In its fifth year, the Johnny Warren Cup, named in recognition of one of Australia’s greatest footballers and sporting ambassadors, is the official curtain raiser to the Football NSW Premier League season, and runs from January 19 to February 16.

Fans will be desperate to find out just how well their clubs have recruited in the off-season in this first taste of state league action for the year.

Players will be desperate to perform, especially given the prestigious name attached to the pre-season cup. The Johnny Warren was an inspirational player and former national team captain, and continued contributing to football long after he hung his boots up, involving himself as coach, media commentator and football ambassador.

The APIA Leichhardt Tigers are the reigning Johnny Warren Cup Champions after defeating surprise packets Penrith-Nepean United 2-0 in last year’s final thanks to goals from Ian King and Christian Care.

This year a new format will be introduced with two new teams - the West Sydney Berries and Macarthur Rams - added to the NSW Premier League.

Teams will be split into two pools of six, with a game from each played as double headers, and each team playing each other once at the pool stage. The winner of Pool A will then battle it out with the winner of Pool B for the 2008 Johnny Warren Cup. The pool’s second-placed teams with play-off for third.

Pool A sees Sydney Olympic, Marconi Stallions, Manly United, Wollongong Wolves, Bankstown City and West Sydney Berries in action, while Pool B features APIA Leichhardt Tigers, Sydney United, Blacktown City Demons, Sutherland Sharks, Penrith Nepean United and Macarthur Rams.

This pre-season Cup provides fans an indication of what to expect from their favourite NSW Premier League sides, with many teams welcoming new players and coaches.

A number of teams have strengthened their squads but none more so then former NSL champions Sydney Olympic. The Blues have a new coach in Milan Blagojevic and boast the likes of Mirko Jurilj, Roger Galayini, Milorad Simonovic, Paul Wither, Bobby Dragas, Michael Cindric, Anthony Hartshorn and Anthony Doumanis among its new recruits.

Former NSL giants Marconi Stallions, coached by former NSL defender David Barrett, have also bolstered their ranks with the signing of two-time NSW Premier League Golden Boot winner Tolgay Ozbey alongside ex-Sydney Olympic midfielder Nahuel Arrarte.

Sydney United, with new coach Ivan Petkovic, has secured the services of former Perth Glory and Sydney FC striker Luka Glavas and former Super League 2007 Silver Medal winner Elsid Barkhousir while Sutherland Sharks, with its new manager Brian “Bomber” Brown have snapped up a handful of players including ex-Sydney United attacker Jim Bakis, former Penrith-Nepean United striker Brad Boardman and former Northampton Town star Predrag Bojic.

Penrith-Nepean United has continued its relationship with coach and former Socceroo striker Abbas Saad as he hopes to prove critics wrong with a strong start to 2008 and his cause has been helped with the recent recruitment of former Sydney Olympic and Sydney United defender Ante Juric.

Bankstown City has kept the majority of its squad together but player/manager Peter Tsekenis has managed to snap up Paul Harries, Zlatko Josevski and Tayfun Devrimol.

Last year’s Johnny Warren Cup winners APIA Leichhardt Tigers have also kept the majority of their squad from last season but have added ex-Sydney Olympic defender Sebastian Sinozic to their ranks.

Phil Moss has also re-signed the bulk of his Manly United side from 2007 and was particularly happy to retain two-time NSW Premier League Gold Medal winner Robbie Cattanach.

John Turner’s Wollongong Wolves side will be one to look out for as they’ve recruited rather well with the signing of former Sydney FC keeper Justin Pasfield, current Newcastle Jets fullback Steve Eagleton and East Timorese international Alfredo Esteves.

Last season’s NSW Premier League champions Blacktown City Demons have lost a number of players from last season’s squad but new coach Ken Schembri remains adamant that things will work out. Having only retained four players from the 2007 squad, the Demons will rely on a number of talented youngsters hoping to make a name for themselves.

The Johnny Warren Cup will give new boys Western Sydney Berries and Macarthur Rams a first look at what they will be up against when the NSW Premier League competition officially kicks off in February.

The Berries, led by former Sydney Olympic defender Scott Baillie has signed former Manly United star Michael Cunico, ex-Sydney Olympic midfielder Kosta Lagoudakis and former Winter Super League Golden winner Sash Tirovski.

The Rams, coached by Paul Carter, will have more of a local feel, as they hope to make a good impression in the NSW Premier League with former Australia U17 star Michael Brown as the side’s star recruit for 2008.