Oxford United F.C.

Association football clubhouse

football clubhouse
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football cabaret in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the one-third tier of the English football league system. The chair is Sumrith Thanakarnjanasuth, [ 2 ] the coach is Karl Robinson [ 3 ] and the team captain is John Mousinho. [ 4 ]

Reading: Oxford United F.C. – Wikipedia

Founded in 1893 as Headington United, Oxford United adopted its current name in 1960. It joined the Football League in 1962 after winning the Southern Football League, reaching the second Division in 1968. After relegation in 1976, between 1984 and 1986 the club earned consecutive promotions into the First Division, and won the League Cup in 1986. however, Oxford was unable thereby to enter the 1987 UEFA Cup because of the UEFA ban on English clubs in european competitions. relegation from the top flight in 1988 began an 18-year decline which saw the club relegated to the conference in 2006, becoming the beginning winners of a major trophy to be relegated from the Football League. After four seasons, Oxford returned to League Two in 2010 via the playoffs, and six seasons late achieved promotion to League One, after finishing second in League Two in 2016. Ron Atkinson holds the club phonograph record for the most overall appearances with 560, John Shuker holds the read for the most appearances in the Football League with 478 and Ron ‘s belated brother Graham Atkinson holds the record for the most goals scored with 107. In sum, nineteen players have made international appearances while playing for the club. United ‘s base land is the Kassam Stadium in Oxford and has a capacity of 12,500. United moved to the stadium in 2001 after leaving the Manor Ground, their home for 76 years. Swindon Town and Reading are the club ‘s main rivals .

history [edit ]

Headington United [edit ]

Oxford United were formed as Headington in 1893, [ 1 ] adding the suffix United in 1911 after merging with Headington Quarry. The club was founded by Rev. John Scott-Tucker, the vicar at Saint Andrew ‘s Church in Headington, and a local doctor of the church named Robert Hitchings. [ 5 ] A football team was a way for the cricketers of Headington Cricket Club to maintain their fitness during the winter break dance. [ 5 ] The club ‘s first gear football match played was against Cowley Barracks. Headington had no regular dwelling until 1913, when they were able to purchase Wootten ‘s Field on London Road, but this was redeveloped in 1920, forcing the club to move. [ 5 ] A permanent wave home was found in 1925, when they purchased the Manor Ground locate on London Road. [ 5 ] The facility was used as a cricket peddle in the summer, and a football sales talk in the winter. In 1899, six years after their constitution, Headington United joined the Oxfordshire District League Second Division, where they competed until the outbreak of the First World War ; the Second Division was renamed the Oxfordshire Junior League after the resumption of football in 1919. In 1921, the baseball club was admitted into the Oxon Senior League. [ 6 ] The beginning temper included a 9–0 victory, with eight of those goals coming from P. Drewitt. This remains a record for the highest total of goals scored by an Oxford player in a first-team match. [ 7 ] At this clock time a small competition existed with Cowley F.C., who were based a few miles south of Headington. During a league bet on on May Day, the referee gave two penalties to Cowley ; supporters broke past security and players, resulting in the referee being “ freely baited ”. [ 8 ] The first gear FA Cup tie played was in 1931, against Hounslow F.C. in the Preliminary Round, ending in an 8–2 kill for Headington. [ 9 ] United spent two seasons in the Spartan League in 1947 and 1948, finishing fifth and fourth respectively. It was around this fourth dimension that the cricket team left the Manor and moved to modern premises near Cowley Barracks. A move into professional football was first considered during the 1948–49 season. Vic Couling, the president at the time, had applied for Headington to become a member of a raw Second Division in the Southern League. [ 10 ] other teams that applied included Weymouth, Kettering Town and future league side Cambridge United. Although the plans were postponed, the First Division was going to be expanded by two clubs ; Weymouth and Headington were elected. It was later discovered that Llanelli had good one vote fewer than Headington. [ 10 ] Oxford played its inaugural season in the Southern League in 1949, the like class they turned master. [ 1 ] Former First Division ahead Harry Thompson was hired as director. In 1950, Headington United became the foremost professional club in Britain to install floodlights, [ 11 ] and used them on 18 December against Banbury Spencer. [ 12 ] They initially played in orange and blue sky shirts, but changed to yellow home plate shirts for the 1957–58 temper. [ 13 ] The cause for the change is nameless. In 1960, Headington United was renamed Oxford United, to give the club a higher profile. [ 1 ]
Chart of historic table positions since election to the Football League Two years late, in 1962, the club won the Southern League title for the second gear consecutive season and was elected to the Football League Fourth Division, [ 14 ] occupying the vacant place left by bankrupt Accrington Stanley. Two consecutive eighteenth-place finishes followed, [ 15 ] [ 16 ] before forwarding to the Third Division was achieved in 1965. [ 17 ] A class before the promotion, Oxford became the first Fourth Division club to reach the sixth attack of the FA Cup, [ 18 ] [ 19 ] but have not progressed that army for the liberation of rwanda in the contest since. Oxford won the Third Division claim in 1967–68, [ 20 ] their one-sixth season as a league clubhouse, but after eight years of relative constancy the club was relegated from the Second Division in 1975–76. [ 21 ] In 1982, as a Third Division side, Oxford United faced closure because of the golf club ‘s inability to service the debts owed to Barclays Bank, [ 22 ] but were rescued when businessman Robert Maxwell took over the club. [ 1 ] In April 1983, Maxwell proposed merging United with neighbours Reading, to form a new cabaret called the Thames Valley Royals, [ 23 ] to play at Didcot. Jim Smith would have managed the clubhouse and been assisted by Reading bos Maurice Evans. The amalgamation was called off as a result of fans of both clubs protesting against the decision. furthermore, the Reading chair stepped down and was replaced by an opposition of the fusion. [ 24 ] Maxwell besides threatened to fold the cabaret if the amalgamation did not go through. [ 25 ] Oxford won the Third Division title after the 1983–84 temper under the management of Jim Smith, [ 26 ] who besides guided them to the Second Division title the follow year. [ 27 ] This mean that Oxford United would be playing First Division football in the 1985–86 season, 23 years after joining the Football League. Smith moved to Queens Park Rangers shortly after the forwarding success, [ 28 ] and made way for head lookout Maurice Evans, who, several seasons earlier, had won the Fourth Division title with Reading. [ 26 ]

