, that he might be a

tad phlegmatic about a mere football match.

Even his famous valedictory words – “They

think it’s all over. It is now” – were scarcely

noted at the time. By 5.30pm, the TV coverage

was over. By Monday morning, the greatest

moment in the history of English football was

nothing more than a back-page story. If we

had known of the 48 (at least) years of hurt to

follow, we should have made more of a fuss.

Leeds v Wakefield, Rugby League Cup Final 1968Leeds met local rivals Wakefield in the

so-called Watersplash Final. A torrential

storm left Wembley looking like a boating

lake. But these were rugby league players –

semi-professionals, many of whom spent the

rest of the week crawling through dark, dank

tunnels hewing coal – so a little rain wasn’t

going to stop the match.

With Leeds leading 11–7 and seconds to

go, Wakefield winger Kenny Hirst hacked at

a loose ball on the halfway line, raced past

the Leeds defence and slid over for a try.

11-10 (three-point tries in those days)

to Leeds, with a kick to come, from right

in front of the posts. The easiest of

conversions meant victory, surely, for

the small-town team, with the last kick of

the match. But Wakefield’s Don Fox – normally

a most reliable kicker – skewed it wide, ceding

victory to Leeds.

The camera focused on the disconsolate

Fox, and commentator Eddie Waring showed

an empathy that only someone who lived and

breathed the 13-a-side game could. “He’s a

poo-er lad, he’s a poo-er lad,” said Waring,

as Fox trudged off the pitch while teammates

and rivals tried in vain to console him. “What a

moment to live with.”

For me, those few moments at the end of

the game, and Waring’s classic commentary,

epitomised the sport that is rugby league. >

| September 28 2012 | 35

“Those few moments at the end of the game epitomisedrugby league”

Download the free Sport iPad app from the Apple Newsstand

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West Ham v Eintracht Frankfurt, European Cup Winners’ Cup Semi Final 1976In the 1970s I moved down south to work,

and in the absence of the rugby league I had

grown up watching, I needed a football team

to support. I chose West Ham, almost at

random, just in time for the 1974-75 FA Cup

run. I was at Wembley for the win in the final,

and the die was cast. I was West Ham till I die.

Next season, Trevor Brooking played the

football of his life, and Billy Bonds and Frank

Lampard were at their buccaneering best.

West Ham appeared to be on ITV’s The Big

Match almost every Sunday, and I always felt

commentator Brian Moore had a soft spot

for us. He was behind the mic for the second

leg of this Cup Winners’ Cup semi final, where

we needed to pull back a 2-1 deficit from the

game in Germany. After a goalless first half,

Moore seemed to be almost willing us to

score, which we did three times. As much

as the football – Brooking scored a beauty –

it is the operatic swoop of Moore’s voice

I remember most. That night, he seemed

as close to being a fan as it is safe for a

commentator to get.

Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon Final 2008When the world’s top two players met in

the 2008 final, the quality of the tennis was

confirmation that this was a golden age for

the men’s game. Tennis is a fascinating sport

to watch on TV – this contest especially so.

The close-ups give you the unique opportunity

to become an amateur psychologist as you

search for clues that one or other of the

players may be wilting under pressure, or

strangely seems almost scared to deliver his

opponent the knockout blow.

I wonder if there was a little of that in this

match, with Nadal seemingly cruising. At two

sets up, he was ready to claim the crown from

the older player. But he unaccountably let

his rival back in, losing the next two sets

on tie-breaks. Now the momentum was with

Federer, and the match was surely his. But, in

another twist, the Spaniard squeaked home

in an epic final set.

For twists and turns, there’s nothing like

five sets of tennis, and the BBC covers

Wimbledon brilliantly. It was the first sport it

televised, back in 1937, and this match proved

the corporation correct in their continued

cherishing of the rights.

Dennis Taylor v Steve Davis, World Snooker Championship Final 1985We will never see its like again. Certainly, BBC

Two is unlikely ever to attract an audience of

18.5 million again – for anything. It remains

a record for the channel and for an after-

midnight audience. The nation propped

its eyes open with matchsticks for the

astonishing climax of a match lasting 35

frames and 15 hours between defending

champion Steve Davis and Northern Irish

challenger Dennis Taylor.

Remarkably, Taylor recovered from 8-0

down to take Davis to the final ball of the

final frame. Still, Davis could have won, but

uncharacteristically played a nervous shot

on the black, and Taylor sunk the final ball at

18 minutes after midnight to win the match.

’Whispering’ Ted Lowe’s understated

commentary somehow served to ramp

up the tension in the climactic frame.

Like tennis, snooker is a great game for

television, allowing for lots of close-ups.

My favourite is the shot of the player slumped

in his chair realising his opponent is about

to clean up and there is nothing he can do

about it. I doubt the Crucible Theatre has

ever staged anything quite as dramatic as

the 1985 final between Davis and Taylor.

Sit Down and Cheer by Martin Kelner

(Wisden Sports Writing) is available

now, £18.99

36 | September 28 2012 |

Watching winners: Leeds hold their captain and the cup aloft in 1968 (above); Dennis Taylor celebrates snatching the World Snooker Championship (inset)

When you talk about social media and sport, it’s often in the

context of a sports star saying

something a little bit silly.

Take a recent Lee Westwood comment on

Twitter to his European teammate Rory

McIlroy, for example, which prompted

the Northern Irishman to ‘unfollow’ him.

Before you could say ‘hashtag’, this sparked

rumours of a potential rift between the two

before one of the most crucial tournaments

of their careers. Not ideal.

While you have to be careful what you say

on social networks such as Twitter and

Facebook, you also have to really take care

over what you click on. We’re not suggesting

that your friends and those you follow would

deliberately post malicious links to viruses

or phishing scams, but you never know who

might have illicitly accessed their accounts.

Trend Micro Titanium Security is stuffed

with software to keep you safe while surfing

– right across the social spectrum. Social

Networking Security, already a part of the

Trend Micro Titanium Security, has been

improved for the new edition, with support

for Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn,

MySpace and Pinterest.

Social Networking SecurityThe software automatically checks links

posted on your news feed, highlighting them

in green if they’re safe, or red if they’re

not, so you can click away with reckless

abandon and not worry about your profile

being hijacked. It won’t stop you from

accidentally liking that status about your mate

losing their phone, or tweeting something you

meant to send as a private message, but

Trend Micro’s Social Networking Security will

keep you and your computer safe online.

Facebook Privacy ScannerAs well as protecting yourself from malicious

links, an important part of online security is

keeping your private information private.

