Name: Dan Weston
Team captained: Goodricke 3rds
How have your team’s performances been in autumn and spring term?
We had a slow start, not performing to the best of our ability in the autumn term and only winning one game. However, following a change of formation the team’s fortunes picked up and we had a strong Spring term, and coming into good form.
What are your team’s strengths and weaknesses?
Our strengths would have to be our passing game, unlike some 3rds teams we’ve played who play a lot of hoof-ball we prefer to try and get the ball down and play where possible. Sometimes though we’ve tried to play too much football at the back and have been caught out, something which we will need to cut out against the stronger teams in our group, especially James 1sts.
How strong is your cup squad?
Very, we feel we have a good chance of upsetting some teams in our group.
Who would you call your ‘key player’ and why?
Either my co-captain Ben Campbell for his tackling in the middle but also neat footwork and passing ability going forward, or Zack for his pace up top and willingness to chase lost causes. Much like a young Paul Dickov.
What are your thoughts on your team’s group draw? Which game are you most looking forward to?
We’re delighted, as a 3rds team you always want to have a go at the best teams in the college football set up. Wentworth 1sts have just won their league, and James 1sts are obviously one of the favourites for the Cup. In Alcuin 3rds we’ll also be up against a team that we have a bit of a rivalry against following incidents in the last game we played against them.
If you could beat any team in the final, who would it be and why?
Goodricke 1sts, just to see the look on Joe Mann’s face, let’s see if the camera girl can capture that for the back pages haha! To be honest though if we won the cup I wouldn’t care who we beat.
What will you do to celebrate if you win the cup?
I’d run naked around campus, painted head to toe in the Green of Goodricke, then probably get arrested.
If you could change one thing about the college cup, what would it be?
Nothing, it’s a great competition and it’s a privilege to be part of it.
Who is your team ‘BNOC’ and why?
It would have to be Ben Butler, he gets about a bit. Some of the female readership of the paper may know him.
Which team in world football are you most like?
Millwall, we probably have a bit of a reputation for being a difficult team to play against, and two of our players have already had to serve bans this year. In short, no one likes us, we don’t care.
What are your expectations and ambitions for College Cup 2013?
Our expectations are high, I’d love to make it into the plate, and in my mind finishing bottom of the group isn’t an option for us, which would be a huge disappointment. I’d like us to battle hard and cause one or two upsets, and improve on last year by the side actually scoring in the tournament!
Vision says:
Goodricke 3rds have a collosal effort on their hands to qualify for the Plate in one of the stronger groups in this year’s competition. That said, they have grown into form over the last term which indicates they will not be a pushover, even against the strong 1sts teams of Wentworth and James. Achieving the scalp of Derwent or Vanbrugh 2nds would be a memorable giant-killing, and might see them sneak into the Plate. And the week 7 match-up with Alcuin 3rds, with whom there is some history, will be a cracker.