Table of contents for Summer 2024 in Pitch

Tea or coffee? Definitely tea. What was your earliest sporting memory? When Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised a black-gloved fist during the American national anthem at the 1968 Summer Olympics. The same Olympics where Dick Fosbury introduced the ‘Fosbury Flop’ and Bob Beamon set the long jump record that took decades to beat. Who was your sporting hero growing up? Mohammed Ali. I vividly remember watching his fights from Madison Square Garden. A venue we would later sell out on our American tour in the 1980s. Did you show any promise on the pitch? Absolutely zero. Which band members make it onto the five-a-side team? Earl, our bass player, is sporty, he would be good, and Norman, our percussionist, in defence because it would be like hitting a brick…

FRONT ROW / LB-4-£ Sitting somewhat uncomfortably at the table of world cricket’s ‘Big Four’, few names have kept scorers and statisticians busier than Kane ‘steady-the-ship’ Williamson. Since top-scoring with 131 in his debut international knock – away from home and in India – his almost cold manner at the crease has helped tally 8,743 runs in 100 Tests. At an average of 54.98. Such a record marks the Taurangaborn right-hander as the Black Caps’ leading run-scorer and the current World Number One.* His 66 scores of over 50 evidence an irrepressible reliability. When batting in the Land of the Long White Cloud, Williamson has made 4,747 runs at 66.85 – the second-highest home batting average behind some bloke from the ‘30s named Bradman (98.22). Just falling short “by the…

1754 The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is founded. Making the infamous Old Course the oldest golf course in the world. 7,305 YARDS Is the total distance of how long The Old Course is. This is approximately the same length as 63 Premier League pitches. HOLE 14 Aptly titled 'Long', this 618 yard par 5 is recognised as the longest hole in Open Championship history. But length isn't the only issue. The hole is littered with strategically placed bunkers one of which is 300 sq yards and 10 ft deep (again suitably named 'Hell Bunker'). £320 The Green Fee for an 18-hole round at The Old Course as of summer 2024. DRIVING-IN Each year the club elects a new captain who must undertake the 'Driving-In' initiation process,…

Headshot Author: Rita Bullwinkel Cover price: £9.99 Review: Set over the course of two days and six bouts, this novel explores both the physical and psychological lives of the eight best u18 female boxers as they go head-to-head in the Daughters of America competition. Why you should read it: Wholly original in its style and focus, this is a book that offers a unique perspective on being in the boxing ring. You'll like this if you liked: There Ain’t No Justice – James Curtis Star rating: Duncan Edwards: Eternal Author: Wayne Barton Cover price: £18.99 Review: When it comes to sport's greatest losses, there can be few more significant than the death of Duncan Edwards at the age of 21. Recounting his modest life off the pitch and his sensational journey…

F1 So, what is the Monaco GP? Put simply, it’s one of the most storied motor races in the world. The jewel in Formula One’s 17-billion-dollar crown. Held annually, the ‘Circuit de Monaco’ takes over the tax haven’s narrow streets for six weeks in summer. For just a single weekend of racing. When does it start and how does it work? Programmed for the last weekend of May, the event lands on the same day as the Indianapolis 500 and also the American-by-name American-by-nature Coca-Cola 600. The three races are celebrated as the ‘Triple Crown’ of motorsport. The unique challenge of relentless physical and mental strength around the street circuit – drivers threading the needle between corrugated barriers at nearly 200 mph – acts as a loud backdrop to an…

OLYMPICS Between Friday, July 26, and Sunday, August 11, athletes from 206 nations will compete for 987 assorted medals across 45 disciplines in and around Paris. A Brit’s participation in any one of these events – be them in contention for a medal or not – will of course raise interest among the sports-watching public in the UK. And with Blighty’s medal tally rising by 196 since London 2012, it brings with it the pressure, if not likelihood of bringing home gold. Qualified athletes from track and field, cycling, swimming, and sailing fill the roster. But with more than 450 English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish competitors set to cross the channel, knowing who to watch outside of the norm comes with a good deal of guesswork. With the torch…

Courtney Dauwalter CHAMONIX, 2021 “The woman who outruns men. One hundred miles at a time. Courtney had just broken the course record at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) 2021, the world’s biggest trail event. And doesn’t even look tired.” Jasmin Paris THE BARKLEY MARATHONS, 2024 “As it stands this is the last photo I have taken. A standout moment in time, the first female to finish the Barkley. It is one of, if not the, greatest sporting achievements of all time. Across all disciplines. About three hours before I took this photo, we saw her cross the halfway point of the fifth lap. A finish within the 60-hour cut-off seemed impossible. It wasn’t until a little girl at the bottom of the road shouted “She’s coming” some 10 miles later that…

Finding yourself described as a ‘CubanAmerican fraudster’ isn’t the opening passage in a biography that any self-respecting athlete would want for themselves. But such is the case for Havana-born, Rosie Ruiz. Not only did the ‘fun runner’ cheat her way to success at the 1979 and 1980 marathons in New York and Chicago, but she would also go on to be convicted of embezzlement (one week in jail, five years suspended in 1982), and for her part in a cocaine deal that eventuated in a threeyear period of probation in 1984. Arrested for attempting to sell two kilos of cocaine to an undercover police officer. As a would-be distance runner, Ruiz’s ultimate downfall was in not just ‘doing well’ when running in Boston, but being unfortunate enough to win the…

