Oxford United
Full name	Oxford United Football Club
Nickname(s)	The U's, Yellows
Founded	1893[1] (as Headington)
Ground	Kassam Stadium Oxford (Capacity 12,500)
Chairman	Nick Merry
Manager	Darren Patterson
League	Conference National
2007–08	Conference National, 9th
Home colours 　 Away colours

For the Northern Irish football club, see Oxford United Stars F.C.

Oxford United Football Club is an English football team playing in the fifth tier of English football for the 2007-08 season. Football club names are a part of the sport 's culture reflecting century-old traditions This is a of lists of the use of Nicknames in football (soccer. Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner and former chairman of the club Firoz Kassam. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, The following is a list of Association football stadia. They are ordered by their capacity, that is the maximum number of spectators that the Nicholas "Nick" Merry (born Woodstock Oxfordshire, England) is a British businessman who made his money in the United States running Darren Patterson (born 15 October 1969 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish former footballer who is currently the manager of Oxford Conference National (currently named the Blue Square Premier for sponsorship reasons is the top division of the Football Conference. For the English football team see Oxford United FC Oxford United Stars F England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Conference National (currently named the Blue Square Premier for sponsorship reasons is the top division of the Football Conference. The Football Conference consists of the top two levels of Non-League football in England.

The club is owned by chairman Nick Merry and managed by Darren Patterson. Nicholas "Nick" Merry (born Woodstock Oxfordshire, England) is a British businessman who made his money in the United States running Darren Patterson (born 15 October 1969 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish former footballer who is currently the manager of Oxford Its home ground is the Kassam Stadium in Oxford with a capacity of 12,500. The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner and former chairman of the club Firoz Kassam. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, ^[2] The club moved to the stadium in 2001 after leaving the Manor Ground, which was its home for 76 years. The Manor Ground was a football stadium in Oxford, England, that was the home of Oxford United

Oxford United joined the Football League in 1962 after winning the Southern Premier League, reaching the Second Division in 1968. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs Clubs for 2008-09 season Champions 1894-95 Millwall Athletic 1895-96 Millwall Athletic 1896-97 Southampton From 1892 until 1992 the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. After relegation in 1976, between 1984 and 1986 the club earned successive promotions into the First Division, and also won the League Cup. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition Oxford were unable to enter the 1987 UEFA Cup because of the UEFA ban on English clubs in European competitions. The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA. Relegation from the top flight in 1988 began an 18-year decline which saw the club relegated to the Conference in 2006. Organisation The Football Conference stands at the top of the National League System (NLS a comprehensive structure linking together over 50 different leagues under the This was the first time in the history of English football that a team which had previously won a major trophy was relegated from the Football League.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Headington United 1.2 Promotion and Robert Maxwell takeover 1.3 Oxford at the top 1.4 Life in the second tier 1.5 The Division Three years 1.6 Another setback 1.7 Life in the Conference 1.8 Financial crisis 2 Stadium 3 Crest 4 Supporters 5 Current squad 5.1 Notable players 6 Club officials 7 Managerial history 8 Honours 9 Records 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links 12.1 Official 12.2 Independent media sites 12.3 Major fan sites

History

Headington United

Oxford United was formed as amateur club Headington in 1893,^[1] adding the suffix United the following year. Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. It was created by Rev John Scott-Tucker, the vicar at the local church and a local doctor named Robert Hitchings. The Reverend is a style used as a Prefix to the names of many Christian Clergy and ministers It is correctly called a style rather In the broadest sense a vicar (from the Latin Vicarius) is a representative anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior ^[3] The team was created as a way to keep the cricketers fit during the winter break. The first game played was against Cowley Barracks. Headington had no permanent home until 1913, when they were able to purchase Wootten's Field on London Road, but this was developed on in 1920. ^[3] A permanent home was finally found in 1926, when they purchased the Manor Ground site. The Manor Ground was a football stadium in Oxford, England, that was the home of Oxford United ^[3] The facility was used as a cricket pitch in the summer, and a football pitch in the winter, until the cricketers moved out during the 1940s. Headington United competed in local leagues until being elected to the Southern League and becoming professional in 1949. History Professional football (and Professional sport in general developed more slowly in Southern England than in the north. ^[1] From 1925 to 2001 Headington United / Oxford United played at the Manor Ground on the London Road in Headington. The Manor Ground was a football stadium in Oxford, England, that was the home of Oxford United The club installed floodlights in 1952, one of the first clubs to do so. ^[4] Headington United first started wearing yellow as the colour for their home shirt in the 1957–58 season. ^[5] The reason for the change is unknown. In 1960, Headington United was renamed Oxford United in order to give it a higher profile. ^[1]

