This is a gallery of footballers in the bath. Very often it’s a communal bath. And very, very often the photographs make you wonder…
22nd January 1930: Some of the Fulham Football Club team enjoy brine baths at Southend before their FA Cup tie with Nottingham Forest on Saturday. From top to bottom are : Craig, Gibbon, Haley, Rosier, Henderson, and Allen. (Photo by J. A. Hampton/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)
Fulham players enjoy a brine bath in Southend, in preparation for their important 1929-30 fourth-round FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest
15th August 1934: Arsenal and England footballer Wilf Copping in the bath at Highbury. (Photo by Fred Morley/Fox Photos/Getty Images)
26th November 1937: Scarborough footballers enjoying a seaweed bath during preparations for an FA Cup match. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
26th January 1937: Poyser, MacKenzie, McCulloch and Smith of Brentford Football Club share a cramped bath after a hard training session at Bushey Hall, Hertfordshire, in preparation for their FA Cup tie match against Derby County on Saturday. (Photo by G. Adams/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)
26th January 1937: Five members of Sheffield United football club enjoy a bath after night training. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
(L-R) Brentford’s Harry Bamford and Harry Oliver enjoy a steamy brine bath together
Date: 01/03/1946
8th January 1948: West Ham wing half Norman Corbett having a knee massage from trainer Billy Moore. The West Ham team are visiting salt baths in Southend as preparation for their cup tie at Blackburn. (Photo by George W. Hales/Fox Photos/Getty Images)
Members of the 1950 Brentford team in the bath after a training session in Ramsgate before their FA Cup tie against Chelsea
Arsenal manager Tom Whittaker (right) talks to, left to right, Jimmy Logie, Alf Fields and Alex Forbes in the bath after a match at Highbury in London, circa November 1952.
The original caption of February 3 1955 tells us:
(L-R) Arsenal’s Doug Lishman enjoys a soap foam bath massage, performed by coach Alf Fields and Les Compton.
West Ham fullbacks John Bond (left) and Noel Cantwell taking a bath in sea water as they prepare for an FA Cup tie against Blackburn at Upton Park.
Date: 14/02/1956
957. Manchester United celebrating winning the Division One League Championship 1956-1957 for the second year running. Players shown include John Berry, Bill Foulkes, Bill Whelan, Tommy Taylor, Bobby Charlton and captain Roger Byrne
After winning the League championship following a victory over Sheffield Wednesday, members of Tottenham Hotspur took to a warm bath. From left to right: Les Allen, Cliff Jones, John White, Dave Mackay, Peter Baker (rear); Terry Dyson, Bill Brown, Ron Henry and Bobby Smith (rear waving).
Two absent members were captain Danny Blanchflower who took a shower, and Maurice Norman who was having a cut head stitched.
Date: 17/04/1961
1965: The Birmingham City team celebrate a win with champagne in the bath. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
Soccer – FA Cup – Final Replay – Chelsea v Leeds United
Chelsea’s John Hollins (second l) and Peter Osgood (r) celebrate with the FA Cup in the plunge bath after the match, alongside teammates Tommy Baldwin (l), Peter Bonetti (c) and David Webb (second r)
Date: 29/04/1970
Colchester United beat Leeds United 3-2 in their FA cup, 5th round meeting at Layer road. Here celebrating in the bath are goal-scorers Ray Crawford (left) and Dave Simmons.
Date: 13/02/1971
8th April 1972: Leeds United manager Don Revie presents Jack Charlton with a bottle of champagne and the Footballer of the Month trophy in the changing room after a match. In the bath behind them are fellow Leeds players Clark, Billy Bremner (1942 -1997), Bates, and Gary Sprake (standing). (Photo by E. Milsom/Evening Standard/Getty Images)
League Cup Semi Final Second Leg – Norwich City v Manchester United – Carrow Road
Goal scorer Colin Suggett holds the bottle as Norwich players celebrate in the bath. With him are Colin Sullivan (far left), Peter Morris and Mel Machin (right).
Date: 22/01/1975
Soccer – FA Cup – Final – Manchester United v Southampton
Southampton’s winning goalscorer Bobby Stokes (r) kisses the FA Cup as teammate Peter Osgood (l) looks on
Splashing out after their 3-2 win over Manchester United in this afternoon’s FA Cup Final at Wembley. Arsenal players (from left): Pat Rice (captain), Frank Stapleton, Graham Rix, Brian Talbot, Pat Jennings and David O’Leary take a well-earned bath, making sure to keep their victors’ trophy high and dry
Date: 12/05/1979
Football. 3rd May 1980. Anfield, Liverpool. Liverpool 4 v Aston Villa 1. Liverpool+s Graeme Souness (left) and Terry McDermott (right) toast their success while relaxing in the bath with the League Championship trophy.
Mark Hughes, Gary Pallister and Bryan Robson of Manchester United celebrate in the dressing room with the Premiership Trophy after becoming FA Carling Premiership Winners in the 1993-94 season at Old Trafford on May 8, 1994. Manchester United 0 Coventry City 0.
17 Jun 2001: Lecce players and management celebrate in the showers after the Serie A 34th Round League match played between Lecce and Lazio, played at the Via del Mare Stadium, Lecce Italy. + DIGITAL CAMERA + MandatoryCredit: Grazia Neri/ALLSPORT
(This is an updated post from a 2013 story)