World Cup 2014: Which pundits scored - and who bored - in Brazil?
As Alan Hansen delivers his final pearls of punditry, Colin Murray looks back at the World Cup 2014 commentary
1. ALAN HANSEN The ultimate custodian for three decades: once exciting, now the safest pair of safe hands. There may be some who’ll throw a party when he edges off the BBC sofa after 22 years, but – despite what you might have read – he was always straight up with me during my three years working alongside him on Match of the Day 2, and I liked him a lot. Might be something to do with the fact I wanted to grow up to be him. RT HIGHLIGHT When he finally appeared in the BBC studio — a week into the tournament. Where was he? On the beach? VERDICT A fitting testimonial RATING 8/10 2. LEE DIXON Of all the seasoned pundits, Lee Dixon remains the one who delivers balanced and thought-out punditry that goes beyond “he should have done better’’ or “he should have got tighter’’. From experience, I can tell you that he’s diligent, well researched and passionate about his job. The fact that he looks like a skinnier version of Tin-Tin shouldn’t count against him. RT HIGHLIGHT Turning up for Germany v Algeria in a sweat top and sneakers. Clearly, words were had in the ITV dressing room as he’d reverted to the customary open-necked shirt by half-time. VERDICT Articulate, assertive, held his own against ITV’s foreign signings. Unsung hero. RATING 8/10 3. PHIL NEVILLE The main target of the Twitter hate-mob after his debut as co-commentator on the England v Italy game. One keyboard warrior called his performance “like a Dignitas sat nav”. In fairness, he’s since looked more comfortable as a studio pundit. His main problem is that he’s not his brother Gary, who has set the punditry benchmark sky-high. You can hardly blame him for that, but he is responsible for his hairstyle. RT HIGHLIGHT On the ref’s vanishing spray: “There’s the ref drawing the imaginary line.” VERDICT You can’t win anything with kids. RATING6/10 4. FABIO CANNAVARO I’m sorry, but Cannavaro, however insightful, has a grasp of English on a par with, well, mine. He’s had his moments, but more often than not it seems as if he’s trying to keep up. But he’s on my list because, quite simply, he’s beautiful. RT HIGHLIGHT When Lee Dixon asked him to comment on coming on as a substitute and he replied, ‘’But I was never on the bench.’’ VERDICT Pleasing on the eye. RATING 7/10 5. RIO FERDINAND The BBC’s new boy brings more to the table than just a wide range of pastel shirts with overly complicated collars. Ferdinand’s dissection of the art of defending can be brilliant, but he’s not an all-rounder as yet. We may not see the best of him, like the England team, until the 2018 World Cup. RT HIGHLIGHT “We want Danny Welbeck to open his legs.” VERDICT Academy player. RATING 6/10 6. DANNY MURPHY Now, this is biased. Danny Murphy’s first day job in sports media was on my radio show. Sometimes he seems a little overawed by the company he’s keeping, but he’s emerging as the people’s pundit: a real thinker, but with the common touch. And if his punditry was good, his co-commentary was in a different class. Why every producer wants their new signing to sit on the sofa with the old boys is beyond me. The biggest audience is for the action on the pitch. RT HIGHLIGHT Co-commentary of Belgium v USA in the round of 16. Handled everything that the most exciting game so far could throw at him. VERDICT Midfield general. RATING 8/10 7. GORDON STRACHAN Good old Gordon. He’s top of my list of pundits I’d like to have a night out with in Rio – but not in those shorts. I feared for 5ft 6in, sandy-haired Strachan, made by cruel ITV bosses to present some of the early games in short trousers on Copacabana Beach. I can only assume the Rio branch of St John’s Ambulance were poised just out of shot to deal with heatstroke. In the studio he never sits still, as if he’s trying to avoid an imaginary fly buzzing round him. RT HIGHLIGHT Seat-dancing to live samba while the rest of the pundits smiled awkwardly. VERDICT Stalwart. RATING 7/10 8. ROBBIE SAVAGE Ah yes, the ultimate divisive pundit. I shout at my TV when he’s on, too, but I’d rather have the Barry Gibb lookalike than a self-important ex-pro who leaves the viewer with nothing memorable to pass on in the pub. He’s a fan. Just like us, only with more first-hand knowledge. RT HIGHLIGHT “Balotelli can’t believe it. He’s got his hands in his head.” VERDICT Blond bombshell. RATING 7/10 9. THIERRY HENRY Hated by the Irish since 2009 (when his blatant handball helped to deny Ireland a place in the World Cup finals), but loved by just about everyone else. Yes, he’s cool, but look beyond the Gucci cardigan and he challenges others, and the presenter too. It’s been refreshing to see former England hero Gary Lineker pushed a little. RT HIGHLIGHT When Robbie Savage claimed that at Leicester his team-mates had adopted aggressive tactics against him and Arsenal, snarling, “Your lot didn’t like it, did they”, Henry shrugged drily, “Oh, we managed.” C’est magnifique. VERDICT Match-winner... a shame the MLS season meant an early bath. RATING 9/10 10. GLENN HODDLE The former England manager’s affinity with creative players shines through, although in the Brazilian climate his hair seems to have developed into a nesting place for rare birds. However, if you close your eyes, Hoddle has been as sharp as an Armani suit. Even if his insights are occasionally undermined by his skill at nobbling the language: “As they say, when in Brazil, do as the Brazilians would do.” RT HIGHLIGHT Grew in stature throughout the tournament — until he called Algeria “Al Jazeera” VERDICT Luxury player. RATING 7.5/10 11. MARTIN O'NEILL It may seem biased as I’m a fellow Northern Irishman, but Martin O’Neill makes half-time on ITV unmissable. There are moments when I’m not sure whether he’s trying to educate or chastise me, but a flash of dry wit is never far away. And, lest we forget, he won serious silver- ware and captained his country to a World Cup. RT HIGHLIGHT Hilariously trumped Patrick Vieira and Fabio Cannavaro by asking them how many European Cups they’d won (2—0 to O’Neill). VERDICT Let me be clear... simply undroppable. RATING 9/10 World Cup Final is on tonight at 8:00pm. Coverage starts at 7:00pm, on BBC1, ITV and 5 Live.
Winter Olympics: Colin Murray's five to watch
Who will be the Usain Bolt (or the Eddie the Eagle) of the Winter Olympics? Colin Murray picks the most memorable characters
Olympic Royalty Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe-Langenburg is the type of glorious name you end up with when you are a blue-blooded Mexican German. Making his sixth trip to the Winter Olympics to compete in the slalom (19 Feb), the 55-year-old has to keep going till 2018 if he’s to beat the record of Swedish curler Carl August Kronlund, who won silver in 1924 aged 58, and become the oldest-ever Olympian. Good old Hubert has won no elite medals, but his place in history is assured: he’s about to become the longest-serving Winter Olympian of all time, with appearances spanning 30 years. “What about his team-mates?” I hear you cry. Well, he doesn’t have any, as he is once again the only Mexican competing. I think I actually want to be Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe- Langenburg. Redemption for Lolo American Lori “Lolo’’ Jones is a big deal in the USA, but her selec- tion for Sochi has caused vibrations strong enough to cause an avalanche. A double indoor world champion at the 60m hurdles and unlucky not to make the podium in the 100m hurdles at London 2012, the 31-year-old is about to join a list of 128 sportspeople who have competed in both summer and winter Olympics – and she’s no the only one. She and Lauryn Williams – a 2012 Olympic gold medallist in the 4 x 100m relay – have been picked as brake for two of the three US pairs in the two-woman bob (18/19 Feb). However, it’s Lolo – a Christian and self- proclaimed virgin who has said her chastity is “harder than training for the Olympics” – who has drawn the fire of critics and athletes who missed out. Her performances seem to justify her call-up – but a medal, which is certainly a possibility, would soon settle the debate. Hottest nation on ice There are few things in sport quite as barmy as the Jamaican bobsleigh team. Immortalised in the 1993 film Cool Runnings, an account of their first qualification for the Winter Games at Calgary in 1988, their two-man team of Winston Watt, 46 (pictured left in 2002 with Lascelles Brown), and Marvin Dixon, 28, are set to be the story of Sochi (16/17 February). They’ve raised more than $100,000 in online donations to pay their way. To add to the fairy tale, Jamaican chef de mission Nelson Stokes was part of the four-man team who captured hearts across the globe more than a quarter of a century ago. They’ve not got a chance in hell, but that’s not the point. Repeat after me... Rise and shine, it’s butt-whippin’ time! Tchaikov-sky to Alpine-Ski The mere thought of Nigel Kennedy hurtling down a mountainside in tight lycra is enough to make a man turn his back on sport, so thank goodness Vanessa-Mae hasn’t started a trend. Under the surname Vanakorn, she’ll be cutting up snow in the Alpine skiing (21 Feb) for Thailand, native land of her father. Her distinctive style of playing the violin has made her millions. But she moved to the Alps and took the past 12 months off in a bid to realise her skiing dream. She hasn’t much chance of finishing near a podium, but she’s still better at most things than most of us. Good on her. Ahn you are? Mention the name Ahn Hyun-Soo and few people will know he won three Winter Olympic golds at Turin 2006, representing South Korea. So the fact that he’s now called Viktor Ahn and competes in the short track speed skating (from 10 Feb) under the Russian flag (below) should raise a few ski goggles. His change of allegiance came after a very public spat with his coaches that caused such grief that he spent his last months in Korea training with the women’s team. Since the South Korean skaters are, let’s just say, not best pleased with Viktor, his visit to Sochi may have as much chance of passing off peacefully as Mario Balotelli’s stag night. For more recommendations, guides to the events and profiles of the Brits to watch, download the Radio Times Discovery TV App. Follow @RadioTimes
Colin Murray on Manchester United, Andy Murray and the snooker Masters
Spare a thought for the man who has to try and predict the tennis…
Moyes on a knife edge In three of the four seasons that Sir Alex Ferguson captured the League Cup with Manchester United, they didn’t win anything else. Of course, he wouldn’t have viewed those campaigns as a success, but just to open the trophy cabinet and keep the steady flow of silverware going would have been some consolation. And now his successor David Moyes finds himself in a similar situation. Set adrift in the Premier League and out of the FA Cup, this is the only domestic trophy he has a realistic chance of leaving his fingerprint on. So Sunderland’s arrival at Old Trafford midweek for the second leg of this semi-final is an important affair, and the Black Cats’ 2–1 advantage from the first leg places this match even closer to the edge of the knife. It’s amazing what a trip to Wembley might just do for Moyes’s boys, but that applies also to Gus’s Guys, as Poyet tries to drag his team out of the relegation danger zone. League Cup Football, semi-final second legs: West Ham Utd v Manchester City Tue 7.30pm (k/o 7.45pm) SS1, 7pm 5 Live; Man Utd v Sunderland Wed 7pm (k/o 7.45pm) SS1, 7pm 5 Live Come on, Andy! Ladies and gentlemen, spare a thought for the man who has to point you towards the latter stages of the Australian Open before a single ball has even hit a racket. I’ll be flabbergasted, though, if Andy Murray isn’t lining up for at least a quarter-final appearance in Melbourne. If, as you read this, my flabber hasn’t been gasted, cheer Murray from the rooftops as he bids to win the slam he’s come agonisingly close to, having lost in the final in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Australian Open Tennis: from Sat 6am British Eurosport/Eurosport 2; 7am 5 Live Showdown at the palace After weeks of watching world championship arrows at London’s raucous Alexandra Palace, the dartboards have been replaced by tables and snooker’s Masters is approaching its climax. Let’s hope the fans haven’t been belting out ‘’Stand up, if you love the... snooker’’. I’m pretty sure that’s not a wise road for this sport to take. Snooker: the Masters Sat 1.15pm BBC1/4.30pm, 7pm BBC2/1.30pm Eurosport 2/7pm Eurosport; final Sun 1.30pm, 7pm BBC2/1.30pm Euro 2/6.45pm Euro Follow @RadioTimes
Colin Murray on embracing the romance of the FA Cup
The radio host celebrates the cup of dreams
