Tag Archives: Alfie Potter

Backlash

06 Wednesday Nov 2013

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Saturday 2nd November 2013 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

BRISTOL ROVERS 1 (O’Toole 71p)

Att 6,374 (862 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (incl’ Oxford Mail)

I’ve got used to professional footballers’ interviews with radio stations, the media training tends to remove anything of interest. So OUFC’s Dave Kitson’s interview on Radio Oxford was a welcome breath of fresh air even if, in time the FA disrepute charge will cost him in one form or another.

He described referee Mark Brown as, Continue reading →

An Eye To The Future

07 Sunday Jul 2013

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Saturday 6th July 2013 ko 15.00

Pre-Season Friendly

ARDLEY UNITED 1 (Brooks 74p)

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Potter 48 Smalley 90)

Att 670

Entry £5

Programme £1.50

There are several strands these days to my football watching, its long since stopped being just about the game alone, in fact I suspect that’s the case with many groundhoppers who’ve graduated from the easy-to-reach local grounds. Sometimes I want to travel, sometimes I’m looking for a location, others its the Vulture Job, visiting a ground before the bulldozers move in.

I am of course an Oxford United fan, and a fan also of the local football scene, and Ardley playing fields are just the one exit north of Oxford on the M40, lying virtually adjacent to Junction 10. With Oxford United sending the first-team squad to the Hellenic League Premier outfit for the both club’s first pre-season friendly, it gave me quite a few good reasons to attend. For one, my girlfriend and I were to visit Ash, my Uni pal in Twickenham in the evening so a long distance jaunt was out of the question. With the weather scorching I also knew Dad would fancy a trip out, so I threw a collapsible chair in the back of the car, my mind was made up.

Apart from being the other side of the motorway from Cherwell Valley Services the village of Ardley is now more or less fused with the village of Fewcott (they had a Oxon Senior League side until recently). The conjoined twins sit on a bed of Jurassic limestone, which apart from hosting a colony of Greater Crested Newts, also provided a good base on to build Ardley Castle. The edifice was a motte-and-bailey affair which is believed to have been built during during the civil war of the Anarchy between 1139 and 1154, fought between Empress Matilda and King Stephen.

Intriguingly these castles were Adulterine, or built without Royal consent, this one would have been built by Matilda, and perhaps its unsurprising that very little of it is now left, just some earth banking and ditches.

On arrival at the football club a few strands of my football watching were in evidence. Ardley’s normally attendances are the tens, not hundreds, and even getting everyone parked was going to be an issue. When I’m organising groundhops I dream of clubs like Ardley, who approached their day with a clear head, and so reaped the reward. It was in marked contrast to my first visit here, when I watched Ardley play Adderbury Park. The players changed in the cricket pavilion, and the only other “Facilties” were the pitchside rail and a set of dugouts. The club won Groundtastic’s “Most Improved Ground” award in 2005.

Cars were parked on the cricket field, at no charge so few opted to annoy the neighbours by parking on the road. The welcome at the pay booth was as warm as the ambient temperature, and I wondered if the club had used their experience in hosting a Hellenic League Groundhop game back in 2005. Mind you the crowd that day was 278; this was on another scale altogether. A temporary bar was set up to sell soft drinks, and somehow the burger bar kept pace with the huge demand.

Ardley chairman Norman Stacey managed to combine hospitality with stadium announcements and the needs of Radio Oxford broadcasting live commentary. That created a minor issue when it was discovered that the socket they were using for power was the one the club normally uses for the PA… It summed the afternoon up nicely that the plugs were rearranged, and everything worked perfectly.

For a pre-season friendly at a lower league to work well from a League club’s perspective two things need to happen. Ardley staged the game beautifully, but the team has play passing football without resorting to any rough play.

In the latter respect Ardley won the plaudits on the pitch on the pitch as much as they did off of it. They passed and moved well, and were good value for the goalless score line at half time. A complete change of team for the visitors saw Dave Kitson, a man who once commanded a £5.5 million transfer make his first Oxford United appearance. His impact was almost immediate, chasing a lost cause on the left flank and finding Alfie Potter for him to slot home for the first goal.

