This year has been a memorable one for the Clare Hall football team, reaching new heights at both 5-a-side and 11-a-side levels. The men’s 11-a-side team, shared with our friends at Clare College, were victorious both on and off the field. The year started with the team obtaining the same sponsor as the Champions League, Mastercard. This proved to be a recipe for success… During this season, our first team reached the University-wide intercollegiate Cuppers competition semi-final for the first time in the tournament’s 143-year history, whilst our second team lifted the Division 5 title. Before going into a more detailed description of both teams’ defining moments, here’s a reminder that our anniversary match between the Clare Hall and Clare College is on Grange Road on Saturday, 20 June at 2pm if you fancy getting involved!

There were players from Clare Hall in both teams this year. These included Adham El-Shazly, Aiman Kamarudin, Andreas Mørkved Hellenes, David Barth, Deniz Alkan, Ghanshyam Hirani, Manos Xagoraris, Mujeeb Adaraloye, Rafael Bottai, Raghav Sarangi, and Rishul Karia. All of whom played a part in the success of both teams and made multiple contributions towards an unbelievable anniversary year for both colleges. In fact, Clare Hall was well-represented at the recent football awards where Rafa claimed top goalscorer and goal of the season for the 1s, and Rishul picked up player of the season and goal of the season for the 2s.

The 1s:

Our Cuppers run will live long in the memory of those at either college who were there to witness it. Starting on a cold Sunday afternoon in February, 11 players took to the field as heavy underdogs against Churchill, with Rafa securing a 2-1 victory in extra time following an exquisite chest and volley. Our journey ultimately culminated in a bitterly disappointing 2-1 loss in the semi-finals to Selwyn on Grange Road. In fact, our campaign was so immense that the quarterfinals saw a squad of 20 or so turnout for a penalty shootout win against Pembroke, after equalising late in both normal and extra time. This saw unrivalled pandemonium on the sidelines as members of the 2s and supporters invaded the pitch to celebrate. It was also a nail-biting season in the league where we missed out on a play-off spot by 1 point and finished 4th overall.

The 2s:

It was a rollercoaster of a season for the 2s, starting with a thumping 8-1 win followed by a couple of losses, hard-fought draws and a dislocated elbow thrown in for good measure. The defining moment came on a cold, rainy night at Homerton, which as everyone certainly knows is not the most comfortable cycle from Clare Hall. A squad of 19 turned up to what was billed as a promotion 6-pointer and ended up being a title-defining, winner-takes-all match. Early into the second half, we were 3-1 down and chasing the game following a missed sitter from Ghan. Then came the comeback that will again be remembered by all those who were there to witness it. 2 quick-fire goals from Rishul levelled the game and as the seconds ticked down, a lovely, weighted ball from Raghav set Rishul on his way to complete a hattrick and seal what we thought was promotion and ended up being the title.

A big thank you for the continued support of those from Clare, who have driven the collective spirit between the colleges. In particular, the captains of both teams, Ben Keeling for the 1s and James Casparie and John Sanderson for the 2s, who steered both sides to such success this year. A final shout-out to those who came to watch the teams week in and week out, both Christopher Parsons and William Wood at Clare alongside the regular appearances from Clare Hall stalwart John Drew.

It is worth noting that Clare Hall does have its own mixed 5-a-side team, 6-a-side team share with Clare, and a women’s 11-a-side team shared with Peterhouse and Clare. The 5-a-side team, under the somewhat stable reign of captains Rishul and Ayesha Bennett, have welcomed anyone and everyone to come and give football a go in true Clare Hall spirit. This team’s ethos built a solid foundation, as we achieved a respectable 5th place in the league. Sadly, the women’s team did not play this year due to circumstances outside of their control, but we are hopeful of restarting this next year!

As stated earlier, this Clare Hall-only team will be competing in our annual friendly fixture against Clare College in our navy blue kit from 2007 on Saturday, 20 June from 2pm. Entry for this match is completely free and we will be playing for the coveted Karia-Keeling cup (named after the two captains) so please do come on down if available to witness what will surely be a fantastic occasion between two great colleges!

A big thank you to Rishul Karia and Robyn Schnell for the article. Photos are courtesy of the Clare Hall Football Team and the Cambridge University Sports Centre.