"For me, Christmas as a manager usually meant one thing - I'd be on a motorway, somewhere! During my 30 years in management, we always kept our family home on the south coast. If I wanted to get back to see my kids open any of their presents, then travelling back after training on Christmas Eve - or even Christmas Day itself - was not unusual for me."
"Wherever I laid my hat, from Middlesbrough to Plymouth, or Bristol to Stoke, one thing I never missed out on was Christmas dinner with my family. Sometimes, I would leave after training on Christmas Day to get home in time, then drive back later to be at the hotel the team was staying at, or wherever my lodgings were. Even if I gave my players Christmas Day off, I would still travel back on Christmas night."
A football manager spent three decades balancing family commitments on the south coast with constant travel across England during Christmas. The manager routinely travelled after training on Christmas Eve or even on Christmas Day to see children open presents, then returned to team lodgings to prepare for Boxing Day. Boxing Day fixtures remained a persistent priority influencing schedules and rest. Notable successes included wins at Blackburn (2-0, 2010) and Liverpool (3-1, 2012), while defeats were hardest personally but often followed quickly by another match. Festive periods featured congested fixtures and could include hiring or firing.
Read at www.bbc.com
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