ANDY AFFORD Pitch’s Editor-at-large writes on sport’s all-time worst haircuts. And he’s right. DAVID MILLER On muddy trails, camera to hand, David’s portfolio serves as an intimate look inside ultra-marathons. PAUL SIMPSON The best in the biz. Simmo uncovers 10 moments that have rocked the rings ahead of Paris 2024. KATE KUSZTAL Our design tour de force brings the very pages you’re holding together. HOLLY PHILLIPS Her Bluffer’s Guide makes the 78 laps around Monte Carlo make sense. That starts on page 35. CERYS SZCZESNY Illustrator and artist, look out for Cerys’ name, and likely impact, throughout the magazine. KIERAN LONGWORTH Assistant editor Kieran finds himself among mountains. In the form of the Stoltmans. CYAN RUBIO-WRIGHT A dab hand at putting pen to paper, the wordsmith authors Tennis’ biggest characters…

RESILIENT by Rising Appalachia – Luke Stoltman RUN THE WORLD by Beyoncé – Tom Stoltman SMALLTOWN BOY by Bronski Beat – Sam Bowles WORTH IT by Raye – Holly Phillips THINGS I’VE BEEN TELLING MYSELF FOR YEARS by Elbow – Kevin Whitchurch EVEN IF IT BREAKS YOUR HEART by Eli Young Band – Andy Afford LIGHT UP (THE WORLD) by Yasmin, Shy FX, Ms Dynamite - Kamara Maya DAGA DA by Sammy Vriji “It's an upbeat song, which is perfect now summer is finally here.” – Charlotte Greig…

1. 60L Voyager GILL £70 Puncture-resistant tarpaulin fabric and stitch-free welded seams make this green machine completely waterproof. 2. Barrel Bag EVERLAST £10 Does the same job as its more expensive counterparts for a fraction of the price. You can’t go wrong. 3. Stand + EASTPAK X COLORFUL STANDARD £65 Eastpak’s long-lasting functionality meets Colorful Standard’s eccentric design to bring this vibrant capsule to life. 4. Terrex RAIN.RDY Duffle ADIDAS £140 Copious amounts of straps let you sling this waterproof carrier in any which way you can. Best in orange. 5. Forest green Gym Backpack BUILT FOR ATHLETES £115 Rugged. Practical. And full of tech. Available in 15 different colours and fit for any occasion. 6. Saffiano Leather Holdall ASPINALL OF LONDON £318 As English as afternoon tea. Traditional handcrafting.…

THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS marked Canada’s third Games having previously come away without gold in Montreal (1976) and Calgary (1988). The Great White North won 14 in Vancouver – the most by any country at a Winter Games. 2010 saw Amy Williams win gold in the skeleton (face-down tray sliding) for Great Britain, the Home Nations only medal. 275 Kilograms is the weight of your standard Vancouver Island Black Bear. You can view them from a kayak. But keep your distance. 5 professional teams call the seaport home. The Canucks and Giants (ice hockey), Whitecaps (football), BC Lions (American football), and Stealth (Lacrosse). THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS have an 0-3 record in Stanley Cup finals and are the oldest NHL team never to lift the sterling silver trophy. 15,000 Gallons of water…

TENNIS JENNIFER CAPRIATI'S THE DEFYING DEFINING Think early-period Ellen DeGeneres meets mid-’80s era Radio 1 DJ. Whilst incorporating your mum doing your fringe for you, only so you can see the tennis ball at all times. And viola. ‘The Jennifer Capriati’. A haircut, once again, with so many ingredients it’s hard to say where one stops and another starts. A beautiful and elegant ex-tennis star now in her late forties, but at the start of her career few could see this style odyssey ending as well as it did. Back in the very early ’90s, the hair incorporated within it a ruler-straight midforehead fringe. An element of backcombing done for height at the crown. Farrah Fawcett side sweeps. Finished off by a proper Billy Ray Cyrus Achy Breaky ‘party in…

DAYS ONE TO THREE consisted of flipping Fingal’s Fingers, pushing a 20-ton freight train uphill, and finally winning a stone-off against World’s Strongest Man record-attendee, Mark Felix. Earning Tom Stoltman a place in his second WSM final. His two days in the Sacramento sun went a little like this… DAY FOUR Keg Toss launching a 15-kilogram keg over the bar, Tom set a world record of 7.5 metres before fourtime WSM, Brian Shaw, chucked it 25cm higher to win the event. Titan's Turntable Rotating a 30-ton train around a gigantic wooden turntable in 36° heat, Tom finished 10 seconds ahead of his brother in first place. Giant's Medley Running 10m with a 440kg super yoke, before a 15m 350kg frame carry to the finish, Tom stepped away from the field…

