Cold, Cold, Cold

Full marks to everyone – players, officials and spectators – who endured a quite ridiculously chilly afternoon yesterday at sub-zero Stratford. Or as I now think of it, Stalingrad. With virtually no cover and not even a burger van to huddle around, the only consolation was that we weren’t at Latimer Park, where the air temperature would have made this feel positively balmy.

It was interesting to see how our brave boys approached the challenge of performing in these testing conditions.

The Sensible: 10 out of the starting 11, togged up with long sleeved tops, thermals and gloves, and in case things got really cold, notes from their mums.

The Mental:  Obviously part Siberian on his mother’s side, Matty Stevens showed his team mates up for the buttercups they were by toughing it out in short sleeves, limbs like spam, and no doubt after the game demanded to know where his ice bath was.

The Really Quite Cosy, Thanks: Snug as a bug on the bench, Rene sat swaddled in multiple layers, a woolly hat, snood and with his own personal patio heater going full bore. He eventually took the field with what appeared to be an electric blanket under his shirt - either that or this mini winter break has had unfortunate calorific consequences.

 

 

Rene prepares to enter the fray