First Division and cup success [edit ]

The Milk Cup, which is hush displayed in the club ‘s trophy cabinet Oxford United finished eighteenth in the 1985–86 First Division, [ 29 ] avoiding relegation on the death day of the season after defeating arsenal 3–0. They besides won the Football League Cup, known at the time as the Milk Cup under a sponsorship deal. As winners, Oxford would have qualified for the watch temper ‘s UEFA Cup, had it not been for the ban on English teams that had resulted from the previous year ‘s Heysel Stadium catastrophe. [ 30 ] After beating fellow First Division side Aston Villa in the semi-final 4–3 on aggregate, [ 31 ] Oxford faced Queens Park Rangers in the final, which was held at Wembley Stadium on 20 April 1986. The game finished 3–0 with goals from Trevor Hebberd, Ray Houghton and Jeremy Charles. After the match long-serving physical therapist, 72-year-old Ken Fish, collected one of the achiever ‘s medals, alternatively of coach Maurice Evans. Evans felt that Fish deserved the decoration for his service to the baseball club, and indeed gave him his, in what was seen as an “ unprecedented gesture ”. [ 32 ] It was the last time the League Cup was played under the name “ Milk Cup ”, sponsors Littlewoods taking over the follow season. [ 33 ] The 1986–87 season saw Oxford United narrowly invalidate delegating and stay in the First Division. Robert Maxwell resigned as president in May 1987, to take over at Derby County, handing the clubhouse to his son Kevin. [ 34 ] Maurice Evans was sacked in March 1988 with Oxford bottom of the First Division. former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson was named as Oxford ‘s new director, but was ineffective to prevent relegation to the Second Division. He was sacked three months into the 1988–89 Second Division campaign after a quarrel with the president over the £1 million sale of hitter Dean Saunders to Derby County ; [ 35 ] Derby were owned by Robert Maxwell, forefather of the then Oxford United chair, Kevin Maxwell. Following Robert Maxwell ‘s death in 1991, his personal estate, including the clubhouse, became bankrupt. [ 36 ] After a long search for a new owner, during which BioMass Recycling Ltd took over the golf club, Brian Horton was named as Oxford ‘s fresh coach. He remained in tear until September 1993, when he moved to Manchester City in the recently formed FA Premier League. Horton led United to mid-table finishes during his management while, apart from a 21st-place finish at the end of the 1991–92 season. A 2–1 win over Tranmere Rovers, and a winnings for Blackburn Rovers over Plymouth Argyle, mean United survived relegation by two points. Oxford, now in the rename Football League Division One, concisely restored Maurice Evans as director, before turning to Bristol City director Denis Smith. Despite Smith ‘s efforts, Oxford was relegated to Division Two at the goal of the 1993–94 season, with barely four wins in the final eleven games. [ 37 ]

fiscal problems [edit ]

