Hall on the Ball
Behind the scenes at Arsenal FC
2 fi tness coaches and 2 masseuses could work
on the 6 beds that were available and needed
over a course of a season.
I saw where the youth players would change,
a smaller one than the main changing area of
course, on their journey to become a ʻregularʼ in
1
st
team. It would be an ambition that a young
lad would escalate through these changing
rooms to fi nally make it to the ʻbig oneʼ. To
W
ell on a sunny Friday afternoon, I met up fi tness of each player which is then logged onto
with good friend and ardent fan of the a computer that assesses each and everyone
inspire these young lads, pictures adorned the
Gunners, Dennis Pinching. Dennis promised of the squad. Next door was where assistant
walls of players ʻpast and presentʼ. The likes of
to show me what made Arsenal tick and what manager, Pat Rice and Neil Banfi eld, the
Tony Adams, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry,
exactly has made this club one of the most reserve team coach worked out their strategies
Patrick Vieira and Ashley Cole.
feared in Europe, let alone the Premier League. and tactics. Arsene Wengerʼs offi ce has the
Was I going to be impressed? Read on… requisite desk and marker board where he
On the subject of youth development, I was told
would fi nalise his plans with Pat, Neil and other
that if Arsenal released anyone that donʼt make
We drew near to the 12ft high security gates members of the staff. Throughout the centre, I
the grade, that they are not being chucked on
when a guard approached us. “Dennis and his noticed it was impeccably spotless and Sean
footballʼs scrap heap but to be assured that
friend are here” relayed the guard over the ʻtwo- told me that 6/7 cleaners came to the centre
they have had the best 2/3 years of football
wayʼ radio and the gates slid open. Through every night and cleaned it to a hygienic standard
education that they are going to get, and that
a tree lined, shingle drive we came to 2 car on par with a private hospital! In excess of 60
they can still move on to other clubs and still
parks in front of a magnifi cent building which footballers use this centre on a typical day
make a living in the game such as the like of
resembled a smaller version of Stansted Airport. and over 200 items of kit have to be cleaned
David Bentley at Blackburn Rovers.
I hadnʼt parked the cab yet but already I was in the on site laundry. As you can imagine, I
stunned with the architecture. We parked in the was amazed at the involvement that Arsene
The gymnasium was my next port of call
2
nd
car park as the fi rst one was fi lled with the Wenger had on designing the Centre and Sean
and as you may have guessed by now, it
cars of the 1
st
team squad who were still away made it quite clear to me that if ʻthe Bossʼ does
was well stocked with the latest equipment.
playing in a pre-season tournament. Jeremy something, he does it properly and takes an
The necessary treadmills, cross-trainers,
Clarkson would have had a fi eld day as the active part in everything in the building from the
cycles and weight machines are all part of a
car park was jam packed with all the ʻtop of the ʻcalmingʼ colours on the walls, the colour co-
footballerʼs fi tness. There was also a strange
rangeʼ motors! I was greeted by Sean OʼConnor, ordinating carpets, to the cutlery the staff and
machine called ʻBatracʼ which is a light reaction
the Facilities Manager of the Training Centre, visitors use in the 100 plus seater restaurant.
contraption costing £7,000 and is ʻstar likeʼ in
who was going to be my guide for the next
shape. You stand in front of the apparatus and
couple of hours. The hydrotherapy pool had a viewing gallery
when the light fl ashes, you touch the screen.
underneath to assess the playerʼs mobility This not only helps improve a goalkeeperʼs
We entered the building and after passing the plus the fl oor of the pool could be raised or reaction but Sean said he was sure players like
reception area we came to a wall of ʻpigeon lowered depending on the part of the body Vieira would have enhanced their balance when
holesʼ style lockers that belong to the players the physiotherapist wanted to observe! Right gliding past players.
that had fan mail, trainers and ʻfl ip-fl opsʼ in. next to the pool were 2 massage baths that
Sean explained that all players that enter the can be programmed to send high powered We left the torture chamber, sorry gym, and
training area must remove their shoes and don jets of water to a specifi c part of the body and climbed the stairs to the spacious restaurant
their ʻfl ip-fl opsʼ. As I was a visitor (and forgot my these were mainly used the day after a match. where you could sit all the players after a
ʻfl ip-fl opsʼ) I had to wear plastic shoe ʻslip-oversʼ, The physiotherapist team saw the baths while training session. Again, you can understand the
red of course! We passed through a sky light visiting Bayern Munich and decided to purchase planning that has taken place as I was led to a
lit corridor fi lled with Arsenal memorabilia into them for their own use to a cost of £18,000 veranda which had spectacular views over the
the main changing room of the 1
st
team squad. each. Arsenal were unique to have these in pitches that lay before us like a massive lush
This area measured about 20m x 10m and was the Premier League but the others have now green snooker table
very much ʻopen-planʼ with a ʻlight and airyʼ feel cottoned on and virtually every club has this
about this section of the building. I was told that facility. Sean then showed me into the main Next month Iʼll fi nish my tour of Arsenal plus Iʼll
the changing room lockers never had any doors physiotherapy treatment room where 4 physios, meet a couple of Arsenal greats!
so the players donʼt injure themselves on the
doors being left ajar. I also thought that it put
a lot of trust in fellow players as why on earth
would you want to nick a Rolex if youʼve got
1 or 2 of them yourself! Plus I couldnʼt see Mr
Wenger using one of his socks as a ʻvaluables
bagʼ! Just off the main changing room (there
were six changing rooms in total!) was the
high pressure showers, a steam room and 2
dedicated massage beds. Next stop was the
ʻboot roomʼ where most of the squad have 4-6
pairs of boots at their disposal. I noticed that
the majority of the players had their names
embroidered on their boots and these were
ʻmade to measureʼ as moulds of their feet were
taken and no expense was spared for the very
best fi tting possible.
On then to the physiotherapistʼs offi ce where the
physios carry out their crucial work throughout
the season. This is where they monitor the
48
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