Back in the saddle

Eat yourself fitter

Pictured above and absolutely nothing to do with what follows in this post: Bryn Schwodler, flanked by Mr & Mrs Rich 'Chinese Monkey' Allan.

68,000 patients needed treatment at the Royal Victoria hospital in Netley during World War 2. At 8pm next Wednesday 20 more names will need to be added to that list. By then Burridge would've finished their first pre-season training session in the grounds where the hospital once stood. Among them will be Lee Fielder, who before next Wednesday, included eating a baked bean pizza as one of the worst memories of his life. “I didn't want to appear rude or ungrateful in front of a mate's parents,” he said about the food Phil Layley's mum served up to him when he visited for tea, “so I ate the whole thing.” When asked if the experience was worse than breaking his leg, Fielder worked a Wrigley's in his heavy jaw and took a moment to think. The hesitation in answering showed just how much he dislikes baked beans. Some people feel the same way about exercise. Quite a few of them play for Burridge

Lee isn't one of them. Exercise remains his unrequited love. X-rays at the Southampton General Hospital found no damage in his knees, that during the last 5 years have forced him into leaving the field of play complaining of pain, sometimes long before the final whistle, until now. Nothing stronger than a pair of size 8 cushion soles have been responsible for him being able to run, for 40 minutes twice a week for the last 3, alongside the mouth of the River Hamble without complaint of anything other than exhaustion.

Anyone who hasn't questioned what effect leading the forward line for the now defunct Albion, 14 years ago aged 16, has had to the deterioration to Fielder's knees, might be inclined to believe that football to him means nothing more than an annual craze that begins in July and peters out by September. Speaking on Friday over a pub lunch, Fielder reiterated just how much he's looking forward to pre season training whilst eyeing up the tomato basil drizzled over the salad garnish that was served with his chicken baguette with the suspicion of a customs officer checking a passport with the name Osama Bin Laden.

The addition of 4 more teams (Hiltingbury, London Airways, Sholing Sports and Warsash Wasps) to the Drew Smith Group Southampton senior division increases the number of Burridge's league games to 26 games this season. If Fielder cannot maintain this newly found fitness it's unclear who else will provide the threat to become the first player to score as many as 15 goals in a season since Fielder did in 2003/04. Judgement at Burridge will largely be reserved until he arrives ready and able to play a game when winter has long since replaced grass with thick mud at most of the division's football pitches, rather than making cameo spectator appearances ten minutes after kick off so to avoid the responsibility of being linesman.


Other player's food hates:

Rich Allan – prawns, simply will not entertain eating them.
Paul Andrews – lots of things.
Kristian Hewitt – tomato ketchup.
Bryn Schwodler – mushrooms, courgettes.
Jay Schwodler – vegetables. More hard line than his brother.
Kev Willsher – not so much a hate, but will not touch beef.