Denis Smith brought in two strikers who were experienced in the exceed division : Southampton ‘s Paul Moody and Nottingham Forest ‘s Nigel Jemson. Oxford finished seventh in 1994–95 season, [ 38 ] and in the comply season gained promotion by finishing runner-up to rivals Swindon Town, despite not winning an away game till the goal of January. Robin Herd, co-owner of the March Racing Team, took control of the baseball club in 1995. In June of that year, the dining table of directors unveil plans for a new 16,000-seat stadium at Minchery Farm, to replace the bedraggled Manor Ground. [ 38 ] The club had hoped to move into the newfangled stadium near the Blackbird Leys house estate of the realm by the begin of the 1998–99 season, but construction was suspended during the preceding season, because construction ship’s company Taylor Woodrow had not been paid for the ferment already contract. [ 39 ]

Dropping through the divisions [edit ]

The 1996–97 season saw Oxford eat up seventeenth, and included the sale of scottish international defender Matt Elliott to Leicester City. Despite Smith ‘s passing to West Bromwich Albion in December 1997, United finished twelfth the following season under his successor, and former captain, Malcolm Shotton. Shotton was previously the adjunct coach of the Barnsley side that gained promotion to the Premier League. During October 1998, the backroom staff at the club went unpaid, due to United ‘s fiscal situation with the new stadium, and the threat of administration caused a group of fans to set up a blackmail group called Fighting for Oxford United ‘s Life ( FOUL ). [ 40 ] The group began to publicise the club ‘s predicament through a series of meetings and events, including a ‘Scarf of Unity ‘, which was a collection of scarves from versatile clubs which was hanker enough to stretch around the margin of the pitch. [ 40 ] Chairman Robin Herd stepped devour to concentrate on his engineering projects, and in April 1999 Firoz Kassam bought Herd ‘s 89.9 % controlling interest in Oxford United for £1, with which he besides inherited the club ‘s estimated £15 million debt. [ 41 ] Kassam reduced £9 million of the debt to merely £900,000, by virtue of a Company Voluntary Arrangement, by which unbarred creditors who were owed over £1,000 were reimbursed with 10p for every hammer they were owed. [ 42 ] Secured creditors were paid off when Kassam sold the Manor to another of his companies, for £6 million. Kassam set about completing the bare stadium, gaining planning license for a bowl bowling alley, multiplex cinema and hotel next to the stadium, following a series of legal battles which were finally all settled. [ 43 ] The season ended with delegating back to the Second Division. Oxford ‘s poor people form continued into the 1999–2000 season and, with the team in the relegation zone, Shotton resigned in late October. After a few months with Mickey Lewis as player-manager, former coach Denis Smith returned to the cabaret, managing a twentieth-place finish, one station clear of relegation. [ 44 ] Smith ‘s moment spell did n’t last hanker, and he was replaced by David Kemp a few weeks into the surveil campaign. At the conclusion of the 2000–01 season, Oxford were relegated back to the Third Division after a 35-year absence, with 100 goals conceded. [ 45 ] They suffered 33 league defeats, the second-highest number of league defeats ever endured by a league club in a unmarried season. [ 46 ]

Division Three years [edit ]

