Pre-Match Warm Ups

[StirlingHibee]

There has been much footage of Maradona recently and a particular pre-match "warm up" routine whilst playing with Napoli. It's mostly with the ball and there is little running or stretching other than the odd flick of a leg or two. It reminded me of another warm up routine that was - let's just say "different". John Burridge. For those younger on the Forum, "Budgie" as he was affectionally known, was Hibs Goalkeeper 1991-1993. His warm up routine was akin to a Russian gymnast - handstands, somersaults, sit ups, pull ups on the crossbar and I'm sure there was even some yoga chucked in (and all that at age 40)! Maradona and Burridge were similar in character - both had their demons, were flawed, wore their hearts on their sleeves and loved the game. For me Maradona was the greatest and I feel lucky to have witnessed him in his prime. But I also feel lucky to have witnessed Budgie, if not in his prime, then certainly in all his pomp. Both wonderful characters!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRulE9858eE

[Pretty Boy]

I remember reading about Budgies warm up. Obviously there was an element of playing to the crowd but he was quite innovative. There was a lot of dynamic stretching and the like going on.

I think people often forget that the pre match warm up in it's current guise is a relatively recent thing. Budgie was mocked by some of his teammates in the early days of his career for going out on the pitch to warm up. Most of them were crowded round a radio listening to the 2.30 from Chepstow.

[CapitalGreen]

I remember reading about Budgies warm up. Obviously there was an element of playing to the crowd but he was quite innovative. There was a lot of dynamic stretching and the like going on.

I think people often forget that the pre match warm up in it's current guise is a relatively recent thing. Budgie was mocked by some of his teammates in the early days of his career for going out on the pitch to warm up. Most of them were crowded round a radio listening to the 2.30 from Chepstow.

Video here -> https://twitter.com/TAKTIKT0E/status/1322259246260625410/video/1

[1875godsgift]

Video here -> https://twitter.com/TAKTIKT0E/status/1322259246260625410/video/1

See that bit where he's walking about with the ball on his head, what would happen in a game if he did that and just tried to walk it into the goal?

How could anybody tackle him?

[Alan62]

Speaking of warm ups, I remember the Juventus team warming up ahead of the game at Easter Road in the early 70s. ‘What are the doing?’ went the chat around us, ‘They’ll be knackered before the game has even started!’ Well they were two up before we got started. First time I had ever seen a warm up of any sort.


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[heretoday]

See that bit where he's walking about with the ball on his head, what would happen in a game if he did that and just tried to walk it into the goal?

How could anybody tackle him?

Brilliant! Couldn't the opposing goalie just pick it off his head when he reached the penalty area?
He could then put the ball on his head, and beat Budgie back to our goal and just walk it in.
So it's a strategy fraught with risk.
Worth a try though.

[Itsnoteasy]

When at Hibs Dougie Bells pre match warm up consisted of keepie uppies for about 10 mins. I used to be mesmerised as a youngster watching him do his routine.

[DaveF]

Video here -> https://twitter.com/TAKTIKT0E/status/1322259246260625410/video/1

That is magic.

Must admit to not ever seeing Budgie warm up like that but probably because I was still in the pub!

[Moulin Yarns]

Brilliant! Couldn't the opposing goalie just pick it off his head when he reached the penalty area?
He could then put the ball on his head, and beat Budgie back to our goal and just walk it in.
So it's a strategy fraught with risk.
Worth a try though.

A grey area of the rules I think. Is Budgie in control of the ball on his head, if so then the keeper would foul him surely. :confused: Happy to corrected

[Hiber-nation]

I remember Colin Nish and Kevin McBride's half time subs warm up at Tannadice consisting of them standing in the centre circle having a blether. Didn't go unnoticed on here!

[The Modfather]

I remember Colin Nish and Kevin McBride's half time subs warm up at Tannadice consisting of them standing in the centre circle having a blether. Didn't go unnoticed on here!

For years I used to moan at half time where you would see the opposition out with a coach doing drills while our guys would stand about chatting, maybe make the odd pass. Night and day to how professional a club we are these days.

[Hakim Sar]

I used to hate doing warm ups as a kid around the public parks of Edinburgh as every single “coach” (term loosely applied) just asked the squad to run from touch line to touch line occasionally sprinting it out. You’d be blowing out your erchie if you did it properly.

IMO only, and I’m no sports scientist, I’ve always felt the warm up should be about getting yourself loose and getting as many touches of a ball as possible.

Great to see pliability conditioning becoming more and more prominent. If it’s good enough for 43 year old Tom Brady then we should all be jumping on it as far as I am concerned.

Basic premise is a rock hard muscle that is only trained to expand and contract will break and injure itself more easily that a lengthened, supple muscle that can absorb and stretch with much more resistance.

[heretoday]

A grey area of the rules I think. Is Budgie in control of the ball on his head, if so then the keeper would foul him surely. :confused: Happy to corrected

Ha Ha! Keeper's allowed to grab the ball in his area whether it's on yer foot or yer head, I reckon. I doubt the rules explain this one.

It's a true "You are the ref". A letter to the Sunday Post must be the only way now.

[MyJo]

See that bit where he's walking about with the ball on his head, what would happen in a game if he did that and just tried to walk it into the goal?

How could anybody tackle him?

There was a Brazilian player that used to do that in games and he ended up just getting kicked in the stomach or elbowed in the face by defenders

[EI255]

Video here -> https://twitter.com/TAKTIKT0E/status/1322259246260625410/video/1If he doesn't suffer from back spasms now I'd be amazed!

[nonshinyfinish]

A grey area of the rules I think. Is Budgie in control of the ball on his head, if so then the keeper would foul him surely. :confused: Happy to corrected

As long as the keeper can grab it cleanly, it makes no difference whether it's under the attacker's control or not. You might be thinking of the reverse situation, where an attacker isn't allowed to nick the ball from the keeper's hands (e.g. as he's about to kick it) while it's deemed to be under his control.

I imagine it would also be possible for a tall defender to jump and header the ball off a player's head without fouling.

[Keith_M]

I used to play a lot of six-a-sides in the 90s and always did a lot of stretching before games. I had a physical job at the time and couldn't risk pulling a muscle, so I would do some of my Taekwon do warm-up.


Got a lot of strange looks from team mates, as some of them couldn't even see their toes, let alone touch them.

:wink: