Beer & Blackpool beach was how British players bonded – Pulis
Former manager Tony Pulis says team trips away can build morale and help managers understand players, even as modern football camps focus more on training and professional facilities. He sees Tottenham’s recent camp in Marbella as a chance for new manager Roberto De Zerbi to integrate a heavily reshaped squad and prepare for upcoming matches.
Pulis recalls taking Stoke players to Austria for demanding pre-season sessions that tested fitness and group commitment. In his early playing days, teams spent three days in Blackpool, sharing cramped guest-house beds, training on the beach, playing on a local pitch and having a few beers before an 8am start; he says football’s drinking culture has since changed.
- Pulis says team trips help build togetherness.
- Spurs’ Marbella camp followed a summer of major squad changes.
- His early Blackpool trips mixed beach training with evenings out.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Team trips can build trust and camaraderie beyond the training ground, giving managers time to understand players and helping new or reshaped squads form connections. Pulis’s experiences suggest that shared challenges and informal time together can strengthen commitment and morale, while the change in drinking culture shows that such bonding need not depend on heavy drinking.
The case against
Camps centred on training and professional facilities can make better use of limited preparation time and support players’ fitness and recovery. Informal trips may bring bonding, but their benefits are not guaranteed, and traditions involving cramped accommodation, alcohol or demanding sessions could undermine wellbeing or suit some players less than others.