Specialised training the way to go for top teams

GONE are the days when the whiff of cigarette smoke and the reek of beer drifted through Guernsey's first team dressing rooms on match day. After a summer of over-indulgence, many footballers used to dread and view with horror two words - 'preseason training'.

The thought of punishing stamina regimes on the beach, long and lonely marathon coastal runs and endless press-ups, sit-ups and star-jumps at the training ground was enough to turn some blue in the face and others to feign injury or cry off sick.

And many who did take part ended up being ill on the freshly cut grass.

Former Muratti star and loyal Northerner Lloyd Duquemin recalls decades ago some players visiting the pub before a game.

And whispers of some lads popping into the Red Lion for a quick pint before a Muratti at the Track are legendary - and that was the players, not supporters.

'Not everybody can drink before a game but I knew a few who could. If you are used to a pint, I can't see it does you harm. I have had a pint before training and before a game and it never did me any harm,' said Duquemin.

But over the decades training around the club grounds appears to have changed immeasurably as players embark on being in tip-top condition in the often sapping heat in August when competitive games begin.

St Martin's coach Colin Fallaize has never really used long runs as a fitness barometer at Saints. But he remembered going on challenge runs from Blanche Pierre Lane to Fermain and back in Jim Cooley's days as coach, or alternatively on to the beach at Petit Port.

When he was senior island coach, 'Big Fal' used to have a specialised circuit around Icart as more of a mental than physical-fitness challenge for the players prior to the Island Games in the Isle of Man and Guernsey.

'It's not a solution - it's a question,' he said.

It was used as part of a fitness assessment and an accumulation of other exercises - both strength and speed - which asked questions of the individuals.

'I backed it up as a mindset and there is a reason for it - it goes together with other pieces,' he said.

The way he approaches training today at Saints changes each time because he does not like the players to know what is coming next.

'Familiarisation is a big problem in our game,' he insisted.

'I try and make training different every time but aim to reach a clear objective about what I want out of it.'

He is keen to stress football is played only at an amateur level in Guernsey and people are not paid and he accepts many have other commitments outside the game.

'I try and set training up so it becomes a package that is strengthening them mentally as much as physically,' said Fallaize.

The emphasis has to be on the people themselves and seeing if he can pull the trigger that extends outside the training sessions.

Football is based on about 70% aerobic work during a 90-minute game, about 20% on anaerobic work and the rest on recovery.

Most good players now run about 10km during a game so there has to be an aerobic base to that.

'It has aerobic and anaerobic tendencies and the training has to reflect that with movements and agility,' he said.

'General conditioning and stability will come into the equation...there is a mixture of agility, flexibility and strength.'

Footballers can get hit at outrageous angles and have to be able to cope with what is thrown at them.

Fallaize believes there is the opportunity for local footballers to be fitter than they have been before.

But he does not necessarily see the side he is training now being any fitter than the side he was in 20-odd years ago.

He cited Rodney Webb and Willie Kennedy as having a great engine and Neville Thoume as always being a good trainer.

'It's about enjoying it and people coming away saying, ?I've enjoyed it?,' he said.

Other coaches have vivid memories of the game.

'I have been in the dressing room where players had a pint and a fag at half-time,' recalled Rangers Priaulx coach Mac Gallienne, recalling memories of the mid-80s.

'Times have changed for the better and the fitness side of it is paramount. We try now to be as professional as possible, being an amateur sport. Outside training I expect the players to look after themselves,' he said.

Many work out in the gym and go running.

'Fitness is everything and people nowadays want to look and remain fit and football is just part of that,' said Gallienne.

'The way you approach any exercise, it's not all football orientated and ball-work - there is a lot more thought in the training. There is a lot more sprint work and short bursts.

'We don't do any long road running - a mile at the most - it's wear and tear on the joints and I don't think it's beneficial,' he said.

Sylvans coach Martyn de Garis clearly recalls the days of hard graft at the Corbet Field.

'I remember training down at Vale Rec as a nipper doing press-ups and sit-ups and running with Ray Blondel,' he said.

Out west preseason training has changed significantly over the past three years.

'Long gone are the days of the long runs and going down the beach and doing your running. We do a lot of conditioning work now, working on power, strength and agility,' he said.

'We are doing longer sessions of that and less with the ball at the start and now we are mixing it up and doing more ball-work and towards the end we do a coaching session.

'We have only four hours a week with the players and I expect them to keep reasonably fit. Players go to the gym and do cliff runs and boxing training in their own time,' he said.

Sylvans have also had their players doing strenuous boxercise and spinning sessions to tone and build up their fitness.

'Our top players are athletes and if they want to compete at the highest level locally, they have to look after themselves. I think they are fitter than ever before,' said de Garis.

'Over the next few weeks we will be working on set pieces,' he said.

Dave Gilman and Paul Ockleford assist with training to add some diversity and make it more interesting and not monotonous.

Rovers coach Martyn Dorey insists long runs are a no-no at Port Soif.

'I personally don't see the benefit of sending somebody on a five to 10-mile run when you can reach the same fitness levels doing other things. We do a lot of ball-work and short, sharp work,' he revealed.

'Fitness-wise I'm really pleased and I don't see us falling down on the fitness side, but we won't really know until we are playing competitive football.

'All our training is thought out and pre-planned and structured on what we think the players need.'

Rovers do not go over the top planning set pieces for games in preseason.

'The first thing I did as coach was scrap zonal marking - I did not think it was suitable for us,' said Dorey.

He said his assistant, Gary Stevenson, an ex-pro with Greenock Morton, had done a fantastic job in getting the first-team squad fit.