Ardley’s equaliser was rather fortuitous. Tom Newey’s contact with Jason Castello looked minimal and outside of the box, but former OUFC youth teamer Ryan Brooks put the penalty away well sending Max Crocombe the wrong way. But with seconds left Deane Smalley’s shot was brilliantly pushed away by Jack Harding. Danny Rose took the resulting corner and his curling effort found Smalley’s head perfectly to give the visitors the win.

Not of course anything much need be read into the result. This was about players getting to know each other, and the management to try new tactics and see who works best with who. For everyone else it was a hugely enjoyable afternoon out and one I trust will be repeated. If that does happen, I fully expect Oxford United to be re-visiting a Southern League club.

Last Chance To See

05 Sunday May 2013

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Wednesday 1st  May 2013 ko 19.45

Oxon Senior Cup Final

OXFORD UNITED 4 (Ashby 48 Marsh 65 Pittman 96 Roberts 120)

OXFORD CITY 2 (Cook 25p Barcelos 69)

Att 901

At Oxford United FC

Entry & Programme £8

I usually treat anything organised by the Oxfordshire FA with caution, they have a reputation for poor organisation, for example the Oxon Senior league doesn’t even have a website! That feeling wasn’t helped when I went through the turnstile end someone in front of me asked whether he could have another programme. “Of course,” was the reply, ” It saves me putting the useless things back in my car!” The programme was an improvement on the usual poor effort, but the committee saw no need to publish a history of the competition, instead they plumped for 3 adverts of the Oxfordshire FA, 2 identical.

The reason for the somewhat inflated entry price was that for once the final was between the two clubs with the highest playing statuses in the county, namely League 2 and the Conference North. Perhaps it was the cost, or OUFC’s frustrating season, or Oxford City’s generally low following but only half of the South Stand Lower was opened, ample for the 901 present, but I did wonder if more imaginative pricing would have attracted more.

There are many depressing things in football, but one that doesn’t get much coverage is the one-sided rivalry. Oxford City don’t like Oxford United, even though this the only competition in which the teams ever meet. For United the rivalry has a strict hierarchy, its Swindon Town, followed by Swindon Reserves, then Swindon Youth and so on… City just don’t feature at all. There are several examples of this in football. Leyton Orient don’t like West Ham, but the Hammers hate Millwall, and I’m sure you can dream up a few more!

The added piquancy for home fans was the news that the retained list was due out at midday the next day. There are some advantages to writing this a few days after the event, and I think most present would have predicted that we were seeing the last appearances of Jon-Paul Pittman, Tony Capaldi, and Simon Heslop in an OUFC shirt. The real surprise was that non-playing substitute Deane Smalley got offered a new deal. Yes, he’s been unlucky with injuries, but his goals to appearances ratio is dreadful, and it looks unlikely to improve.

The lesson here wasn’t the established players on either side. I suspect that for Oxford City former United players Steve Basham, Chris Wilmott and Jamie Cook will also have made their last appearances at Grenoble Road, but City manager Mike Ford hit the nail on the head when he commented that United won the tie with clinical finishing. That’s not a comment often associated with United this season, and 3 goals came from either youth or former youth players. Josh Ashby fired home from just outside the box for United’s first, Tyrone Marsh’s shot from the right flank oozed the confidence gained from a successful loan spell at Staines, and those in the know have had teenage striker James Roberts in their sights for a while. He scores goals for fun at youth team level, the question now is how best to progress him?

Extra time was the last thing either time wanted, not least afterwards as Oxon FA organisation meant that the usual rambling over-long speech was attempted without the usual radio-mic. The official was quickly shouted down, the cup presented, and everyone could go home! I noted that neither Capaldi nor Heslop could be bothered to ever come out and attend the presentation. That spoke volumes for them, and what they expected to happen the next day.

But let’s have a closer look at that retained and released list. Andy Whing’s retention must be the most popular bit of news coming from OUFC for a while, and Alfie Potter’s year-long extension was entirely logical. Equally logical was the departures of Tony Capaldi, Tom Craddock, Simon Heslop, Peter Leven, Luke McCormick, Josh Parker, Jon-Paul Pittman, Justin Richards, and Harry Worley. Not one has set the world alight and in some cases the attitudes have been lacking even the bodies have been fit. I understand that McCormick is negotiating to return to Plymouth, who will have to weigh up his talent against a toxic past. In a similar vein, I understand Craddock is eyeing up a return to his native North-East in the form of Hartlepool. There the club will no doubt be weighing up talent against mind-set.