FOOTBALL There have been many great goalkeepers. From the flamboyant to the horribly efficient. But one man was the best. In an age of Di Stéfano, Pelé, and Charlton, Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin stood firm in front of all comers. He was what greatness looked like. In the late ’50s and ’60s, Lev Yashin became the most accomplished of his era. At a time when the Soviet Union played with CCCP (the Union Of Soviet Republics or Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik) across its kit, and clad in black, he became known as The Black Spider. Yashin's prowess on the field was undeniable, but it was his demeanour off the pitch that solidified his legend. Known for his friendly, open, and jovial character, he was an all-round gent connecting effortlessly with…

While many athletes competing in the Summer Olympics’ 32 sports are amateurs, the myth that they all do so for the love of the competition was exposed very many years ago. Even in World Athletics president Seb Coe’s competitive heyday, when athletics was supposedly purely amateur, shoe money and side deals were the order of the day. But until now, there’s been no formal prize pot for the Games themselves. France will reward its gold medallists with €80,000 this summer in both Olympics and Paralympics; the USA $37,500; some smaller nations, much more. Great Britain rewards ‘success’ upfront. Its system of Lottery funding skewed towards those deemed likely to win medals rather than simply qualifying to compete at the Games. Athletes are not likely to strive any harder to succeed…

A player of 5’10 described as though he was six inches taller; a man of apparently mortal flesh and bones spoken of in superhuman frame. But one watch of his goal for England against Germany, which is better than even the great sportswriters of the day decreed, as he recovered the ball, danced past two challenges and fired a shot from the edge of the box, makes you wonder… ‘Humanising’ Duncan was the wish of his family when I was writing Eternal, and I wondered if the challenge may be too blasphemous to accomplish. But I think doing so helped to create a sense of how good the Busby Babe truly was, how good he could have been, and why it remains fair to project he would have been without…

One. Proven to be the difference between winning and losing. The last time an NBA team won a game without making a triple was on February 5, 2016. Two. It’s an outside shot. Not on the three-point line. That’ll only count as a two, despite your best protestations. Three. Basics first. That means a high elbow with feet pointing towards the target. The more balanced you feel, the better chance you’ll have of making the shot. Four. Grip the ball with your dominant shooting hand. And follow through with that same arm as if reaching into a biscuit tin on top of the fridge. Five. From the legs up. A little flex to the knees goes a long way in powering that full-grain leather ball towards the basket. Six. Relax.…

• Considered equal to the invention of the wheel, rowing originates from the use of Galleys on the Nile. The low flat ships were used for piracy well before the earliest regatta (Venice 1274). • ‘The Boat Race’, first held on the river Thames in 1829, sees the Dark Blues, Oxford, pitted against old enemy Cambridge in light blue. Those in the lighter shade have proved best with 87 wins from 168 races. • The UK’s biggest rowing event was established not long after in 1839. Held 35 miles upstream in Henley-on-Thames. • ‘Catching a crab’ means a rower has lost control of their oar. You’ll be lucky if you don’t end up in the water and it’s a bit of a speed killer, to say the least. • Shells…

His ‘stupid haircut’ aside, the term ‘Tebowing’ is in the sports canon of language, as a reference for the act of kneeling in a specific manner whilst praying on the field. He is also a devout Christian, was home-schooled, and married Miss Universe 2017 (South African model Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters), which only adds to the general confusion of where the hell does this hair fit into all that lot? FOOTBALL RONALDO’S IS ANYONE MISSING A MUFF? What haircut can you do by yourself, sat in front of a mirror, armed with only a set of hair clippers? I’ll tell you what, a ‘Ronaldo’, that’s what you can do. It’s what we could all do. If we were terminally bored and going insane. As context, World Cups are famous for ill-judged hairstyles.…

FOOTBALL ADAMA TRAORÉ Apparently never lifting a weight in his life, Wolves’ explosive right-winger proved every bit as slippery as he did strong while greased up in baby oil on the right flank at the Molineux. Contributing 14 goals and 19 assists during his time in Wolverhampton, the 28-year-old now finds himself at Fulham playing a less familiar role on the injury list. CRICKET CHRIS TREMLETT Turning to bodybuilding after life as England’s enforcer, ‘Twiggy’ remained every bit as threatening post-retirement as he was bowling to Ricky Ponting et al, in 2010-11. Already thick-set by that stage of his career, the 30-year-old took 17 scalps, including 4-26 at the MCG as part of the best battery of fast bowlers England have ever sent Down Under. GOLF BRYSON DECHAMBEAU The flat-capped…

"This is the knockout. It’s a full stop. Swift, decisive, unmistakable” I’ve seen a lot of knockouts from ringside and I can honestly say that I’ve never become immune or anaesthetised to the pure adrenaline of it. I don’t think I ever will. Whether it’s the shock of that bolt of pure lightning that comes with the single punch knockout or the surge you feel rising like a storm around you when you can see that one fighter is on the brink and the end is nigh, it reaches right into your soul. It’s what you come for, it’s what you want, it’s human instinct to marvel at it. That rush, that surge is like a blinding flash, but it doesn’t last long and when it fades and your eyes…