Category Archives: O

Surrender to the will of the wind

09 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by in O, T

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday 6th February 2013 ko 19.30

Oxfordshire Senior Cup Quarter-Final

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Smalley 69p)

CHINNOR 0

Att 151

Entry £5

Programme 50p

When you follow a League club, County Cup competitions tend to pass you by. That’s particularly the case in Oxfordshire, where there’s only one League Club, and some of the larger Non-League clubs are in the Berks and Bucks FA, as in this part of the world, football still follows pre-1974 county boundaries. Theoretically the ties still take precedence over league fixtures but the larger clubs have long since negotiated to play reserve teams, and away from any fixture clash. Continue reading →

3.59.4

03 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by in O

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Friday 1st February 2012 ko 19.00

BUCS League Midlands Division 2A/ Varsity Challenge

OXFORD UNIVERSITY 5 (Grimer 3 Jamison 14 Beck-Friis 26 Austin 31 Healy 86)

OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY 2 (Mirro 45 Dancer 69p)

Att 600

At Iffley Road Stadium

Entry £5

No Programme

Last year I ended up viewing this game from a grass bank from grass bank at the far side, due to a all-ticket strict policy.

https://laurencereade.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/cat-mouse-and-roger/

From my rather distant vantage point, it looked like a cracking atmosphere, so this year I decided to try at watch the game through more conventional means, I do have a couple of contacts within the University after all! Oxford University captain Alex Biggs put a ticket on the gate for me, and so I was able to witness the worried Oxford United stewards at first hand.

The Iffley Road stadium is famous for being where, on 6th May 1954, Sir Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four minute mile, watched amongst many others, by the world’s least sports-orientated person, my mother! Since then the stadium has become something of a victim of the Taylor report, the owners Oxford University opting to reduce the capacity of the stand to 499, to avoid the costs involved with a capacity of the greater figure.

Normally 499 is easily sufficient, but not for a fixture like this. Despite being only being its third year, this match has caught the imaginations of both the University and the former Polytechnic from up the hill in Headington. For this year sections in front of the stand were taped off, allowing an extra 200 to view the game, although students being students, a fair percentage turned up after kick-off!

The stewards encouraged the two sets of fans to occupy different ends of the stands, and the “Segregation” made for a cracking atmosphere, with some of the best banter I’ve encountered at a game. Both sides seemed happy to play on their stereotypes, the “Working Class” Brookes students singing,”Does your butler know you’re here?” and “You pay our benefits,” and the “Toff,” University students singing “You do your essays with a crayon!”

What was never in doubt was the result. When Ed Grimer beat a poorly sprung offside trap to open the scoring, it proved to be the catalyst to some poor Brookes defending as a corner was swung in from the right. The defence simply watched as Mark Jamison thumped the ball home from the back of the box unopposed. It soon got worse for the visitors as a mix-up between keeper Sam Cole and centre half Joe Sturia, allowed Peder Beck-Friis to tap home. When a though ball bisected a square Brookes defence to find Julian Austin who had the simplest of tasks to roll the ball home, a rout looked on the cards, but Hakin Mirro’s superb header from a free kick on the left, gave Brookes heart, just before half time.

In was inevitable that the game would tighten up after the break but at 4-1 the University looked comfortable, but that changed when Brookes were handed a rather soft penalty, for a shirt-pull. Captain Tom Dancer despatched the spot-kick and for 20 minutes, an unlikely comeback looked possible. That ended when Alex Biggs corner was headed home by substitute Adam Healy.

The final bit of “Entertainment” was the appearance of a Brookes streaker, apparently the same one as last year. He was easily able to evade the stewards before making his escape from the far side. The stewards weren’t beaten though, they simply confiscated his clothes, and handed them to the police, who arrested him outside the ground. I would imagine he wouldn’t have been difficult to indentify!

That makes it three wins out of three for the University, and seldom have I enjoyed a game as much as this, both in terms of the action, and the atmosphere created. I just wish it was a little easier to get a ticket!