The attitude has been always there for Michael Duberry who defied a potentially career-ending neck injury to keep playing. I for one will miss his “Positive Vibes” but time waits for no man, and sadly that includes him.

The two controversial departures where undoubtedly Peter Leven and Damien Batt. When fit, Leven is easily the best midfielder in the squad, if not the division, but that caveat is a huge one. I’ve heard too many interviews referring to Leven’s injuries as having to be managed, and with a smaller wage bill the club cannot afford a passenger, however talented.

Batt can count himself to be extremely unlucky. For most he’s OUFC’s first choice at right back, and whilst he’s far better going forward than in defence, he had a good season. I can only assume Chris Wilder has a better replacement lined up. I for one will be sorry to see another of the Wembley Conference Play-off final heroes depart along with Adam Chapman, who I assume will join Mansfield.

If Damien Batt is unlucky and Deane Smalley extremely fortunate, then left back Luke O’Brien is the proof that being a good professional pays dividends. A solid full back, and no more, he may not end up even being first choice come the start of the season but will let no-one down when called upon.

Scott Davies is probably seen as Leven’s replacement. He came in as a free agent, with no security and impressed greatly. He’s local too (Aylesbury), which saves on the costs of relocation. Another good professional too, this game saw him fill in, completely out of position at left back. I think he’ll form a good partnership with the more combative Whing.

Of course the retained list isn’t even half the story.  There’s the small matter of who’s coming in, and how many of the youth team will step up to the first XI. Watch this space.

Exactly

20 Saturday Oct 2012

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Saturday 20th October 2012 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 5 (Craddock 13 23 36 71 Potter 78)

ACCRINGTON STANLEY 0

Att 5,403 (96 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3

I have to say I have a soft spot for Stanley. Their banner says it all, “The club that refused to die,”  rising from bankrupcy and oblivion, to a return to League football in 2006. It’s not lost on Oxford United fans that when Accrington folded in 1966, then  returned to the League, on both occasions it was Oxford United that swapped places with them! For those of us of a certain age, Accrington was imortalised in a famous advert for milk…

To the club’s credit, Carl Rice the actor in the advert, was guest of honour at Accrington’s home game against Forest Green Rovers during their Conference winning season. I was fortunate enough to be there! Today, Stanley are a benchmark for small clubs, surviving in the league despite the close presence of two much larger clubs locally, namely Blackburn and Bolton.

With Stanley 11th and Oxford 19th, you wouldn’t have predicted a drubbing like this! A few hours after the event I’m still trying to work out was it a case of United being excellent, or Stanley quite royally stinking? I suspect its a mixture of the both. Certainly a move to 4-4-2 suited the personel available to Chris Wilder, and in particular James Constable revelled in the service he got from the flanks where Alfie Potter and Sean Rigg had excellent games. The knock-downs from Constable were manna from heaven for Tom Craddock, and I’d point out that 3 of the 4 goals he scored were teed up by Constable (the other by Rigg). Craddock had, its perhaps superfluous to say, his best game for the club, working hard, closing down and taking the chances when they came. His goals were as predatory as they were welcome.

But the most welcome sight was a grinning Brummie making his first start of the season after injury. Yes, the warrior was back, and the defence looked all the more solid with Andy Whing there to marshall it. His departure, utterly exhausted in the 81st minute produced a spine-tingling standing ovation. That was the second remarkable crowd reaction, as a few minutes earlier when Craddock had scored his fourth, the chant had been “Beano, Beano,” a comment on how the talismanic Constable had unselfishly worked to give Craddock his chances.

But it was Tom Craddock, quite correctly, who took the plaudits,  and became the first Oxford United player to score 4 goals in a game since John Durnin did at the Manor Ground against Luton Town in 1992. For the record, I was at that game too!