Maybe it’s an age thing, but with all the modern chatter about co-efficiency, global markets and parachute payments, there’s nothing that makes my football heart soar more than the early stages of the FA Cup. It never fails to woo me, as it delivers a host of tales from lower leagues that comedian and Leyton Orient fan Bob Mills, or DJ and Colchester United fan Steve Lamacq, would label ‘real football’. Only the Premier League and Championship remain estranged from a tournament whose preliminary round started in mid-August, with teams such as Cadbury Heath, Oldland Abbotonians and Oxhey Jets all dreaming of a Cup run, and possibly a third-round date with one of the domestic game’s royalty. As it stands, we’re at the first-round-proper stage, and my favourite story comes courtesy of St Albans City, who face a home tie against Mansfield Town. In 1922, a man by the name of Wilfred Minter scored seven goals for St Albans against Dulwich Hamlet, which is remarkable enough in itself; but that’s not even the half of it. Despite scoring a hat-trick, then another hat- trick, and then another pearler just for good measure, old Wilfred ended up on the losing side. Goalkeeping injuries on that fateful day had forced the Saints to place a defender between the sticks and in the end they lost the match 8–7. The 2013 minnows are Gloucestershire’s Shortwood United, who came from behind in the last round to beat Conference side Aldershot, with Adam Mann scoring the winning goal – thus ensuring that a butcher somewhere in Nailsworth is considering naming a sausage after him. And so he should be. They’ll host Port Vale, while another eighth tier side, Daventry Town, travel to Chesterfield. It’s not just unlikely stories that make these early stages of the FA Cup so special, but poign- ant reminders of better days. The first round kicks off on Friday 8 November. BT Sport will be showing a game between two sides that both won the FA Cup in my childhood, in 1987 and 1988. I’m only 36, but the remnants of what was once Wimbledon, and the current plight of Coventry City, are a far cry from Dave Bassett’s Crazy Gang or the flying Sky Blues of Cyrille Regis, Keith Houchen and Brian Kilcline. Nostalgic, yes, but a little sad at the same time. There are 40 ties in all, with countless stories hidden among them. ITV has decided to send its OB trucks to the ProKit UK Stadium – or, as the locals call it, Woodside Park. There, Bishop’s Stortford of the Conference South will take on League Two side Northampton Town, and in so doing, will receive vital match-day revenue that only television cameras can deliver at this level. I could go on. There’s Dover Athletic, for example, who can count Peter Taylor and Neville Southall as ex-managers, but I think I’ve made my point. I’ll look forward to the next El Clásico, and the Merseyside derby is circled in my diary, but I’d dearly love Brackley Town to sneak a shock away win at Gillingham. In my book, that’s sexy football. Bishop’s Stortford v Northampton Town Sun 1:30pm (k/o 2pm) ITV (not STV); Shortland Utd v Port Vale Mon 7.30pm (k/o 7.45pm) BT Sp1 Follow @RadioTimes // //
Colin Murray on England v Montenegro, and embracing your inner underdog
“Stop moaning that your beer glass is half-empty and accept your team is shandy not stout,” says RT's sport man
Some of my best friends are English, but… if there was a World Cup for defeatism, you’d lose in the final on penalties! If you’re a positive-thinking England fan, throw this in the bin. If not, read on… You approach each qualifier as if your team is doomed. Imagine if you hailed from Belfast, not Birmingham. I write as a football fan who wasn’t even in big school the last time Northern Ireland made it to the World Cup finals (Mexico, 1986). Surely, you should be consoling me? “Even if we finish second, we may not be in the top eight runners-up,’’ you say. “What’s the point anyway? We aren’t good enough to win in Rio, even if we get there.’’ And my favourite: “Any team with Ricky Lambert up front is going nowhere fast.’’ Many nations would kill for a fifth-choice striker as good as the Southampton number seven. And sure, England’s is not the hardest qualifying group by a long chalk – but that probably explains why your team is unbeaten, top of the group, and has two home games to finish off the job, which I’m all but sure they’ll do. So, why am I having more fun supporting Northern Ireland than you are supporting England? And while we’re at it, why is there more singing at Windsor Park than at Wembley? I know there’s the constant expectation, the feeling that the only thing that equals success is lifting one of international football’s two major trophies – 47 years of hurt and all that – and there’s the constant debate over the style of football, the formations, the diminishing number of top-flight English players in starting XIs... It’s a long, long list, the most depressing of which, for me, is the endless debate over a mythical blueprint for success. Yes, more qualified coaches would be a massive help, but only one nation in the world, every four years, can lift the hallowed 141/2 inches of 18-carat gold. So, I’d give up on the negativity – you can leave that to the pundits – and build a siege mentality around the England team. Go forward as fans, proud to wear the Three Lions, ready to take on all-comers without fear of failure, without demand for victory. Put fire back into the national loins by puffing out the chest and getting behind the players. Leave Lee Dixon to work out where it all went right or wrong. Learn to embrace your inner underdog – because, take it from me, beside Brazil, Spain and Germany, that’s what England are. And some might argue that Belgium, Argentina and Italy are on that list of top footballing nations, too. However, there’s solace in accepting your role as David, not Goliath. It’s not defeatist, it just allows the players to line up before a game without the crushing pressure of the win- or-else expectation, or the nothing’s-ever- good-enough pessimism. A “fight them on the beaches” attitude is so very British – and a fearless togetherness would filter through to the players on the field. So come Friday, I don’t want to hear my English friends bemoaning the fact that Lampard and Gerrard are playing together. Instead I want them to look me in the eye and say, “Montenegro and Poland? They have to come to Wembley. That’s unlucky. We are England. Remind me again who Northern Ireland are getting beat by this week?’’ England v Montenegro Friday 7:30pm (kick off 8:00pm) ITV (not STV), 8:00pm 5 live Azerbaijan v N Ireland Friday 5:00pm and Wales v Macedonia 7:30pm (kick off 7:45pm) both SS3 Follow @RadioTimes
Why this is the most open Premier League for years
"As the Premier League kicks off, prepare for fireworks," says Colin Murray
I can imagine the conversation between Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore and his PR team last season. “Sir, can we have something to do, please? It’s just...well... we’re bored.’’ “I’m sorry,’’ says Uncle Ricky, “but there’s nothing I can do about it. Take a half-day off. In fact, take the rest of the week. Enjoy yourselves.’’ Sir Alex Ferguson’s stroll to his final title as Manchester United gaffer may have been a masterclass, but it produced a climax comparable to that of The Sopranos – yes, it may have been clever, but we wanted fireworks! This season, that’s exactly what we’re likely to get, without the need for hype. David Moyes has travelled 35 miles and footballing light years from Goodison Park to Old Trafford, where praise for producing outstanding consistency on a relatively small budget at Everton has been replaced by bags of money and gigantic expectations. Though, for the record, the list of United managers who won the title in their first season runs to exactly nobody. Not Busby, not Fergie, no one. Not wanting to be outdone, Manchester City have sent Roberto Mancini’s scarf to excess baggage and flown in Manuel Pellegrini, who left Real Madrid talking of too many guitarists and not enough pianists, before doing impressive things at Málaga. Still, he feels like a relative stranger. That cannot be said of Jose Mourinho, returning to Chelsea, a one-man headline generator with an unmatched ego. But he has a right to a big head, given he has won seven of the last ten league titles he has contested, in three of the top domestic leagues on the planet. And there has been a shiny trophy, to admire his reflection in, every full season since 2003. If elite managerial changes happen in threes, then so do superstar transfer sagas with Bale, Rooney and Suarez all wrestling for the back pages daily. If the stories differ in terms of motivation, clubs and circumstance, they’re similar, it seems, in terms of bad advice. Liverpool will fancy their chances of progression under Brendan Rodgers with or without their Uruguayan biter, while Arsenal’s chances could hinge on the outcome of that particular soap. Despite the circus, it’s worth remembering that Spurs have been the model of consistency over the past four seasons. If signings Paulinho and Roberto Soldado were alongside Bale, it’d leave Arsenal in a permanent cold sweat. Without Bale, it’s “as you were”, at best. We should mention Roberto Martínez, fresh from FA Cup glory and relegation at Wigan, and now at Everton – which should ensure that the final positions of the red and blue of Merseyside are a close call. The storylines just keep coming. Di Canio’s first full season at Sunderland; Newcastle with their new director of football. Will football explode or implode in the North East? While the promoted sides, Crystal Palace, Hull and Cardiff, are the traditional bookies’ favourites to go straight back down, there’s a glut of teams with short enough odds to make their fans perspire a little. Excitement at every turn, and the PR boys haven’t sent a single email. Oh, I almost forgot! We now have GDS (Goal Decision Technology)! Last season the referees got three goal-line decisions wrong, so millions of pounds have been spent to rectify this. OK, not everything’s exciting. Colin Murray and Friends is on Talksport at 10am on weekdays
The worst team ever… and 11 other fantastic Football League facts
The Football League is 125! Colin Murray shares some lesser-known facts…
This weekend the Football League celebrates its 125th birthday – what better excuse do we need to present a “starting 11” of lesser-known facts about the oldest competition in world football. 1. Of all 64 teams ever to make it to the top flight of English football, Glossop North End are the smallest, the worst ever performing and the only one never to register an away win. In their single 1899/1900 season, their chairman and money man was one Sir Samuel Hill-Wood, who famously went on to fill the same seat at Arsenal, as did his son and grandson, the latter of whom, Peter, has only just stood down. 2. Preston North End was the venue for the first ever league match on the opening day of the inaugural season on 8 September, 1888, and to date the Deepdale ground has hosted 2,342 league matches. That’s a record, although Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane is the oldest major Football League ground in England. 3. Only three grounds used in that first Football League season remain in regular use. PNE still play at Deepdale, Burnley are still at Turf Moor and the other ground is Anfield, despite the fact that Liverpool FC were not in that first ever competition. The home team were Everton. 4. All 12 founding teams played in the second season in 1889-90, meaning that the first “regulated” team were Stoke City in 1890/91, replaced by Sunderland. 5. After the foundation of the Football League, it was Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands who quickly followed suit, while Spain waited 41 years before forming Le Liga. 6. The founding father of the Football League was a Scotsman, William McGregor. He was also a teetotaller. 7. Arsenal fans may well want to rethink their famous “1-0 to the Arsenal” chant, as it’s the most common result right across the board. A whopping 16 per cent of all league matches have finished 1-0 either way, or 28,169 times. 8. As the Football League edges closer to it 40,000th player, the most common surname is Smith, with one in every 79 players to date sporting that surname. 9. Of all 12 founding members of the Football League still active, Stoke City are the only club never to have won the FA Cup or the top league title. Accrington – not to be confused with Accrington Stanley – are the only member of the dozen no longer in existence. 10. Founding member Aston Villa were formed 14 years before the Football League, and enjoyed a bizarre first official fixture in 1874 against Aston Brook St Mary’s. Why so strange? Well, in the first half they played rugby, and in the second half they played football. 11. The smallest attendance in the history of the Football League belongs to the lesser-spotted Thames AFC, who posted a gate of 469 people in 1930, as they plated Luton Town in a League Three South game. That gave each punter the choice of around 256 standing positions, as West Ham Stadium could hold up to 120,000 people. Substitute fact: 448 players have came on as substitutes in the Football League, and have never played another match again. The ultimate one-game wonders!
