FORMER Saddler, Paul Hall gives an insight into what it's like being a professional footballer at this time of the year as everywhere people are eating, drinking and being merry!
As the great Aristotle put it, 'I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.'
The even greater Paul Hall couldn't put it any better myself!! For the temptation of this Yuletide period for many will be more than difficult to say the least. I know from 20 years experience what its like to abstain from the pleasures of Christmas and New Year!
The constant reminders from managers and coaching staff to, 'be careful what you're eating and drinking,' will be only too familiar to most of the players. The appeal of a big fat turkey with gravy poured all over it, alongside stuffing and Christmas pudding (or in my case apple pie and custard), entices most to eat more than their fair share and are left with having to undo a button or belt buckle on the old trousers!
However, the need for dedication is at its greatest for a professional footballer around the Christmas period. Self control is paramount to the point where you could imagine managers and coaching staff alike sitting at home biting their nails at what their players could be eating and drinking!
I remember a few years ago during my time as a player with Walsall, manager Ray Graydon having us in on Christmas Day, just to run and exercise off what we MIGHT have eaten! The promotion squad of that year had some big eaters in it too! Messrs. Roper, Wrack and Bennett could all consume their fair share of a medium-sized horse each and the evidence could be there to see at times when they donned the Walsall shorts!
We were all weighed and made to come in to do an early shift if we were a few pounds generous of our previous weights! Hence where the name 'fat club' originated! Joking aside, the business of careful eating and drinking around Christmas time has to be taken seriously. For the period is one where games come thick and fast, players are required to ask their bodies to do a few extra shifts than normal.
A glass or two of wine never hurt anybody or a few extra potatoes on your plate won't render you obese, but these days every inch of a football field are contested more than ever. Players are fitter and leaner athletes. There are players in the game today who will not even consider letting their hair down for Christmas. With so many points up for grabs, Christmas and New Year for players tends to be that time of the season when opportunities knock.
With the barrage of so many games, players get injured, exhausted, lose form and generally all squad members are required at some point. With Christmas being the carrot to stuffing ourselves full of seasonal cheer, New Year presents in itself a new challenge. Bringing in the New Year for some holds more importance than Christmas. The natural gravitational pull of wanting to party on December 31st takes some holding off. Never had I during my 20 years of playing, been out clubbing or drinking on the eve of the New Year, such was my dedication.
I understand and appreciate what players have to go through to be able to physically be at their best. To be honest, Ray Graydon was a stickler for making sure discipline at the club was adhered to. It's one thing, however, to follow the rules and regulations set by others, it's another to set and follow the rules for oneself. I can only lift my hat off to the players as they take to the pitch at Banks's Stadium while we're all stuffing our faces full of pies and pasties and leftovers from our Christmas dinners!
So respect is due to the boys for their abstinence from over-indulgence in search of three points. For that is the order of the day. There will be nothing better for a supporter of The Saddlers for a great run over the festive period. I can vouch for a player who has had considerable success with Walsall that when those fans can smell something good, then it smells better than any Christmas dinner they have ever had!
The commitment required by every fan from each player not only comes by working hard on the pitch. That is a prerequisite. It starts much earlier than that. This includes healthy drinking, eating, getting enough sleep and generally looking after themselves.
So, what we see on a matchday is the finished article from all the hard work and dedication made by the players.
Here's hoping that the lads are in great shape this festive season and we will all be looking forward with excitement as opposed to looking behind us in dread.
Merry Christmas one and all,
PAUL HALL
