Source: Liverpool_Echo
David Prentice: Time has passed for footballers to party like it’s 1999
CHRISTMAS came early at Stoke City this year. So early no-one even had time to shoot the Pope in the chest with a real live gun (Everton 1993), reach for the whipped cream and strippers (Liverpool 1998) or toss any dwarves against a velcro backed landing strip (Chelsea 1994).[LNB]Stoke's Yuletide plans were thrown into disarray when boss Tony Pulis played Ebenezer Scrooge to James Beattie's Bob Cratchett.[LNB]The parsimonious Potters' boss refused to give Beattie and his team-mates TWO days off to recover from their festive shenanigans, and the pair came to blows.[LNB]Beattie clearly fancies a future career in event management.[LNB]During his time at Everton his organisation of the Christmas party involved a stretch limo to Bournemouth, a crawl of the town's night spots, then flights back home.[LNB]A round trip of 600 miles just to celebrate the festive season might seem an unusually ambitious undertaking.[LNB]But in the circumstances it was an eminently sensible decision by Beattie. His side had just been beaten 4-0 at home by Bolton - and neighbours Liverpool were contesting the World Club Cup Final the same day.[LNB]The celebration passed off without incident.[LNB]Flushed with the success of that operation, Everton's wannabe Thomas Cook arranged an even more complicated excursion the following spring to the Cheltenham races, involving fast cars and helicopters.[LNB]While Beattie's travel plans were very 21st century, his ideas were still grimly old fashioned.[LNB]The players' Christmas party was a very English exercise, endured by some managers, encouraged by others.[LNB]Why? Presumably because of its a) roots in tradition and b) its apparent ability to bond previously disparate individuals.[LNB]The football club Christmas party was a traditional affair, following traditional rules.[LNB]Fancy dress was mandatory, there were drinks round town, nightclub and strippers - then hordes of specially invited wannabe WAGs were allowed into the nightclub.