The Max Factor

01 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by in O

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday 29th January 2013 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Constable 50)

BURTON ALBION 1 (Maghoma 71)

Att 4,906 (65 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (including Oxford Mail)

On Tuesday morning this fixture looked like a routine, if rather dull fourth division division encounter, and I found it rather difficult to raise any enthusiasm for it. The advantage of writing this on Friday is that this fixture can be put into full perspective with what followed.

My mood changed on the way to Grenoble Road, when the news broke that Max Crocombe was to get his first start in goal for Oxford. New Zealander Max is a first year professional, but with Ryan Clarke, and Wayne Brown above him in the pecking order in was hard to see how he was going to get a game, a problem exacerbated by there being no reserve team this season. Back in November I’d taken my friend Kellie to watch United’s FA Cup at Barnet, and after the game we’d lingered to take a few pictures of Underhill. Kellie had a chat with Max, not really knowing who he was, and we were both struck by what a thoroughly decent young man he is. But with Clarke out for the season, and Brown in poor form, the young lad got his chance.

He let no-one down either, nice lad or not. He even coped with the early loss of Michael Duberry to a hamstring strain early on, and I think all present bar the pitiful away following would have been pleased to see a home win courtesy of James Constable’s header at a corner, and Max collect a clean sheet. It wasn’t to be as Jacques Maghoma lost his marker, Michael Raynes, and fired home past Crocombe who was in no sense at fault. Even so there was a feel-good feeling around the ground at the final whistle, but that was shattered over the course of the next few days.

The first piece of bad news was shirt sponsor Bridle Insurance announcing that they will not renew the arrangement when it expires in the summer. Hardly a surprise when the firm now owns Eastleigh FC, but its a income stream that will need replacing. Another worry was that the club lost £450,000 during the last trading year, one would assume due to falling attendances. Clearly players wages and a high stadium rent are contributing factors, and ones that little can be done about, at least in the short term. The club is tied to its lease with Mr Kassam, and with him unwilling to sell, that’s a fixed cost that won’t go away. As for players’ wages, thats’s up to owner/chairman Ian Lenagan to set a sustainable budget and recruit and retain a manager that can work within it. Its questionable at best whether any of this is happening now, and certainly losses of this magnitude are not sustainable.

All this rather paled into insignificance with the signing of Luke McCormick last night on a contract for the rest of the season. I’ll leave the debate as to whether another keeper is necessary to another time, save to point out that Crocombe is set to represent his country at the under-20 World Cup in March. McCormick is a former Plymouth Argyle keeper, and his credentials are beyond reproach, but for one terrible detail.

In 2008 he was convicted of causing the death of children aged 8 and 10 by crashing his car into a vehicle driven by their father on the M6, whilst over twice the drink-drive limit. The father is still suffering from the injuries he received in the crash, and McCormick served 3 years and 7 months of a 7 years, 4 months prison sentence, being released in June 2012. So will no doubt say that McCormick has served his debt to society, and everyone deserves their their chance of redemption.

Oxford United have a precedent with midlfielder Adam Chapman who served just over a year of a 30 month sentence for causing death by dangerous driving, he was sending texts on his Blackberry. Chapman was successfully re-integrated into the team on his release, which is in marked contrast with McCormick who will be entering a new club with new players. Chapman was notable for showing remorse, and contact was made with the family of the gentleman he killed, so as not to cause any offence from his public job. None of this has taken place with McCormick, and you wonder why Oxford United would feel the need to taken on a player with so much baggage. Is it really simply a case of acquiring a good player at a knock-down wage?

On another level, the club likes to stress how it is a “Family Club,” and won the “League 2 Family Award” last season to prove the point. How does the signing of McCormick sit with that? Would his presence be a barrier to a company thinking of becoming shirt sponsor? He hardly fits the image a prospective sponsor would look for.