Oxford began the adjacent temper with a new director and a new stadium, with the move to the Kassam Stadium completed after six years of speculation. Former Liverpool and England defender Mark Wright was given the coach ‘s job, but resigned in belated November, after being accused of making racist remarks to referee Joe Ross. [ 47 ] Wright ‘s successor, Ian Atkins, was unable to make an immediate affect and Oxford finished in 21st place in the league, at the time their lowest-ever league position. [ 48 ] United missed out on the play-off places the postdate season, by one place and one target. [ 49 ] Fifteen wins at the start of the 2003–04 temper saw Oxford top of the board at the end of January. [ 50 ] however, Ian Atkins was sacked in March after agreeing to take charge at rivals Bristol Rovers. His substitute, Graham Rix, could entirely manage a ninth-place complete at the end of the season, and was sacked the following November. Oxford replaced him with Argentine Ramón Díaz, who managed the team to a mid-table finish. Diaz and his team of assistants left the clubhouse at the begin of May 2005, after being banned from the labor by the chair following failed negotiations. [ 51 ] During his clock time at the club, Diaz brought in a number of south american players including his own sons, and Juan Pablo Raponi. [ 52 ] Ex-England midfielder and former West Bromwich Albion director Brian Talbot signed a biennial abridge to replace Rix. Talbot found small success and was sacked in March 2006, with the baseball club in 22nd place. [ 53 ] He was replaced by youth team coach Darren Patterson. On 21 March 2006, Firoz Kassam sold the baseball club, including its debts, for approximately £2 million to Florida-based businessman Nick Merry, who had played for United ‘s youth team in the mid-1970s. [ 54 ] [ 55 ] Merry immediately made changes to the club, including the lease of former coach Jim Smith in his second go. Despite signing five new players on his first gear day in charge, Smith was unable to prevent relegation at the conclusion of the 2005–06 season. After 44 years in English league football, Oxford were relegated to the Conference National after finishing in 23rd place, [ 56 ] becoming the first base former winners of a major trophy to be relegated from the league. Coincidentally, Accrington Stanley, the club whose bankruptcy in 1962 allowed United to be elected into the League, was one of the two clubs promoted to replace them. [ 57 ]
Jim Smith was retained as coach for the postdate season, and it started positively for Oxford, with 14 wins and 8 draws from the opening 25 games. [ 58 ] A run of eleven league games without a acquire followed, and saw United drop to second, where they remained until the end of the season. On Boxing Day 2006, a crowd of 11,065 watch United draw 0–0 with Woking at the Kassam Stadium, the largest-ever attendance for a Conference catch ( excluding play-offs ). [ 59 ] Oxford qualified for the play-offs by finishing second, [ 60 ] but lost on penalties in the semi-final to Exeter City. On 9 November 2007, Jim Smith resigned as coach and first-team coach Darren Patterson returned as director. [ 61 ] In a lackluster season which included defeats to Droylsden and Tonbridge Angels, camouflaged by a belated run of eight wins in the final eleven games, [ 62 ] Oxford finished 9th in the Conference National in 2007–08, 10 points off the last play-off set. [ 63 ] On 2 October 2008, Nick Merry stepped down a president to be replaced by Kelvin Thomas, [ 64 ] who had been separate of the management team at the time of Merry ‘s takeover. Just under two months late, Patterson was sacked after a poor people run of form, and was replaced by former Halifax Town coach Chris Wilder. [ 65 ] Following Wilder ‘s arrival, the team won 15 of the remaining 21 league matches that season. [ 66 ] A 5-point tax write-off for fielding an unregistered actor resulted in a seventh-place finish up, four points and two places short of the play-offs. [ 67 ]
Oxford United lining up with York City at the Football Conference play-off final in 2010 Oxford led the board for most of the first half of the 2009–10 temper, but dropped into the play-off places after a poor run of shape, finishing third gear. They beat Rushden & Diamonds over two legs to advance to the play-off concluding against York City on 16 May 2010. [ 68 ] Oxford won the concluding 3–1, to return to the Football League for the 2010–11 season. [ 69 ] The attendance was 42,669, [ 70 ] a newly record for the final, with around 33,000 being United fans .
Oxford ‘s first game back in the Football League was away to Burton, which finished in a 0–0 draw ; [ 71 ] their first League acquire was on 4 September against Morecambe at the Kassam Stadium, with James Constable scoring a hat-trick in a 4–0 victory. [ 72 ] They finished the season in 12th target. The team spent a lot of the 2011–12 season in or around the playoff places, and achieved the doubly over rivals ( and eventual champions ) Swindon Town for the first time since the 1973–74 season. [ 74 ] [ 75 ] [ 76 ] however, they failed to win any of their last seven matches and finished the temper in 9th station, two places and four points outside the play-offs. [ 77 ] Chairman Kelvin Thomas stepped down during the 2012 close season, to be replaced by owner Ian Lenagan. [ 78 ] The 2012–13 season was blighted by injuries and patchy phase : after opening the season with three wins and briefly heading the table, United lost their future six games, a form of inconsistency that was to continue throughout the season. United finished outside the play-offs for the third gear consecutive temper, but coach Chris Wilder was given a further annual shrink in April 2013. Some Oxford fans were infelicitous about the decision to renew Wilder ‘s condense, having pressed for his displace during the second half of the 2012–13 temper. [ 79 ] After another bright begin, Oxford led the postpone several times in the first base half of the 2013–14 season. On 25 January 2014, with the club faltering though hush in the play-off places, Wilder resigned as director to take up the reins at relegation-threatened Northampton. Mickey Lewis subsequently became the caretaker director for a second time for the club. On 22 March 2014, Gary Waddock was appointed the mind coach of the cabaret after a drawn-out interview serve, leaving his job as Head of Coaching at MK Dons. [ 80 ] Under Lewis and Waddock, Oxford slipped out of the play-off places in the final examination few weeks of the season, finishing a disappoint one-eighth in the table, nine points off the final playoff position. In July 2014, Waddock ‘s compress was terminated after a change of possession and he was replaced by Michael Appleton. [ 81 ] Waddock ‘s surprise sacking ensured he had the worst record of any Oxford director, winning only once and losing seven times in his eight games in charge of the club. After an indifferent inaugural season under Appleton, Oxford achieved promotion to League One in his moment year in charge, finishing the 2015–16 season in 2nd rate with 86 points. [ 82 ] They besides reached the final of the League Trophy at Wembley Stadium, lone the cabaret ‘s third base appearance at the national stadium, but were defeated 3–2 by their League One opponents Barnsley. [ 83 ] In 2016–17, having sold Kemar Roofe during the close season for a record £3m [ 84 ] and signed Marvin Johnson for an undisclosed fee besides thought to be a club commemorate, [ 85 ] Oxford finished 8th in League One, four points unretentive of the playoff places, [ 86 ] and again lost in the final of the League Trophy at Wembley, this time to relegation-bound Coventry City. [ 87 ] Appleton left the baseball club to become assistant director at Leicester City of the Premier League in June 2017, [ 88 ] and was replaced by Pep Clotet, once adjunct coach at Leeds United. [ 89 ] On 22 January 2018, Clotet was sacked, [ 90 ] with the club in 10th place in League One after a home get the better of to bottom club Bury. [ 91 ] After a drawn-out period under caretaker-manager Derek Fazackerley during which the team slipped to within 4 points of the relegation zone, [ 92 ] Karl Robinson, former coach of Milton Keynes Dons and Charlton Athletic, was appointed on 22 March 2018. Robinson had to wait five games for his first gear gain, but his aim of retaining the club ‘s League One condition was achieved with three wins from the last five games of the season. The club finished in 16th position on 56 points, six points above the relegation zone. A twelfth set finished was achieved the follow year, despite spend over half of the season in the relegation zone. An better fourth place finished followed in the sawed-off 2019/20 season, which was affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. When the season was suspended, Oxford were 3rd in the board, but following an agreement from clubs to end the season early, the U ‘s dropped one place to 4th after the final examination table was decided under an unweighted points per game system. [ 93 ] The play-offs stay as normal, where United faced Portsmouth in the semi-final. Following a 1-1 puff in the first gear leg, United won 5-4 on penalties when the moment crippled ended 1-1 after extra prison term. [ 94 ] In the final behind closed doors at Wembley, Oxford lost 2-1 to Wycombe Wanderers, Joe Jacobson ‘s penalty proving decisive in the tie. [ 95 ]

