After the huge success of the Yellow Cat Cup, it returns for its second year. Will the holder Jonny Breeze’s Dirty Rent Boys be able to retain his title? We’ve asked a local bookmaker for the odds of each competitor.

AFC Hold the Front Page – 2/1

AFC HtFP started the season well but have drifted a little since. Injuries have not helped the team, but with the squad almost at full fitness we expect them to regain some of their early season form.  3rd in the points per minutes table, despite their injury issues, and having topped the northern points league 3 times, we expect them to have a strong Cup run and have them as favourite to win their group.

Barker’s Bertrands – 3/1

Barker’s Bertrands were one of the surprise packages in last season’s YCC, defying their outsider odds and narrowly losing out to Jonny Breeze. This current season we have them ranked 2nd of the northern entries largely as they are in great form with a surge up the table in recent Gameweeks. Their injury list is high, however with in form loanee Jamie Vardy shooting freely and the manager’s love for a cup run we feel they will again be the surprise package of the North.

Baines on Toast – 4/1

Manager Singh has made it clear from the start of the season that he only has eyes for this illusive trophy. Working his players hard in training to get them in position for this competition has cost them dearly as they have lost their key player, Dimitri Payet, to injury. The manager has gambled on replacing him with Ross Barkley, however losing the lynch pin of their team on the eve of the competition has no doubt hurt their manager’s chances of getting his hands on that little yellow cat.

AFC Hold the Front Page – 44/1

Deeney’s Donkeys face an uphill battle having only topped the Northern points chart once in the first 12 gameweeks. A team that features the dynamic duo of Aguero and Deeney will always offer hope, however a seemingly unstoppable run of propping up the league table has left a terrible sense of doom around the manager and team. The silver lining for manager Jonny Wild is the performance of Jonny Breeze in last years YCC and the hope that the fans get excited about a cup run and cease their baying for the manager’s head.

(Don’t) Blame it on the Wijis – Evens

Top of both the league and points per minute table and having topped the southern points chart 5 times, it is clear that the Wiji’s are in strong form going in to this cup competition. This, combined with the imminent return of David Silva, has the Wiji’s as this years favourite to be lifting the little yellow cat this year. The one concern will be whether the manager can cope with the pressure as favourites, especially having disappointed so spectacularly in the European Cup final earlier this season.

LWC – 2/1

Blessed with a largely clean injury record (2nd in the total minutes played table), LWC have had a solid start to the season. The exciting combination of Ayew, Mane and Kane is supported by the solid due of Toby Toby Alderweireld and Craig Dawson. LWC would have been considered favourites but for the long term injuries to Jagielka and Henderson. If either are able to return early in the cup competition then there is real hope for manage Whitham.

Dirty Rent Boys – 6/1 

The holder goes into the competition in a similar manner to last year. Going in to the first game without a recognised goal keeper is a brave stance, however they are blessed with gifted players who could score well on a given day. Last seasons we learned to our cost about writing off this manager based on the performances to date, however we feel it would be hard for manager Breeze to retain the little yellow cat.

We all fist the Ozil – 7/1 

Injuries and omissions have cost the team heavily so far this season, having played 2,840 minutes less than Baines on Toast. Arguably the most creative of midfields (Mata and Ozil) are let down by underperforming strikers (Costa and Diouf). Whilst the injury list has largely cleared up, manager Bingham will feel himself unlucky to be in such a competitive division – which may be why rumours of the team relocating further north won’t go away.