Tony Pulis column: ‘Why I always drove home for Christmas’

A lot has changed in the game since my first Christmas as a footballer, 50 years ago.

When I was a young trainee at Bristol Rovers in the 1970s, it was a time of giving – for me, if I was lucky!

Each trainee had the task of looking after the shoes of at least three top professionals throughout the season and these duties cannot be taken lightly.

Cleaning the dressing rooms and even walking the corridors to repair the dilapidated pitch were also my remit, but match shoes were crucial and had to be in good condition for every match.

During Christmas and Easter, the busiest times of the season, it will be non-stop. We spent hours cleaning, drying and polishing them.

However, there was some bonus. Christmas was one of the two extra pay days we hoped would come our way. The other was at the end of the season, when the players you were looking after would show their gratitude by tipping a few pounds.

I left home when I was 16 to join Rovers who were, at the time, involved in what is now the Championship. At that age, I was allowed to return to South Wales after training on Christmas Eve.

If the senior players are around on Christmas Day, the Bristol-based apprentices will have to cover for us. But even at that age it was quite clear that our jobs required working during these holiday periods, and on Boxing Day we were always watching the first team or playing in the mixed football league.

Turning professional myself did away with all the above duties – although I always took care of my shoes and buttons anyway – but Christmas was still a special time.

At every club I’ve been to, we’ve had someone organize Christmas days – and nights – out.

I went to all sorts of different places, with many different themed evenings.

Times were different back then and our wages were very close to the majority of workers away from the game, so footballers were much closer to the communities in which they played. Mixing with the crowd wasn’t a problem, and those nights we spent in local bars and nightclubs letting your hair down were completely alcohol-free.

In fact, many managers sometimes encourage nights out to build team spirit and bonding, and encourage closeness within the group.

Obviously we know now that drinking too much is not a good idea, but in the 1970s and 1980s the English game and culture accepted and embraced it.

Just look at the number of European Cup finals our teams not only competed in, but won during that era – Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are testimony to that.

Drinking was never frowned upon. Even have a drop of whiskey or brandy in your cup of tea before the match if the weather is very cold. I did play with some very good drinkers, but compare them to the rugby guys of the time and they were just dogs really!