We’ve all heard horror stories about potential

job applications, or even in some cases

potential relationships being scuppered by

something untoward revealed by a Google

search. Those photos of your trip to Ibiza are

all well and good shared among friends, but

UV paint and women’s clothing probably won’t

play so well with the boss come Monday...

Facebook does offer privacy settings, of

course, but they’re confusing at best.

Trend Micro’s Facebook Privacy

Scanner has you covered, though –

with a single click it lets you easily

monitor your Facebook settings and

control who can contact you and

access your information. Titanium’s

clever software identifies the settings

that could lead to privacy problems

and keeps on top of them.

Trend Micro is online privacy protection

made easy.

Advertising Feature

Stay on the fairway

| 37

Twitter on teeIf you see any of the competitors with their phone out while watching the golf this weekend, they’re probably just tweeting a cheeky update. Here are the names you need to follow for some hilarity on the green...

@McIlroyRory“A lot of abuse from @WestwoodLee about my top! Unjustified! He’s dressed like a farmer at a beach party”

@TigerWoods“The best part about phone interviews is getting to wear shorts.”

@BubbaWatson“Anyone see US Open pairings? @tigerwoods - Phil - Me. The big crowds better watch out!! I don’t hit fairways #ForeLeftForeRight”

@WestwoodLee “It’s alright kids. Don’t listen to Geoff Shreeves. Santa does exist!”

@IanJamesPoulter“Tiger called across the putting green today & said don’t you know how to mark ur ball, I said settle down No 2 to funny” @Graeme_McDowell “Darren Clarke aiming to be the first Northern Irish golfer to win a major in almost four weeks! #incredible”

This weekend, both Europe and the USA’s best golfers will be striving to keep out of trouble. Trend Micro helps you do the same, with safe social networking tools

Trendmicro.com/titanium

Speed, performance, endurance – the LG Optimus 4X HD

The power

38 | September 28 2012 |

Life’S GOOD wHen... SpeeD iS Of tHe eSSence

We’ve all been there. Something amazing is

unfolding before your very eyes, and you want

to capture the moment – whether it’s a child’s

first steps or the incredible finale to a football

game or gig.

But, by the time you get your smartphone

out, unlock it and open the camera app, the

moment has passed, and you’ve missed half

of it fiddling with your phone. We’ve all needed

to fire out a quick email or text before getting

on to the Tube or taking off on a plane, and

been thwarted by sluggish messaging apps

or email clients. And we’ve all found our

phones getting slower and slower as we

fill them up with data – texts from loved

ones, favourite songs, great apps. You know

that deleting them might make the phone

run a bit quicker – but why should you have

to do that?

Well, you don’t – not with the new quadcore

LG Optimus 4X HD. Quadcore equals speed,

with NVIDIA’s 4-PLUS-1™ Tegra mobile

processor giving you all the power you need

to take photos or videos in a flash, or fire off

emails in an instant. You can even jot down

quick notes, no matter what you’re doing,

thanks to LG’s unique QMemo feature, which

lets you write memos from any screen

without having to open a separate application.

That’s part of Optimus UI 3.0, LG’s new user

experience, which builds on the already

excellent Android Ice Cream Sandwich

operating system, giving you access to

thousands of the best apps. The new UI

includes Time Catch Shot, a camera feature

that lets you select and save the best shot

from the images taken just before you press

the shutter, so you’ll never fail to capture

the moment.

Good things may come to those who wait,

but sometimes they happen pretty quickly –

so you need a phone that can keep up. With its

quadcore processor, the LG Optimus 4X HD

certainly fits the bill.

Life’S GOOD wHen... yOu’re entertaineD, On tHe mOve Much as we’d like it to, life doesn’t always

throw up entertaining moments for us –

sometimes we need to take matters into

our own hands. Whether it’s on your daily

commute to work, or the occasional long

journey, the LG Optimus 4X HD has you

covered, with the power and performance

to run any app that imaginative Android

development community can throw at it. So if

you’re playing Angry Birds or browsing the

web for video content, you’ll find loading times

much quicker. After all – if you’re on your

phone because you’re waiting for your train

to work, your phone shouldn’t be keeping

you waiting as well.

Of course, you’ll hardly realise you’re on

your phone because all that video content will

look great on the Optimus 4X HD’s incredible

display. The 4.7-inch True HD IPS screen has

a resolution of 1280 x 720, so it’s super high

clarity, and the 16:9 aspect ratio makes it

perfect for enjoying films the way they were

meant to be seen. LG have added MediaPlex to

the Android-based OS – it adds features like

Fingertip Seek and Live Zooming to video

playback, so you can easily hone in on exactly

what you want to see.

As smartphones become ever more

intelligent, performance becomes even more

important. If you’re looking for a phone with

the power to entertain you with games, videos

and the best the web has to offer, look no

further than the LG Optimus 4X HD.

Life’S GOOD wHen... yOur cHarGer can Stay at HOmeOf course all that processing power means

nothing if your phone battery doesn’t have

enough endurance to make it through the day.

The LG Optimus 4X’s NVIDIA 4-PLUS-1 mobile

processor doesn’t just have the power of four

cores for speed and performance; it’s also

cleverly constructed to give you power when

you need it, but save battery life when you

don’t. The 4X HD comes with a 2,150mAH

battery – it’s larger and longer-lasting than

any other quadcore smartphone on the

market, but doesn’t add bulk to the phones

smart design. There’s more – the Optimus 4X

HD’s clever quad-core processor utilises a

fifth ’battery-saver’ core. So, if your phone

is on standby, or you’re listening to music

with it in your pocket, your battery isn’t

being drained.

Thanks to its Tegra 4-PLUS-1 processor,

the LG Optimus 4X HD offers incredible power,

but also amazing endurance, so you can be

confident it will last through the day.

The LG Optimus 4X HD offers speed, power

and endurance, and is available from

Phones4U. For more information,

visit lg.com/uk/4XHD

of four

Advertising Feature

The 4.7” True HD IPS screen has a resolution of 1280 x 720, and a 16:9 aspect ratio great for widescreen viewing. Text is sharper and easier to read

The 2,150mAh battery is the largest of any quadcore smartphone, holding a greater charge without impacting on phone design

NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 4-PLUS-1 Quadcore intelligently manages all four cores when needed and differs to a fifth battery-saver core for less demanding tasks to maximise power efficiency

The 4X HD runs Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, so you can customise your phone and download apps to your heart’s content

MediaPlex software makes video playback a dream – with features like Fingertip Seek and Live Zooming

LG’s QMemo software lets you quickly jot down notes from whatever application you’re in at the time

Lin

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8,800

7 DaysSEP 28-OCT 4

HIGHLIGHTS

» Football: Premier League » p42

»Football: Champions League » p44

» Rugby League: Super League Playoffs » p46

» Rugby Union: Harlequins v Saracens » p46

» UFC: Struve v Miocic » p48OUR PICK OF THE ACTION FROM THE SPORTING WEEK AHEAD

40 | September 28 2012 |

THURSDAY > TENNIS | RAKUTEN JAPAN OPEN | ARIAKE COLOSSEUM | SKY SPORTS 2 4AM

Murray’s grand returnUS Open and Olympic champion Andy Murray is back on court next week, with the celebratory champagne probably still flowing – around

him that is, not through him. The Scot is

almost religiously sober.

