The MCR Football League is considered by many to be a bit of a joke. One ‘grad-lad’ mentioned a few weeks ago that he ‘couldn’t play in that team, it didn’t even resemble football’, and if you ask around, this is a view that’s widely held. Having seen Engineering FC, a team with an age range of 15-50 (and that’s being conservative) and a win record which doesn’t look out of place next to that of American Samoa, take on a St John’s MCR team which only managed to put out eight men, I was inclined to agree with that consensus.

That was before this weekend. Throwing myself into the world of college football I saw three games this weekend, in the First Division, Second Division and MCR league. Whilst Downing and Trinity played out a dour 0-0 draw, on a cramped pitch where the sides cancelled each other out, Selwyn/Robinson MCR were involved in a fantastic match against Clare/Fitz MCR.

The pitch was vast, the fitness levels poor, the enthusiasm fantastic and the spirit of the game hugely refreshing. Instead of seeing the referee lambasted for every call as in the top-flight clash, both teams just got on with playing. In fact, when one captain began complaining, his own ‘keeper and centre back, as well as the opposing captain, all politely told him to ‘play some football and leave the rest to the ref’.

But what struck me the most about the game was just how much quality there really was on show. Misplaced passes were rare, close control was fantastic, some of the finishing was top-drawer, and while the goalkeeping left something to be desired, both defences stood up to stern for the majority of the game.

The boggy pitch meant that players really tired towards the end, giving more space to the ‘flair players’. A delightful back-heel nutmeg left the visiting captain looking a shade embarrassed, and 60-yard cross-field passes became commonplace. This was not schoolboy football, this was men (and one woman) playing properly.

A final minute goal meant that Clare/Fitz nicked the game 3-2, having lead three times and still only holding the lead for an aggregate of three and a half minutes. The result hurt for "Robwyn", but you felt that each player probably had more important things in their lives to redress the balance.

Would either of these teams compete in the college leagues? Not in the top two flights but they could probably hold their own in the middle leagues. But the match was far more enjoyable a spectacle than Downing vs. Trinity.