The shame of all of this is that Luke McCormick may well be a fine goalkeeper, although 10 games for Truro City in the Conference South since his release is hardly a ringing endorsement. I can imagine his presence being a massive distraction with everyone concerning themselves with him and not matters in hand. I can only conclude that he’s the wrong player in the wrong club, at the wrong time. The question now is whether his performances will make up for the inevitable circus that will surround him. I wonder also how Max Crocombe will deal with all of this, as unlike McCormick, he’s done nothing wrong.

The Specialist

09 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by in O

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday 8th January 2013 ko 19.45

Football League Trophy Southern Area Semi-Final

OXFORD UNITED 3 (Marsh 15 Craddock 31 Rigg 89)

SOUTHEND UNITED 3 (Corr 6 59 Clohessy 55)

No Extra Time Southend won 5-3 on penalties

Att 2,882 (356 away)

Entry £10

Programme £2 (reduced size) including Oxford Mail

I wonder where in this competition the Wembley Care Point exists. Many clubs enter this competition saying “There’s a Wembley Final at the end of this,” but don’t really mean it, and a near-reserve team plays in front of a couple of thousand spectators paying reduced price tickets. Yesterday’s game proves the point, about half the normal attendance, even when offered cheap tickets. So Southend find themselves just a double-legged semi-final away from Wembley, but despite Oxford playing Continue reading →

On Giant-Kill Watch

06 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by in O

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday 5th January 2013 ko 15.00

FA Cup 3rd Round

OXFORD UNITED 0

SHEFFIELD UNITED 3 (McMahon 17 Kitson 68 Blackman 87)

Att 7,079 (1,244 away)

Entry £20.50

Programme (inc Oxford Mail) £3

It’s always interesting watching a high-profile game at a lower level ground as the whole atmosphere of the place changes. The regulars are still there, discussing the tactics in detail, but they’re joined by the fans who only ever come when there’s a sprinkling of glamour. They’re easy to spot, Continue reading →

Chelt-Numb

01 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by in O

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday 1st January 2013 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Leven 16p)

CHELTENHAM TOWN 0

Att 6,951 (637 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3

One of those fixtures that is a local derby only in the thoughts of the fixture computer. Cheltenham still regard Gloucester City as public enemy number 1, whilst for Oxford its swindon, followed by swindon’s reserves, and thirdly swindon’s youth team. Nevertheless New Year’s Day is a good time for the clubs to meet, its not too far for supporters to travel with bleary heads, and guarantees a Continue reading →

The Joy of Six

21 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in O

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Tuesday 18th December 2012 ko 19.45

FA Cup 2nd Round Replay

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Constable 66 Leven 80)

ACCRINGTON STANLEY 0

Att 2,566 (48 away)

Entry £20.50

Programme £2 (Reduced size, reissued from postponed fixture 6 days earlier)

Accrington Stanley must be sick of the sight of Oxford United. As if being replaced by Oxford in the league in 1962 wasn’t bad enough (although they replaced OUFC 44 years later!), this makes a rtun of 7 games against the two sides where the Lancastrians have failed to register a win. They came mighty close in the first attempt to settle this tie, with United equalising through the unlikely figure of Michael Raynes with seconds remaining.

Now, Accrington to Oxford on a cold Tuesday is a big ask of any fan Continue reading →

Shades

09 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by in O

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Saturday 8th December 2012 ko 15.00


League 2
OXFORD UNITED 1 (Chapman 33) Heslop sent off 90 (dangerous play)
ALDERSHOT TOWN 1 (Mekki 84)

Att 5,721 (244 away)

Entry S/T
Programme (inc Ox Mail) £3

On occasion I take a friend of mine to football. He loves his sport, but he’s a man of definite opinions. He watch some leagues but not others, and some formats he loves, others he won’t touch. Life is in two comforting shades, black and white.
This was an afternoon in which he would have felt comfortable; one of those dull pre-Christmas games where people can shout for the manager or the chairman’s head in the near-certain knowledge that their wish will not be granted.