He heads to Tokyo with a clear head,

then, full of good memories of last year’s

tournament, where he was in imperious form.

He took both the men’s singles and doubles

titles – the latter alongside his brother Jamie.

But it was in the singles final against

Rafael Nadal where the British number one

really impressed, coming back from losing

the opening set to win the title – even

leaving Nadal with what the Americans like

to call a ‘bagel’ in the final set.

“He was unstoppable,” said Nadal after

his defeat, claiming “only a few players could

have beaten Murray today”. The Spaniard

won just four points in the entire final set as

Murray – then world number four – completed

a superb fortnight in the Far East, having

taken the Thailand Open just a week earlier.

This year, Tokyo will be the first stop in Asia

for the Scot, who was recently welcomed

back from New York with a bus parade in

front of thousands in his hometown of

Dunblane. But if he can shake off the jet lag

and adapt to the conditions swiftly enough,

the line-up contains little cause for concern.

With Nadal still resting his unreliable knees,

Roger Federer claiming he’s exhausted and in

need of some time off, and Novak Djokovic

choosing the China Open over Japan next

week, Tomas Berdych is the highest-ranked

challenger to Murray in Tokyo. The Czech

world number seven lost to Murray in the

semi finals of the US Open earlier this month,

blaming his defeat in part on the high winds

swirling around Flushing Meadows

throughout their four-set match.

US Open quarter-finalist Janko Tipsarevic

is also set to feature, along with Japanese

number one Kei Nishikori. The 22-year-old

world number 26 became the first Japanese

player to reach the last eight of a Grand

Slam since 1995 when he made the quarters

in Australia this year (if you can name the

other, tweet us @Sportmaguk – we’ll be

mightily impressed).

Murray won’t necessarily be the biggest

draw in town, then. But he is the only one with

a Grand Slam title to his name. At long last.

The population of Dunblane, where

an estimated 15-20,000 people

turned up to welcome Andy Murray

home from his title-winning summer

Described as “someone you could go to war with” by his manager Roberto di Matteo, former Arsenal left-back Ashley Cole was the

toast of Stamford Bridge last weekend. His

first goal in 28 months kept the Blues top of

the Premier League, prompting Di Matteo to

label him “a legend... Chelsea through and

through”. As if Arsenal fans didn’t dislike the

man enough already.

Their own left-back, Kieran Gibbs, is in fine

form. The 22-year-old has struggled to stay fit

in previous seasons, but is now starting to look

like the player Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger

always insisted he was capable of being.

He’s not the only one, either. Right-back Carl

Jenkinson has started the season so well that

Bacary Sagna might face a battle to get back in

the side once he’s recovered from injury.

While it was Cole who broke the deadlock

for Chelsea against a stubborn Stoke side,

Arsenal’s saviour at the Etihad last weekend

also emerged from their back line – Laurent

Koscielny thumping in a late equaliser to

maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

Chelsea, too, are unbeaten in the league,

but their position at the top of the table does

perhaps flatter them a little. Indeed, Wenger’s

claim that no team looks unbeatable so

far might have been aimed at last year’s

champions, but it also rings true for the Blues.

Arsenal were undefeated against Chelsea

last season, with John Terry’s comical slip

during the Gunners’ 5-3 win at Stamford Bridge

capping a dreadful day for the home team.

Having endured a tricky week off the pitch,

Terry’s state of mind may not be any better now

than it was then (when allegations that he had

racially abused Anton Ferdinand were fresh).

Another eight-goal thriller is possibly too

much to hope for, however, with both teams

conceding only twice so far this season.

44

42 | September 28 2012 |

7 Days

saturday arsenal v chelsea | emirates stadium | sky sports 2 12.45pm

Feeling blue

saturday manchester united v tottenham

old trafford | espn 5.30pm

Manchester United are following their usual pattern of starting the season with games that they don’t deserve to win, but somehow manage to. Even

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted his side was lucky to leave Anfield with three

points last weekend, after a particularly poor first half. It was a similar tale

for Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas, who saw his team booed off after a

first half in which QPR went ahead – but two goals in 95 seconds (including

a fourth of the season for Jermain Defoe) ensured a first home win of

the campaign. Tomorrow, AVB takes his side to a ground where they’ve

never won in the Premier League against a team that put six goals past

them last season. On the plus side, Defoe and co may find things easier

against a United team missing crocked captain Nemanja Vidic.

sunday aston villa v west brom | villa park | ss2 4pm

At half time in their match at Southampton last weekend, Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert would have felt his side were on for a second successive win. At full time, his side were 4-1 losers, having regressed from the

performance that gave them a win over Swansea a week previously.

“You can’t defend as deep as that and expect to get a 1-0,” said

Lambert afterwards, his only positive being Darren Bent’s first goal

of the season. Villa now lag six points behind Midlands rivals West Brom,

whose on-loan striker Romelu Lukaku helped secure their third win of the

season last weekend. Under Roy Hodgson, the Baggies got their first win

at Villa Park since 1979 last season. Under Steve Clarke, a second could

be on the cards if Villa fail to – literally – step up their defensive game.

Premier League This week’s action is a derby sandwich, with two sturdy all-London clashes surrounding a meaty Midlands filling

Times Arsene Wenger

has faced Chelsea as

the Arsenal manager.

His record to date is

19 wins, 12 draws

and 13 defeats

saturday stoke v swansea

britannia stadium | 3pm

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saturday sunderland v wigan

stadium of light | 3pm

monday qpr v west ham | loftus

road | sky sports 1 8pm

saturday norwich v liVerpool

carrow road | 3pm

“Periods of struggle are unavoidable,” proclaimed Clive Owen while narrating the Being: Liverpool documentary shown

on Channel 5 last Friday. Despite not

actually playing that badly, this period

is exactly as Owen described for

Liverpool. Still, Luis Suarez will have

positive memories of Carrow Road,

having scored a hat-trick there last

season. If he can inspire another Reds

win, it might just kick-start their season.