stadium [edit ]

Panoramic view of the Kassam Stadium Oxford United had no regular family until 1913, switching between the Quarry Recreation Ground, Wootten ‘s Field ( immediately Stephen Road ), Sandy Lane ( now Osler Road ) and the Britannia Field ( now the top end of Lime Walk ), all in Headington. [ 96 ] In 1913 they were able to purchase Wootten ‘s Field on London Road, however, this was redeveloped in 1920 before a stadium could be built. Having purchased the Sandy Lane site, the club developed and played at the Manor Ground between 1925 and 2001. The ground was originally shared with Headington Cricket Club until 1949, when they moved to Cowley Barracks. [ 97 ] The capacity at closure was 9,500, but hosted United ‘s record crowd of 22,750 against Preston North End in an FA Cup sixth-round match on 29 February 1964. [ 1 ] The four stands were named after the roads they were positioned on : The North, East, South and West stands were called Cuckoo Lane, Osler Road, London Road and Beech Road respectively. In the 1990s, the Taylor Report was published calling for the improvement of football stadiums. The Manor Ground ‘s terrace was becoming pleonastic and redeveloping the ground was excessively dearly-won, so the club decided to move to a purpose-built all-seater stadium on the outskirts of the city, costing in the region of £15 million. [ 98 ] Construction work began in the early on part of 1997, but was suspended later that year due to the club ‘s fiscal problems. [ 39 ] structure of the newly stadium resumed in 1999 following a coup d’etat deal and the last league match at the Manor on 1 May 2001 saw a 1–1 puff with Port Vale. The site was sold for £12 million and the stadium was late demolished. The land is immediately occupied by a individual hospital. [ 99 ] Since 2001, Oxford United have played at the Kassam Stadium. [ 100 ] The all-seater stadium has a capacity of 12,500 and has merely three stands rather of the common four ; when first planned in 1995 it was primitively going to have a 16,000-seat capacity, but by the time the stadium opened Oxford was playing in a lower part, so the smaller capacity was deemed adequate. construction of the fourth rack is not expected to take home for several years, although foundations have already been put in rate. [ 101 ] The record attendance is 12,243, which was achieved in the final game of the 2005–06 season, when a kill against Leyton Orient condemned them to relegation from the Football League. The average attendance in the previous season was 7,415, which was the second highest in League Two and the thirty-fourth highest in the solid Football League. [ 102 ] The average attendance was highest in the Conference in two out of the four years the team spend in the division, with the modal in the other two years placing second gear, behind Exeter City and Cambridge United respectively. [ 103 ] The stadium has besides hosted rugby union matches, a womanhood ‘s international football peer ( England v Sweden ), an Under-17 external football tournament and music concerts. [ 104 ]

