Sometimes there is
simply too much choice and many times recently I have been overwhelmed
by the vast array of goodies on display - muesli bars tipped with
chocolate, jelly babies, wine gums, jaffa cakes, caramel protein bars,
strawberry energy bars, bananas and sachets of hi-energy gels in all
of nature's flavours!
And don't even get me started on the drinks, a
rainbow selection neatly stacked and promising to cover every
nutritional requirement! Sounds like I am describing the display cabinet
of some new ultra trendy health and fitness centre but amazingly I am
describing what I now see in the dressing room every Saturday!
Now I’m not knocking it but it makes me smile when I
think back to the late seventies when I started my football career and
the 'refreshments' that were available to us. Well I use the plural but
it should really just be refreshment because essentially all you got to
reenergise yourself with at half time was a big pot of tea usually made
with that hideous sterilised milk beloved of that era. The sugar of
course had already been added en masse to produce a disgustingly sticky
brew.
The only other option was to stick your head under
the tap and have ‘mineral’ water. After the game it was a similar story
except it was supplemented with the wonder drink that nobody seems to
use any more. Nothing could restore you like this could, aches and
pains simply melted away in fact it was so good even the emotional pain
of a bad defeat or bad personal performance could be salvaged.
This wonder drink was a subtle water based solution
containing sugars barley, malt and hops. Its brand name was BEER! Drink
enough of the stuff and heavy defeats and personal disasters simply
melted away and the booing and vitriol from the fans suddenly didn’t
seem such a big deal.
So valuable and important to the refuelling needs of
the player was this fine drink that it was taken to away games in large
quantities on the team bus and often loaded before the kit such was its
magical powers. Indeed on many occasion when we ran out of said drink
we were forced into the inconvenience of stopping at one of the special
outlets that were available-commonly known as THE PUB! The only downside
with this fine beverage was that there could be a danger of overdose
and unfortunately on many occasions in my professional desire to refuel I
did accidently drink too much! Let’s call it an occupational hazard!
That era – known as the dark ages – by nutritionists
and fitness coaches was the period when apparently we were miles behind
the rest of Europe in terms of preparation and recovery and we should
hang our heads in shame - the only thing was though we kept winning the
European Cup! Bring back the superfuel!
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