Swansea’s flying start to the season seems a long time ago. They’ve conceded

seven in their past three league games,

and lost two in a row. Now they travel to

Stoke, where Tony Pulis’ side have held

off Man City and Arsenal this season.

A first defeat came at Chelsea last

weekend, but few would have griped had

Stoke taken a point from there, too.

A tough ask for the Swans, and a good

chance for Stoke to get their first win.

The glamour tie of the weekend sees draw specialists Sunderland take on Wigan. Latics boss Roberto Martinez was left

bemoaning his side’s defensive frailty

after defeat by Fulham last weekend,

while Black Cats manager Martin O’Neill

was equally frustrated by his side’s

inability to kill off a game they led for 81

minutes before Kevin Nolan’s last-gasp

strike for West Ham. Put the two together

and what do you get? A draw, probably.

The Hammers haven’t won at Loftus Road since 1988, a statistic Big Sam will fancy changing. But while QPR reside in the

doldrums of the league table, Allardyce

will be wise not to underestimate Mark

Hughes’ side. Having been labelled ‘plucky’

for their performances in London

derbies against Tottenham and Chelsea,

Hughes believes his team are at the

right level to survive in the top flight. Now

they just need the results to prove it.

| 43

saturday reading v newcastle

madejski stadium | 3pm

Royals boss Brian McDermott has told his side to come out fighting against Newcastle. They’re rooted to the bottom of the table

with one point, and are in desperate need

of a sign they’re not on a one-way ticket

back to the Championship. The Magpies

should be bolstered by the return from

injury of midfield enforcer Cheick Tiote

(pictured), a player they’ve missed. And

with Demba Ba back in scoring form,

they’ll be more than up for the fight.

Chelsea 5 4 1 0 9 2 13

Man Utd 5 4 0 1 12 6 12

Everton 5 3 1 1 9 5 10

West Brom 5 3 1 1 7 4 10

Arsenal 5 2 3 0 9 2 9

Fulham 5 3 0 2 12 7 9

Man City 5 2 3 0 10 7 9

Tottenham 5 2 2 1 8 6 8

West Ham 5 2 2 1 5 4 8

Newcastle 5 2 2 1 6 6 8

Swansea 5 2 1 2 10 7 7

Sunderland 4 0 4 0 4 4 4

Stoke 5 0 4 1 4 5 4

Aston Villa 5 1 1 3 5 9 4

Wigan 5 1 1 3 5 10 4

Southampton 5 1 0 4 9 15 3

Norwich 5 0 3 2 2 8 3

Liverpool 5 0 2 3 4 10 2

QPR 5 0 2 3 3 11 2

Reading 4 0 1 3 4 9 1

P W D L F A Pts

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Premier League table

Liverpool have failed to

win any of their opening

five league games for

the first time since the

1911-12 season5

saturday eVerton v

southampton | goodison pk | 3pm

Three is the magic number for Everton, in third place after putting three past Swansea last weekend. On Saturday,

however, they take on a Southampton

side buoyed after climbing off the foot

of the table with a first league win of the

season against Villa. The Toffees have

failed to win on their past three visits to

St Mary’s (2005 being the most recent)

– but David Moyes’ current crop will

expect to alter that statistic tomorrow.

saturday fulham v man city

craVen cottage | 3pm

It’s two draws on the trot for Manchester City, who face a Fulham side with two

wins in two. City have yet to taste victory

away from home in the league so far,

while Fulham have won both their games

at the Cottage. They’ve not beaten City

in the past three seasons, though, a

Sergio Aguero (pictured) brace securing

a draw in London last season. Roberto

Mancini needs the Argentine back in that

form tomorrow, and he needs a win.

7 Days

The Reds will be hoping to avoid a fright in the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca, the capital of the historical province of

Transylvania. The region’s most famous

export is of course a bloodsucking

half-man, half-bat who bears an

uncanny resemblance to a recently

departed United forward. CFR Cluj pulled

off a smash-and-grab win over Braga

two weeks ago, but then they also won

their opener the previous two occasions

they qualified for the Champions League

proper – and then failed to win another

game for the rest of the tournament.

That said, they demonstrated with

their 2-0 win in the AXA Stadium how

dangerous they can be on the counter.

Braga had 23 attempts on target to Cluj’s

four, but still fell to a Rafael Bastos brace.

United, meanwhile, secured a nervy

home win over Galatasaray in which they

created plenty of chances but took just

one – and gave away plenty at the other

end. Robin van Persie (above) will need

to be at his clinical best.

Expect A United win, but not without

a scare or two. And, no, we’re not still

talking about vampires.

Don’t expect Nani to be anywhere near

the ball if United win a penalty.

The Danish side’s Champions League debut was a tricky away tie at Shakhtar,

which they lost 2-0. Unfortunately for

Nordsjaelland, the first-time Superliga

champions from the island of Zealand,

their next game is even harder: they

welcome holders Chelsea to their

10,000-capacity Farum Park stadium.

The Blues’ opener against Juventus

was very much the Oscar show, with the

Brazilian youngster scoring twice in his

first start for the club – but Roberto di

Matteo’s side have made an excellent

start in all competitions. Juve did expose

potential frailties in Chelsea’s midfield

(yes, we mean you Mikel), especially with

the peerless Andrea Pirlo pulling the

strings. With the greatest of respect to

Nordsjaelland’s midfield trio, however,

they lack the quality to pose a similar

threat – despite their reputation as the

‘Danish Barcelona’. On that note, keep

an eye out for 21-year-old Andreas

Laudrup, who had a nine-minute cameo

against Shakhtar and whose father

Michael once gave the real Barcelona

a touch of Danish dynamite.

Expect Goals galore from Chelsea’s

talented and expensive frontline.

Don’t expect Fernando Torres to get any.

TUESDAY group H: CFr Cluj-NapoCa v MaN utd | ItV1 7.45pM TUESDAY group E: FC NordsjaEllaNd v CHElsEa | ss2 7.45pM

Champions League Arsenal welcome the Greek champions on matchday two, while Manchester United take a trip to Transylvania

all games on

sky sports 4

red button,

unless specified

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The Citizens had a taste of their own rather expensive medicine at the start

of their Champions League sophomore

season, as goals from Marcelo, Karim

Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo (total

cost: at least £125m) eclipsed those of

Edin Dzeko (pictured) and Aleksandar

Kolarov (total cost: £43m). Dortmund

have no such riches, but still have one

of the most exciting teams in Europe,

despite the departure of Shinji Kagawa

to Old Trafford this summer. They won

the German double last season, but their

31-game unbeaten run in the league

came to an end last weekend. So, now

is probably as good a time as any to be

welcoming Die Schwarzgelben and

their wonderfully vocal away support.

