The show-piece of the sporting calendar is here: the pièce de résistance of university football, the battle for superiority, the struggle to avoid mediocrity and to achieve immortality. COLLEGE CUP.
For those of you unfamiliar with the College Cup, it is an event that unites the crème-de-la-crème of university players with the enthusiastic minnows of college football. Twenty teams battle over eight weeks for the bragging rights we all crave, that we desire more than ten minutes with Jessica Alba, for the undeniable claim that we are the greatest.
Last year, Alcuin achieved that goal. They efficiently dispatched every team in their path, a team of individuals effortlessly working in unison. Even though they beat my beloved Halifax, they were a dream to behold. Captain Miles McDermott will hope to emulate that success, possibly using Cox in midfield in the group stages, whilst Delaney’s return could also prove pivotal to their hopes. Unbeaten in almost two years, Alcuin are prepared for any would-be challengers to take their glorious crown. There isn’t a shortage of pretenders waiting in the wings…
Halifax, arguably the pre-tournament favourites, with handsome Lund at the helm, will unleash a wealth of talent this year. Their team boasts an abundance of University Firsts players, and many University Seconds, all with the individual quality to beat anyone. With McKellow and the Brennans the pick of the bunch, and the all-encompassing Beadlemania still in full swing, the individual talent in this team is truly sublime. However, as most of the University players have not played for Halifax in the first two terms, this is a new team needing time to gel. How long this process takes will determine if they win this competition. Anything else will be considered a failure.
Derwent will stake their claim with traditional Derwent-esque arrogance under Matthew Hallam. The winners of the second term’s football, they have a powerful, disciplined team, with a few flair players thrown in to create a Chelsea-like image. Solid at the back, especially with Gardener thrown into the mix, their attacking threat comes from a powerful running midfield, with Barney likely to be the danger man. The early group stage encounter with Alcuin is mouth-watering, but may have little significance in who emerges victorious at the end, as both those teams will expect to comfortably reach the semi-finals.
Goodricke and James Firsts are the dark horses, although outside of their own ranks there would be few educated punters having a flutter, as both sides have weaknesses the Big Three would be expected to exploit. Despite a few excellent players, particularly at the back, Goodricke lack full squad quality. Although defensively they will be difficult to break down, finding goals will be a struggle for Goodricke. Boring football late on in the competition is likely to be their main way of achieving a shock cup win.
James are wholly inconsistent, although despite the fantasy football values they possess some of the University’s finest, not least the First captain himself. Cloudy and Johnson are a class apart in central midfield, although rumours of Johnson playing further up the pitch are likely to come to fruition during the tournament. John Carroll is likely to bag numerous goals from the back, and is therefore my non-Halifax fantasy football tip.
Vanbrugh will progress through the groups. A solid outfit with three dangerous players going forward, they will probably not achieve last year’s dizzying heights. Prince is not a natural goal scorer, although alongside Stanier and Taylor they could stun Halifax in the groups and are prime candidates to cause an early upset. However, if they lose any of these three, they could well face an upset at their own expense.
Langwith have grown this year, with a good team spirit successfully masking the glaring weaknesses in their team over the first few terms. Expect them however to be found out with the dangerous Seconds teams in their group. Starkey cannot score all the goals they will need, whilst Condron is massively overrated.
Wentworth could surprise a few with a big, strong team. Potent Green up top wreaked havoc in Roses, and despite strong Alcuin and Derwent Seconds teams in their group, I would expect them to progress to the quarters, though no further.
The Second teams in the competition are generally the ones hoping to cause an upset, and as always there are a few on the cards, with the weaker First teams likely to be those at threat. Derwent Seconds, having obliterated all challengers in last term’s league, will fancy their chances against Wentworth, although Halifax Seconds are my impartial tip for removing the Langwith Firsts. With numerous Firsts-quality players stepping down to the Seconds, Halifax have a midfield bristling with real quality, and Langwith will need their iconic Bruce to drag their sorry carcasses through to the next round. Other than an even more unlikely upset, the Seconds will be aiming for plate success. The Plate is the consolation competition from College Cup, where the third and fourth placed teams make up a different knock-out tournament after the group stage.
The third teams will generally be hoping to defend stoutly and sneak a draw to progress to the plate on goal difference. They will also be desperate to avoid a soul-destroying battering against the Firsts, the Big Three being the teams all thirds were hoping to avoid.
College Cup is back.