As a career, professional football comes with a bizarre set of working conditions. They have the second half of May and most of June for an annual break but the rest of the year consists of a daily training routine broken up with games at the weekend or in the evening - in a pattern which can be varied at short notice. They have to put up with lots of travelling and nights away from home. As a final twist their social life has to take note of severe restrictions to diet and the intake of alcohol.
Billy and Mio at work in France
If they fail to meet the high expectations of their supporters the likely result is a degree of criticism (often accompanied by abuse) which would be dismissed as unacceptable in any other occupation. For a lucky few the financial rewards can be life changing, but for the majority there is no such prospect.
The Motherwell squad will return to find a new manager anxious to make his mark (no pun intended!). He has made it clear the his preferred style requires a level of physical effort and fitness which may come as a surprise to some. There may be no sessions up and down the sand dunes at Gullane ahead but they may find a familiarity with some Austrian mountains instead.
The Austrian jaunt in the second week of July was not planned by McGhee and his planning will have to accommodate the arrangements. The last time Motherwell players had to take their passports for a series of warm up games was in 2001 when they visited
Trips of this nature are said to be good for team morale and the chance for the manager to assess the group under such circumstances must be beneficial. The five weeks of preparations will be over when we kick off a
Now, where's that suntan lotion?