Bleep Tests, Beer Bans, and Gazza: Inside England's Italia 90 Evolution

As England's squad prepared for the 1990 World Cup in Italy, manager Bobby Robson took a groundbreaking step by appointing Professor John Brewer as the Football Association's first head of human performance. Brewer introduced cutting-edge fitness testing, including bleep tests and heart-rate monitors, to help the players acclimatize to the Italian heat. Initially met with skepticism from the squad, including stars like Paul Gascoigne, Brewer's methods proved their worth as the players adapted an...