Trinity Hall - Manchester City

All the greatest leagues in the world have one thing in common: soul. After all, huge sponsorship deals, beautiful venues, massive fan bases and the world’s best players can only get you so far. Never has such soul been displayed as it was last season when the minnows of Trinity Hall triumphed over all in what is now widely considered amongst my family to be one of the greatest seasons in their history.

Fitz - Manchester Utd

Following a brief domination of the football scene, Fitz’s golden generation have moved on and their fortunes have taken a turn for the worse. Were last season’s disappointments a simple dip in form or the beginning of an indefinite decline?  Will a lack of preseason preparation prove significant as they go on to face sides who inevitably will have done the same? And will Fitz ever again qualify for Europe?

Downing - Chelsea

Despite a disappointing performance last year – a seventh place finish was their lowest ranking in recent memory – the 2011/12 champions are my favourites for the title this year. Having faced an injury-plagued and controversial campaign last time round, they’ll have no excuses this year if they continue to under-perform. Unless they get more injuries of course...

Gonville and Caius - Arsenal

Cambridge football’s nearly-men. A heart-breaking second place finish in the league and a semi-final defeat in last season’s Cuppers competition will no doubt have left a less than pleasant taste in the mouths of the few college members who care about, or at least are aware of, their football team’s progress.

Expect to see them return invigorated. Not unlike everyone else.

Pembroke - Leicester

Something of an enigma, Pembroke make their highly anticipated (by someone presumably) return to the top flight. Following an unbeaten 2013-14 season in the league, and a close-run Cuppers final defeat, they will no doubt be hoping to steal victory from Trinity Hall.

Oh, and they also put seven past Tit Hall in the cup – big things, I tell you.

Selwyn - Stoke City

Well-organised, pragmatic and undeniably ugly. But that’s enough about their captain.
Masters of mediocrity, Selwyn have consistently found themselves mid-table in the Premier Division.

On a related, but ultimately irrelevant note, having been placed 13th on the Tompkins table and the 16th wealthiest college, Selwyn really is unbelievably average. 

Jesus - Southampton

With the highest finishing thirds side last season, if anyone has been investing heavily in grassroots football – which no one has – it’s been Jesus. And although the college’s top side didn’t quite perform in the league, Cuppers victory (a second for the college) will no doubt raise hopes for the coming season.

Also, they have beautiful pitches.

Catz - Liverpool

With six Cuppers victories between 1975 and 1983, Catz were once the dominant side in college football. A lot can happen in ten generations, however. With a sole victory since the league's inception in 1992, that coming 13 years ago, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Catz were a spent force. Except of course you wouldn't, given that the turnover rate of players is close to 30 per cent and that the best players are almost completely randomly sorted into colleges.

Indeed, a recent return to division one coupled with a promising run to the semi-finals of Cuppers suggests that Catz have not yet slumped into irrelevance.

King's - Hull City

A team on the up. Though not traditional heavyweights, recent investment, probably, has resulted in a meteoric rise into the upper echelons of college football. Such has been their progress that no less than two seasons ago, King's were widely considered to be less good than they are now.

St John's - QPR

They’re rubbish and everyone hates them.