Memories of 2012 revived in another golden summer
Colin Murray is ready for some more Olympic-esque sporting glory
Paralympians race back Every so often, the heady aroma of London 2012 flirts with the nostrils, as we enjoy yet another summer that will be remembered, rehashed and reinvented for the rest of this century. After Andy Murray’s Centre Court success, it’s time to revisit the 120 medals that dangled around the necks of Britain’s Paralympians, in a Games that changed the face of disabled sport and lifted its profile higher than it has ever been before — due in no small part to Channel 4’s commitment to covering it. And they’ll turn on the cameras again for the Paralympic world championships from Lyon, as rivalries are renewed between the likes of Britain’s Jonnie Peacock and the USA’s Richard Browne in the T44 100m, with both of them in sparkling form and hopefully making the final on Tuesday. Whether it’s Hannah Cockroft, Richard Whitehead, Dan Greaves or other now familiar names, let’s hope there’s more being polished than Channel 4’s Bafta mask come the end of this tournament. Athletics: Paralympic World Championships Daily from Sat 2.15pm More4; Tue 9.45am, 3pm, Wed 11.30am, 3pm 5 Live Sp Ex; Wed 7pm 5 Live Ready, get wet, go! On the very same day that the Paralympic action starts, so do the World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona — which serves up less happy memories, but a chance for Britain’s 27-strong squad to restore some pride after Olympic disappointment and funding cuts. There’s diving and water polo this week, with the action in the pool starting on 28 July. Olympic 200m breaststroke silver medallist Michael Jamieson will spearhead the British assault. But he’ll be without the help of Liam Tancock and the like, left out because their events will not feature at Rio 2016. And it’s success in Brazil that those who pay for the swimming hats and goggles want to see. World Aquatics Championships Daily from Sunday 9am British Eurosport Feed that Ashes hunger Both of the above championships should benefit, coverage-wise, from a break from the Ashes. For those suffering withdrawal symptoms, just head to the wonderful Brian Moore’s Twitter account (@brianmoore666) to satisfy you until the Third Test at Old Trafford.
“I realise that lamenting modernisation at a club that still doesn’t allow female members is somewhat bizarre, but this is about scoreboards, not sexism,” says Murray
As the sporting world focuses on Muirfield for the 142nd Open Championship, a time-honoured tradition will, for the first time, be given some 21st-century assistance. A loaded leaderboard is all part of the drama of the last day of the Open and, in a sport where the real action unfolds over an acreage the size of a small dairy farm, nothing beats a leaderboard the size of a Las Vegas hoarding. But where Gigantic Jumbotrons and Hawkeyes have infiltrated many global sporting events, golf has stuck to the tried-and-tested method of sliding names and scores into place by hand. Until now. Because for 2013, “the oldest verifiable organised golf club in the world” has succumbed to progress. Aiding and abetting the famous old manual scoreboard, towering atop the temporary stands beside Muirfield’s 18th hole, will be digital versions, situated at several locations around the windswept links. They are updated at the touch of a computer button rather than by a small team of sweaty men –and it can only be men, as the board is manned by members of this defiantly men-only golf club – with names and numbers and hooks. Now, before we go any further, I realise that lamenting modernisation at a club that still doesn’t allow female members is somewhat bizarre, but this is about scoreboards, not sexism. Gone are the days when crammed football terraces used to crane their ears at half-time to hear the latest scores delivered over a tinny tannoy in alphabetical order. Now, it’s the latest app, video screens, Twitter and “in-play” betting. I’m an old romantic, you see. To make my heart swoon, I only have to look to Fenway Park in Boston, home to the Red Sox. Their big Green Monster was erected in 1934 and still, to this day, a man scurries in the “rat run” behind it to update not only the latest score in the game, but others from around Major League Baseball. In cricket, Lord’s may have abandoned the manual scoreboard, but Down Under, the likes of Adelaide and Perth are sticking with wood over circuit board, and those who attend matches are as interested in having their picture taken in front of the old beauties as they are in souvenir shots taken with the players. So I shall be keeping my eyes on the hand-cranked board at Muirfield. But what about the golfers? “Players don’t look at scoreboards nearly as often as spectators. You don’t look at it until a few holes to go. If you did you’d be a nervous wreck,” former Ryder Cup captain and 5 Live pundit Bernard Gallagher tells RT. “You know yourself how well you’re doing by how well you’re playing. Most players won’t look at a leaderboard until the last few holes, unless they think they’re going to miss the cut. “But you should try to resist looking for as long as you can because it puts more pressure on you. You can’t look at a leaderboard and suddenly turn on a birdie.” Because players, like the best scoreboard operators, are only human – it takes more than a flick of a switch. Bernard Gallagher’s tips Ian Poulter: I’ve a funny feeling that, inspired by the British and Irish Lions and Andy Murray, we’ll get a home winner. Ian Poulter can feed off the home support. Tiger Woods: He’s starting to feel the pressure he brought on himself by settling out to beat Jack Nicklaus’s 18 majors – he’s still four short of equalling him. Justin Rose: The first Englishman to win the US open since 1970 has what it takes.
Our sports man reveals the hidden stories of the Ashes... well, sort of. He doesn't want a clip around the ear after all
Broken dreams As you may have noticed it’s an Ashes summer and the Tests are heading our way faster than an Aussie tearaway from the Pavilion end. But in the lull between first and second Test — which starts on Thursday — take a minute to consider the Ashes urn: an 11in-high piece of terracotta fought for on five separate patches of terra firma. I won’t go into its entire history — Wikipedia this ain’t — but in its 121 years in existence, at some stage at least, one person has dropped it and, more than likely, stuck it back together. This was confirmed in 2006 on its trip Down Under, when airport security insisted on scanning the famous trophy and the x-ray uncovered the secret. Ashes secrets Now, I was once told, by a very reliable source, a story about a former English cricketer dropping the urn on hallowed ground, but I can’t go any further for fear of legal repercussions and an old-fashioned clip around the ear. It’s England (and friends) against Australia for the most famous 11 inches in all of sport. I wanted to make a joke here, but was reminded by the editor that RT is a family magazine. I will, however, point out that the winner of the ashes gets bragging rights for, well, three months, as we’re doing it all again, starting in November. Cricket: the Ashes, England v Australia, Second Test Thu, Fri 10am Sky Sports Ashes; highlights 7pm Channel 5; Thu 10.25am, Fri 10.30am Radio 4 LW, 5 Live Sports Extra King Harold of the fairways Around about the time that urn was being labelled, a man called Harold Hilton was winning the first Open championship to be held at East Lothian’s windswept Muirfield, which overlooks the spectacular Firth of Forth. He won the title twice as an amateur — wiki, this is — and the famous old golf course, well over a century later, is ready to host this crown jewel of an event for the 16th time. Some say it’s the toughest challenge for the world’s best golfers. I say, just pour the wine and enjoy. Golf: the Open Thu, Fri 9am BBC2, Radio 5 Live Time to outdo the men? And if you have a glass left, raise it to the early stages of the Women’s Euros, where England’s females will have to go some to fare worse than their male counterparts of late. Cheers! England’s group games:England v Spain: Friday 12th July, 7pm (k/o 7:30pm), BBC3/ England v Russia: Monday 15th, 4:30pm (k/o 5pm), BBC2; 4:45pm Eurosport; 5pm Radio 5 Live/ France v England: Thursday 18th, 7pm (k.o 7:30pm) BBC3; 7:15pm Eurosport; 7:30pm 5 Live
When it comes to the Tour de France, we know plenty about the side-burned one, but who on earth is Chris Froome?
