24/12/2008 12:00 - ManUtd.com, Brian McClair
Blog: Kicking off at Christmas
United's Academy director Brian McClair will sympathise with the first-team players training on Christmas Day - he was doing it himself 20 years ago...
As a player on Christmas Day, I used to wake the kids up, drag them downstairs and force them to open all their presents as quickly as possible as I usually had to go out to training. :inanx
D
In my first season at United (1987/88), I was astonished to find we were playing Charlton Athletic at home on Boxing Day and then Watford away the very next day. I assumed this was an error, but after chatting to the other lads I found that it was normal to play games so close together over Christmas.
We played very well against Charlton but Bob Bolder in their goal must have got a really good Christmas present as he was magnificent and we drew 0-0. After a quick shower at Old Trafford, we were on the bus to Watford...
We arrived at Watford just as it started to rain and it was still raining the following morning, on the day of the match. I began to feel optimistic the game would be off, especially when we heard there would be a pitch inspection.
We watched the referee trying to bounce the ball in a big puddle on Watford's pitch and thought, 'no way could the game take place', but the ref gave the thumbs-up. We couldn’t believe it - the pitch was like Lake Windermere! Maybe the ref didn't want to go home because his in-laws were there...
The game was a complete joke, but we won 1-0 and I scored. Now, that’s what I call a happy Christmas!