2006 – 2007

MEN’S ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL REPORT – 2006 / 2007

Officers: Captain Max Olds

Having been relegated the previous season, the first eleven was intending to bounce straight back. Things did start well, and after the first few weeks Queen’s were comfortable in the promotion zone. Unfortunately, in the middle of the season the results tailed off, perhaps due to the difficulty of raising a full team, particularly when poor weather meant that many matches had to be rescheduled. With two games remaining, Queen’s and four other teams still had a chance of promotion or relegation. A hard-fought draw for Queen’s in the penultimate game reduced the last match to a relegation play-off. Unfortunately, Queen’s lost narrowly and was relegated for the second consecutive year.

Cuppers was a similar story of disappointing outcomes but not performances. The first eleven was knocked out in the first round by the eventual winners, Brasenose. The match finished 2-1, and it was Brasenose’s narrowest margin of victory in the competition and their hardest match. During Trinity Term a Queen’s side reached the quarter-finals of the five-a-side Cuppers tournament.

All in all, it was not a great season, but there were plenty of positive features. The emergence of some high quality freshers, and the fact that some of the team’s performances were of a high enough standard to have won the league gives us hope for a successful 2007-08 season.


WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL REPORT

Officers: Captain Monica Jackson; Vice-Captain Victoria Boldison

Building on last year’s progress, the 2006-07 season has seen a turnaround in the fortunes of the Queen’s team, with an unbeaten record in the league and promotion to the second division. The season began with the official union of the Queen’s and Wycliffe Hall clubs to form a new squad of over twenty regular players, boosted by a large American contingent that brought not only skill, but also a large number of enthusiastic supporters to every match.

Our early games saw regular victories in both inter-college competitions, including a 10-1 victory over St John’s, but a disappointing defeat by New College in December saw Queen’s knocked out of Cuppers all too early. In the league, however, thanks to a hard-fought 2-1 victory over New College in the final match, Queen’s was the only team to win every game.

Individual performances are hard to single out as this season has been a real team effort with the quality of play in all areas of the field being excellent. However, with an overall positive goal difference of 22, special mention must go to goalkeepers Amy Seymour and Elisabeth Fallon, who were coached by Susannah Chapman, and also to the most prolific scorers, Lucy Mull, Caitlin Seccombe, Christina Levick and Laura Carlson. Although sometimes accused of relying too heavily on the Wycliffe intake, the team was fortunate to gain several talented Queen’s players, with Caroline Lawrence and Giulia Pastorella proving key in midfield.

Next year’s team will be without Victoria Boldison, Katrina Ward, Beth McManus, Christina Levick, Giulia Pastorella, Susannah Chapman and Claire Coppel, all of whom have been vital to the club’s success this year and to whom the club is grateful for all their commitment. However, led by Caroline Lawrence and Susie Green, it is to be hoped that the club will continue its success well into 2008.