ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the provision of one-to-one sport psychology support with first team Premiership players, young professionals and professional footballers in lower divisions. Within a Premiership club and professional football there are a range of views about the usefulness of sport psychology in helping the team to achieve its aims. As has been discussed in Chapter 1, Premiership football is a fast-paced, unstable and intense environment. Short termism is the order of the day. With each match, clubs have an opportunity to secure vital points in their efforts to qualify for European competitions or avoid relegation. Perceptions of sport psychology in this culture range from acceptance that it must deliver results quickly if it is to be seen as worthwhile, to the more infrequently encountered view that the long-term development of players and teams is something worth waiting for.
