On the Thursday before the Mansfield game, we were told: "We’re having a nice trip to a spa as a recovery day" - lovely we all thought.

We all arrived that morning greeted by some lovely smiling staff offered tea or orange juice. Lovely.

The squad was then split up - the lads who didn’t play against Northampton were marched down to the gym for some rowing and weights, while those who played were taken out onto the lovely surrounding lands to stretch our legs.

Off we go on a little jog around a lovely lake and along a little road. The main attraction is the field beside which we run and herd of cows that start to follow us, separated by a barbed wire fence.

When we stop they stop, some of the lads find this very fascinating.

The lads feel like I’m the most knowledgeable person to ask about the cows, maybe because I’m the most senior player there, but more likely it’s because I’m Irish.

Would they bite me if I jumped in with them? Would they charge at me if I ran at them? Various facts are chucked around, like cows have four stomachs which is wrong they have four compartments in their stomach in order to digest different substances.

Cows will lie down if it’s about to rain and the classic of cow tipping, which is not true as cows do not sleep standing up and cross legged....!

Maybe I was the right person to ask.

Back at the hotel and it’s all together into the pool, anybody who has paid for a relaxing day has it interrupted by 20 lads all piling into the pool.

The men seemed more annoyed than the women.

Wimbledon Times:

Coming in: Our invasion of the pool did not go down too well with the men

In the pool we do some movements against the resistance of the water and like any time you step into a pool you become hungry so thoughts turn to lunch.

Out of the pool and into the freezing cold plunge pool for four minutes for an ice bath loads of splashing on the lads who are more sensitive to the cold water this is alternated with a minute in the hot of the sauna, a hot and cold flushing of the body.

Straight out and upstairs for the lunch and meet our host who is an elderly lady - a mad West Ham fan but a lovely woman.

Lunch is fantastic - kale (a vegetable I’ve never heard of) is served with meatballs.

I capitalise on my cow credit knowledge to spread the rumour of where meat balls come from.

There’s a selection of salad which is phenomenal. After several helpings of food eaten on a balcony overlooking the picturesque scene of the lake the day is complete.

A relaxing day which will help to recharge the lads to drive us on into the last six games of the season.

Cheers

Benno