Promotion and Robert Maxwell takeover

Two years later, in 1962, the club won the Southern League title for the second successive season and was elected to the Football League Fourth Division,^[6] occupying the vacant place left by bankrupt Accrington Stanley. History Professional football (and Professional sport in general developed more slowly in Southern England than in the north. "Fourth Division" redirects here For usage of the term in the Military, see 4th Division. Accrington Stanley Football Club is an English football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the north-west of England formed in 1968 Two successive eighteenth place finishes followed,^[7][8] before promotion to the Third Division was achieved in 1965. From the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest ^[9] In 1964, they had become the first Fourth Division club to reach the quarter-final of the FA Cup,^[10] but have not progressed that far in the competition since. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after Oxford won the Third Division title in 1967–68,^[11] their sixth season as a league club, but after eight years of relative stability the club was relegated from the Second Division in 1975–76. From 1892 until 1992 the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. ^[12]

In 1982, while a Third Division side, Oxford United was taken over by controversial business tycoon Robert Maxwell (1923–1991). Ian Robert Maxwell MC ( June 10, 1923 – November 5, 1991) was a Czechoslovakian born British Media proprietor ^[13] Maxwell proposed to merge United with neighbours Reading to form a single club called the Thames Valley Royals,^[14] to play at Didcot. Reading Football Club are an Association football club based in the English town of Reading, in Berkshire. Didcot is a Town in the Thames Valley, in the English county of Oxfordshire (although formerly in Berkshire) The merger was called off after fans of both clubs protested against the decision.

Oxford won the Third Division title in 1984 under the management of Jim Smith,^[15] who also guided them to the Second Division title the following year. James Michael "Jim" Smith (born October 17 1940, Sheffield) is a former English football player and manager ^[16] This meant that Oxford United would be playing First Division football in the 1985–86 season, 23 years after joining the Football League. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between Smith moved to Queens Park Rangers shortly after the promotion success,^[17] and made way for chief scout Maurice Evans, who several seasons earlier had won the Fourth Division title with Reading. Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English football club, based in Shepherds Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London Maurice George Evans ( 22 September 1936 &ndash 18 August 2000) was a football player with Reading Football Club, and later manager ^[15]

Oxford at the top

Oxford United finished eighteenth in the 1985–86 First Division campaign,^[18] avoiding relegation on the last day of the season. They also won the Milk Cup, beating Queens Park Rangers 3-0 in the final at Wembley. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English football club, based in Shepherds Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the They would have qualified for the UEFA Cup the following season had it not been for the ban on English teams that had arisen from the previous year's Heysel Stadium disaster. The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA. The Heysel Stadium disaster occurred owing to Football hooliganism in which a retaining wall of the Heysel Stadium in Brussels collapsed on May 29 ^[19] Oxford begin life as a top-division side after winning the League Cup, although they never really competed with the best. 1986–87 saw another relegation battle which was narrowly won. Robert Maxwell resigned as chairman in May 1987 to take over at Derby, handing the club to his son Kevin. Derby County Football Club is a professional football club based at Pride Park Stadium in Derby England. Maurice Evans was sacked in March 1988 with Oxford bottom of the First Division and destined for relegation after three years in the top flight.