Crest and colours [edit ]

The tan ox outside the stadium The club crest depicts an ox above a representation of a ford to symbolise the localization. [ 105 ] It reflects the name and history of the city, as Oxford was originally a market town situated near to a ford on the River Isis, which was used by cattle. In 2008, a bronze statue of an ox was unveiled outdoor of what would have been the west resist. [ 106 ] It was subsequently vandalised in January 2011, being covered in pink key [ 107 ] and the golf club used the opportunity to raise money for a breast cancer jacob’s ladder. [ 108 ] The form and purpose of the crest has changed numerous times since it was first gear produced. When playing as Headington and during the early years of Oxford United, the peak included a full ox crossing the ford, adenine well as the initials H.U.F.C. ( pre-1962 ) or the name Oxford United ( post name-change ). between 1972 and 1980, the crown became circular, showing just the ox ‘s head on a yellow and black background. [ 13 ] The words ‘Oxford United Football Club ‘ were placed around the ox. For the adjacent 17 years, the crest was simply the ox ‘s head coloured blue, with assorted combinations of wording surrounding it. For example, in the 1987–88 season, the wording 25th Anniversary was placed under the crest. [ 109 ] In 1996, the crest had a shield form and contained the ox ‘s head over the ford, on a jaundiced background. This version was retained until the affect to the Kassam Stadium in 2001, when cabaret steward Rob Alderman designed the current translation. [ 105 ] It has a similar design to the preceding crown, but the ox and ford are contained in a lap with a yellow backdrop, with the remainder of the peak being coloured blue. While playing as Headington United, orange and bluing striped shirts were worn with navy shorts and socks. The design of the shirt changed regularly, with the stripes being changed every few seasons. After joining the Southern League, the blue stripes were lost for good and a lighter shade of orange was used for the shirt. [ 110 ] The jaundiced kit out was first wear during the 1957–58 season, with black shorts and yellow socks. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the total darkness shorts were first replaced with yellow ones, and then with royal blasphemous shorts. Since the early 1990s, the strip has been composed of the yellow shirt and united states navy coloured shorts and socks. [ 13 ] A large assortment of away kits has been used over the years, ranging from loss and black stripes on the shirts, to a in full white kit. The beginning presenter to appear on the shirt was Sunday Journal, a local newspaper, in 1982. [ 13 ] Between 1983 and 1985, there were three sponsors : BPCC, Pergamon and the Sunday People. Following those were Wang Laboratories ( 1985 to 1989 ), Pergamon ( 1989 to 1991 ), Unipart ( 1991 to 2000 ), Domino ( 2000 to 2001 ) and Buildbase ( from the move to the Kassam Stadium in 2001 to 2010 ). [ 13 ] [ 111 ] Following the hark back to the Football League, Bridle Insurance were announced as new shirt sponsors. [ 112 ] The Bridle deal ended after the decision of the 2012–13 temper. The dwelling patronize for the 2013–14 temper was announced as Animalates, with the away kit out being sponsored by Isinglass Consulting for that same temper after winning an advanced choice pull back. That annual deal with Isinglass was extended for the 2014–15 temper, again featuring on the away kits only. [ 113 ] The home kit that season was sponsored by tire ship’s company Black north Rounds. [ 114 ] In July 2015, Oxford United announced a three season deal with investment management caller Liontrust Asset Management covering both home and aside shirts. [ 115 ] For the 2018–19 and 2019–20 temper, the principal shirt sponsor was Thai beer firm Singha. [ 116 ] The Tourism Authority of Thailand were announced as the new shirt sponsors, as part of a rationale partnership agreement, in August 2020, using the post identify “ perplex thailand ”. [ 117 ]

Supporters and rivals [edit ]

