Surprised that you found this so shocking ! This is the way that the majority of football clubs operated back in the more basic days - in Saints dressing room in the 70's they wouldnt have had shot glasses, those boys would have been slugging from the bottle before running out ! It wasnt considered unprofessional, it was the norm.
Then why is it shocking? Or were you not using shocking in the literal sense, rather in the modern synonym for bad sense?
Well thats the way it was, and its all good & fine to look back and criticise it years afterwards but hindsight is 20/20 vision. Whatever, the players still enjoyed the living that they made from it then and us supporters still enjoyed our football - in some ways i prefered it then without all the modern day bull****. At least the players then were not a lot of overpaid, preening, cheating girlies - which is how many of them come across at present !
You can still have the passion, commitment and determination to succeed for your club without doing things like that which have an adverse effect on both performance and fitness. Not very clever saying it how it is when kids or club players that play the game might be watching and try to emulate something like that. It's just my opinion
Well I think the problem is partly a change in the game and society and partly ignorance. Footballers now at the top-level are finely tuned athletes, every part of their life is ruled over with strict regimens. Back then just turn up for training and for matches, put in a shift and the rest is your own business. Put a modern Premier-League footballer in a race across virtually any distance against a footballer from the 70s or 80s in their prime, and 9 times out 10 the modern player will win. Not because the player of yesteryear was necessarily lazy or lacking in passion for their sport, just because that is the way the game has changed. Back then a quick drink before kick-off would stiffen you up and calm the nerves, a classic for old-fashioned hardened British men, if in doubt, glass of whisky will resolve all. These days if a player has a beer the night before a game he'll get fined 20 grand. Is that because the old players were drunk louts whilst the modern player is a hard working professional? Maybe in some cases, but for the vast majority not at all. And we've all heard the great Le Tiss' stories about daily visits to McDonalds for pre-training double cheeseburgers. Don't think Lallana or Fonte would be caught within 20 yards of that many useless calories. Maybe Rickie though... Not a great example for the kids though, you're right.
I dont understand your 2nd sentence at all ? Who or what is not very clever ? Kids watching what - the players having a drink or reading this thread ? What i am saying is that it was a different way of life 40 years ago and i am not surprised by the then practice of footballers having a drink prior to running out. I dont think that there would have been any kids standing and watching them having a tot in the dressing rooms. Quite a few of todays hero's are far from being perfect role models for kids it would seem, and we wouldnt want our little darlings emulating some of their party tricks either would we !
I meant Dublin isn't very clever for saying it like that to a national audience when kids or young club players might watch/listen to him and think it's a good idea to do.
OK i see what you mean now. However i think that you are being a bit over sensitive about this RGM - Dublin was only reiterating how it used to be and in no way was he bigging it up and suggesting that the practice should be carried out these days. This is history but it is also a fact - you cannot pretend it didnt happen. i doubt that kids will be asking their coaches for a tot before kick-off due to what they saw on MOTD3 !
Slightly harsh, as Rickie admits to have over indulged in his earlier days. please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image He's a slim bloke now and he looks after himself quite well.
Haha I don't doubt Rickie's commitment and sure he works just as hard as the rest of the lads do, TSS. And he could probably run further than I could walk, just always easy and fun to make the odd pie joke etc.
Part of the reason Lambert has improved as a player over the years is because he's worked harder on fitness.
While I was looking for those photos I came across this. Thought you might be interested. Note, Rickie played in midfield for a while. Always thought he did. Too good a passer to just have played up front. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rochdale/4481060.stm Sorry to go way off-topic. Should slap my own wrist really..!
No dont do that mr mod - thats a very interesting piece on Rickie that you have unearthed here. Its a great story that both Rickie and Grant Holt have gone from being Rochdales successful strike-force in 2005 to playing and scoring in the prem in 2012 !
