Wimledon, known as the Crazy Gang, were a tough tackling, hard drinking, no-nonsense team that took a brutal approach to winning football games. So imagine trying to change their ways.
That is exactly what former Republic of Ireland international Jon Goodman was responsible for when he landed the job as fitness coach and set about trying to reform the most uncompromising team in English football.
After his own playing days were cut short by injury at the age of 28, Goodman got started straight away on his new career by earning a sports science degree and putting it into practice with various clubs.
Following spells working with Crystal Palace, Watford, Tottenham Hotspur and Reading, he took over as fitness coach for the Northern Ireland national team for their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.
Suddenly he was enjoying more success in his new career than he did as a footballer as offers began to flood in. Yet, he was constantly reminded of how it all started with the Crazy Gang.
‘Starting off at Wimbledon was good and bad for me. It was good that I knew the club and the players, but I basically had to change the culture that was there,’ Goodman toldSportsmail.
‘During Joe Kinnear’s time, the club enjoyed a lot of success but the behaviour and the training were not ideal. I suppose the Crazy Gang had the attitude of playing hard and living hard.
‘At first there was a resistance to change, which was natural as 15 years ago there was a major drinking issue in the game. But it has changed over time and now a lot of players do as much extra work as they can.’
The four-times capped Ireland striker made a notable impact with every team that he worked with, especially Reading who were promoted to the Premier League during his time there.
However, he was eager to branch out on his own and set up a company called Think Fitness in 2005. That gave him the chance to take fitness and sports science to the next level.
Essentially it is a performance management service for footballers, but Goodman has watched the company grow and has worked with athletes from various sports as well as companies like Nike and Red Bull.
‘Right now, we work with 20 players from the Premier League down to League One — three of which are in the current Ireland squad. And we do a lot of work with clubs and other clients,’ he explained.
‘We are independent and don’t receive any funds from the FA or the PFA, but it has proven successful so far. We cater for every aspect to improve the elite performance of the player.
‘The average sports scientist delivers a poor product because they don’t understand the football side of the game. We balance the science with the football and I think that is the formula that works best.’
Goodman is not the only Irishman making an impact on the fitness side of things in English football. There are currently six others employed by clubs in the Football League.
Dubliner Damien Doyle is one of those, where his role as Head of Fitness and Conditioning for MK Dons is extremely important for the promotion-chasing club.
The Portmarnock native stumbled into his career in much the same way as Goodman did as a knee injury sparked his curiosity about the fitness side of things.
Doyle got his break at Brentford before spells at Leicester and Wycombe led him to Dons, where he is always striving to improve.
‘It [fitness] is becoming more part of the game. Clubs now realise that you can’t compete with 11 Jan Molbys, so they are taking the science and fitness side seriously,’ Doyle toldSportsmail.
‘I have to be as meticulous as possible and take a fresh approach by trying new things. Sometimes they are wacky ideas, but you just try to see what works.’