Chris Froome, the overwhelming favourite to follow Bradley Wiggins as Britain’s second, consecutive Tour de France winner, has an air of invisibility. We know plenty about the side-burned one, but who on earth is Chris Froome? ‘’I don’t think we know yet. He’s certainly a superb athlete,’’ Chris Boardman, the man who first turned Britain on to cycling, tells me. Like Wiggins, Froome wasn’t actually born within sound of people who moan about the weather. A childhood spent in Nairobi meant his first stint as a professional rider was under the Kenyan flag, although he has made it clear many a time that he “feels” British. He’s also, at 28, the perfect age for Tour glory. Following Wiggins is a little like asking the Lighthouse Family to take the stage straight after the Rolling Stones, but all that could change in the Pyrenees on the punishing Peyresourde or on the long roads through the Loire Valley. Eighteen months ago, it was Boardman who was most bullish about Wiggo’s chances of winning this famous race, so is he willing to go that far for the “Froomedog”? “He is one of the best climbers in the world, but he can certainly time trial. And in Sky he’s got the best team,’’ enthuses Boardman. “But something will rile him and we’ll get to see a bit of who he is.” So, another chapter of one of the toughest, most electrifying, most controversial sporting events in the calendar will be written. Cycling’s star continues to rise, something that a young Boardman, winning the prologue in the fastest time trial ever in 1994, couldn’t have imagined. ‘’I don’t think anyone in their wildest dreams would have predicted this level of success and notoriety. It’s absolutely remarkable. I bloody love it — I’ve got a bike company. It’s fantastic.” Tour de France from Sat 1.30pm ITV4; 12.45pm Eurosport; Sat, Sun 3.30pm, Tue 3pm 5 Live Sp Ex Unplug the telephone... This weekend, make sure you don’t commit to extracurricular activities such as birthdays, weddings or anything more than a quick shower. Instead, block out Saturday and Sunday for the culmination of Wimbledon, the final Lions test down under and the German F1 Grand Prix. Your only worry should be your snack supplies.
Colin Murray on Andy Murray, the new Wiggo and Silverstone
5 Live’s man is agog at the power about to be unleashed
Here comes the summer I like our home Grand Prix, with Jackie Stewart strutting around in his tartan and the likes of Alan Pardew walking the grid in his dapper white suit, like a wide-eyed teenager in awe of the supermen in their flying machines. Even if we slip into a coma with all the chat about tyres, Silverstone is as important to the sporting summer as Australian cricketers indulging in late-night scraps at the Walkabout. F1: British Grand Prix Sat: qual (starts 1pm) 12 noon SSF1; 12.15pm BBC1/Sun (race 1pm) 11.30am SSF1; 12.10pm BBC1; 1pm 5 Live The man who would be Wiggo Over in France it’s all about two wheels. And Britain holds a pair of aces in the shape of Chris Froome (the man who would be Bradley Wiggins) and his former Team Sky team-mate Mark Cavendish. It’s possible, come closing time, that Froome will wear yellow and Mark Cavendish will be draped in the sprinters’ green jersey. The bookies will give you a 9—4 double. Cycling: Tour de France from Sat 10.55am ITV4; 10.30am British Eurosport Ashes to Ashes With the Lions playing their second unmissable Test down under, at the cricket it’s the last of the warm-up matches before the five Ashes clashes. Weather permitting, they will decide who gets to look at that famous old urn, for five minutes, before it’s returned to a glass case at Lord’s. And if Australia win the Ashes, I think it would be perfectly reasonable for some of their cricketers to walk into a quintessentially English pub and wear St George’s wigs as beards. Rugby union: Australia v British & Irish Lions Sat 10am (k/o 11.05am) SS1; 8am Talksport Cricket: Essex v England, four-day game, from Sun 10.30am Sky Sports Ashes All eyes on Andy Ah yes, the threat of rain. Expect to spend some of this week watching the SW19 Centre Court roof slowly closing, while people scurry around below sporting CB radios and frowns. At the time of writing, I don’t of course know who’s left in the Wimbledon draw, but I can honestly say that I only want Andy Murray to win the men’s singles title. I’m incredibly biased, you see, and I’ve always been wary of men who have their own monogram. No offence, RF. Wimbledon 2013 from Sat 11.05am, 6pm BBC2; 2.20pm BBC1; 12 noon Radio 5 Live
Colin Murray's Sport on TV: Wimbledon, motor racing and the European Athletics Team Championships
The Le Mans 24 Hours race kick-starts, Team GB's Olympic heroes reunite and a look ahead to a tantalising fortnight of tennis
Unmissable drama With so many advances in television technology, you’d think that someone might be able to invent a way to mute the one idiot who actually still shouts “Come on Tim” at Wimbledon. I’d gladly trade HD and 3D for this feature. That aside, I can’t think of one valid reason to miss Wimbledon, from the possibility that Andy Murray could actually win it to the near inevitability that we’ll witness yet another classic between two of the four giants of the male game. Elsewhere, there may be surprises involving Britain’s leading ladies, Laura Robson and Heather Watson, while extra amusement will be provided by me, dressed as a gamekeeper, net in hand, trawling the stands trying to capture the “comedian” who still trots out that ruddy line. Wimbledon 2013: Daily from Mon 11.30am on BBC2, 1.45pm on BBC1,11am on Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, 12 noon on 5 Live On yer bike... The Le Mans 24 Hours race is to the World Endurance Championship what the Monaco Grand Prix is to Formula One, and the comparisons don’t stop there. It always attracts a plethora of ex-F1 racers and it’s Britain’s Allan McNish, a two-time winner of this famous race and current Radio 5 Live F1 commentator, who has had a flying start to the season. Spending an entire night on the M6 when I was caught in a snowstorm a couple of years ago doesn’t give me the right to talk with any authority about endurance racing, but I’m looking forward to admiring their staying power and not recognising any of the “celebs” taking part. Le Mans 24 Hours race: Sat 8am, 1.45pm (race 2pm), 9.30pm Eurosport, 9pm Eurosport 2; Sun 8am Eurosport 2, 8.30am Eurosport Relive that golden summer Being an athletics fan and not seeing Mo Farah run is like being David Attenborough and never witnessing a gazelle in full, graceful motion. It is, quite simply, a thing of real beauty. Farah is just one of many of Team GB’s Olympic heroes hoping to capture for Great Britain and Northern Ireland the European Team Championships title in Gateshead. In fact, many of Europe’s London 2012 success stories are back. Come on Tim! European Athletics Team Championships: Sat 2pm BBC1, Sun 2.30pm BBC2/Sun 2.30pm British Eurosport
Colin Murray’s Sport on TV: Tahiti, women's tennis and the rugby union
The 5 Live host kicks his football-free summer into touch
Good luck, Tahiti! I was set against watching any football over the summer, but I may make an exception for one Confederations Cup group match, thanks to a real David and Goliath affair (if David had a broken arm and a dose of swine flu). In one dressing room we have Spain, who I assume you know all about. They’re pretty good. Then there’s Tahiti, who rank 1,346,831 in the world, and qualified for the first time through the OFC Nations Cup. Most of their squad play their club football at AS Dragon. The venue for the game? The Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. We’re either going to see a spanking of epic proportions or something that makes Cinderella look like a fly-on-the-wall documentary. Confederations Cup: Spain v Tahiti Thu 7.30pm (k/o 8pm) BBC3 Ladies making a racquet The Tennis at Queen’s and Eastbourne is akin to qualifying at an F1 Grand Prix or batting practice before a baseball game. Don’t get me wrong, both events are reputable and televisually enjoyable, but it acts as a platform for experts to pontificate on the drama that no doubt lies ahead in SW19. Most talk will surround Andy Murray’s back and its ability to hold out, but British interest is more than one player as we saunter towards Wimbledon. Yes, it is extremely unlikely that Laura Robson or Heather Watson will make the women’s final, but the former has taken some mighty scalps this year and the latter had broken the top 40 before an untimely illness. Watson reached the third round this year and, if fit and the draw kind, she has the guts and game to go further, as does Robson. ATP Queen’s Championships Sat 12 noon 5 Live/ 1.20pm BBC1/1.30pm Eurosport; Sun 12 noon 5 Live/1.45pm Eurosport/2pm BBC1/5pm BBC2 Eastbourne Tue—Fri 1pm BBC2; Wed 11am Euro- sport; Thu 11am Eurosport 2/ 3.30pm Eurosport; Fri 11am Eurosport 2/ 5 Live Sports Extra Roaring ahead I’m not sure I’ve ever written this sentence, “I am looking forward to seeing the Waratahs and the Brumbies”, but I have now. The British and Irish Lions tour continues apace, hurtling towards that all-important first Test against Australia on 22 June. Rugby fans feel like kids waiting for Santa to pay a visit. Calendar, get a move on! Rugby union: NSW Waratahs v British and Irish Lions Sat 10.30am SS2; Brumbies v British and Irish Lions Tue 10am (k/o 10.30am) SS1
Colin Murray's Sport on TV: Tiger Woods, athletics and the French Open
"It’s nearly 25 years since anyone has defended this title successfully, so it remains hugely unpredictable"
Tiger’s Major momentum If I had Tiger Woods over to my house for dinner, I’d cook him a chicken and chorizo paella, washed down with a nice bottle or three of rioja, for the simple reason that I have just about perfected that dish over the past few months and I’d want to impress him. And if that dinner were to take place on Monday, 17 June, the day after the US Open finishes, I’d tip it to be a bit of a jet-lagged celebration. The tournament returns to Merion Golf Club for the first time since 1981 and provides the rechristened world number one with his best chance yet of a first Major win since 2008, for myriad reasons. For starters, he’s prolific in PGA stroke events this year, and when I say prolific, I mean “Tiger Woods prolific”, winning four from six so far. The East Course allows him, if anything, to play within himself. He can afford to take a little off his tee shots, with many of the 18 holes rewarding accuracy over distance. It’s nearly 25 years since anyone has defended this title successfully, so it remains hugely unpredictable. Golf: US Open Thu 2pm Sky Sports 2; Fri 2pm Sky Sports 2/7pm Sky Sports 1 =Keep on running The Diamond League sounds like a criminal conglomerate, hellbent on taking over the world, using precious jewels to create weapons of mass destruction. Thankfully, it’s not. More than four months of top-drawer athletics action, beginning in Doha and ending in Brussels, and this stop is in Oslo’s famous Bislett stadium that, in its various guises, has hosted many world records, including a couple by Seb Coe in the late 1970s. Romance and running make for compulsive viewing. International athletics: Diamond League Thu 7pm BBC3/7.30pm 5 Live Anyone for (endless) tennis? Tennis is as much part of June’s daily routine as complaining about the rain and pointless football transfer gossip articles, so sit back and enjoy the clay-based climax of the French Open. Then watch it transform into Queen’s grassy precursor to Wimbledon and the burden of expectation on a, hopefully fit, Andy Murray. Tennis: French Open Sat 12.30pm ITV4/1.30pm ITV/1.30pm Eurosport/2pm 5 Live; Sun 1.30pm ITV/ 1.30pm Eurosport/2pm 5 Live ATP Queen’s Championships Daily from 1pm BBC2/from 12.15pm Eurosport