Oxford ‘s average league attendances since 1963. Note the gray vertical line indicates the golf club ‘s move to the Kassam Stadium, and the colored sections of the horizontal line indicates the club ‘s position within the Football League ( darkness green being flush 1 and crimson being flush 5 ). Oxford have a number of independent supporters ‘ clubs and groups such as OxVox ( the Oxford United Supporters ‘ Trust ) with a current membership of over 400, and the Oxford United Exiles. [ 118 ] [ 119 ] OxVox was formed in 2002, to replace the disband FOUL group, which broke up after the contiguous future of the baseball club was secured. [ 120 ] It was the fiftieth supporters confidence created under the Supporters ‘ trust streamer. The club itself besides runs a Juniors club, aimed at younger fans and offering a count of bonuses to the club ‘s members such as birthday cards and a free jersey. [ 121 ] The official matchday program for home games costs £3 and was voted best conference Premier Programme of the year for the 2007–08 season. [ 122 ] A number of songs are whistle during home games, such as “ Yellow Submarine “ ( with adapted lyrics ) and songs relating to the old Manor Ground. The club have a issue of fame supporters, including Ivo Drury, [ 123 ] Timmy Mallett, [ 124 ] Tim Henman [ 125 ] and Jim Rosenthal. [ 126 ] The club ‘s mascot is Ollie the Ox. [ 127 ] United were the best-supported club in the Conference National before Luton Town joined the division, [ 128 ] [ 129 ] and the home plate match between Oxford and Luton, which drew a crowd of 10,600, was used to highlight the mania for English football during the 2018 World Cup offer. [ 130 ] In 2009, a “ 12th valet fund ” was set up by a group of supporters in order to provide extra transfer funds to the clubhouse. As a result, the issue 12 shirt was retired at the start of the 2009–10 season ( though it was reintroduced in 2018–19 ). The fund raised over £40,000 and resulted in the signings of Mehdi Kerrouche ( on loan ) and Jamie Cook, amongst others. [ 131 ] [ 132 ]
Oxford supporters celebrating at a 2011 away game volt Swindon Town Oxford ‘s fiercest competition is with Swindon Town, with Reading seen as the other meaning rival team ( both are about 30 miles from Oxford ). To a lesser extent, Wycombe Wanderers, Luton Town and Northampton Town are besides seen as rivals. The competition with Swindon stems from the clubs ‘ close proximity, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as the fact they have played each other 55 times since 1962. Oxford ( Headington ) and Swindon met a few times in non-competitive fixtures before 1962. The earliest match on commemorate was a friendly in the 1950–51 season at Headington. They besides played each other in 1954–55 both home and away, and at Headington during 1958–59. All programmes are fairly barely, with the single sheet issued at Swindon being very rare. The 1962–63 plot was a testimony, with the first league meetings coming in 1965–66. [ citation needed ] During the height of football vandalism, perturb flared up between the sets of fans. In 1998, during a match at the County Ground, 19 Swindon supporters were arrested, [ 133 ] while in 2002 there was an incidental between supporters after Oxford fans returned from an away regular. [ 134 ] In 2011, vandals burned the initials STFC into the Kassam Stadium ‘s deliver. [ 135 ] Oxford fans use nicknames when talking about Swindon such as moonraker, in reference to the myth that they tried to rake the reflection of the moon out of a pond. [ 136 ] The competition with Reading was heightened during the chairmanship of Robert Maxwell, because of his hope to merge the two clubs. This was met with impregnable opposition from both sets of fans, with United supporters staging a “ sit-in ” on the gear before a crippled against Wigan in protest. [ 137 ] Despite being the second team in the city, there is less competition with Oxford City because of their lower position in the pyramid system ( there have been no competitive league matches between the two since 1959 ). [ 138 ]

Players [edit ]

First team squad [edit ]

As of 1 February 2021[139]

note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

Out on loan [edit ]

note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

youth team [edit ]

notice : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

Backroom staff [edit ]

The board
Coaching and medical staff

Manager: Karl Robinson[143]
Assistant manager: Craig Short
First-team coach: Leon Blackmore-Such
Goalkeeping coach: Wayne Brown
Academy Manager: Dan Harris
U18 coaches: Darren Purse and Chris Hackett
Head of physical performance: Chris Short
First team physiotherapist: Amy Cranston
Sport therapist: Jon Elliot
First team sports scientist: Dwayne Peasah
Head of Recruitment: Mark Thomas
Lead Recruitment Analyst: Ed Waldron
Recruitment Analyst: Naythan Din-Kariuki
Head of performance Analysis: Eddie Denton
Performance Analyst: Isaac Alder

managerial history [edit ]

