Warm-ups

[Mr Stevens]

This won't be the longest thread but I have a question of little importance. I've been going to football since the mid '60s and I cannot remember if, back then, if players did a warm-up before the game. I seem to remember that the first time you saw them was when they came on for the kick-off.

I'm convinced that the 30 minute warm up is a relatively recent phenomenon. Am I correct or is the Alzheimer's kicking in?

[Wobbly Bob]

First structured warm-up at Swindon that I can remember was when Hoddle took charge. Can't remember what it was like when Ossie was manager, prior to that the players used to just amble out for a general kickabout with everyone just doing their own thing.

[Audrey]

Back when I first started going me and my mates were convinced Arthur Horsfield used to run out of the tunnel with a fag on the go. Someone said it was an inhaler but I’m not so sure!

[NotHarryAgombar]

I remember my dad being told that Arthur Horsfield was a chain smoker, so he may well have come out with a cigarette, and that at one point he gave up smoking, and when he put on weight as a result the coaches told him to start smoking again as it slowed him down less than the extra timber. A knack of being in the right place rather than speed was Arthur’s biggest asset.

My memory of warm ups un the later 60s and early seventies was the teams coming out between 5 and 10 minutes before kick off, a group taking shots at goal , someone kicking the ball into the keeper’s gloves from close range and a couple of groups of two or three doing 10-15 yard passes to each other.

I think the teams coming out as they do now began around the time of Macari, Ardiles or Hoddle.

[Family at War]

I can indeed remember Arthur Horsfield who was a chain smoker, always had a fag on the go. They reckon he would have one at half time. He was known around our stand area as Dobbin!

[Mr Stevens]

Any old pros who can remember a definitive date when it started? Man City supporting mate reckons they used to warm-up in a local school until the early '80s.