Arctic Challenge was easier to deal with than lockdown for radio pundit Allan Preston

Given the way he kicked off 2020, Allan Preston could be forgiven for viewing lockdown as a walk in the park – once a day, of course.

The former St Johnstone, Dundee United, Hearts and Dunfermline winger is now a top football agent, as well as a pundit for BBC Radio Scotland.

Both roles have been in cold storage for the past month as football faces up to its biggest-ever crisis.

Just three months ago, however, Preston found out what real cold is.

To mark his 50th birthday, Preston put his twin titanium hips through the wringer by tackling a gruelling Arctic Challenge.

Along with his best friend from childhood, Keith Sands, he spent six nights in temperatures as low as minus-26 degrees Centigrade, and trekked up 22 miles-a-day, often in snow and darkness.

“It was the worst time of my life – but it was also best time of my life,” said Preston of the effort that saw the pair raise £45,000 for the Children 1st charity.

“The experiences we had, the sights you get out there – the red moon, the Northern Lights, the landscapes – it was incredible.

“We did the walk for our mothers (Jeanie Preston and Liz Sands), who died within a few days of each other a few years back.

“Keith’s mum actually passed on the day of my mum’s funeral.

“I sent him a text to say how sorry I was and that I would see him in a few days.

“A couple of hours later, he turned up at my mum’s funeral.

“I will never forget that, and the Arctic trip was about fulfilling that promise to do something for them and to do something to mark our 50th birthdays.

“Without question, it was a big ask. We trained for nine months, trekking across Portobello Beach with walking sticks, and using deep-freeze chambers to get an idea of the cold.

“Even then, it was harder than anything I have ever done.

“However, if someone wants to challenge themselves – and perhaps help a good cause into the bargain – then I would highly recommend it.”

Unfortunately, it has not been great preparation for the current lockdown.

“We are talking two totally different challenges and this one is not for me,” laughed Leith-born Preston.

“What are we, three weeks in – and already I am climbing the walls. I think I’ve painted my garden fence twice!

“I am one of those people who, if you said to them: ‘I will give you a million pounds to go and live alone on a desert island for a year’, would refuse.

“The Arctic Challenge was very tough, but there was so much – even the preparation – that I loved.

“Going to the gym every day gave you a real structure to your routine.

“It was the opposite of lockdown because it got you off your backside and doing things, especially in the Arctic itself!

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“We were part of a 14-strong group – men and women from all over the world – and it really was a team effort.

“I’m sure many of us would have packed it in before the finishing line had it not been for the encouragement of others at the times when we needed it the most.

“Although you are in a group, you trek in single file down a track cut in the middle of great piles of snow.

“It can get lonely as the line often spreads right out.

“You are in the dark, sometimes with snow falling, with only the light of your head torch to guide you, and potentially hours of pain stretching out ahead of you.

“Probably, the best way to give you a feeling of what it is like is to tell you about lunch.

“Breakfast and dinner at the camp are brilliant, proper hot food and plenty of it.

“But in the middle of the day, you are out – literally – in the middle of the Arctic, and that is a different story.

“In the morning, they give you a wrap for lunch, and tell you to carry it as close to your heart as you can so it stays warm.

“Then, when you bring it out to eat, you have to bolt it all down in a couple of minutes – otherwise it freezes solid.

“The guides are fantastic. They know the area so well, you feel safe and protected at all times. But you are there to meet the challenge so you push on.

“That is the way it is out there. At night, you jump into a sleeping bag with all your layers on, sleep, get up, get a bite to eat and then go again.”

Until finally, you don’t.

“On the last day, one of my hips (he got the first replaced in 1999 after he finished playing, and the second done five years ago) was in bits,” Preston recalled.

“You pull your gear from your waist, and the workload had just been too much for my hip and it had become all swollen.

“It was agony, and with about an hour to go, Keith offered to take my gear off me and carry both loads until we were done.

“I refused – and I think I used a choice phrase or two to do so!

“There was no way I was having him holding that over me for the rest of my life!

“At the end of the challenge, I burst into tears and couldn’t stop crying.

“That was down to a combination of a few things, I think – the relief at getting finished, the pain from the walk and the emotion of the whole thing.

“And to bring in all that money was humbling, something to really celebrate, as were the great friendships we made.

“I’ve been back to reality for a few weeks now, and the guidelines to stay at home right now are a whole different challenge.

“I am fortunate to be fit and healthy, so I signed up for the NHS Volunteer service. It is just wee things, like maybe delivering someone’s medicine for them.

“It is nice to be doing something positive, though, especially when there are so many people going through tough times.

“Like all football folk, I am missing the game but at the same time I appreciate it will be back soon enough. Until then, the important thing is to stay safe.”