Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
But it wasn't a smooth path all the way. In the final BUSA league fixture, with victory guaranteeing York promotion, the minnows of York St John upset the University side when they battled to a 3-2 win. At the final whistle, York Uni thought York St John had denied them the title. However, Newcastle failed to capitalise, ensuring that it was York who climbed up the BUSA league ladder. In the NUL Cup semi-final, with York 2-0 down and only half an hour remaining, they were struggling. But a Dominic O'Shea hat-trick turned the semi-final around, dumping Leeds out the cup and booking York’s place in the final, which they went on to win 5-2.
Some of the key performers of last year, however, have now moved on, leaving big boots to be filled. Influential players such as midfield captain Dan Brown, forward Pardeep Singh and centre back Ben Matthews provided the backbone of last season's team. But new captain Dominic O'Shea is confident they can be replaced: "There are players from last season's 2nd XI that can come in and do a job, plus first team players who can play in several positions." One area O'Shea cites as an area that freshers could come in and make an impact is at centre-back: "We have an accomplished centre-back in Johnny MacWilliams, but it is a position where we lack depth."
Social secretary Andy Emmerson believes the freshers can also have an impact on the social scene: "There's always space on the socials for more people and we're hoping numbers will be up again this year. It'll be absolute class."
There are a number of players to keep an eye on this season who will undoubtedly be making headlines on campus. Two in particular are Thomas Wilson and Mark Gouland. Wilson, Player of the Year for the 2nd XI last year, will surely make the step up successfully. His touch and vision has never been in doubt, but he's also added aggression and strong tackling to his game. As for Gouland, his goal-threat will be a major addition to the 1st XI’s campaign for success this season. With an Adriano-like left foot, he’s expected to carry on his goal-scoring form this season.
As one of the largest clubs on campus, what is UYAFC all about? Club President Alex Richards explains: "Our aim is to get as many students as possible involved in, and enjoying, regular football at a competitive level, whilst also providing a great social network and striving for success on the pitch." The club will obviously be present at the AU Mart, with a beat-the-goalie competition and countless club members available to provide any information necessary about the club. The club had a successful fresher intake last year, with several earning places in the top two teams. The first years are an important part of the club, as eight of the nine committee places are now occupied by last year’s freshers.
Richards has his sights set on another successful season: "Following the successes of last season, we're very much looking forward to welcoming a new set of freshers into the club, and hoping to hit new heights on the field this time around." He will surely be hoping to carry on the UYAFC legacy of ‘Honest, Loyalty, Unity’.
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