 Hello, I'm Ian Pierce from ACB TV and I'm joined today ahead of kick-off for a very special Crystal Palace preview with Commonwealth cruise weight champion Chris Billum Smith, junior cherries Evie and Finn and of course cherries left-back Charlie Daniels. We're going to talk a little bit about today's game, a massive game of course and you've got the first question Finn, take it away. Yeah, I was just wondering about your injury before lockdown. Yeah, I don't know if it come at a good time or a bad time for me. I was at a point where I could go on a bike and I could go in the gym. So I was at a good pace but then obviously when lockdown here I couldn't work with a physio so having a physio with me day in day out and not not being able to see him was that was that was that was tough I think but especially for my knee you know it needed that a little bit of TLC and that but you know I tried to do as much as I can and things progressed pretty well and you know now we're kind of out of it in terms of footballing. I'm out running on the pitch which is good news. Yeah, thank you. And Chris I'm sure you'll be watching the game. Where will you be watching the game from tonight? I'll be here at home on this sofa ahead of me. I've got my the TV so it was meant to be me and my fiancee's hen do this weekend so she's planning something with the girls so they're out tonight so I can I can watch the game in in peace. Oh so how how is that affected that obviously lockdown we've had about a lot about weddings that have been cancelled and what have you how's that affected you? Yeah massively to be fair I mean we we're planning to get married in Italy on the 8th of August but obviously with everything that's gone on and obviously I've fight I was meant to have two fights before the wedding and stuff and so yeah it all just got postponed basically I've got the recaptured the one in Italy and we're hoping to get married back in Bournemouth in late September now because we'd like to get married this year so fingers crossed that things calm down by then and we can get the go ahead. I certainly hope so fingers crossed from from us as well then. Thanks and Evie I'm sure you've got a question for Charlie as well would you like to fire away? Yes so how do you think it will feel without the fans there tonight? Yeah it's going to be a strange one I mean if you see the games that was on during the week and you see the the German league and that it's definitely something different and you know football's never going to be the same without the fans and you know we can do as much as much as we can to make it feel like the fans are there you know we're gonna a lot of players are going to have to you know get themselves ready you know get themselves pumped up because you know you do feed off the crowd and you say not to have them there it's going to be a tough but you know it's a it's a massive game tonight and you know we're going to need some points. Yeah yeah definitely. What's training been like in the sort of build up to to the Crystal Palace game what's that been like compared to sort of maybe a normal pre-season when you've got maybe a bit longer to prepare? Yeah it's been a lot different I mean just coming like going in your car to the training ground doing training and then having to go straight off that's probably the biggest difference that everyone's seen and felt but apart from that I think it's it's been going okay I mean obviously everyone was said they would like a little bit longer to get themselves fit or not but you know we're gonna have to do it at some point and then they say tonight's the night and you know we got right there and show that we're ready and that we're fighting to sustain this league. So unfortunately the supporters aren't able to go to the game tonight but we haven't asked you what are your plans for Saturday night are you really able to go to the stadium? I don't know yet you know that I don't even know I'm hoping I'm waiting for a last-minute call-up so I can I can join in the stadium but at the minute I'm at home just watching it in front of the tailor like everyone else. You'll have to start the chance Charlie. Yeah I'm gonna have to yeah I'm gonna have to start doing something yeah I'm gonna try and get on the on the making doing the crowd noises I'm gonna try and do that for a moment if I can that'll be quite good. That's a good point what has everybody made of these FIFA crowd support we've had so far from from the games we've been able to see so far? I think it's definitely got a lot better from the start I mean I watched the start of the the German league and to hear all the players screaming and that is it definitely is something a little bit over the top so for me it's definitely in hearts yeah how about you Chris? Yeah I mean from a viewing point of view it's much much better obviously it's Sony on the broadcast so but it felt a lot more normal I was watching the obviously the Villa game and the city game on Wednesday night so it made it more more realistic and things like that so it was from a viewing point of view it was good but then at the same time you like to hear what goes on on the pitch but maybe the players don't want that but it's interesting from a from a fans point of view to hear what's going on so obviously you could switch between the two you could have it with or without commentary so I did a little bit of both. That's excellent and I believe you and I'm talking to Evian and Finn here I believe you've got special plans for tonight with watching the game. Yeah so we've got some friends coming round because obviously we're really missing the community of Bournemouth because we're all family and we're all fans together and so we've really been missing going up to the shop and being at the matches and watching them all so we've got some friends coming round who will be social distancing with watching it in the garden. That sounds great. Lots of stuff and everything I'm sure as well and how