Having been surprised by their Hammers heroes and discovering they would be getting a Premier League makeover in episode one, it was back to Earth with a bump for West Ham United IFC in episode two of Betway’s Academy of Football.
The common perception may be that professional footballers lead a pampered lifestyle, but the reality is anything but – as the amateur team would soon find out.
In their first session with Tony Carr at Chadwell Heath, the renowned coach explains the importance of nutrition and hydration – namely steering clear of beer and kebabs – before putting the players through a series of gruelling fitness drills.
“This is all about making those marginal improvements that might just make all the difference in a match situation," said Tony to the players ahead of the session.
“What I want to stress though, is that we want this done properly. Focused. Concentrated," he added, just in case the players were in any doubt as to the standards expected of them…