Jim Smith had three spells as coach. The first director appointed was Harry Thompson in July 1949, soon after the cabaret turned master. [ 144 ] In a nine-year enchantment he led the team to the Southern League title in 1953, angstrom well as the Southern League Cup in 1953 and 1954. He was replaced by Arthur Turner in 1958, who would become the longest-serving director in the club ‘s history, serving more than a decade in charge. Turner led United to back-to-back Southern League titles, of which the second, in 1962, resulted in their election to the Football League. [ 14 ] Promotion followed from the Fourth Division in 1965, and the club was crowned Third Division champions three years belated. [ 144 ] Turner left the club nine months after this success. Over the following thirteen years, five managers took tear. Ron Saunders was in charge for only a twelve games, moving to Norwich City at the end of the 1968–69 season. Gerry Summers was director for six years, before being replaced by Mick Brown. During Brown ‘s four-year ladder, United were relegated back to the Third Division after spending eight years in the Second. [ 21 ] Jim Smith started his first spell as director in 1981, and led Oxford into the top tier of English football after consecutive promotions as champions in 1984 and 1985. however, he moved to Queens Park Rangers before the 1985–86 season. [ 28 ] New coach, former head scout Maurice Evans, had immediate success winning the 1986 League Cup, beating his harbinger ‘s new clubhouse in the final. [ 145 ] For the following 24 years, the only director to guide the club to promotion was Denis Smith, who won promotion from the Second Division in 1996. Ramón Díaz, the baseball club ‘s first and only non-British coach, took charge for five months between December 2004 and May 2005. Jim Smith returned as director in 2006, the year that Oxford United were relegated to the Football Conference after 44 years in the Football League. Having missed out on forwarding in the 2006–07 season, Smith resigned and Darren Patterson was promoted to the post on 9 November 2007. [ 61 ] Patterson was dismissed in December 2008 and was replaced by Chris Wilder, [ 65 ] who led the club spinal column into the Football League by winning the 2010 Conference playoff Final and remained with the club for five years before resigning in January 2014. Gary Waddock was appointed head coach in March 2014, but was sacked in July following a change of shareholding in the cabaret, to be replaced by Michael Appleton. [ 81 ] In his three seasons in commission, Appleton oversaw promotion to League One and two lose finals in the EFL Trophy, before leaving to become adjunct director at Leicester City. Spaniard Pep Clotet was appointed as his substitute but was sacked midway through his first season in agitate, to be replaced after a two-month while under caretaker-manager Derek Fazackerley by former Charlton knob Karl Robinson. [ citation needed ] Since turning professional, the club has had 25 full-time managers, of whom three ( Jim Smith, Denis Smith and Darren Patterson ) have had more than one spell in the post, and football team periods of caretaker-management .

Honours [edit ]

Records [edit ]

The largest recorded home attendance was during a match against Preston North End in the sixth round of the FA Cup, at the Manor Ground, on 29 February 1964. The attendance was 22,750, [ 152 ] which exceeded the stadium ‘s capacity, so scaffolding was needed in order to create irregular stands for the extra supporters. The largest attendance at the Kassam Stadium for a football match was 12,243 during the final examination game of the 2005–06 League Two temper against Leyton Orient. Oxford ‘s largest-ever scoreline was a 9–1 acquire in the FA Cup first round versus Dorchester Town on 11 November 1995. In the league, their largest win was 7–0 versus Barrow in Division Four. Their largest kill is 7–0 off to Sunderland in 1998 and to Wigan Athletic in 2017. Their longest unbeaten run in the league was 20 matches in 1984, [ 153 ] with their record longest winning run of 9 games in the 2020-21 season. [ 154 ] John Shuker holds the record for the most league appearances with 478 between 1962 and 1977. [ 155 ] John Aldridge holds the phonograph record for most league goals scored in a season in the 1984–85 season, scoring 30. [ 156 ] Graham Atkinson holds the record for the most league goals with 77, equally well as most overall goals with 107. [ 157 ] The most capped player in internationals is Jim Magilton, with 18 caps for Northern Ireland. The largest measure of money Oxford have received by selling a player was an estimate £3,000,000 for Kemar Roofe ‘s transfer to Leeds United in July 2016. [ 158 ] The largest transfer fee Oxford have paid was £470,000 for Dean Windass ‘ transplant from Aberdeen in August 1998, [ 159 ] though the undisclosed fee paid for Marvin Johnson at the start of the 2016–17 season is thought to have exceeded this design. [ 85 ] Oxford are the only team in history to have been promoted consecutively from Division Three to the First Division as Champions. [ citation needed ]

References [edit ]

General

Bickerton, Bob (1998). Club Colours. Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-59542-0.
Howland, Andy and Roger (1989). Oxford United: A Complete Record (1893–1989). Breedon Books. ISBN 0-907969-52-6.
Brodetsky, Martin (2009). Oxford United: The Complete Record. Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-715-3.

Specific