Football Preview: Lent 2010

Check out The Tab’s predictions for promotion and relegation this season

cambridge football college football downing downing football football jesus jesus football johns

The Tab ponders the prospects for the teams in Cambridge’s top 3 divisions in the second half of the season.

Division 1

Reigning champs Downing top the table in Division 1. With only an out of sorts Jesus, a distinctly average John’s and the bottom two to play they are firm favourites to retain the title.

Trinity and Girton are the best of the rest and their eagerly anticipated encounter next term will be decisive in the race for second place.

Down at the bottom things are much more open; Fitz, Jesus and Emma are all in danger of being sucked into the relegation battle. Propping up the division are last year’s Cuppers champions, Catz, who have quite literally gone from hero to zero. With two teams to be relegated from the top flight, the opening weekend features two huge six-pointers: Pembroke vs Christ’s and John’s vs Catz.

The Tab predicts:
Champions: Downing
Relegated: Catz, John’s

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Division 2

Unbeaten Caius lead the way in Division 2, currently four points clear of their closest rivals Long Road. However the sixth-form college will go top if, as expected, they win their games in hand against Homerton and Selwyn. All eyes will be on the showdown between the top two later next term which will surely determine the title.

Too far adrift of Caius and Long Road to mount a late bid for promotion, nothing more exciting than mid-table mediocrity beckons for the likes of Churchill, Queens and Tit Hall.

Clare are rock bottom; hardly surprising given that their defence has more holes than a sieve. They’ve leaked 23 goals in just 5 games. Clare are joined in the relegation zone by the only other side without a win, King’s. Their bottom of the table clash next term is sure to be a high scoring affair unless they can draft in Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Saar on fast-tracked Land Ec.

The Tab predicts:
Champions: Long Road
Promoted: Caius
Relegated: Clare, King’s

Division 3

Jesus II rose from the dead in the last week of Michaelmas to come from 3-1 down to beat Corpus 5-3. The win not only sees Jesus II knock their rivals out of the title race but also puts them level on points with league leaders Long Road II. Four points clear of the chasing pack Jesus II and Long Road II are odds on for promotion.

A mere two points separate the bottom six sides. Who goes down is too close to call. In the scramble to avoid relegation, Churchill’s lack of firepower in front of goal could count against them. They’ve found the back of the net just once in four matches.

The Tab predicts:
Champions: Jesus II
Promoted: Long Road II
Relegated: Churchill II, Fitz II