JCR Football Preview: Second Division

The Second Division is a graveyard of dreams.

It’s full of those teams who are perpetually mired near the bottom of the pyramid, those historically weak colleges who had a good run for a couple of years and are now on the way back down, and very occasionally a historic power who have just been abysmal for a couple of years for some reason.

That being said, there always ends up being a legitimate Cuppers contender from here – a Second Division team has made the final four of the last five years.

Could we see another? Honestly, probably not.

Queen spirit: but are they good enough?

Many years there’s an obvious ascendant power here, but right now, it’s not obvious.

St Hilda’s and St Peter’s were a class apart from four others teams in the Third Division, and boast a varsity starter apiece, but couldn’t dominate week in, week out last year against weak opposition.

Pembroke made the Cuppers quarters, but it took two penalty shootouts to do so; LMH and St John’s were fighting for their life all year, although LMH striker and captain Mark Hortop could be a break-out star after limited games last season.

St Anne’s, coming off one of their most successful seasons in recent history, were a shambles – the 2012 Cuppers finalists forfeited three of their last four games, and new captain Alex Cavell will be under pressure to right his ship fast.

In the end, the surest thing will probably be Queen’s, if only for the fact that any team organised enough to tweet as much as they do should destroy the Second Division.

Tab Prediction: Queen’s to make a quick return, St Peter’s to ride their Blues goalkeeper to the First Division, St Anne’s to maybe do well if the weather doesn’t ruin everything again