about Charlie your family if assuming you are able to get to the game what will your family be doing? They'll be home well the kids are being bed hopefully to begin with and then yeah I think the missus will probably be watching it especially say it's the first game in such a long time I think there'll be so many people watching it and for it to be on BBC the first Premier League game on BBC you know it's a big occasion so I'm expecting a lot of people to be watching it so hopefully we can put on a performance to match it. I'm sure Eddie Howell won't want to give away too many secrets about Crystal Palace and how we're preparing for them but how have we been able to prepare for them and obviously we know some of the talents they've got. Yeah I think we've had enough time to prepare for the game in terms of having hold his lockdown so you know Crystal Palace have some outstanding talent especially in attack if you look at just Wilfried Zaha for instance, Andrews Townsend you know they're players that can change a game so for us defensively it's going to be everyone's going to have to be on their their A game really and then going forward you know we've got so much strengths going forward that you know we can hurt any team so if we can keep them quiet in our in our half then I'm sure we can do a lot of damage in theirs. And you'll probably be better placed than most people but what will Eddie Howell be saying to people at 740 just before they get lined up in a tunnel and they're ready to go what sort of team talk can you expect tonight? Definitely enjoy it we're probably the first one embrace your situation that's happening and you know play just be the best player that you could be you know that's that's what he says most most games you know enjoy it embrace it and and be the best version of yourself you know if and if everybody does that then you know more often not we get a positive result. And Chris you're obviously an elite sports level a sportsman sorry albeit in a different sport what how does that differ to you when you're ready to go out in the ring and let's get ready to rumble and it's all building up? Yeah well obviously there's talk of the boxing being behind closed doors and hopefully I can get on one of those shows um but I've actually had to I've experienced it before in my second bout um George Groves is a stable mate of mine he was world champion defending his um world title and he managed to get me a slot right at the beginning of one of his shows and I literally walked out to no ring music or anything the doors were closed there was no one in an eight it was in Wembley Arena and eight thousand seats but there was no one in there because I was on first so um that was an experience but then uh all my fans came in because they basically sort of barred past security because security weren't meant to open the doors to a certain time but I got told they were going to be open and then yeah it was a bit of a crazy situation so um from my point of view it's good that I've got that experience in the bank if I have to draw on it because um before that I was literally in the ring just before the first bell all my all my luck just ran in making there's about only about 70 70 80 people there that day but um they all made ran in and made some noise and uh yeah but it was a very strange experience and I it for me it sort of took my mind off it a little bit I was like I didn't know there was going to be no entrance tune I didn't know it was going to be sort of the way it was so then um I was walking to the ring thinking that I was like where where is everyone I thought the doors were going to be open so at least I guess from a footballer's point of view they they know there's no one's going to be there um and they can probably listen to instructions a little bit easier but um yeah it was a strange experience but thankfully I've had it now if I have to go and and what are those emotions like Chris because you obviously built up for weeks and months and put all your focus into one thing in one evening and then it's kind of show time how do you deal with all that pressure with the emotion that must be growing up? It's um you know it's once you're in the ring it's a rings a ring and you've got to get the job done it's you sort of see it as a spar in a in a way you know a sparring session where it's just another day at the office um you've got to get yourself mentally up for it and focus and I mean once the first bell rings most of the time you switch on wherever you are um and fingers crossed that'd be the same with the with the football with the lads so hopefully like once that first whistle goes it'll be um game faces on and ready to go. Perfect and have you got any questions for any other participants here Chris? Um I was just wondering how your injuries going Charlie how how recovery's been? Yeah no everything's going really well actually I started running outside this week so I've had three running sessions outside which is uh which is a big step you know you know being indoors for nine months it's uh it's been it felt like I was the longest lockdown ever so uh it's uh it's a good feeling to come out to be outside running and you know feeling that you've accomplished like a big part of their recovery and now uh hopefully on the downhill stretch you know give myself a couple of months to get as fit as I can be and then join in with the lads and you signed a short-term deal until the end of the season so we know you've got you till to the end of the year and what's the likelihood of you potentially playing at all this season? If there's no other outbreak is unlikely uh you know I'd end of July I think it's just going to be that little bit too soon I think I'm uh I'm looking at August time to be back involved so yeah I think it's gonna come a little bit too soon but uh all ready for next season and do you know what the future holds? No not yet no let's say we just signed that short-term deal to the end of this season