Dortmund left it late in their first game,

relying on a Robert Lewandowski goal

three minutes from time to deservedly

bag three points. City will feel hard done

by after their Bernabeu experience, but

need to get off the mark if they’re going

to make it out of the Group of Champions.

Expect Niall Quinn to gush with praise for

City on the co-commentary, whatever

the result.

Don’t expect A clean sheet – City have

conceded 11 goals in seven games.

With Pepe Reina letting shots slip through his fingers and Man City defenders diving

out of the way of goal-bound efforts,

it’s fallen to Arsenal’s traditionally leaky

defence to prop up the goals conceded

column in the Premier League.

Olympiacos did put three past them in

last year’s groups (with Arsenal already

having qualified), and the overall record

stands at two wins apiece – Arsenal

have won both games in London,

Olympiacos both in Greece. The Greek

champions lost to Schalke a fortnight

ago, but dominated at the Karaiskakis

Stadium, which manager Leonardo

Jardim called “a powerful weapon”.

They have been somewhat impotent

without said weapon though , winning

just one of their past six Champions

League away games. Arsenal should be

confident, then, of sticking a few past

Olympiacos keeper Roy Carroll (if he

plays) and collecting three points. Or at

least they would be, if their front line

didn’t consist of the profligate Gervinho

(three goals in his past three games

excepted) and Olivier Giroud (pictured).

Expect An array of baffling misses.

Don’t expect Arsene Wenger on the

Arsenal bench. He’s still banned.

WEDNESDAY group d: man City v Borussia dortmund | ss2 7.45pm WEDNESDAY group B: arsenal v olympiaCos | sky sports 4 7.45pm

Also on Tuesday

Also onWednesday

Group E: Juventus v Sh Donetsk, 7.45pm

Group F: BATE v Bayern Munich, 7.45pm

Group F: Valencia v Lille, 7.45pm

Group G: Benfica v Barcelona, 7.45pm

Group G: Spartak Moscow v Celtic, 5pm SS2

Group H: Galatasaray v Braga, 7.45pm

Group A: Dyn Kiev v Din Zagreb, 7.45pm

Group A: FC Porto v PSG, 7.45pm

Group B: Schalke v Montpellier, 7.45pm

Group C: Zenit v AC Milan, 5pm SS2

Group C: Anderlecht v Malaga, 7.45pm

Group D: Ajax v Real Madrid, 7.45pm

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46 | September 28 2012 |

7 Days

Friday Rugby League | StobaRt SupeR League pLayoffS: Wigan WaRRioRS v LeedS RhinoS | dW Stadium | Sky SpoRtS 2 8pm

Grand expectations

Saracens will have had plenty of time to reflect on their defeat to Exeter last Sunday on the

long bus journey home – and they won’t

have felt any better when they looked at the

fixture list. next up is harlequins away.

four wins from four for Conor o’Shea’s

men sees them top of the pile again, and

last week’s victory at Leicester – Quins

were the first to win there in 11 months –

sent a message that last season was no

one-off. “in the first half, we showed we

were a good rugby side,” said

o’Shea after his side’s 22-9

win (pictured).

Sunday Rugby union | aviva pRemieRShip: haRLeQuinS v SaRaCenS | tWiCkenham Stoop | Sky SpoRtS 1 2pm

For much of the season, Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves have been the form

teams in Super League – and they will still

be favourites to face each other in next

Saturday’s Grand Final at Old Trafford.

However, given their opponents in this

weekend’s semi finals – respectively,

Leeds Rhinos and St Helens – nothing can be

taken for granted. Leeds and Saints have

contested four of the past five Grand Finals,

and know all about getting to Old Trafford.

On paper it’s Wigan, who themselves

chose to face the Rhinos through the

innovative Club Call system, who have the

easier task. They have home advantage,

have had a week off to watch Leeds come

through a bruising encounter with Catalan

Dragons in Perpignan, and will be keen on

revenge for their Challenge Cup semi final

defeat by the Rhinos (pictured) back in July.

But Leeds, who welcome back prop Kylie

Leuluai after suspension, will not want to

give up their crown without a fight; they

overcame the table-topping Warrington in

their own backyard in the semis last year,

and will push Wigan all the way tonight.

Warrington, who were soundly beaten

by St Helens two weeks ago, must go to

“in the second, we showed the heart you

need to be a great rugby side.”

it’s hard to argue. harlequins possess a

steel that Saracens are going to have to

penetrate if they’re to avoid falling a

possible 12 points behind their London

rivals after five games. it’s been a tough

two weeks for mark mcCall’s men, that

defeat to exeter coming on the back of a

9-9 draw with Leicester. Lose again and it

will feel like another long journey home

on Sunday.

Langtree Park on Saturday (Sky Sports 2,

6.15pm), when they will hope prop Garreth

Carvell and Man of Steel nominee Ben

Westwood have recovered from injury to

take on a Saints side eyeing a seventh

consecutive Grand Final appearance.

Given their poor start and the sacking of

their coach after a handful of games, Saints

have done well to still be involved at this

stage of the season. Hooker James Roby

and rampaging forward Sia Soliola will both

prove huge threats to the Wolves – but, with

a Grand Final spot awaiting the winner, there

will be no holding back from either side.

Capital collision

7 Days

SATURDAY UFC | STRUVE v MIOCIC | CAPITAL FM ARENA, NOTTINGHAM | ESPN 9PM

Few people would mistake Nottingham, England on a Saturday night for Las Vegas, Nevada, unless some heavy drink had been taken first.

But walk into the Capital FM Arena this

Saturday night and you will find 22 of the

UFC’s finest fighters trading heavy blows.

Devoid of an official UFC number (the

numbered events are reserved for the

biggest UFC markets: Vegas, Brazil, UFC 152

in Toronto last weekend), this one’s effectively

a spread-the-word, test-the-waters mission.

Heavyweights Stefan Struve and Stipe

Miocic (pictured, left) top a bill littered with

English fighters, including the unbeaten

Scouser Paul ‘Sassangle’ Sass, who’ll

inevitably stop Matt ‘Handsome’ Wiman with

his trusty triangle choke (13 fights, 13 wins).

Most eyes will be on Dan Hardy, back on

home soil from his base in Vegas and looking

to knock Amir Sadollah into Sunday morning.