It had been a difficult week for Oxford United. As if losing two players, Jon-Paul Pittman and Andrew Whing to injury wasn’t bad enough, the club had been rocked to its core by the death of former midfielder Mitchell Cole the weekend before. His career had ended to a heart defect a year ago, but had remained close to the club, and so his passing at just 27 was incredibly sad. It was announced before a minute’s applause that his widow had just given birth to his third child.

Of course supporters tend to forget the human nature side of the game. It cannot be easy simply functioning, let alone doing your job under such tragic circumstances, and certainly many of United’s frailties were on display for all to see. There was little punch up front save for a glaring James Constable miss early on, and Peter Leven’s lack of mobility in midfield saw partner Adam Chapman frequently exposed. I wondered if the unfortunate Whing had been fit, whether Chapman would have started,and with Whing’s lack of scoring prowess. Chapman’s clinical finish from 18 yards was a moment of class in a game that looked precisely what it was, a game between two struggling teams.

The second half saw no demonstrable improvement in quality, but with United having failed to take advantage of their first half possession, Aldershot gradually took the ascendancy and when substitute Adam Mekki curled a delicious effort round Ryan Clarke it was as predictable as it was deserved. It was fair to say that Aldershot gained far more from their substitutions than Oxford did, and that point was underlined when Simon Heslop was dismissed with a minute left for a quite dreadful challenge. Whilst his 3 game ban won’t hurt the team as much as some other players absences, the club need all the bodies they can get at the moment.

From the visitors’ perspective, second from bottom of the league, this was a valuable point. However this wasn’t a day of black and white opinions, just an occasion to forget about what went on the pitch and consider the plight of a widow and three young children.

Sky Fall

25 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by in O, W

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday 24th November 2012

Ko 10.30

Oxford University Middle Common Room League

WOLFSON/St CROSS P

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE P

Postponed due to a waterlogged pitch (!)

Ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Constable 14 Pittman 79)

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1 (Platt 76) Carlisle sent off 89 (2nd booking)

Att 6,635 (1,075 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (ic Ox Mail)

Its been a long time since I did a Middle Common Room game. Its a league primarily for post-graduate students, perfect for Wolfson, a purely post-graduate college, and 10.30am kick-off games work well for me, when Oxford United are a home. The trouble is that Wolfson sits on the banks of the River Cherwell, bucolic when its sunny, but flood-prone when it rains. And it’s rained here for most of the week, so I really should have guessed that the pitch wouldn’t be playable, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad!

Still it left me one game to see, unlike many groundhoppers, with games falling to waterlogged pitches all over the country, and my game was a local derby too! The odd thing is that there’s never been any great rivalry between Oxford or Northampton with the former being far more concerned with swindon, and the latter Kettering. Still “Ultimate Support Saturday” did produce a better-than-average gate helped in no small part by the travelling Cobblers fans.

They got a good game too, with the action making up for technical deficiences, and the appalling weather. Oxford United and the supporters know what Ade Akinfenwa gives to the Cobblers, he’s portly but he’s still one hell of a player. Few players at this level have his control and vision, and he was marshalled carefully. Also well known to United is midfielder Chris Hackett, who started his career at Oxford before moves to Hearts and Millwall. He marked his return with a fine game showing both pace, and a glut of well place passes, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one wondering why United didn’t re-sign him in the summer?

But for all of that this was Oxford’s day. Was James Constable offside when he tapped in Alfie Potter’s cross? He looked it, but the linesman’s decision was probably based on a feeling that Potter’s pass was entirely lateral and so Constable was always behind the ball. Either way home fans will point to the woodwork being hit twice, by Jake Forster-Caskey and Sean Rigg’s deflected effort.

As befits any side managed by Aidy Boothroyd, Northampton were well-drilled and a series of corners at the end of the first half tested Ryan Clarke in the home goal, and he did well to get down to Ben Harding’s low shot.