Take the Nil

11 Thursday Oct 2012

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Saturday 6th October 2012 ko 3pm

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

GILLINGHAM 0

Att 6,690 (1,014 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (ic Ox Mail)

Choices, Choices…. So many games I could have chosen, the Bedfordshire hop was busy attracting around 100 people to each of its three games, and there was no lack of other attractive looking games. In the end two things influenced my decision, sheer exhaustion after one of the busiest Septembers ever, and the chance to catch up with schoolfriends Saleem and Carmine after the game. I hadn’t seen them for over 20 years, so it was an easy decision to make.

There was also the hope if not expectation that Oxford United had turned the corner. The 3-2 win over AFC Wimbledon had ended a dreadful run of 6 straight defeats, but the Gills were a different prospect altogether, top of the table, unbeaten away, and with confidence high.

First on the agenda was the presentation of David Langan to the crowd. David was a hero to anyone who grew up watching Oxford during the 1980’s as the club reached the top flight and won the League Cup. His overlapping runs made him a popular fixture at right back, but injuries took their toll, and he still suffers from the aftermath of the operations and injections. His autobiography, “Running through walls,” looks to be an involving read.

But back to the game in hand. With Wayne Brown injured Chris Wilder had little alternative but to restore Ryan Clarke between the sticks, and with Michael Raynes out injured his former teammate John Mullins arrived on loan to 2013 in the morning from Rotherham. It was to be those two players that had the most influence on the game, Clarke pulling off 4 stunning saves, and Mullins looking anything other than an unwanted defender at a fellow League 2 club who hadn’t even trained with the team.

It became clear that the number one priority was to keep midfielder Chris Whelpdale quiet. That they managed, of a fashion although Jake Forster-Caskey did have to clear a glancing header off the line from the former Peterborough man. Stirring stuff, and if the grit will have pleased manager Wilder, the increasing injury list will have not. First Damian Batt limped off then Deane Smalley struggled to make it through to half time. Surprisingly after the break he was replaced by Tom Craddock rather than the more obvious James Constable.

It took until almost the hour mark for United to create their first shot on target, Potter seeing his effort tipped over the bar by Stuart Nelson. Constable eventually was introduced for the last 10 minutes, and very nearly set up the winner, his reverse pass from the right found Craddock whose shot was deflected over the bar. It just shows how the small the margins are between success and failure. I wonder what will happen when Wilder is able to select anything like his first choice eleven? In the meantime, I think just about every Oxford United would have taken the clean sheet before this game kicked off.

 

 

The Break Point

08 Monday Oct 2012

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Tuesday 2nd October 2012 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 3 (Forster-Caskey 8 Smalley 55 Potter 81)

AFC WIMBLEDON 2 (Harrison 20 Fenlon 36)

Att 5,206 (274 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail)

Of all the statistics above, I suspect the important one may well end up being the attendance. Ok this was dull Tuesday evening, between 2 struggling teams, but 5,200 is low by OUFC standards. Its not difficult to understand why, Oxford United having lost 6 league games on the bounce, and with a quite appalling injury list. Nevertheless manager Chris Wilder found himself under more pressure than any other time during his tenure at the club and for the first time, it told.

You can always tell when the manager’s time is running out, the fight goes out of them. Remember Steve McClaren’s game in charge of England, standing forlornly under an umbrella, impotant as Croatia stopped England qualifying for the 2008 European Championships? When Wimbledon went 2-1 after 36 minutes, I watched Wilder, the head dropped, and I feared the worst for him. The comparison was obvious, and I felt sorry for the man who managed the club back into the Football League where others had failed.

They’d made a good start too, with Jake Forster-Caskey’s excellent free kick opening the scoring, but Wayne Brown, controversially selected in goal ahead of Ryan Clarke should have done better as Yado Mambo rose highest at a corner and although his header hit the crossbar, Byron Harrison was first to the rebound and scored from close range.

With less than 10 minutes left of the half, Jim Fenlon cut inside Alfie Potter, and fired home from 25 yards. He was in yards on space which speaks volumes for the defence and goalkeeper. All the while quietly sat in the press area was Steve Claridge. Wearing no club’s badge, there he sat with his assistant. Maybe he was scouting, maybe he was there for other purposes, who knows?