and then uh and then we'll see what happens after that you know there's a lot there's a lot more going on in the world than uh than me just on an extra contract you know we need to get things sorted out first uh in the world before before we can get involved with my contract so uh you know I just I'll just sit back and wait you know there's uh there's a lot of football to be played and a lot of other stuff as well so we'll see what happens and Evie and Finn you've been sitting there very patiently and quietly up there as brother and sister I'm sure you can fight between yourselves as who would like to ask the next question um you can ask thank you um one for Charlie um who do you think's the greatest threat from Crystal Palace tonight? I'd have to say Wilfred Zaha you know he's uh he's probably the the leader on the pitch he was talking about when when they've got the ball you know he can he can go both ways he's such a he's such a threat and you know you can see why Man United played so much money for him just because of his talent I mean he's probably a little bit too soon it was too soon for him to move but I think he's realised it now and he's he's come back you know and he's flourished again you know being back at home and uh you say he looks like he might be on the move again maybe yeah and how about you Evie? So this is sort of for both of you so how has um so for Charlie how's training been different with being tested twice a week and both of you with the facilities and um how's it been different? Yeah no well testing's say it's definitely different you get time slots and you know you have to turn up and you have to stay in your car you get tested and then you drive around get out your car and then you got to get your temperature checked before you can go into the the change room and that so it's uh it's definitely been different but it's something you just get used to after a while you know it just becomes a norm and uh and I think it's going to be staying for a little bit so I think everyone has to get used to it yeah I can imagine yeah I think you Chris? Um yeah I mean obviously I've actually just been we just started camp this week um obviously there's a small only a small group of us at train um but it's during lockdown it was uh it's difficult because I'm used to having a coach there telling me what to do and you know scheduling out my whole week and stuff so um I was doing a I've got a little scaffolding rig in my in our front garden because we haven't got a back garden so just uh my brother's a scaffolder he put up a little rig so I could do some squats and pull-ups and a powder punch bag off it so I did a few things there uh thankfully the weather was good because you know it hasn't been as good this week um but yeah it's been and then just been doing a lot of running and obviously a lot of people have been getting into their running and stuff and been using the facilities down um Kings Park next to the training ground at the track the athletics track there and doing my sprint sessions and stuff and a bit of big benefit to me you know just having that it's probably helping me mentally because you have to make yourself accountable and you don't have someone just telling you what to do you know it's a bit more responsibility on your on your own part so I think the boxing wise with people coming out of lockdown it'll be a lot of see who who wants it most sort of thing and see who has been lazy because they haven't had the facilities or someone there telling them what to do so it'd be uh be interesting to see what comes out of it and I know you were supposed to have a big fight in May which unfortunately didn't make it um how fit are you compared to where you'd hope and you'd expect to be at this stage yeah I'm actually I was actually quite surprised this week in training I thought it was going to be a lot worse but um I think the sprint sessions that they've been pretty grueling sessions and I've been putting the put in the shift in so um with boxing it's slightly different from football obviously football is a fit all year round where boxing is very much a peak sport where you peak for one night um so you don't want to be you know peeking too soon and stuff like that but um yeah I was I'm happy with where I'm at and definitely I'm hoping to be out in six or seven weeks um start of August if all goes um to plan with the matchroom fight camps so fingers crossed I can get one of those and I feel like I'm a really good place um good start and block to to get get going and get camp fully underway and we've asked you lots of questions Charlie oh Charlie might have disappeared sorry someone just called me have you got any questions for anyone else in the group here yeah I was gonna ask Chris uh how long is a normal camp and what does it look like uh day to day in terms of sessions wise uh yeah we do usually we do two sessions a day uh Monday to Friday um but then maybe one on the weekend so we do a punching session every day wherever that's pads or sparring um and then we'll do two sprint sessions a week one long run a week uh two strength sessions a week and a circuit as well so it's usually twice a day Monday to Friday uh one punch in one run circuit or strength um and usually the length of camps usually they vary from eight to 12 weeks but um I'm starting now to do proper camps like that because at the beginning of my career career I was learning a lot and I always wanted to be in the gym um so I mean our first four fights were in 11 weeks of each other so I was in camp for three months my first fight and then there was another fight four weeks later then four weeks later and then three weeks after that so it was um that was pretty brutal schedule but thankfully the fights went too long so um um that was that was a good thing about that but yeah I mean a camp obviously this camp's gonna be probably six or seven weeks which is shorter than ideal but like I said I feel like I'm in a good place so hopefully um