Cliches are cliches for a reason, and one goal was never going to be enough with Oxford’s defensive frailties, and the introduction of the towering figure of Clive Platt after an hour proved to be significant. With Michael Raynes keeping Akinfenwa quiet, he rose above Jake Wright to head Hackett’s cross home. I wondered what that meant for Chris Wilder’s tenure as manager. I didn’t ponder for long as Peter Leven’s ball over the top allowed subsitute Jon-Paul Pittman to run throuugh and he blasted home past Lee Nicholls for his first goal in 10 months, and earning Oxford a first win in 4 matches.

All that remained was the dismissal of Clark Carlisle for his second booking. It made no impact on the game but I wonder if getting sent off is more embarrassing when you’re PFA chairman? The Press Association reported his second booking was for foul and abusive language, but after the game Northampton Town swiftly asked that it be altered to a simple foul. For the record, I saw the 2nd booking as for a foul challenge, and there was no hint of any back-chat. It is worth noting that the PA feed is staffed by former players sourced by, yes, the PFA!

I used the term “Predictably Unpredictable” on a previous piece on Oxford United, and nothing I saw in this highly entertaining game changed my opinion on the club, and in a wider sense the division. I do wonder what chairman Ian Lenagan is thinking though. 18th place does not represent the level of ambition, or expenditure at the club. Some might say a change is needed, but if so who?

Predictably Unpredictable

11 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by in O

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday 10th November 2012 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

TORQUAY UNITED 0

Att 5,773 (259 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail) £3

Now, I’m not a gambling man, the whole bookie experience leaves me cold, but consider if you will the two team’s build-ups to this game. Torquay lost to non-league Harrogate Town in the FA Cup, while Oxford beat Barnet convincingly. During last week Oxford lost at home to Dagenham & Redbridge, while Torquay lost away at…. Barnet. Up on the top deck, before kick-off we considered the likely outcome on a cold afternoon. A few scratched heads, then a grin, and the comment, “Nil-nil it’ll be then!”

Three changes for United, all logical with Alfie Potter still out with a sore hamstring. Johnny Mullins replaced Michael Raynes in central defence, Liam Davis replaced Tony Capaldi at left back, and Simon Heslop was considered a “least worst” option in right midfield than Adam Chapman. The lack of an out-and-out right-winger was an obvious deficiency on Tuesday and while Heslop was a better bet than Chapman, the position continued to look like a square peg in a round hole. For Torquay the principle concern was in goal, regular keeper Michael Poke having a groin strain meant subsitute keeper Martin Rice playing his first game of 2012. That produced an unusual kit-clash, his day glo-orange shirt and shorts being the same colour as that worn by the stadium’s stewards!

The first half was a non-event, Oxford trying their best, but with a lack of conviction where it mattered, in the finishing off of chances. Torquay were more than happy to defend and live off scraps, Billy Bodin’s 20 yard effort being the most memorable, but that should be set against 2 James Constable efforts, one blasted over, the other well saved, and Sean Rigg’s header straight at the keeper.

Things looked worse after the break with Tom Craddock’s sore ribs precluding further participation. The loss of United’s form striker wasn’t keenly felt, as his replacement Jon-Paul Pittman had a fine 45 minutes, stretching the Gulls defence with runs pulling the centre halves out of the channels. United looked far more incisive, but again the final shot wasn’t quite there. Constable fired over, and Rigg had two shots saved, but there was a fright after 50 minutes when Ryan Jarvis headed home for Torquay but the effort was ruled offside.

But the United chances kept coming and kept being missed. Constable did the difficult thing, turning his marker beautifully, but failed with the simpler task, firing over from 10 yards out. There was and is an anxiety about the forward line, the chances get created, but things conspire to see them missed.

Squirrelled away in the warm at the back of the stand was a chap in a club’s coat. My sister didn’t recognise the badge when we spotted him cuddling his tea at half time. I did, the badge was Chesterfield’s and with Oxford playing there next Saturday I doubt if the report he sends back to Derbyshire will contain much that will worry the Spireites. But then what, if anything can you correctly predict at the moment where Oxford United is concerned?