To be very blunt, York will expect to emerge from Roses 2013 victorious, and will surely start as strong favourites. Now I see a puzzled look crossing your face, as you question my logic, and ask why should York be labelled clear favourites after being defeated by a 25-point margin last year?
Well the answer is that there is one simple factor, home advantage. In the previous 48 editions of Roses the visiting side have only ever prevailed eight times, and the last time Lancaster returned from their travels with the Carter-James Trophy was back in 1985, when only the oldest amongst us were born.
In truth there are three reasons for explaining this phenomenon, with the most simple being a factor that passes through all echelons of sport, the idea that the home side both knows the pitch it is playing on and, more importantly, has the backing of a home crowd.
Throughout most of the year, University sides are lucky to get more than half-a-dozen spectators, but come Roses weekend they often have three figure crowds urging them on and hurling abuse at their opponents. The atmosphere at Roses is akin to nothing else in University sport, and can serve both to unnerve the visitors and uplift the home side, thus handing the initiative to the hosts.
Availability is another factor, as even though Roses is the highlight of the sporting year, there are always some who are unable to make the long trip for three days, due to their academic commitments or other circumstances, a problem which tends not to beset the hosts.
Yet arguably the most detrimental issue for the visiting side at Roses is the hindrance that is applied to a side’s preparation. Sleeping on a hard lecture theatre floor, if you can call it sleeping (people tend to be trudging around through the night), is hardly conducive to allowing you to give your performance of the season in a sleep-deprived and aching state the following morning.
Even if you play on Friday, you have to rise early before embarking on a two-hour bus journey which again takes the edge off your performance. By Sunday, the visiting athletes are tired, uncomfortable and often hungover after failing to resist the allure of the host’s bars or clubs, again proving detrimental to their performance.
Home advantage tends to play a role in all sports, and in Roses it’s no different. The statistics don’t lie, and truly do emphasise the handicap placed upon the visiting side, in this case Lancaster. On paper, the two Universities are well matched, but the advantage of hosting Roses 2013 should tip the contest in York’s favour.