The second leg of the Tour takes the Boys to Italy, where they’re holing up at a traditional Palazzo in Florence. Assistant Manager John Barnes thinks the Lads need a bit of culture so sends them off sightseeing to take in The Ponte Vecchio and Michaelangelo’s David. It’s not quite their cup of tea so it’s not long before some of the boys find a Bar and Harry finds an ice cream.
Being back in Italy brings memories flooding back for Mark Wright and John Barnes who were both in the England Squad that travelled there for the World Cup in 1990. Turns out Harry was there too, and was involved in a terrible car crash in which he lost one of his good friends.
At Training, Fitness Coach Luke Worthington puts the boys through their paces.
Culture Vulture John has heard of a game that’s played locally called Calcio Storico and takes the Boys for a kickabout. He thinks it’s a bit like Rugby but it’s actually got some MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) thrown in which comes as quite a shock to the boys.
Harry though, wants a proper game and sets his sights on organising the Lads first International Match of the Tour against minnows San Marino. Back in 1993, England had to beat San Marino by 7 clear goals to stand a chance of qualifying for the World Cup. With goalkeeping Goliath David Seaman on the team, surely this bunch of part-time Footballers stood no chance…. Or at least that’s what everybody thought, before Computer Science Student Davide Gualtieri scored, what was then, the fastest International Goal in history past Safe Hands Seaman in just 8 seconds. It was a national humiliation. The question is – will history repeat itself?
To strengthen his team, Harry brings in a new player, in the form of former Wimbledon midfielder Vinnie Jones. He might have played for Wales, but Harry thinks he’s got the heart of a true English Lion.
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