For most football clubs, July is all about welcoming new players, becoming match fit, and focusing on team spirit.
However, pre-season can be anything but amicable at times.
There have been plenty of unpleasant summer moments, from scraps on the field to fiery rows back at the team hotels.
SunSport examines some of the most explosive moments in preseason history.
BLACK-EYED PETE
Sir Alex Ferguson moved his Manchester United squad to Hong Kong for pre-season after winning the Premier League in 1996-97.
That summer, though, is renowned for the spectacular hotel brawl between two of the team’s biggest personalities and leaders: Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel.
The pair fought in a drunken haze, and Fergie later called them both a “disgrace” after hearing about the brawl from club great Sir Bobby Charlton, who witnessed the entire thing.
In 2019, Keane – reflecting on Raheem Sterling’s scrap with Joe Gomez in England training – revealed: “From my own experience, I’ve had a fight with a player… Peter Schmeichel in a hotel.”
Years later, Keane went into more detail, adding: “We were on pre-season, drinking as usual until three or four in the morning.
“I said something to Peter and he was waiting for me outside of the room.
“I went back to Nicky Butt’s room for a club sandwich, really exciting stuff. There was no women or heroin, it was a club sandwich.
“I came out of the room and Peter’s waiting and he says ‘I’ve had enough of you!’… I remember thinking ‘you’ve had enough of me? Let’s get it on’.
“Obviously we had a fight. It seemed like ages, but I’m guessing it was like two or three minutes.”
It led to a hilarious morning-after – with Keane revealing he barely remembered the fight… until seeing Schmeichel’s black eye.
Keane continued: “The next morning, I’m rooming with Denis Irwin, we’re late for the bus. Denis Irwin is the most straight guy, I reckon he still goes to Mass every Sunday, so straight.
“Denis is going ‘Roy, we’re late’ and I’m saying ‘Denis, f***ing shut up will you. You’re giving me a headache’.
“We’re getting our bags ready, he’s shouting at me and my hand was really sore. I said to Denis ‘I’m sure I was fighting last night, but I can’t remember’.
“We get on the bus and Ferguson’s going mad. I get to the back of the bus and ask [Nicky Butt] what happened.
“I say ‘I vaguely remember, was I fighting with Peter?’ And Peter had glasses on and this is early in the morning.
“We land wherever we go on to. There’s a press conference and two players had to do it and it was me and Peter.
“Eventually Peter takes his glasses off and he’s got a bit of a black eye.
“Ferguson pulled us when we got back to Manchester; he was mad and said ‘the two of you are a disgrace to the club and you’re going to get fined’.
“He says Sir Bobby Charlton was on the same floor as us and said we were a disgrace. I was thinking ‘he could have broken the fight up!’”
Keane finished by saying: “To be fair to Peter, I’ll give him a little bit of credit, he said ‘gaffer, it was my fault, I was waiting for him’. So he took the fall for it and after that we were OK.
“It was good to get rid of that tension between us. It was a good fight.”
JACK ATTACK
Last summer, Jack Grealish was involved in a major pre-season brawl with Club America.
The Manchester City and England player fell down inside the penalty area, expecting a penalty kick.
Guillermo Ochoa, Mexico’s legendary goalkeeper, attempted to get Grealish back to his feet.
However, the £100 million winger was not pleased and gave him a heavy shove for his troubles.
Grealish was shortly swarmed by practically the entire Club America XI, with Emilio Lara appearing to throw a clenched fist at him.
Later in the game, the Three Lions star was mercilessly hacked down once more, resulting in another – albeit smaller – brawl.
It will be remembered as one of the least welcoming “friendlies” in pre-season history.
Jack Grealish scrapped with Guillermo Ochoa last yearCredit: Alamy
GOT YER BACK, SON
Apparently there was something in the air in 2022, with blood shed during Tottenham’s pre-season clash with Sevilla in South Korea.
In the game, home hero Son Heung-min caught Gonzalo Montiel with a stray elbow, leaving the Argentine ace with blood dripping from his face.
Montiel had been in feisty mood during the first half, even diving recklessly into Ryan Sessegnon.
As Montiel flew into Son, he was left with a bloodied mouth and bruised ego after being caught by his arm.
The Sevilla man confronted Son as the teams trudged back to the dressing rooms for half-time – with Richarlison rushing in to defend his fellow forward.
One TV replay even appeared to show the Brazilian – who’d only joined the club days earlier – aiming a punch at Alejandro Gomez.
Another angle proved it was in self-defence, however…
Son Heung-min caught Gonzalo Montiel with his elbow leading to a huge scrapCredit: AFP
DOU WANT SOME?
A former Arsenal player completes the hat-trick in a genuinely nasty 2022.
Matteo Guendouzi was involved in a furious brawl during Marseille’s “friendly” with Real Betis in Chesterfield.
The score was 1-1 after Rodri Sanchez equalized Arkadiusz Milik’s opener for Marseille.
Guendouzi and Joaquin came face to face in the third minute of added time.
Andres Guardado aggravated matters by pulling the France international’s hair.
As a result, players from both teams swarmed to support their teammate.
After the game, Guardado stuck the knife in by posing in a wig on Instagram, captioning his post: “You make me hesitate to wear long hair.”
WOLF SMACK
Let’s just agree that 2022 was a horrible disaster.
Another match from a year ago, Wolves’ clash with Levante deteriorated into complete and utter mayhem.
Surprisingly for a “friendly,” FOUR players were sent off in the first half.
Bruno Lage’s team played a pre-season friendly against a LaLiga side in Benidorm.
Wolves striker Yerson Mosquera took a tremendous hit from Enis Bardhi while sprinting down the wing in the 34th minute, lighting the touchpaper.
The Colombian reacted violently to the challenge in front of the Levante bench, sparking a fight.
More than 20 players, including substitutes from both benches, rushed to participate, clutching purses in abundance.
The referee issued red cards to Mosquera and Bardhi for their roles in the heinous act.
Wolves’ pre-season friendly against Levante devolves into pandemonium, with four players sent off following two massive brawls.
The Levante players, who had already made some harsh challenges, refused to let the matter go and encircled the referee.
The game didn’t resume until the 40th minute, and it wouldn’t be long before another flashpoint arose.
A minute before halftime, another brawl broke out as a tangle of legs off the ball resulted in a Levante player being downed.
Players fought once more, with the referee merely a bystander as throngs of stars from both sides ran over to get involved.
Daniel Podence and another Levante player were both awarded red cards for their roles in the shambolic scenes.
The referee blew for half-time when the clock reached 45 minutes, entirely rejecting the possibility of continuing the game to play any stoppage time.
FANDEMONIUM
But it’s not just the players who can get carried away in pre-season.
The summer warm-ups this year resulted in an unusual brawl between Portsmouth and Bognor Regis fans.
Fans were seen throwing haymakers at one other during the 1-1 tie before security intervened and broke it up.