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The biggest and best sports competition in the world is the quest for the World Cup of Soccer. Since 1930, the World Cup of Soccer has been akin to finding the Holy Grail in sports terms.

The up and coming campaign in the English Premiership, sees Liverpool start as some peoples favorites to be crowned champions. After a gap of over 18 years and following last years stellar effort to finish second this season is one of expectancy amongst the Liverpool following. The stats from last season paint a picture of a team ready to step up and win the league.

Steven Gerrard is the captain of Liverpool Football Club and one of the best players in the world at the moment. He can be described as an attacking midfield player who can play off a main central striker. He is also very versatile being able to play in almost every position and this versatility also makes him one of the key players in the England national team.

While Dr Al Fahim haggles with Sacha Gaydamak over the price (nothing to worry about; you view a house then you haggle over the price, don’t you?), Portsmouth remain in limbo with the clock ticking down towards pre season. The collapse of the deal at this stage doesn’t bear thinking about! So while we bite our fingernails and wait, let’s talk about American Football.

Large scale merchandising was still a thing of the future in those days and in the 15th October Football Mail, Pompey Championship ties were advertised at Landports Drapery (which later became Allders). Portsmouth didn’t have a club shop until the late 1960s and the only items visible in club colours amongst the crowd tended to be scarves and rosettes. But one supporter of the time, Cyril Lucas, recalls that the absence of large scale commercialism added to the sense of occasion on match day.

As I write I am looking at a huge Portsmouth poster on my office wall at home. It is a team picture. Not of the FA Cup winning side of 2008. Or of the Championship winning side of 2003. Not even of the FA Cup semi finalists of 1992.

Portsmouth’s FA Cup fifth round tie against Derby County at Fratton Park in February 1949 saw the club’s record attendance of 51,385. During this post war period, attendances at football matches had rocketed, and this was illustrated in January 1948 when 81,962 turned up at Maine Road to watch Manchester United v Arsenal, Old Tafford being closed for renovation after war time bomb damage.

Just about every football supporter has a burning sense of optimism in the early days of July each year. Players will recover from injury, rediscover lost form and be joined by those much-needed reinforcements that will mean that this coming season will be the one to remember.

The biggest mistake I see most coaches make is sending their players for a twenty to forty minute run to build an aerobic base. This jog places consistent stress on both the muscles and bones of the young body. It has been my experience that over 95% of the over use injuries that I have treated came from players who competed in cross country at school or were “jogging” to get into condition.

Methods for soccer conditioning and training for anaerobic and aerobic energy systems for young soccer players has changed over the years. We will look at current anaerobic and aerobic conditioning and training for youth soccer players. We will address the common myth about going for a twenty to forty minute jog to build an aerobic base.

In most traditional soccer warm ups a ball is put into play because coaches want to get in as many touches as possible on the ball. This is fine; however, from an injury prevention perspective, the muscles need to be warm and prepared to do many movements first with out the ball.

There are many different thoughts and theories on how to train for soccer fitness. Many of the theories or training regimens include running for distance or time. There is always some mention of doing jogs for cardio to build up stamina and recovery for the game.