"All I want for Christmas is for my team-mates to receive some decent clothes", says Ben Herd.

English Football League / Ben Herd / 24 December 2008 / Leave a Comment

Shrewsbury's right-back on playing squash and swimming to keep fit, refusing to give Christmas dinner a miss, Kelvin Langmead's bizarre choice of clothing and never taking racing tips from "Groundo" again.

I'd like to start by wishing everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The festive period is an extremely busy time for most people but for footballers - it does become a little bit hectic with so many games in such a short space of time.

After a couple of disappointing results in recent weeks, we have some really important games coming up. After training on Christmas Day morning, we'll then travel up to Rochdale for a crucial away game on Boxing Day.

From a personal point of view, I don't mind the amount of games and training during this period, like I've said before, it's better than having a real job - besides, Christmas telly is a bit like the groundsman's horse racing tips...but I'll come on to them in a bit.

As I mentioned we're training at 9am Christmas Day morning, which is a slight change this year, because for the previous three years we've trained about 6pm. At least this time you can relax a little bit with your family in the afternoon, although I never really relax a day before a game.

As far as presents go, I haven't asked for anything in particular, although I'm hoping my girlfriend will surprise me with something nice. I suppose I'm a typical bloke and, as per usual, have left everything to the last minute shopping-wise.

If I could wish for one thing, it would be for some of the lads' missuses to buy them some new gear, in particular my good mate Kelvin Langmead. He wears this blue Nike tracky all the time which makes him look like he's going sparring with Ricky Hatton in the afternoons.

You have to exercise extreme discipline around Christmas time with all the food that you shouldn't, as a footballer, be eating. In saying that, I'll probably have a Christmas dinner like everyone else.

I still haven't forced my way back into the team yet, and so to not let my fitness deteriorate, I've resorted to playing a bit of squash and badminton in my spare time, not to mention a bit of swimming for good measure.

Personally, I think it's healthy to have other sporting interests away from football. You have to remember, football isn't just a job, it's a lifestyle that consumes all of your life. In the summer months, I don't mind the occasional round of golf, but I must admit I'm a complete fair-weather player.

This summer, however, and I'll probably take some stick off the lads if they read this, I played a few games of bowls - you know the old fogey's sport! You could look at it like this: if I keep it up, at least I should be half-decent by the time I too become an old git.

One sport that I don't really take an interest in anymore, (and that's why I mentioned the groundsman, who is very originally called Groundo)," is horse-racing.

A couple of years back, Dave Edwards and I spent the afternoon down the bookies loaded with Groundo's dead certs for the Cheltenham Festival meeting.

Let's just say I was pulling whatever little hair I had left, out. Since then, he always seems to be gloating about how one of his tips has come off. Let me tell you, that day he cost me a right few quid. But I suppose karma went about it's merry way last week with Peter Beagrie caning the pitch live on Sky - something that all groundsmen take very personally.

You can guess by now that I won't be asking Groundo about the King George VI chase at Kempton on Boxing day. Kauto Star is the red-hot favourite. I won't pretend I know too much more about it, other than it probably lost me money at some stage, but doesn't seem to bad to back at [2.28] given its' recent record in the race and the fact that he's truly a class act.

One player who could make the trip to Kempton this Boxing day to watch some racing is John Terry, after his dismissal against Everton. Having seen the footage of Terry's challenge, it's one of those which is a bit reckless, but a few years ago, he would've got away with a booking.

The most refreshing aspect of the incident was there was no play-acting involved on the victim's part (Leon Osman) and John Terry wasn't in the ref's face screaming at him. Instead he took it like a captain and begrudgingly walked off.

It's been a few weeks since any of the 'Big Four' won a game, but Chelsea take on West Brom at the Bridge on Boxing Day. Having looked at all the markets available, the only real value I could find was first goal odds at [6.0] for between 21-30 minutes.

Hope you all have a great Christmas!