Tour tales
Most players lose themselves in their laptops, i-phones and computer games on tour during rest time.
Arsene Wenger might be interested to know that Martin Taylor has been wading through Leo Tolstoy's famous tome War and Peace. Then again, Wenger would probably demand he be banned from every library for life.
Tiny has brought over his course work for an Open University degree in political science too.
Having covered Blues tours since 1990, lots has changed.
Back in the day players didn't have gadgets and had to make their own entertainment. Usually it involved sneaking out for a drink.
A trip to Ireland in the Kumar era was eventful to say the least.
One get-together in a bar lasted most of the night and, for some reason or other, a version of I Am The Music Man started (it was all so innocent in 1990) and seemed to go for ever.
Trouble was, Terry Cooper was suddenly appointed manager and was due to fly over the next day - when Blues had a match against Kilkenny.
They looked a right old state as they trotted out of the dressing rooms past their new boss.
A rather lacklustre performance followed shall we say - I think Mark Yates saved Blues blushes with an equaliser - and Cooper couldn't quite believe what he had seen.
As the team trooped off, he turned to me and a couple of others within earshot and said: 'Are they always that c***?'. If only he had known!
You won't get the current squads going out on benders, although you do get the odd exceptions every now and again in football.
Out in Norway, another team were lodged at Blues hotel and spent most of the time 'refuelling' and smuggling back admirers to their rooms.
There was one commotion at about 5am that was like a scene from a Carry On film. Players were darting here and there dodging the agitated duty manager and some backroom staff trying to round them and their 'guests' up after a nightclub trip.
Somehow, that particular team reached a final the same season.
Managers do often allow the players a night off to stop them going stir crazy, and in Steve Bruce's reign there was one incident when an ambulance was about to be called for a senior player who returned from a night out and slumped to the corridor floor decidedly worse for wear.
No, it wasn't the Horse, but someone you'd least expect to have fallen into such a comatose state.
It all rebounded on the players as Brucie's room was down the same corridor and he heard everything that was going on. Plenty of the running was on the training agenda the next day.
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Colin Tattum - Mail man Colin Tattum’s view of what’s going on at Birmingham City FC.
Stan Lazaridiz ??
Love the blogs Tatts, keep em coming. I was just wondering if there's any more news on this pricey centre midfielder? i think that we need to pay big money for a creative player any news?