FRIDAY

CRICKET World T20: Super Eights Group 2:

Pakistan v South Africa, R Premadasa

Stadium, Colombo, Sky Sports 2 10am

CRICKET World T20: Super Eights Group 2: Australia v India,

R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sky Sports 2 2pm

SATURDAY

CRICKET World T20: Super Eights Group 1:

England v New Zealand, Pallekele International

Stadium, Kandy, Sky Sports 3 10am

FOOTBALL SPL: Aberdeen v Hibernian,

Pittodrie, ESPN 11.30am

RUGBY UNION Rugby Championship:

South Africa v Australia,

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, Sky

Sports 2 3.30pm

FOOTBALL La Liga: Sevilla v Barcelona,

Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Sky Sports 4 9pm

SUNDAY

ATHLETICS Berlin Marathon, Germany,

British Eurosport 7.45am

RUGBY LEAGUE NRL Grand Final, ANZ Stadium,

Sydney, Sky Sports 4 8am

FOOTBALL Championship: Nottingham Forest v Derby,

City Ground, Sky Sports 2 1.15pm

CRICKET World T20: Super Eights Group 2:

India v Pakistan, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo,

Sky Sports 3 2pm

MOTORSPORT MOTO GP: Round 14,

Motorland Aragon Circuit, Spain,

British Eurosport 2 2pm

NFL Buffalo Bills v New England Patriots,

Ralph Wilson Stadium, New York, Sky Sports 4 5.30pm

MONDAY

CRICKET World T20: Super Eights Group 1:

Sri Lanka v England, Pallekele International Stadium,

Kandy, Sky Sports 1 2pm

NFL Chicago Bears v Dallas Cowboys (featuring Major Wright,

pictured), United Center, Chicago,

BBC Red Button 1.25am

WEDNESDAY

FOOTBALL Superclasico de las Americas:

Argentina v Brazil, El Monumental Stadium,

Buenos Aires, ESPN 2am

THURSDAY

CRICKET Women’s World T20: Semi Finals,

R Premadasa Stadium, Sky Sports 1 9.30am

BEST OF THE REST

Do

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Greatest hits

The curious format of British Superbikes always throws up some exciting end-of-season action, and that looks set to continue at Silverstone on

Sunday, with the second of three showdown

rounds. Ahead of these showdown rounds,

the top six riders in the standings separate

off into their own mini-league, taking with

them 500 points (why not?) and a further

total worked out according to their podium

finishes through the season.

All of which means that, after the first two of

six showdown races, Australian Josh Brookes

has a slender two-point lead over Shane Byrne.

There’s 20 points back to Britain’s Tommy Hill in

third, but the defending champ has won more

races than anyone this year and will be

desperate to close the gap on Sunday.

48 | September 28 2012 |

Silverstone showdown

SUNDAY MOTORSPORT | BRITISH SUPERBIKES: ROUND 11 | SILVERSTONE | BRITISH EUROSPORT 2 12.25PM

| 49

Competition

NBA 2K13 is here and, to celebrate the latest edition of the world’s most popular basketball game, Sport has

teamed up with 2K Sports to give away a

copy of the game and a games console of

their choice to one lucky reader. Three

runners up will also win a copy of the

game for the console of their choice

(Xbox 360 or PS3). NBA 2K13 has been

created in collaboration with Jay Z, who

worked as an executive producer on

the title, lending his artistic talents

and creative vision to the game.

Improvements to the series include an

enhanced MyCareer mode and all-new

gameplay features such as the ability to

play as some of the legends of the sport.

For your chance to win, just answer this

simple question:

Who won the men’s basketball gold

medal at the London Olympics?

A China B USA C Micronesia

TO ENTER, JUST TEXT NBA PLUS YOUR

ANSWER A, B OR C AND YOUR NAME TO

81089

Texts costs 50p+ standard network charge.

Competition closes at midnight on

Thursday October 11. For full terms and

conditions, visit sport-magazine.co.uk

Win! NBA 2K13 + a 360 or PS3!

W hile Brandt Snedeker may be spending the week counting out

$11.5m in dollar notes and

organising them into piles, there will be a

voice niggling away at him mind asking: “Are

you London’s Best Golfer though? Are you?”

To be honest, we don’t care for meaningless

monetary giveaways – only titles are

important to us.

And, more specifically, our search to find

both London’s Best Golfer and London’s

Luckiest Golfer. Hot on the heels of Luke

Donald’s bid last week comes an exemplary

performance from DJ Trevor Nelson, who

has thrown his hat into the ring at one under

par. While Luke has “a few big events coming

up” and is therefore unlikely to attend the

final, we see the big-hitting Alistair Downes

at the head of the ‘others’ at two under par.

In Ryder Cup week, why not head to Urban

Golf and have a few tries at posting a score?

www.urbangolf.co.uk/londonsbestgolfer

Let the Ryder Cup get you in the mood!The LeAderBOArd (scores over nine holes)

1. Luke Donald 30 (-6)

2. Alistair Downes 34 (-2)

3=. Trevor Nelson 35 (-1)

David Andrews 35 (-1)

Fraser Devlin 35 (-1)

John Willcox 35 (-1)

7. Sean Cook 36 (level)

8=. Tony Moss 37 (+1)

Mark Richards 37 (+1)

10.= Chris Marsterson Smith 38 (+2)

Luke Carby 38 (+2)

Sport Promotion

Extra time Gadgets

50 | September 28 2012 |

Making the most of your time and money

Mobile music

But not actually on your mobile. Ignore the

misleading headline – here’s our pick of

the best standalone MP3 players

Making the most of your time and money

P55

Kit up with the very latest

golf gear. Then sit down and

watch the golf on the telly

1. iPod Touch Looking all the better for its

recent makeover, the new iPod

Touch has a slighter build, with

a four-inch Retina display and

aluminium body enclosing an

A5 dual-core chip and iSight

camera – although we’ve never

actually seen anyone use the

front-facing camera outside of

video-chatting to their diverse

group of friends in Apple ads.

From £169 | apple.com/uk

2. Sony Walkman F800 Still going strong after 33

years, Sony’s flagship music

player bears little resemblance

to the chunky cassette player

you used to listen to Now! 23 on.

This version runs Ice Cream

Sandwich, Android’s latest

flavour, and has both Bluetooth

and Wi-fi capabilities. Super.

£TBC | sony.co.uk

3. Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0 The standout feature on

Samsung’s latest player has

to be the FM radio, which lets

you tune into local broadcasts

from anywhere in the country.

Amazing stuff. There’s also

apps and games if, for some

bizarre reason, the annoying

tones of Nick Grimshaw on

Radio 1 aren’t your thing.

