Day One of our pre-season training camp in Portugal, and it starts in regular fashion at the Training Ground in Jersey Road where following breakfast, the lads are put through their paces under the guidance of new Head Coach Marinus Dijkhuizen and his Assistant (and fellow countryman) Roy Hendriksen.
The stifling heat of the previous few days had abated somewhat but as time would tell, it would be the lull before the storm, as sizzling heat was about to await our arrival.
After lunch, Barry, our regular First Team driver was there waiting with his coach ready to whisk us off to Gatwick Airport in time for our flight at 16.15. The travelling party totalled 42, made up of players and staff, with a few absentees. Kit man Bob Oteng and Conditioning Coach James Purdue had departed for The Algarve, some 24 hours earlier to help prepare the kit, apparatus, medical supplies, which had been transferred by road over the previous few days.
Once we had checked in it was plain sailing, or to be factual plane flying. However there was a 45 minute delay once we had been seated, because the rear toilet (that really doesn't sound right) had not passed the stringent "health and safety" check. Once the "man who does" had paid a visit (not literally) we got the all clear to fly and eventually arrived in Faro.
The welcoming facilities here were excellent (fortunately our welcoming agent didn't require a SAT NAV), and once loaded on to the coach we were at our host hotel for the next ten nights.
It is a wonderful and relaxed hotel set in beautiful surroundings and just a few minutes walk from the beach, and indeed the training pitch.
So it was just time to pick up our keys, go to the rooms, dump our luggage and then downstairs for dinner.
The food was excellent and afterwards Marinus had a few words for all in attendance before there was a little while to relax and then off to bed. Some chose to do just that, whilst the more energetic amongst our numbers took to playing table tennis.
Three pairs took part in a round robin "tournament" with no holds barred. Dougie teamed up with Judgey (Alan Judge), Tarky (James Tarkowski) doubled up with Macca (Alan McCormack), and H (Harlee Dean) was Sam Saunders partner. Love to tell you who won, but it's not for me to say as I'm spending the next ten days with the other four.
So that was Day One. So what do we have to look forward to? Well we expect some more visitors later in the week, and probably the highlight for you back home, certainly not for us here, is the mandatory first song for those on their first trip. This year, the numbers run into double figures and over the next day or so I will let you into what we have planned. Suffice it to say, Graham Norton is on standby.
Peter Gilham