Before jetting off to Qatar for the World Cup, Wythenshawe Premier League referee Anthony Taylor acclimatised to the warm conditions by undergoing a specialised three-week heat programme hosted by the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport.
Taylor stepped out to officiate his first game of the finals on Monday when South Korea took on Ghana in Group G. Qatari temperatures can rise to as high as 30 degrees in winter and so the 44-year-old was eager to ensure he prepared for the conditions in the Middle East.
The Champions League referee is currently undergoing a Master of Sports Directorship course at the university and so the institution designed a short course to help his body get used to strenuous climates.