£130 | amazon.co.uk

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Around the Horn

52 | September 28 2012 |

Extra time Sophie Horn

I love the Ryder Cup,” gushes Sophie Horn. “It’s just one of those great sporting events that everyone gets into, even if they don’t like golf.”

Sophie – increasingly known in golfing

circles as ‘The Horn’ – will be watching it

in the pub with friends (“couldn’t blag my

way out there”). So if you spot her propping

up the bar, be sure to pick her brains – because

the 3-handicapper certainly knows her stuff.

“I think Ollie made a couple of great wild card

picks,” she begins. “Colsaerts hits the ball so far –

great fourball option – and Poults... well, you have to

have Poults in your team, don’t you? He’s so competitive

and, to be fair, backs it up – he has an awesome record.

“Europe has a brilliant team, really strong in every

department. The course is on Luke Donald’s doorstep,

Rory McIlroy is in great form, and I think Paul Lawrie

will be a real dark horse – he’s very steady. And Ollie

will be a great captain – he’s so respected in the game,

but he’ll bring that bit of Seve with him too.”

When she stops to draw breath, we ask about her

own game (the last time we spoke, she was considering

playing on tour): “I still love playing, but there’s a lot of

other stuff I want to do – media work and that sort of

thing, and I don’t think it fits in with trying to get a tour

card. So I’m going to carry on doing what I’m doing.”

That includes expanding her kit range (Horn belts,

Horn balls, Horn clothing) and organising a ‘Horn Tour’

around some of the top De Vere golf courses in the

country. We mention this merely for the fact that her

par-3 challenge will be called ‘Get Inside The Horn’...

Not only that, but she is also set to indulge her other

passion – fast cars – by becoming a test driver for

Lovecars (‘a social network for people who love cars’).

“I see myself as a female Stig, but I’ll do it the Horn

way,” she begins again, before tailing off. “Sorry,

I’m rambling.” A busy girl, our Horn.

Follow @sophiehorn on Twitter Ro

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| 53

Talking to your family about

cancer can be really tough.

But a chat with one of our experts

on the Macmillan Support Line

can help you find the words you

need. So you and your family

can face the future, together.

This is just one of the ways the

Macmillan team can help you

through cancer. Our medical

professionals, cancer support

specialists and benefits advisers

are just a phone call away.

For cancer support

every step of the way

call the Macmillan team

free on 0808 808 00 00 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 8pm)

or visit macmillan.org.uk

Macm

illan C

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| September 28 2012 | 55

Links effect

Summer may be over, but there’s still

plenty of shiny new golf kit to buy. Roll on

2013, and the chance to use it in the sun

1

2

3

4

5

1 Oakley Fast Jacket XL Golf Specific

See the ball better, read

the putts... more and

more golfers are wearing

shades on the course.

These are some of the

best on the market.

£190 | uk.oakley.com

3 Lyle and Scott Placed Stripe

Now, quite what do we say

about this jumper? Lyle

and Scott do make some

of the very nicest golf

clothing – and now they

make the brightest, too.

£95 | lyleandscott.com

6 adidas Crossflex Golf Shoe

Ultra-lightweight at just

under 11 ounces, this

shoe is built on a running

mould and is designed with

style in mind. You won’t

know you’re wearing it.

£64.99 | adidasgolf.eu

2 Ecco BIOM Gore-Tex Shoe

This shoe comes with all

of the benefits of the

popular BIOM, but Ecco

claims it’s as waterproof

as any golf shoe on the

market. Timely, then.

£199 | ecco.com/golf

5 Cobra Red ZL Encore Driver

Aimed at the better

golfer, the ZL Encore is

the most technologically

advanced driver ever

from Cobra. As used by

this week’s cover star.

£319 | cobragolf.com

8 Galvin Green Almer Paclite

It’s not cheap, but then

you get what you pay for

with Galvin Green – and

this logoed jacket would

even have kept you dry at

Celtic Manor in 2010. >

£260 | galvingreen.com

4 Callaway HEX Black Tour Ball

Callaway balls are

winning more and more

tour events: this one

gives more distance and

control. If you hit it right.

£39.99/doz |

callawaygolf.com

7Mizuno JPX825 Pro Irons

The Mizuno MP irons are

some of the best out

there, but are suited to

better players. These

give more forgiveness.

£90/120 per club |

golf.mizunoeurope.com

6

7

8

Extra time Golf kit

56 | September 28 2012 |

11 Taylor Made GhostSpider S

If you want more stability

with your putter, then

Taylor Made says this is

the club for you. Based on

its other successful

Ghost models, it is easier

to square at impact and

therefore control.

£149 | taylormadegolf.eu

12 Nike Swingtip Golf Shoe

Nike turned to surfers

and skateboarders

for inspiration when it

designed its new shoe,

and this is the result: the

latest golf street shoe.

It might not look it, but the

Swingtip is big on traction

and stability.

£90 | nikegolf.eu10 Titleist 913D Driver

A certain Rory McIlroy

took this driver out on

tour for the first time

recently – and the results

were incredible. Nobody

has played as well as Rory

of late, and hopefully this

driver will continue

to perform for him at

Medinah this weekend...

£344 | titleist.co.uk

9 Bridgestone B330 Ball

Here you are looking at

a golf ball that has just

won a cool $11m.

Brandt Snedeker,

FedEx Cup winner and

multimillionaire, gets

a very nice tune from it

indeed. Can you?

£44.99/dozen |

bridgestonegolf.com

13 Mizuno Aerolite Bag

How much technology can

you pack into one bag?

Try ImpermaLite fabric,

heat-welded zippers,

Kabuki Organiser Top

Cuff with ‘divide and slide’,

SliderStrap, AeroStrap,

Cable Grip, HydroSleeve,

Shower Cap, Quicksnap

rainhood... and relax.

£170 |

golf.mizunoeurope.com

14 Aquascutum Club Check

If you want to feel good

on the course, then this

Aquascutum slipover is a

touch of quality. Very tidy.

£150 |

aquascutumgolf.com

9

11

13

10

12

14

Extra time Golf kit

15 Odyssey X7 Putter

Modified mallets are all

the rage right now – and

this is one of the best on

the market. Its weighted

alignment wings give it

more stability and its

double-bend shaft helps

alignment.

Over to you.

£109 |

callawaygolf.com

19 Puma Neo Classic ProType

Ian Poulter’s shoes come

in surprisingly traditional

colours: either black and

white or, er, white and

black. They look like

traditional golf shoes

should, but they pack an

awful lot of technology in

there too. Classy.

