Back In My Day...

THIS weekend, Argyle manager Carl Fletcher and his team will spend over ten hours on the road as they make the 340-mile trip to Morecambe.

A long time, you might think, but coach travel is, of course, part and parcel of life as a professional footballer and Fletch, with more than 14 years experience in the game, is not going to start complain now.

Carl said: “Being from Bournemouth, I was brought up on it. We had a lot of long trips.

“I remember, many a time, going up the M25, down through the Dartford Tunnel - which was probably the worst way to go in the world.

“I think, for the young lads, it's a good grounding. You can’t expect to be flown everywhere and have those luxuries.”

So how do Fletch and lads pass the time?

“I think it goes in stages really,” explains Fletch

“We get on and then everyone does their own little bit for a couple of hours or so.

“They have a sleep, some people play cards, some people watch films.

“Then, after two of three hours, we have a stop, which we have to do because of the driver, and get a bit of food and stretch our legs a bit.

“Then we get back on and we have a quiz.

“We have a staff team, an older team, and a younger team and everyone seems to join in. which is good.

“So that whittles away a good couple of hours and then, fingers crossed, we're usually there by then.

“Everyone's got their own bits and bobs but when we break it up into small little bits like that, it seems to go a bit quicker.”