all being well with the fights go ahead I'll be um be ready to go early August and Charlie I know Arthur Barch is is quite into his boxing and I've spoken to other players who certainly said they're big fans of watching boxing how about yourself yeah I've watched a few fights especially growing up I watched a couple of Chrissie's fights when he uh when he fought and he won so uh it's never something you get interested in but to do the camps isn't is another thing I mean to to actually put yourself in their position and to to put their body through what they go through is uh is another thing and it's uh it's certainly a testament to the sport just how how much force they they get put under yeah absolutely and I've done a couple of sentences Charlie have you no you got bendels or two no I'll tell you what so all the goalkeepers go out there don't they yeah I think I think they just they just skype off they skype off from football that's what I do on a Monday when they can't be bothered to come in as you can see Arthur gave me one of his thoughts so I was grateful for that our big man loves his boxing yeah he's he's I took him on the pads once actually um yeah he's definitely whack yeah he's good uh he's good mates with Fafana yeah yeah he came up the gym um yeah yeah so uh I think that's where it is it's come from and they've done a lot a lot of spiraling that together yeah yeah it's good and either and Finn have you got any any last questions before we let christen and and Charlie go um well one last one who have either of you been um learning anything new and locked down or what have you been doing to kind of keep occupied apart from staying fit uh I've been trying to stay fit and keep the kids occupied it's probably my main thing uh during lockdown I got a five-year-old and a two-year-old and they uh yeah they they've needed a lot of attention so trying to keep them occupied and you know it's been tough uh but now like the eldest has gone back to school last couple of weeks he was allowed to go back to school so we uh he's been in so there's a little bit of normality coming back to us but uh yeah so them two things are probably the main thing I've been doing yeah as for me it's uh to be honest probably been housework I've learned I had to had to do a little bit more housework than I usually would because I'm away all week usually Monday to Friday um so yeah I've uh been put in my place and uh I've learned a lot of housework and just um but during the day and stuff just chilling out got a guitar which I've kind of tried to teach myself over the years and played a little bit more of that which has been nice but um yeah for me I've been doing more housework than I than I usually do but it's uh it's all for the all for the better and even if in how have you survived lockdown then yeah that was a remarkable quite like um athlete who's been learning to do the piano um um I I have played the piano before but it he's encouraged me to um do it more during lockdown and get more practice in and um we're very lucky to live in the countryside so we've been going on lots of cycling um routes we've been walking a lot and um we've been outside a lot more apart from obviously doing school which has kept us occupied we've been definitely trying to go outside stay fit and have as much normality as we can during lockdown very good and yourself and what have you been doing yeah I've just been trying to stay fit as well I've been doing a lot of goalkeeping in the garden with my dad and um the schools kept me quite busy but I've been I definitely be doing more exercise um because yeah it's been it's actually been quite good for me to like stay on top of everything because usually my dad isn't here so we've been doing a lot of fight cries around the village you know Finn's a very keen goalkeeper and he's been trying to teach me as well that's good yeah yeah it works very good right as a final pizza I guess we've got to ask what our hopes and maybe even our predictions are for tonight and what we hope is going to happen in the big game against Christopher Palace now kick off with you Chris I'm genuinely uh feeling very positive about the game obviously other than Charlie we've got a lot less injuries in the squad so we've got a lot more you know I think that's been the downside to the season with the injuries and stuff and obviously you're hearing good things about people coming back such as uh David Brooks and obviously junior Stanislaus just come back just beforehand when he was sorry when he was back before the lockdown he was I thought he was playing well when he was when he was playing um but yeah I'm feeling positive about the game I think we'll definitely pick up some points hopefully get the win um but like Charlie said earlier the uh the threat they have going forward is is is very you know very very good attacking options sorry so even Finn what's your prediction sorry Chris oh I totally agree I think Bournemouth will win especially with uh Brooks back and yeah I agree with Chris because we've we had a lot of injuries um just before lockdown and quite a few of them are back so we've gone a much stronger squad and of course I think Rams they'll keep us safe love um loving the positivity so Charlie let's end with you then what what are your hopes and what are your feelings about tonight's game no I agree with everyone you know having such a strong squad back together you know it's uh that's a massive boost boost to us and uh say players like David Brooks coming back junior Stanislaus uh Lloyd Kelly coming back you know it's gonna be uh it's gonna be a tough decision from the gaffer you know to pick his strongest 11 so uh you know looking forward to it everyone's gonna be positive and say hopefully we can come out with a positive result at the end of it well that just leaves me to say thank you to all four of you for joining me and I hope you really enjoyed tonight's game and I hope that's because we we get a fantastic result thank you