Whatever the truth, United found their way back into the tie. Deane Smalley stabbed home from close range to equalise before losing Wayne Brown to a groin strain a few minutes later. That gave a platform to Ryan Clarke, who didn’t disappoint, producing a quite wonderful diving dave to deny Will Antwi. By then United had taken the lead, as Tom Craddock’s erudite pass found Alfie Potter and he swept home from 10 yards. It proved to be enough for 3 points on the night, but it may well prove to be a pivotal night for Chris Wilder and his regime.

Grecian 2012

14 Friday Sep 2012

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Saturday 8th September 2012 ko 3.00pm

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Forster-Caskey 54p Potter 63) Constable sent off 81 (2nd booking)

EXETER CITY 4 (Cureton 11 50 Bennett 26 O’Flynn 72)

Att 6,405 (695 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc’ Oxford Mail)

The day started with a fond farewell, but no the one it looked like being for the majority of the preceding week. Better-informed folk than I had linked OUFC manager Chirs Wilder with the vacancy at Coventry City, but on matchday nothing had happened, not even an approach, so the goodbye was to goalkeeping coach Alan Hodgkinson. He’s now 76, but the experience gained from playing for England, Sheffield United and Manchester United will be sorely missed.

It was two veterans that undid United, John O’Flynn, and particularly Jamie Cureton. I never did get to the bottom of why Bristol Rovers let Cureton go to Reading for a pittance, all those years ago, but wherever he’s been he’s scored routinely. Today was no exception, as with just 10 minutes gone, the defence let him run at them so he let fly from 20 yards, and the ball flew into the top left hand corner. A stunning strike, but one that should have been never allowed to happen.

It got worse, as the OUFC defence debated a decision to give Exeter a corner. It didn’t look over the line, but the concentration levels had dropped, and Scott Bennett headed home from the corner kick. It wasn’t that United were failing to create chances, it was just when they arrived they weren’t converted. Sean Rigg saw two efforts blocked and Simon Heslop shot wide as United attempted in vain to find a quick reponse.

I expected a change of tactics for the second half, but nothing was altered until Exeter got their 3rd. Michael Raynes will wonder how a 37 year old managed to but nutmeg and outpace him, but the former Norwich man’s finish was superb. In fact the warm applause from the home support as Cureton limped off a few minutes later, was as much a sigh of relief as it was appreciative.

United found a way back into the game when Damian Batt’s run into the box was crudely ended by Craig Woodman, and Jake Forster-Caskey made no mistake from the penalty spot, sending Artur Keysiak the wrong way. When Adam Chapman’s free kick was headed across goal by Jon-Paul Pittman for Alfie Potter to bundle home, there was a sense of belief. That was tempered by a missed header by Deane Smalley that looked easier to bury and blunted completely by Exeter’s other veteran Paul O’Flynn, who beat Jake Wright and fired home across Ryan Clarke.

If that was the door closing on OUFC’s chances, then the dismissal of James Constable was that door being bolted. Only on the pitch for 8 minutes, he picked up a booking for a marginal foul, then a minute later a booking which I couldn’t fathom, but was later put down to “Unsporting conduct,” saw the big man troop off furious, and United’s chances disappeared down the tunnel with him.

So, let’s go back to where we started. Will Chris Wilder go to Coventry? Who knows, but if he doesn’t, will that be because Oxford United want to keep him, or that Coventry aren’t interested? Given the current lack of information coming from Grenoble Road, I reckon we’ll find that one out from the Midlands.

 

Wriggle

28 Tuesday Aug 2012

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Tuesday 21st August 2012 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Craddock 54 87)

SOUTHEND UNITED 0 Timlin sent off 27 (2nd booking)

Att 6,001 (290 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3

So many questions remain to be answered, but one statistic is beyond doubt, OUFC are top of League 2 and are yet to concede a goal. So no worries then? Hmmm not sure about that! Oxford’s cause was no doubt aided by Mike Timlin’s collection of the only 2 cards of the game, the last being an utterly daft trip on Jake Forster-Caskey.

Yet all the old frailties were there for all to see Continue reading →