Colin Murray's Sport on TV: test cricket, boxing, rugby sevens and the Europa League final
A showdown at Lords between England and New Zealand, a lightweight boxing bout, some fancy footwork at Twickenham and the alternative European football final
Kiwis give England the pip There is “after the Lord Mayor’s show” and then there is “before the Ashes”, and I doubt there was much more than a coach driver holding up a scribbled sign to greet the New Zealand squad on their arrival at Heathrow. But it’s time to get interested… When England popped down under earlier this year they were lucky to escape with a draw in the Test series. Despite key absentees in the Kiwis’ touring party, these two “curtain-raiser” Tests could prove unnerving. A reason to keep a close eye on an England team that may just have problems keeping their own eyes on the ball, given the trickier deliveries that lie ahead. Cricket: England v New Zealand, First Test, from Lord’s on Thu at 10am and Fri at 10.30am on Sky Sports 1, from 10.45am on Radio 4 LW/5 Live Sports Extra Big night in Glasgow I’m really pleased that there’s boxing at the Emirates Arena, as the people of Glasgow rarely see any scrapping on a Saturday night. This “Fighting Pride of Scotland” event sees WBO lightweight world champion Ricky Burns fight José “Chelo” Gonzalez. The Puerto Rican challenger’s record of 22 wins in 22 is not a fair reflection of his ability, and he goes in with a simple puncher’s chance. There are closer, more exciting encounters on the undercard, however, so if you’re tuning in, do so in time for John Simpson against Choi Tseveenpurev. Should be a belter. Boxing: Ricky Burns v José Gonzalez, WBO lightweight world title bout begins on Saturday at 8pm on Sky Sports 1 Seven’s a magic number No matter how many rugby players you throw on a field, more often than not New Zealand are superior. The Sevens series ends its global tour at Twickenham, with fancy footwork on the pitch and fancy dress in the crowd. If you have £25 and a bananaman costume, this is for you. Rugby union: IRB Rugby Sevens on Sat at 10.30am, 5.30pm on Sky Sports 1/Sunday at 8.30am, 3.30pm on Sky Sports 4 Changing my tune Having presented the Europa League on TV for years, I love its high profile this season, albeit due to the end of British interest in the Champions League. But the new version of the terrace taunt “Thursday night, Channel 5” — “Thursday night, ITV” — sadly doesn’t have the same ring. Europa League final - Wed at 7.15pm (k/o 7.45pm) on ITV (or 7.30pm ITV4 — see listings)
How will Bradley Wiggins follow up his golden 2012?
"As Wiggins gears up for the first Grand Tour of the season – the Giro d’Italia – the weight of expectation hangs about him as closely as the peloton," says Colin Murray
When Bradley Wiggins was briefly caught in the media spotlight after winning last year’s Tour de France he said, “Kids from Kilburn aren’t supposed to win the Tour’’. The BBC’s Mr Cycling, Simon Brotherton, knew exactly what he meant. “I have been covering the race for 20 years, and watching it for longer than that, and for most of that time it didn’t occur to me that a British rider could win the Tour de France,” says Brotherton. “It was always people from somewhere else who won. That’s the main difference. Before we had some success despite the system, but now we have success because of the system.’’ Now as Wiggins gears up for the first Grand Tour of the season – the Giro d’Italia – and Britain’s sporting media prepare to follow him en masse, the weight of expectation hangs about him as closely as the peloton. The bookies are sure more glory is on its way, with Bradley favourite to win the Giro’s pink jersey, although Italian Vincenzo Nibali has a decent shout. “The Giro always has to go through the Dolomites and that’s the key part. That’s where it is won and lost,” says Brotherton of a race route that, while far from flat, is considerably less mountainous than this year’s Tour de France. Wiggins is not at his strongest in the mountains, which explains Team Sky’s preference for him to aim at winning the Giro rather than the Tour. “The Giro includes more than 90 kilometres of time trialling,” explains Brotherton. “You can see why it would be particularly appealing to Wiggins.’’ In all the Wiggo hoo-ha it’s easy for the newer cycling fan to overlook the history of road cycling, and just fawn over La Grande Boucle – as the Tour is known – in the same way a fair-weather football fan enjoys a World Cup. The Giro has been part of the cycling calendar since 1909 and as such is only six years younger than the Tour. But the idea of RT contacting commentator Simon Brotherton to discuss the Giro d’Italia would once have been preposterous, given that 20 years ago he had to fight for a microphone to cover the Tour de France. So what changed? “The Tour coming to England for two stages in 1994, and the emergence of Chris Boardman – both of which played into my hands. Boardman won the first day of the Tour that year, the prologue in Lille. We had a Brit in the yellow jersey, and then the next day, on the stage from Lille to Armentières, a policeman stepped out onto the road to take a photograph and there was carnage. While it’s not nice, people do love a crash. We made Radio 4’s Pick of the Week!’’ Two decades later and everything has changed. “I used to sit around the TV and wait for the 10- or 15-minute Saturday lunchtime resumés on World of Sport with Dickie Davies. Eventually, I was so wrapped up in it that I used to listen to commentary of on French radio. They were going mad about it!’’ Now it seems Britain is, too. Watch coverage of the Giro d'Italia from Saturday at 1:00pm on Eurosport and Radio 5 Live
Colin Murray's Sport on TV: Masters Tennis, Premier League football and Badminton Horse Trials
Can Djokovic match Nadal on Madrid's clay courts and will Everton or Liverpool claim victory in Sunday's Merseyside derby?
Djokovic rises to surface Nadal on clay, until recently, was like Phelps in water, Bolt on a running track or Suarez at an all-you-can-eat buffet... simply unstoppable. However, Djokovic put paid to that in spectacular fashion at the Monte Carlo Masters and, in general, doing to Rafa exactly what the Spaniard himself has done for years to so many of his adversaries on his favourite surface, namely bully them. But before you go thinking the French Open will be a two-horse race, it’s worth noting that our old friend Roger Federer is boxing clever this season, carefully selecting his tournaments and allowing himself more time than ever for rest and recuperation. Federer has a real chance of winning his fourth Madrid title. Madrid Open Masters Tennis - from Monday at 12noon on Sky Sports 3 Neighbourhood disputes While the idea of “bragging rights” might make for a catchy soundbite, there’s something quite sad about this week’s Merseyside derby. Despite the fact that Everton have spent millions less on players over the past five years than they have made from selling them, they genuinely looked like they could provide this season’s Premier League Cinderella story and finish in the top four. I, for one, am disappointed they didn’t quite make it. For Liverpool, it was always going to be a building season, but it doesn’t change the fact that they’d much rather their season hadn’t come down to whether or not they can beat the team from the other side of Stanley Park. I’m sure both Moyes and Rogers would rather lose this game and be in the position of the London clubs Chelsea and Spurs, who go head to head in the battle for Champions League football. Liverpool v Everton is on Sunday at 1pm (k/o 1.30pm); Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur is on Wed at 7pm (k/o 7.45pm) - both on Sky Sports 1 Horse meet The world’s top event riders and their four-legged friends are saddling up for this year’s prestigious Badminton Horse Trials, including Britain’s Mary King. The Duchess of Cornwall will be handing out the awards. Come on, who did you expect? Johnny Vegas? The Badminton Horse Trials are on Monday from 12.30pm on BBC2
Colin Murray's sport on TV: Rugby Union, Football League and one day cricket
Saracens face Toulon at Twickenham while the Essex Eagles and the Hampshire Royals go head to head
Drama to the power of ten The last time there was a battle like this at number ten, Tony Blair found himself moving house... Saracens face Toulon at Twickenham in the European Cup semi-final, with the kicking boots of Jonny Wilkinson and Owen Farrell set to go toe to toe in a game that is the dictionary definition of “too close to call”. Wilko, who has postponed retirement for yet another season, has been nothing but respectful towards the Sarries’ starlet, but he must be relishing the opportunity to show that there’s life in the old lion yet. it’s very much old veteran against young upstart, and it adds a delicious twist to what is already one of the must-watch sporting events of 2013 — although I still can’t see past Clermont Auvergne in terms of trophy lifting. Rugby Union: European Cup semi-finals: Clermont Auvergne v Munster Sat 4.30pm SS1 Saracens v Toulon Sun 2pm SS2 Neck and neck in Liga Uno It took 44 out of 46 rounds of games before the picture began to clear a little at the top of League One in the Football League. It has been about as predictable as dinner at the Balotellis’, and the order of the top six was destined to be a dramatic, last-gasp affair. OK, so the standard might not have Barcelona’s talent scouts flocking to Prenton Park or Brisbane Road, but, in my book, it has been the most exciting division in English football this year, and all four teams involved in the play-offs could not be begrudged promotion if, indeed, it turns out to be their time. Football league: league one play-offs, semi-final, first leg Fri 7.30pm SS1 Free pass to the fabulous 40 A new season of 40-over cricket to savour, as the defending champions visit Chelmsford. The English Cricket Board plan to give away tickets for ECB 40 matches to under-16s in August and offer highlights of every game online as they try to capitalise on an English summer that includes the Champions Trophy and the Ashes. Good on them for grabbing the bull by its sticky wicket. One day cricket: ECB 40, Essex Eagles v Hampshire Royals Friday 4pm SS3
Colin Murray's Sport on TV: Golf Masters, Rugby Union and Premier League football
Will Tiger Woods claim his fifth US Masters in Augusta and can Manchester Utd put the final nail in the coffin of Manchester City's Premiership title hopes?