£175 | puma.com/golf

20 Ping Tour Gorge Wedge

Complete with ‘grooves

milled in Arizona’, the Tour

Gorge comes in a variety

of lofts from 47 to 60

degrees, with three

different sole widths for

all the control you want.

£113/£135 | ping.com

17 FootJoy Sport Golf Shoe

FootJoy have been

making top-of-the-range

shoes for donkeys’

years, and the

Sport is the latest.

Looks stylish and

performs well.

£110 |

footjoy.co.uk

16 Proquip Trophy Rain Suit

It’s very probably going to

rain in Chicago at some

stage during the Ryder

Cup, and Team Europe will

be wearing ProQuip to

keep them dry. This is the

version of the suit that

you can have too, though.

£329 (whole suit) |

proquipgolf.com

18 GolfBuddy Voice

We’re big fans of the

talking GPS here at Sport.

Thankfully it doesn’t

shout ‘Get in the hole!’

after every swing, but

it will give you precise

yardages on 33,000

worldwide courses.

£159 | gpsgolfbuddy.eu

16

17

20

18

19

15

| 57

After three trips to Italy in as

many years, Ubisoft’s immensely

successful time-hopping adventure

series crosses the pond to

18th-century eastern America,

during the time of the American

Revolution. While at first it feels

weird sneaking away from a

full-scale battlefield to find your

target, you’ll soon warm to the

idea of leaping from tree to tree

in fluid movements. Protagonist

Connor is more aggressive than

previous assassins, his agility

allowing him to piece chain kills

together in rapid succession.

You even get to hop behind the

wheel of a battleship and engage

in a spot of naval warfare.

Release date October 30

Assassin’s Creed 3Medal of Honor: Warfighter

Developed with the help of Tier One special operatives

– the best of the best of the US army – this release

has ambitions of being the most accurate combat

sim yet. The banter between soldiers

feels grittier and more authentic, but

it’s still a run-and-gunner in the mould

of Call of Duty – not surprising really,

considering those behind it also worked

on the Modern Warfare story arc.

Release date October 23

October festReturns for some of the most popular

franchises in gaming should make

next month a particularly good one...

PC, 360, PS3, Wii U

PC, PS3, 360

Extra time Games

007 Legends

Daniel Craig rolls back the years in an

ambitious title that retells six classic

James Bond films, and then ties them

together in an overarching narrative.

No Bond first-person shooter is ever

likely to live up to the majesty of N64

classic Goldeneye, but

if you’re prepared to

accept that then you

will find this a thrilling

shooter to leave you

stirred, not shaken.

Release date

October 19

Fable: The Journey

It’s slim pickings for Kinect owners at

the moment but, if you’re desperate

to get your jig on, you could do worse

than pick up this flawed but enjoyable

action-adventure. It riffs off the

quaint RPG series of the same

name, and the magic

casting and horse-

riding sections are

enthralling examples

of motion controls

done right.

Release date

October 9

Doom 3: BFG Edition

Back in the day, Doom was one of

gaming’s greatest shooting series,

and this update of the classic 2004

threequel aims to introduce its scares

to a new generation. With hugely

enhanced graphics, Doom 3 looks

every bit the equal of

its peers, but the

gameplay hasn’t

aged so gracefully.

Also, don’t ask what

the ‘BFG’ stands for.

Release date

October 19

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Turn-based strategy games may not

be the sexiest or most explosive

genre, but this one right here has

some serious pedigree, with a

lineage going back to the 1990s.

The game plays out differently with

every new visit;

and, intriguingly,

when a member of

your squad dies, they

actually stay dead.

So grab a hankie.

Release date

October 12

PC, 360, PS3 PC, 360, PS3

PC, 360, PS3 360

In association with

£75 for 100ml

Fudge Matte Mineral Textures

Sourced from bedrock quarries in France, Fudge has put green

clay into six new hair-styling products (from left): Classic Clay Wax,

which adds structure and shape to short hair; Raw Vintage Clay,

designed to create unstructured styles; Anti-Frizz Deconstruction

Spray, which holds curl and prevents frizz; Aerosol Rock Spray,

which controls and crafts ‘up-dos’; French Styling Milk, which

defines and distresses; and Creative Styling Dust, which we don’t

recommend you leave on the dinner table next to the pepper.

fudge.com

Comme des Garcons AMAZINGREEN

This new fragrance is,

Comme des Garcons tell

us, “an astounding blast of

green energy”. Just like the

Incredible Hulk, we imagined

– but it turns out this

fragrance has slightly more

subtle elements to it, too,

because top notes of green

pepper and jungle leaves

complement a heart of flint

and coriander. The base notes

are where Bruce Banner

starts to get angry, however,

with a smoky explosion of

gunpowder and white musk.

Breaking with comic-book

convention and going against

borrowed catchphrases,

though, we really do like

AMAZINGREEN when

it’s angry.

selfridges.com

Crabtree & Evelyn West Indian Lime

Just like Des Lynam,

Crabtree & Evelyn’s

new range is

invigoratingly scented

and exceptionally

soothing. Unlike Des,

its shave cream

helps protect against

razor burn because it

moisturises the skin

with glycerine and

antioxidant-rich

vitamin E. Its body

wash, meanwhile,

features naturally

deodorising lime,

ginger root and vetiver

extracts, as well as

glycerine for added

moisture. Use often,

and forever be known

as Des Lime-man.

crabtree-evelyn.co.uk

60 | September 28 2012 |

Go green

We’re asking you nicely to hulk out with

clay, lime and gunpowder – because

you wouldn’t like us when we’re angry

the stylinG ranGe

the MOistUriserthe FraGrancethe bOdy wash and shave creaM

Extra time Grooming

£14 for 300ml

£13.95 for 70g

£13.95 for 70g

£11.95 for 213ml

£11.95 for 204ml

£13.95 for 50ml

£13.95 for 10g

£12 for 100g

© 2012 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, EA SPORTS, and the EA SPORTS logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Official FIFA licensed product. “© The FIFA name and OLP Logo are copyright or trademark protected by FIFA. All rights

reserved.” Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc. The Premier League Logo © The Football Association Premier League Limited 2006. The Premier League Logo is a trade mark of the Football Association Premier League

Limited which is registered in the UK and other jurisdictions. The Premier League Club logos are copyright works and registered trademarks of the respective Clubs. All are used with the kind permission of their respective owners.

Manufactured under licence from the Football Association Premier League Limited. No association with nor endorsement of this product by any player is intended or implied by the licence granted by the Football Association Premier

League Limited to Electronic Arts. “2”, “PlayStation”, “PS3”, “Ã’’ and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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