The Daily Prophet: 8 October 1997 (Sorry, posting this late!) 1997-98 Quidditch League Preview Barnaby Snell
The British and Irish Quidditch League starts action tomorrow, and your intrepid Daily Prophet pundits have put their heads together to predict how the league table will look at the end of the season. Here are our predictions, from the bottom to the top:
13 - Chudley Cannons Cannons fans are used to a quiet summer followed by a dreary season, and this year is no different. Manager Ragmar Dorkins made no signings of note, and has continued to go with captain Joey Jenkins and seeker Galvin Gudgeon, who in last season’s match against Wimbourne was seen to be asleep on his broom. Bookmakers are currently giving rather tasty odds of 3/1 on Chudley finishing the season without a win.
12 - Wigtown Wanderers Wigtown added disgraced former Montrose Chaser Alasdair Maddock to their squad and immediately made him their captain. Maddock’s penchant for attempting Muggle sport moves means Wanderers supporters can look forward to more rugby-style drop goal attempts from Maddock rather than properly throwing the Quaffle at goal.
11 - Wimbourne Wasps No big signings and no big losses this offseason for Wasps. Some people would be forgiven for forgetting that Wimbourne are even members of the Quidditch League. More optimistic fans would take this enigmatic approach as a sign that their team is a sleeping giant. More rational fans expect the usual bottom-third finish, and are biting their nails hoping they don’t lose to Chudley.
10 - Caerphilly Catapults Captain Angus Campbell is the only bright spot in a patched-up lineup for the Welsh side. The Catapults have been in need of reinforcements after an injury-ravaged season last year. They used 27 different players in their squad last season, the most by a League side since Ballycastle used 34 in 1845. The team continues to play in the spirit of the legendary “Dangerous” Dai Llewellyn, which means a continually crowded treatment room for Caerphilly’s team Healers.
9 - Appleby Arrows The Arrows have always seemed to be ready to break out as a top team, but this year will not be that year. Captain Gregory Cotton will muster his squad to play well above their skill level, but for all their fighting spirit, they’ll toil in mid-table obscurity again this year. At least they have a win in the derby against Wimbourne to look forward to.
8 - Tutshill Tornados The Tornados look like a spare-parts team this year. Keeper Merwyn Fenwick, Chaser Benjamin Montgomery and Beater and captain Brevis Birch managed to hold the line last year, but their injury list rivaled the triage register at Caerphilly. If Birch can cause more damage than his team suffers, Tutshill may finish in the top half, but it looks unlikely.
7 - Holyhead Harpies The loss of Wilda Griffiths dealt a big blow to Holyhead’s title hopes. Harpies captain Gwenog Jones will of course whip her team into a fighting frenzy, but the Harpies’ attack now rests on Valmai Morgan and new girl Angelina Johnson. With Jones in charge on the pitch, anything is possible, so expect the Harpies to sneak a few upset wins and prove to be the villains of the season, if they cannot be champions.
6 - Pride of Portree The Prides have one of the best Keepers in the League in Meghan McCormack. She’ll need to be in her usual prime form alongside a Chaser team in need of a guided Quaffle to score goals. Injuries dealt the team a rough blow last season, so captain Dougal McBride will need to marshal their fighting spirit to earn the scrappy wins Portree are noted for.
5 - Kenmare Kestrels Always on the verge of greatness, the Kestrels are primarily lacking a solid pair of Beaters to make a serious run at the Cup. The Irish core of the team, with the famous Chaser line of Troy, Mullet and Moran and Seeker Aidan Lynch, will prop the team up in the top half of the table, but their defense is suspect. Of the Chaser trio, Bridie Mullet in particular looks on form to have a breakout year, but she’ll have to score a ton of goals to offset a leaky Keeper and off-target Beaters.
4 - Ballycastle Bats It’s going to be a tough year for Bats fans. Without a significant signing in the offseason, Ballycastle’s continued presence in the top three is in danger, and unless captain Finbar Quigley can take out each opposing Chaser on his own, the Bats could very well slip down into the rest of the pack.
3 - Falmouth Falcons The Falcons are the “new money” team this season. Falmouth’s two big signings, Keeper Eric Bastien and Seeker Viktor Krum, will pull Falmouth out of the bottom third of the table and into the rarified air of the title contenders. The Falcons may want to build up their corps of Chasers if they want to bypass Montrose and Puddlemere.
2 - Montrose Magpies Seeker and captain Lennox Campbell must be relishing his chances of lifting the Quidditch Cup. The Magpies signed Bulgarian international Antigone Ivanova on loan to give their goal-scoring attack a dose of Pepperup. Campbell is a nimble flyer with a keen eye, and a safe bet to catch the Golden Snitch each time out. Any weak point in the Magpies’ lineup would be seen between the rings. As long as the Keeper doesn’t let in goals faster than Ivanova and co. score them, Montrose will remain competitive all season.
1 - Puddlemere United United bolstered their attack with the addition of Wilda Griffiths from Holyhead Harpies for a British record fee of 1,000 Galleons. She’ll have to prove she’s worth every Knut of that fee to lead United to another Cup. Keeper Oliver Wood will continue to fortify the United defense with his deft flying and blocking ability. Seeker Benjy Williams has plenty of new competition for the Golden Snitch; the United captain will have to step up his game to continue to compete against the likes of Campbell, Lynch and Krum.