Wounded Tiger no more The cash cow is back. Somewhere, Paddy Power is cowering in a dark corner, while William Hill says his prayers, both knowing full well that the world and its mother are lobbing money on Tiger Woods to win the Masters. His recent Bay Hill win returned him to world number one status, a position he held for much of the past 16 years, only to lose it 29 months ago after serious zipper issues. Now, with a new blonde on his arm and a renewed swagger, he is sniffing more majors to add to his total of 14. His win in the Arnold Palmer Invitational meant he had picked up six trophies in 20 PGA tour starts, and is gunning for a fifth US Masters at Augusta. It may look a little more inevitable than it actually is. Phil Mickelson will fancy a third Masters title in seven years, while England’s Justin Rose arrives in Georgia as the newly anointed world number three. I’ll obviously be cheering on my homeboy Rory McIlroy, one of the best golfers and worst actors on the planet. If only Nicholas Cage could play golf, the similarities would be remarkable. Golf: the Masters, from Augusta - Thursday from 7pm on Sky Sports 1 or 9pm on Radio 5 Live Coups in the oval office Saracens lead rugby’s Premiership, but they face the toughest of tests in the quarter-finals of the European Cup against last year’s losing finalists, Ulster. In another Anglo-Irish clash, Munster, who may be still without the almost-fit Paul O’Connell, will need to pull off a real coup at the stoop. Rugby union: European Cup quarter-finals, Saracens v Ulster - Saturday from 6pm (k/o 6.30pm) on Sky Sports 1; Harlequins v Munster - Sunday from 1.30pm (k/o 2pm) on Sky Sports 2 Playing for pride If people do still physically circle dates in their diaries, then surely last summer pens would have been put to paper at the prospect of the Manchester derby. Eight months later, instead of being a close-run climax to the title race, it could be the final nail in the coffin for the defending champions. Still, at least there’s still something to play for at the bottom. Ho hum. Premier League Football: Manchester United v Manchester City - Mon from 7pm (k/o 8pm) on Sky Sports 1
Colin Murray's sport on TV: Women's Super League, Rugby Super League and World Cup qualifiers
The Women's Super League kicks off this weekend, while next week sees Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland head for the World Cup Qualifiers
Is it any good? Discussions about women’s football always seem to freefall into the same well-worn, unproductive gibberish, which usually involves an empty vessel making a comment that belongs in the Dark Ages. Truth is, it should be judged like any other sport, ie is it any good? In my opinion, it’s all right. I daren’t compare it to a male league, as that’s guaranteed to outrage one sex or the other, but as someone who splits their Saturdays between Premier League and non-league football, I believe that a division should not be judged on quality alone. Women’s Super League, which kicks off this weekend, has its moments, and a quick trip to YouTube to view its best goals of last season proves the point. It’s semi-pro now, which has helped technically, and it is rarely found wanting for pride or passion. Bar the mighty Arsenal, average gates are all in three figures, but an increased TV profile this year might push things on a bit. It’s still not as competitive as one might like, given that the Gooners have complete and utter domination. Maybe they should let Arsène Wenger manage them — he’d soon remedy that! Football: WSL, Liverpool Ladies v Everton Ladies Sat 7.15pm, ESPN Winning ways for Wigan The last time a hooker performed as well as St Helens’ James Roby, Julia Roberts received an Oscar nomination. He shone in their recent win at Warrington, and he’ll need to again at Wigan, in what is just one game on a fixture list good enough to make the south of England pack their bags and move to Flappit Springs. Rugby Super League: Wigan Warriors v St Helens Fri 12 noon, SS1/5 Live Sp Ex That old sinking feeling If truth be told about the World Cup qualifiers, the word "sexy" is not applicable. Try "tough", "physical" and "losable". Scotland face a tough awayday, albeit against an erratic Serbian side, while Wales could do with a few more Gareth Bales against a Croatian team with high expectations. I wouldn’t feel comfortable backing any of our "home" teams to bag all three points. Never mind. As the song goes, "We’re not Brazil, we’re Northern Ireland, but it’s all the same to me." World Cup Qualifiers: Serbia v Scotland Tue 7.25pm BBC1 Scotland/7.15pm ESPN Montenegro v England Tue 7.30pm ITV, not STV/8pm 5 Live Wales v Croatia Tue 7.30pm SS1 N Ireland v Israel Tue 7.30pm SS3
Colin Murray's sport on TV: Australian Grand Prix, Six Nations rugby and World Cup qualifiers
The Formula One season kicks off, England continue their challenge for a Grand Slam and Wayne Rooney and co take on San Marino
Distant drums for Fernando With all due respect to Button and Hamilton, now in different garages, Fernando Alonso is still my prime reason to tune in to the Grand Prix. He is to F1 what Cantona was to Manchester United, or John Lennon to the Beatles. He likes cards, tattoos, James Bond and rock ’n’ roll. He can drive a car that is almost a second slower than his rivals and still take the 2012 season to the last race. In 2013, he will again be slower, but in testing the gap between the Ferrari and the Red Bull came down to two-tenths of a second. F1: Australian Grand Prix: Sat (qualifying) 5am Sky Sports F1/5.55am 5 Live; 1pm BBC1 (highlights); (race) 4.30am (Sun) Sky Sports F1/5.30am 5 Live/2.20pm BBC1 (highlights) Lions hungry for revenge After Saturday, the British and Irish Lions will roar again. The Triple Crown and Six Nations titles mean everything to northern hemisphere rugby, and I shall cheer every thumping tackle and laud every try; but then all four home badges will merge. It has been 12 years since the last Lions tour of Australia and revenge is on the menu, but not until we enjoy our last course of a Six Nations that has given much food for thought. Six Nations Rugby: Italy v Ireland Sat 2.05pm (k/o 2.30pm) BBC1/2.15pm 5 Live Sports Extra; Wales v England Sat 4.30pm (k/o 5pm) BBC1/ 5pm Radio 5 Live; France v Scotland Sat 7.30pm (k/o 8pm) BBC2/8pm Radio 5 Live Football’s going home? Giving Brazil the World Cup is like relocating the snooker to Ronnie O’Sullivan’s mum’s house. It’s hardly fair, although the only other time Brazil hosted it, in 1950, they lost in the final to Uruguay. Only to England and, possibly, the Republic of Ireland does the World Cup matter now. It pains me, but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’s players look set to sit out summer 2014 on holiday. Damn it. World Cup Qualifiers: San Marino v England Fri 7.30pm (k/o 8pm) ITV, not STV/7pm 5 Live; Scotland v Wales Fri 7.30pm (k/o 8pm) SS2; N Ireland v Russia Fri 7.30pm (k/o 7.45pm) SS3
Who's going to win at the Cheltenham Festival?
Former winner Mick Fitzgerald picks his favourites to take home the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Very few people have romped home with the Cheltenham Gold Cup, racing’s most treasured piece of precious metal, but when they do, where do they keep it? “It’s at home, underneath my pillow, just in case anyone tries to take it,’’ says former jockey Mick Fitzgerald, talking about his very own Cheltenham Gold Cup, which he won on board See More Business in 1999. Every year, they produce a new cup, so it’s not as if he’s refusing to return it. “It’s everything. That cup signifies a dream come true,” he says. “When I was a boy watching racing, listening to Peter O’Sullevan, it was a trophy I wanted more than any other.’’ “Fitzy” won around 40 big races, including the Grand National, but to his mind, the Cheltenham Festival, at which he was twice top jockey, has no equal. “It’s our Olympics, but luckily for us we have it every year. It doesn’t always boil down to prize money – it’s pride, bragging rights, and being able to say that I’ve ridden a winner at Cheltenham, or owned or trained a winner.’’ Having retired from racing in 2008, Mick’s expert opinion, mixed with his gracious demeanour and his ability not to let his success give him a big head, sees him popping up as a regular tipster, but he has a word of warning for those banking on the big names at this year’s festival. "There are so many short favourites, but all you have to do is get out your form book from last year’s festival, and from the year before and all the way back to the year dot, to see how many favourites have won. It makes you realise that it isn’t straightforward, and that’s what makes Cheltenham so special.’’ Every punter is looking for a “nap”, which is as close as you can get to a sure thing, but Mick isn’t seeing one in the big race itself, the three-mile, two-and-a-half-furlong Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday. And that includes the favourite, Bobs Worth, despite his record of being undefeated at Cheltenham and Mick’s love of a horse that can handle a left-handed track. “He was a novice last year and he won a very impressive Hennessy Gold Cup carrying plenty of weight, but he hasn’t done it yet at grade one level, so he will have doubters until he does. However, he is on the up, and for that reason he is ahead in the market.’’ So, if Bobs Worth isn’t a “nap”, which horse is? Hurricane Fly in Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle? “No, to be honest. Sprinter Sacre in the Queen Mother Champion Chase [on Wednesday] is the nap, but he’s no price. He is very short.’’ Instead, like any good tipster should, Mick looks for the best chance at the best price. After all, he is handing out racing tips, not free hugs. Fitzy knows his onions, that’s for sure, but the Cheltenham Festival connects much more with his heart than his head or his bank balance. “The atmosphere is like no other. For me, as a jockey, it was the only time I actually took notice of the crowd and the noise. That first race on the first day when the starter lets them go – the roar is almost a roar of relief from the punters, as they have waited for that moment. The sound travels down the track and hits you as you are galloping towards the first obstacle.’’ And it’s a hoo-ha well oiled by a strong Irish contingent, who overrun Cheltenham during this St Patrick’s period. The lubricated thousands who have made the pilgrimage in recent times have simply been spoilt, with three back-to-back wins for Best Mate and epic battles between Kauto Star and Denman. But as far as Mick is concerned, there is only one true King of Cheltenham. “Arkle, no contest.’’ The gelding, often referred to as “Himself ”, won three Gold Cups on the bounce from 1964 to 1966. “He was the greatest jumps horse of all time,” says Mick. “It’s very hard to equate generations, but Arkle was a horse all on his own. In his day there were two standards of races… ones with him, and ones without.’’ Watch the Cheltenham Festival - Tuesday-Friday from 12:35pm on C4
Colin Murray: Six Nations matches, FA Cup fixes... and why Arsenal v Bayern Munich is boring
The 5 Live and Match of the Day pundit talks top dogs and underdogs
