Name: Andrew Sutton
Team Captained: Wentworth 1sts
How have your team’s performances been in autumn and spring term?
A strong autumn term performance was followed by an even stronger spring term performance, where we made history, winning a term-time league for the first time. Throughout both terms we were well-organised, had a good shape about us, and counter-attacked with devastating effect.
What are your team’s strengths and weaknesses?
Our team combines a solid defensive unit with creative attacking players. Other captains will have to work harder than simply reading Vision to work out our weaknesses! That said, while I expect there to be stronger sides than ourselves in the CC, I see no obvious weaknesses.
How strong is your cup squad?
Much the same as throughout the first two terms, when our performances were excellent. I expect other sides will, as per, be stronger for the CC with Uni players. On the flip side, we will have been able to field a fairly consistent team throughout the year. Everyone knows the system, their role, and the games others in the team play; hopefully, this can play into our hands.
Who would you call your ‘key player’ and why?
Dan Bawdon and Tim Martin. The former was our stand-out player by a country mile in last year’s disappointing CC campaign – he has great energy and an eye for goal. The latter filled the former’s role more than competently during the spring term, when Dan was away on placement – he scored ten goals in nine games throughout the first two terms.
What are your thoughts on your team’s group draw? Which game are you most looking forward to?
Very tough; but, given our performances throughout the first two terms, we have to be confident. I think we’re a much better team than last year, although, individually, we’re no stronger. I expect James 1sts to compete for the title. Much is likely to come down to the results between ourselves and the two (strong) 2nds teams.
If you could beat any team in the final, who would it be and why?
No huge rivalry with anyone, really. Let’s say Derwent 1sts as they’re the only team to have beaten us so far this year.
What will you do to celebrate if you win the cup?
Being postgraduates, sure any potential celebrations would, naturally, be low-key. A night at the theatre, perhaps…
If you could change one thing about the college cup, what would it be?
I’d fancy our chances more if we were playing on grass.
Who is your team ‘BNOC’ and why?
Aside from me, renowned for passing my expert knowledge of mathematics onto our delightful economics undergraduates, through the application of my remarkable pedagogical skills, it has to be Dom “still playing college football at 30” Green. Okay, so he’s not quite 30, but he’s played in many a College Cup. He claims to be the all-time leading scorer in the competition, but that’s surely attributable to the number of years he’s been involved with it, rather than being lethal in front of goal.
Which team in world football are you most like?
My knee-jerk reaction is to say Stoke, but that doesn’t do us justice. Although somewhat – albeit not overly – physical, well-organised, and solid defensively, we play better football than Stoke and are much more creative going forward! Also, Stoke are in dreadful form. Maybe Bayern Munich, then… Very solid defensively, with a number of creative attacking players, who are more than capable of grabbing a goal.
What are your expectations and ambitions for College Cup 2013?
It’s hard to know just how strong a side will be in the CC, particularly for undergraduate colleges. You have the countervailing influences of Uni players pushing other good players down the pecking order and potentially into lower teams, thus strengthening all teams, and, on the other hand, the lack of consistency this brings, which could be troublesome. Some teams will deal well with it, and others will look like strangers. For this reason, it’s hard to speculate as to how we’ll do, as we know little about what kind of team our opponents will have out for the Cup, and whether they will gel or not. We’ve performed well throughout the year, though, and our ambition is to qualify for the Cup proper, thus at least matching our best performance in the Cup, to date. If we manage that, we’ll take it a game at a time from that point onwards.
Vision says:
Wentworth 1sts are a difficult team to predict for this year’s competition. They are clearly a strong side with an established style which has brought them success. They won’t be bolstered by Uni players, but the continuity in the team may in fact be more beneficial. Nonetheless, finishing in the top two will be a challenge with James 1sts, as well as two of the stronger 2nds teams in Vanbrugh and Derwent, making up Group 2. Cup progression would be a great achievement, but if they drop into the Plate they will be contenders for that.