Sam recalls Sky Blues ballet days

Sam Allardyce was left chuckling at the memory of the day the gym at Coventry became a dance floor.As he prepared to face his former club in the FA Cup, the Blackburn manager recalled the time Bobby Gould decided to employ a touring ballet company.Coventry's boss in the 1983-84 season thought the session would help improve the players' mobility.It was a ground-breaking move - one out of keeping with traditional training sessions.And the players reacted enthusiastically, not wanting to incur the wrath of the manager by messing about.They flounced across the floor, smiling for the benefit of the hordes of photographers and TV cameras, who had assembled at the training ground.ITV's News at Ten ran a clip and Allardyce, who had just finished a spell in Florida with Tampa Bay Rowdies, recalled: "I looked like Tom Selleck, the guy out of Magnum."However the season ended in tears not laughter for Allardyce, who was released despite being captain."I was hoping for a new contract but ended up getting my boots in a bin-liner," he said."It was a big disappointment to get released. I had a cracking time and enjoyed myself after coming back from America."Getting back in the top league was a major bonus for me. When I left I was playing Millwall in the third division."

Source: Team_Talk