Close call at Murrayfield Sorry, but I cannot discuss the possibility of an Italian Six Nations victory at Twickenham with a straight face, any more than I can imagine my mother taking a set off Serena Williams. It’s not the Italians’ fault. Well, it’s partly their banned captain Sergio Parisse’s fault, who has a big talent, a big heart and a big gob to go with it—he was banned for 30 days following a domestic verbal clash with a referee. This weekend, Scotland versus Wales will be the outstanding fixture, with Murrayfield awash with talk of a second-place finish, while Wales are hoping for a second straight win. Elsewhere, Ireland could all but condemn the French to la cuillère en bois. Here’s hoping les Bleus enjoy it for the first time this millennium. Six Nations Rugby: Scotland v Wales Sat 2pm (k/o 2.30pm) BBC1/2.15pm 5 Live Sports Extra Ireland v France Sat 4.35pm (k/o 5pm) BBC1/ 4.45pm 5L Sp Ex England v Italy Sun 2.20pm (k/o 3pm) BBC1/3pm 5 Live FA Cup numbers games Despite the attempts of some to devalue the FA Cup, with fifth-round average attendance at more than 30,000, more people are paying to see it now than have been in three decades, stretching back to the days when managers fielded full-strength sides and ties weren’t overshadowed by league matches the same day. And we are guaranteed an underdog in the last four, thanks to the bag of balls coughing up Millwall v Blackburn Rovers, an all-Championship clash that ensures a non-Premier League side at Wembley Stadium, where the semi-finals will be held, though almost every sane fan is against it. FA Cup quarter-finals: Everton v Wigan Athletic Sat 12.15pm (k/o 12.45pm) ITV, not STV/5 Live Man City v Barnsley Sat 4.30pm (k/o 5.30pm) ESPN/5.30pm 5 Live Millwall v Blackburn Rovers Sun 1.30pm (k/o 2pm) ESPN/1.30pm 5L Sp Ex Man Utd v Chelsea Sun 4pm (k/o 4.30pm) ITV, not STV/4.30pm 5 Live Joy for Spurs Bayern Munich against Arsenal should make great viewing... if you’re a Spurs fan. The favourites will confirm the elimination of the Gunners, who will then spend the ensuing days addressing Arsène’s future, transfer kitties and trophyless seasons. It’s all just a little too familiar and, despite its validity, boring. Champions League: Bayern Munich v Arsenal Wed 7pm (k/o 7.45pm) SS2/7.45pm 5 Live
Colin Murray on the Champions League, the FA Cup... and why the BBC should bring back Grandstand
The BBC Radio 5 Live presenter kicks off his new Radio Times column
Looking for a load of old balls After sitting patiently through a round robin that has as much to do with profit margins as football, we finally arrive at the knockout stages of the Champions League. There are six real-life title-holders in the last 16, but match-ups involving the close seconds and far-away fourths are close to unmissable. In old money, only Porto, Borussia Dortmund, Galatasary, Real Madrid, Juventus and Celtic deserve their place in this tournament, but one might argue that AC Milan v Barcelona, Arsenal v Bayern Munich and Real Madrid v Manchester United offer the most enticing viewing, and they only have one 2012 league title among them. All three are winking at me from RT’s listings, but none of them matches the romance and authenticity of the tie of the round, when Celtic took on “the old lady” Juventus. It’s odds-on that the Champions League will once again not be won by a champion, but hey, just check out those revenue streams! I’d look away in disgust if it wasn’t about to get so damn exciting. Champions League Football (all kick-offs 7.45pm) Arsenal v Bayern Munich Tuesday 7.30pm ITV/7pm Radio 5 Live FC Porto v Malaga Tue 7pm Sky Sports 2 AC Milan v Barcelona Wed 7pm Sky Sports 2 The fifth-round amendment It’s FA Cup time, so come on every team that can’t afford state-of-the-art changing rooms and whose star striker is a plumber. Come on every club in the red simply from surviving. Come on the underdog. Boo to the big boys, unless they’re my big boys — and they’re not, so jeer ahead. FA Cup Fourth round replay: Chelsea v Brentford Sun 11.30am (k/o 12 noon) ITV, not STV. Fifth round: Luton Town v Millwall Sat 12 noon (k/o 12.45pm) ESPN/12.45pm 5 Live Oldham Athletic v Everton Sat 5.30pm (k/o 6pm) ITV, not STV Man City v Leeds Sun 1.30pm (k/o 2pm) ESPN Huddersfield Town or Leicester City v Wigan Athletic Sun 3.30pm (k/o 3.55pm) ITV, not STV Bring back Grandstand Des Lynam, Jansher Khan, two periods of ice hockey and live rugby league. Life was simpler in the 1980s. Bring back Grandstand. Let’s start the campaign now. The Super League has started, and my RT remit is not to ignore this fine sport. I shall not. Promise. Super League: Bradford Bulls v Castleford Tigers Sat 4.30pm (k/o 4.45pm) Sky Sports 1
Colin Murray: Why I’m proud to sit and shout at the world of sport
"We’re all allowed opinions, even if we only share them with our soft furnishings"
Oh Armchair, we go back a long way... Together we have gazed upon the wire- less, the tube TV, the digital radio and the flatscreen, and not once have I felt the need to upgrade you. I’ve stained you, burnt you, ripped you and kicked you, yet you remain semi-firm in your support of my derriere. By sitting on you I automatically transform into an expert on everything, an oracle of opinion, a flowing volcano of vicariousness. For in my armchair, I am always right. I know exactly who Roy Hodgson should pick, what Oprah Winfrey should ask, and I can pinpoint precisely the second that “football went wrong”. For some reason it all becomes clear when I am musing from between the confines of your tattered armrests. When I brand Andy Murray “useless” for misdirecting a lob from the back of the court, you do not remind me that he is the first male British tennis player to win a grand slam title in three quarters of a century, nor do you glance in the direction of the cupboard that houses the tennis rackets I have bought over the years a week before, during, or a week after Wimbledon, only to cast them aside in frustration, before being welcomed back into your loving grooves to once again pontificate. OK, I may have over-stated things slightly just last weekend when I said that Torres couldn’t finish a bowl of cornflakes and, on hindsight, I am not completely in favour of the Irish scrum-half being shot for knocking on, as previously declared. For such sins you forgive me, because we have history. The memories, ah yes, of cups won and lost, tears shed in joy and despair. Drinks spilt onto you as a last-minute strike crashes onto a crossbar, my head in my hands as you eagerly sop up the collateral damage. Together we are one, united as we run the gauntlet of emotions. I do not feel the need to message, text or tweet because, if truth be told, I can, at times, get a little carried away, so it’s best to keep these moments between ourselves. But we are not alone... it’s you, it’s me, it’s millions of other men and women in armchairs up and down the land. Of the top 100 programmes broadcast in 2012 the first four were sports events, with more than 20 million watching the Olympics at a sitting, parking their behinds in armchairs, just like you and me, to bellow at the screen. Because that’s the beauty of being an armchair fan, we’re all allowed opinions, even if we only share them with our soft furnishings. Some of those opinions are level-headed and accurate, but only on the rare occasion. To some you may just be another piece of furniture, but to me you are my seat in the dugout, a chair around the table of the highest echelons of sporting power, a pedestal from which I cannot be removed. Colin Murray presents Kicking Off on Radio 5 Live and Match of the Day 2 on BBC2. His first weekly column is in this week’s Radio Times
Sports Personality 2012: Chris Hoy - "the past four years have got progressively harder"
The six-time Olympic gold medallist and king of the cycling track on retirement, Jason Kenny and who should win the SPOTY crown
Sir Chris Hoy’s stress levels are going through the roof. Six Olympic golds, 11 world titles, but he has come up against a challenge that even the ice man himself is finding too hot to handle. “What about Mo? What about Jess? We’ve had all sorts of exceptional performances. Ryder Cup, tennis…’’ All I did was ask him who should win Sports Personality of the Year, but it has had a similar effect to a bucket of water over a computer hard-drive. He won himself in 2008: “Hamilton won the F1, Murray made the US Open final. I was happy just to be nominated.’’ Four years later, and we’re really trying to decide who’s the most superhuman. “On Super Saturday, we were staying in the Olympic village. I could hear the roar out of the window more than I could through the TV. That was very special indeed.’’ After the summer he has had, you could forgive him for staying in a competitive saddle for just a few more revolutions than he should, but that’s not going to happen, and he knew as much long before the Queen met James Bond. “I had that moment before London 2012. I knew I didn’t want to go on to Rio 2016, but I didn’t want to say so in case something happened before London or during or after that made me think, ‘You know what, four more years isn’t out of the question.’ But nothing changed. “It’s not the race but the relentless nature of the training, and whether your body can hold up to it. The past four years have got progressively harder. Just the thought of doing four more years, to maintain that level and try to improve – which you have to – seemed very unlikely. How do two years grab him, then, and the chance to bow out at a Commonwealth Games in his backyard in Scotland, in a Velodrome bearing his own name? “It’s a big challenge, but there’s a chance I could do it, which is why I haven’t completely discounted going to Glasgow.’’ I’m sure Chris will be enjoying a beer and the beach come Rio 2016, but I’m equally certain he’ll be on the track in 2014, which explains his going to Australia for the rigours of a new year training camp. “In the past I would’ve been waiting for one of the big German or French or Aussie riders to retire, and just as they did, some other beast would come through. For a number of years to come, Jason Kenny could be the man to beat. The guys in the rest of the world who think they have a better chance of winning [without me], they’d better think again.’’ A bullish quote from the most humble of sporting superstars you’re ever likely to meet. His moments Gold medal in the team sprint and the keirin, London Olympics What the commentator said “Can Sir Chris Hoy, Braveheart himself, seal this gold medal? Who’s going to get it?... Chris Hoy gets the gold medal in the keirin. That’s his sixth gold medal. He becomes the greatest British Olympian ever!” Who would be your Sports Personality? “I think it should be Bradley Wiggins, but I say that kind of cringing, because then I think about Andy Murray, then about Katherine Grainger... You could name about 20 people who in a normal year you wouldn’t be surprised if they won, yet some won’t even make the final list.’’ tvSports Personality of the Year 2012 begins on Sunday at 7:30pm on BBC1
Victoria Pendleton - "I want Olympic gold to do my supporters proud... and to say goodbye"
The Queen of British cycling talks to Colin Murray about her public persona, controversial love affair with her coach Scott Gardner and her hopes for London 2012
