Brentford’s First Team squad have travelled to Spain for a winter training camp during the Premier League’s break for the World Cup. As ever, Peter Gilham is documenting his time away with the staff and players.

Our third day but second morning in North Catalonia and the weather was on our side.

The morning itinerary followed a similar course; breakfast, followed by medical prep, prior to setting off for the training ground.

The short journey there took us through a beautifully manicured golf complex with property to match. 

The first to arrive were a number of the football coaches and the athletic performance and analysis staff. Getting there early allowed them to be well prepared prior to the arrival of the main peloton of cyclists.

The football staff could be seen walking the training ground and close surrounds, in a similar fashion as stewards do on horse racing course. But, while the latter are determining ‘the going’ for the horses, our group of staff were walking the course ahead of the team’s footgolf competition.

The competition comprised a number of challenges, which the teams had to navigate in the least number of attempts.

It’s difficult to explain quite what the challenges were, but even for the most talented of players, it proved to be very frustrating. It mainly tested their passing accuracy, vision and patience.

Prior to training there was the mandatory warm-up session to prepare the players’ bodies for what was to follow.

The teams for footgolf were then announced. Each team comprised of two players chosen at random, accompanied by one staff member to keep the score, and of course to ensure there was no skulduggery.

The winning pair were Matt Cox and Charlie Farr. Matt even came out with the best individual score, largely thanks to a wonderful two-shot on a hole designed by Justin Cochrane. All in all, it varied the training and gave each player taking part an important competitive edge.

It was then back to base for lunch followed by a free afternoon, which gave everyone the chance to take part in an activity around the hotel complex.

There were a number of options available including golf on one of this resort’s award-winning courses, using the spa or having a go on the driving range. Another option was to take a coach trip into Girona for a couple of hours. Together with a number of others, this was my choice.

As mentioned on day one, Girona was the setting for a number of locations used in Game of Thrones. Now I have never, apart from the trailers, watched an episode of the series, but once you walk the streets of the town’s historic centre dating back in places to the ninth century, you realise it is perfect for tales of that ilk.

In that respect, the grand baroque staircase of the gothic Girona cathedral, which itself dates back to the early 16th century (yes, I have been reading the visitor’s guide), will be well known to any aficionados of this series, as the setting for Queen Cersei’s walk of shame (so I’m reliably informed).

As the saying goes, ‘when in Rome, do what the Romans do’, and in that respect I didn’t disappoint. I walked to the top of the staircase and down again, and I can now vouch that the walk is indeed shameful. It took me an age! However, unlike Cersei, and to the relief of my fellow tourists, I didn’t do it naked as she did (it was far too cold).

The late afternoon and evening panned out in a similar fashion to those previously, with dinner followed by football on TV.

However, I’m not too sure many people were enamoured with the TV fayre on offer, which was Kidderminster Harriers v Chester in the National League North, as opposed to that on offer 24 hours previous, Portugal v Switzerland. So, like Cristiano Ronaldo for the best part, I sat it out.