Dog Track + Booze - Winning ≠ Team Building

There's a lesson here someplace. Well, there are probably several, but we're going to go with: "only get drunk with your coach when you're winning."

That confused yet frightening gentleman is Oldham Athletic striker Lee Hughes. And Hughes has that special relationship that only a man and his manager can have.

The striker is said to have squared up to [Oldham manager John] Sheridan before putting him into a headlock during a night out at Belle Vue dog track in Manchester.

Goalkeeper Mark Crossley was forced to jump in to break up the confrontation.

The fun went down last Tuesday during a two-day break when some Oldham Athletic players decided to make good use of the off-time the way anyone would: by going to the dog track. Only instead of wagering heavily on Santa's Little Helper, the players apparently headed straight for the bar and, as they got drunk, started to discuss the team's recent poor run of form.

Oops.

Entering the weekend the Latics were 2-2-4 (or 2-4-2 if you're British), since the end of January and in danger of slipping out of the League One promotion playoffs.

Yes, definitely add alcohol to that situation.

Hughes' fight was the team's second dust-up of the night as Sean Gregan also got it on with Chris Taylor.

Both Gregan and Hughes played 90 minutes over the weekend as Oldham lost 1-0 to mid-tabler Colchester.