Victoria Pendleton is standing in the middle of a field, screaming her head off: “Heel!” And if Mr Jonty and Stella have any sense, they’ll do as they’re told. As her preparations for the Olympics ramp up, I’m glimpsing the part of the Queen of Cycling’s life that usually acts as an escape from anything connected with two wheels or a certain five rings. “Having the dogs in the first place was a big part of trying to take my mind off the kind of small world I live in, where everything is to do with cycling, and everything is to do with recovery. The dogs help me come out into the countryside without my bike and watch them run around like idiots.” The view could be described as “picture postcard”, maybe even “romantic” if it wasn’t for the fact that her fiancé and Team GB cycling coach, Scott Gardner, is a few yards behind us. It has to be said, the girl’s done well. He’s a right looker. Would she trade him for more Gold? “No, Scott wins hands down. Hopefully, he’ll be around for a lot longer than my Olympics, but I’m not one who settles for one thing. I will have both.” She’s defiant, although she broke down in tears in the BBC1 film Cycling’s Golden Girl, recalling her team-mates’ reaction at the Beijing Games after news broke that she’d fallen for her coach – a line that convention says should never be crossed. “It was the saddest day in my entire life,” she said. “Everyone was so angry with us, that Scott and I had fallen in love, because it was so unprofessional and we were a disgrace.” The pair are back on track for London 2012. For Pendleton, whether as an individual or with team sprint partner Jess Varnish, the Games are about getting it right on the day, and that comes down to head and heart as much as it does legs and lungs. Pendleton comes alive when the subject of her Beijing sprint title comes up. “My form had never been better. I’d done personal best after personal best, and just had this unusual level of confidence in my form. I thought, ‘You know what, I am just going to have this today. It’s mine. It’s actually mine.’ I wasn’t going to let it go.” And there we have our first mention of the C-word, something that has always been a hot topic for her, and due to her brutal honesty in interviews, it has led to a caricature being painted of a woman on the edge of crumbling into dust at any moment. “I have had to learn to be a lot tougher, a lot harder, almost assertive verging on aggressive, and that’s not my natural character. I’m a right softie. I love looking after people. There’s nothing I like more than having people round and cooking lots of food and everyone’s happy. I just love that. That’s what comes naturally to me, so to be hard and decisive and intimidating – I have had to learn how to do that. “I’d be better off if I was a more type A personality, someone who is confident, quite arrogant… these are personality traits you see in sprinters so often. It comes naturally to them, but with me it’s more, ‘Why do I do this? It isn’t me!’” And it’s that contradiction that dictates our conversation. She’ll rarely make eye contact yet there’s no doubting her genuine warmth and honesty. In short, she is much more human than your average world-beater. If you take off the Olympic-tinged glasses, then you’ll be looking at a woman who simply needs to dig a little deeper to find her mettle, and with experience comes perspective. “With the success of the British cycling team, everyone expects us to step up on any given day and say, ‘There you go, have some Gold’, but it’s nothing like that. It’s about time, training and also a bit of luck, and it doesn’t necessarily come every time.” And at the Velodrome this summer in her home country, Victoria will get one last bite at Olympic glory before turning her mind to matters away from the track, including the man who is currently playing fetch with Mr Jonty. "There’s no escaping the fact that people are going to ask me the question, ‘Are you going to win?’ but that’s my job at the end of the day. The way I look at it now is that I ride around in circles in a wooden bowl for a living and it’s entertainment. That doesn’t mean I don’t take it seriously, because I’ve dedicated my whole life to training to be really good at it, but at the end of the day it’s not life or death. I am very fortunate to have this as a career.” But don’t let the more pragmatic Victoria Pendleton fool you. The hunger and motivation she worried had slipped away after Beijing are back. “I want a gold medal in London more than anyone, for everyone who has supported me. I just want to do them proud and say, ‘Look, there you go,’ and goodbye.” It sounds as if marriage followed by nights cooking for friends and family, without having to worry about that 6am cycle the next morning, is not that far away. So, with her more mature head, what if success doesn’t come at London 2012? Will she be able to accept that her achievements over her whole career make her very special? “It will all make sense to me when it’s over. I’m a perfectionist, so failing to produce the results that I am looking for will be hard to deal with at the time. When my career is finished and done, I’ll be able to look back and see I’ve done some good stuff, but only when every race is over. When I won the Olympics, I didn’t put my feet up. You always look towards your next goal.” Since that day in China, there have been injuries, tears and, more recently, something of a return to the type of times she will need heading into the east London Velodrome. “I looked at myself today and thought, hold on a minute… you know that thing about owners looking like their dogs?” And with that ludicrous suggestion and a booming laugh, we’re too dog-tired to talk any more. Victoria Pendleton spoke to Colin Murray as part of his quest to meet every living British Summer Olympic gold medallist, for his Radio 5 Live series Colin Murray’s Gold Run. Listen again: bbc.co.uk/5live throughout the summer. The The Women's Sprint Final takes place today at 5:25pm on BBC1
London 2012: The Ultimate British Olympian
The honed bodies in Team GB are awe-inspiring, but what if we combined out competitors' best bits to create a super athlete? Colin Murray takes his pick...
HAIR Bradley Wiggins (cyclist): The Modfather has been hair-raising this year, whether it’s on the road or on the track. The most stylish man in a saddle already has six Olympic medals and 2012’s Tour de France title but he could well be adding to that tally this summer. BRAIN Jurgen Grobler (rowing): It would be remiss to assemble the perfect British Olympian without recognising that behind every competitor is a devoted coach. The German has coached Olympic crews to gold in a jaw-dropping ten Games in a row, and has plotted our success ever since Redgrave and Pinsent paired up in 1992. FACE Jessica Ennis (heptathlon): The face of London 2012, Ennis has fought back from a stress fracture in her right foot, which saw her have to relearn the long jump, just one of seven events that stand between her and glory. She can high-jump 30cm higher than her own height – a rare feat – and in the Olympic Stadium the flawless face that you’ve seen in all sorts of promo pictures and photoshoots will be replaced with a snarl of determination. EYES Alison Williamson (archery): In Athens, Williamson’s eagle eyes earned Britain its first female archery medal since 1908, when the Games were held in, you guessed it, London. She will fire her arrows at Lord’s cricket ground, and will be hoping to improve on the bronze medal she won in Athens in 2004. SHOULDERS Rebecca Adlington (swimming): The most down-to-earth girl you will ever meet needs broad shoulders, physically and mentally, heading into London 2012. A lot is expected of the first British swimmer to win double Olympic gold since 1908, and it looks like she is peaking at the perfect time, especially in the 800m freestyle. EARS Nick Dempsey (windsurfing): Balance is the key for Dempsey as he aims to bring a third Olympic gold into his household, his sailor wife Sarah Ayton having reigned victorious on the seas of Athens and Beijing. Nick won world gold in 2009 on the same Weymouth Bay waters where this year’s event will take place. It’s his home town, too. LUNGS Pete Reed (rowing): One of Britain's golden boys from Beijing, Reed goes for glory in the men’s rowing four, safe in the knowledge that, despite taking part in one of the most gruelling of all sports, he’s unlikely to run out of puff. In 2006, he recorded the largest ever lung capacity on record, registering an enormous 11.68 litres. HEART Paula Radcliffe (marathon): A quick flick through Radcliffe’s medal record and you see that she has won gold at every turn, apart from at the Olympics. Four times she has tried without success, and as favourite in Athens she crashed out with injury amid a flood of tears. ARMS Zoe Smith (weightlifting): In 2010, aged just 16, Smith became Britain’s first-ever female Commonwealth Games medal-winner in the sport when she picked up bronze in Delhi. Two years later, she has achieved her dream of becoming an Olympian. BACK Robbie Grabarz (high jumper): The man from nowhere is quietly shaping up to become one of the surprise stars of the Games. In June this year he jumped a personal best of 2m 36cm; if he can carry that into the Olympic stadium, he will be a genuine medal prospect. RIGHT HAND Anthony Joshua (boxing): Team GB has a number of medal prospects in boxing, but RT has plumped for the stinging right hand of super-heavyweight Anthony Joshua. All bets are on a rematch of the world amateur championships final, in Azerbaijan, when Joshua lost out by just one point to local hero Magomedrasul Medzhidov. This time, the Azeri will be in the away dressing room. LEFT HAND Chris Adcock (badminton): Adcock heads into London in the mixed pairs with Imogen Bankier after breaking into the world’s top ten for the first time just months ago. This is Adcock’s first Olympics, and his youthful exuberance and world-class left hand make the British pair dark horses at Wembley Arena. HIPS Tom Daley (diving): Whether it’s somersaults, pikes, tucks, reverse armstands or several twists, Tom Daley’s hips simply don’t lie. Britain’s youngest-ever world champion in an Olympic sport is now 18, and to see him win gold for himself, for Britain, and for his late father would bring tears to a nation’s collective eye. BOTTOM Katherine Grainger (rowing): Katherine has sat her backside down in a rowing boat countless times, with six world titles in her locker, but so far it’s been the ultimate story of so near, yet so far at the Olympics, with three consecutive silvers to her name. Alongside her partner Anna Watkins in the double sculls, logic says that she’ll live up to her status as favourite and finally achieve her dream. RIGHT LEG Phillips Idowu (triple jump): We include the stylish Hackney-born triple jumper out of sheer belief, more than anything, knowing that his knees have given him trouble before and he pulled out of the Olympic trials due to an unspecified injury. Unbeaten in 2012 and a silver medallist in 2008, let’s hope when his right leg meets sand, that measuring device goes out further than for the other athletes. LEFT LEG Mo Farah (5,000m/10,000m): As with most athletes, Farah has pushed his body to the limit and beyond, and because of various injuries his left peg is said to be an inch longer than his right. When he gets it right, his running style is a work of art and, while he’ll always have big competition in the 5,000m and 10,000m, the Somalian-born Brit is the best male we’ve ever had over these distances. THIGHS Sir Chris Hoy (cycling): As RT has sat next to Sir Chris Hoy, we can only describe his thighs as looking similar to legs of ham. It’s from these 27in thighs that the humble Scotsman has powered his way to four Olympic titles. Going into his third games, it looks as if Sir Steve Redgrave is going to have some company on five. FEET Dai Greene (400m hurdles): If he wins the final, the World, European and Commonwealth champion would become Wales’s second living track-and-field Olympic gold medallist after the legendary Lynn The Leap Davies, who won long jump gold in 1964. And Greene will need those feet to get that stride pattern right as he hurdles his way around the most important 400m of his life.