Oxford started their 1986 League Cup campaign with a second round tie against Northampton Town. Northampton Town Football Club is a football club based in Northampton. The home leg was won 2–0 by Oxford, with the return leg also being won by Oxford, this time with a 2–1 scoreline. ^[20] Their reward was a third round tie at home to Newcastle United. Newcastle United Football Club (also known as The Magpies or The Toon) is an English football club based in Newcastle upon The result of the single leg was 3–1 to Oxford. The next two rounds were both held at the Manor Ground, against Norwich City and Portsmouth respectively. PLEASE NOTE This section is the introduction Please do not add too much detail here Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. Both ties finished with Oxford running out 3–1 winners. The semi-final was played in January 1986 against Aston Villa, the aggregate score being Oxford 4–3 Aston Villa after a 2–1 home victory for Oxford in the second leg. The final was held at Wembley Stadium on 20 April 1986. original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The opponents were Queens Park Rangers, themselves reaching the final after beating a number of First-Division opponents. Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English football club, based in Shepherds Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London The final result was 3–0 with goals from Trevor Hebberd, Jeremy Charles and Ray Houghton. Trevor Neal Hebberd (born New Alresford, 19 June 1958) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder Jeremy Charles (born 26 September 1959 in Swansea) is a former Wales international football player Raymond James Houghton (born January 9 1962 in Glasgow, Scotland) was a Scottish-born footballer who represented the Republic After the match, manager Maurice Evans asked long-serving physio, 72-year-old Ken Fish, to collect a winner's medal instead of himself. Maurice George Evans ( 22 September 1936 &ndash 18 August 2000) was a football player with Reading Football Club, and later manager ^[21] It was the last time the League Cup was played under the name 'Milk Cup'.

Life in the second tier

Before relegation was confirmed, former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson was named as Oxford's new manager. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Mark Thomas Lawrenson (born 2 June, 1957 in Preston, England) is a former professional football player a defender in the Liverpool However, he was sacked three months into the 1988–89 Second Division campaign after a dispute with the chairman over the £1 million sale of striker Dean Saunders to Derby County^[22]; Derby were owned by Robert Maxwell, father of the then Oxford United chairman, Kevin Maxwell. Dean Nicholas Saunders (born 21 June 1964 in Swansea) is a former Welsh footballer who played as a Striker in a professional career which lasted Derby County Football Club is a professional football club based at Pride Park Stadium in Derby England. Kevin Francis Herbert Maxwell (born 1959 is a British businessman son of Robert Maxwell and brother of Ian Maxwell. Brian Horton was named as Oxford's new manager, and remained in charge until September 1993 when he was lured away to Manchester City in the recently-formed FA Premier League. Brian Horton (born 4 February 1949 in Hednesford, Staffordshire) is an English football manager currently working as the assistant TalkManchester City FC before changing verbs to singular --> Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Oxford, now a side in the new Football League Division One, briefly restored Maurice Evans to the manager's seat before turning to Bristol City manager Denis Smith. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol England, (the other being arch rivals Bristol Rovers) Denis Smith (born November 19, 1947 in Stoke-on-Trent) is an English football manager and former player By the time Smith was hired, Oxford were deep in relegation trouble. Despite Smith's efforts, Oxford slid into Division Two at the end of the 1993–94 season. ^[23]

Oxford's poor form continued into the 1999–2000 season, forcing Shotton to resign in late October with the club deep in relegation trouble. However the team's form improved and they finished 20th in the Division Two final table, one place clear of relegation. ^[24] After the 2000–01 campaign, Oxford were relegated back to the basement division of the league after a 35-year absence, with 100 goals conceded. ^[25] They suffered 33 league defeats, the second-highest number of league defeats ever endured by a league club in a single season.

The Division Three years

Oxford began the 2001–02 season with a new stadium and a new manager. They finally completed their relocation to the Kassam Stadium, named after new owner Firoz Kassam, after six years of speculation. The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner and former chairman of the club Firoz Kassam. Firoz Kassam (born 1955 is a Tanzanian-born, British -based businessman Former Liverpool and England defender Mark Wright was given the manager's job, but resigned in late November after being accused of making racist remarks to referee Joe Ross. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football Mark Wright (born 1 August 1963 in Dorchester, Oxfordshire, England) was an English international footballer now turned Joseph Ross (born December 28 1959) is an English former football referee, previously in The Football League, and also ^[26] Wright's successor Ian Atkins was unable to make much of a difference and Oxford finished the Division Three campaign in 21st place, their lowest-ever league position, although there was never any real threat of them losing their league status. Ian Leslie Atkins (born 16 January 1957 in Sheldon, Birmingham) is a former English professional football manager, and ^[27]

Oxford did better in 2002–03, spending most of the season in either the automatic promotion or playoff places. But defeat in their final game of the season meant an eighth-place finish, not even enough for a playoff place. ^[28]

An positive start to the 2003–04 season suggested that Oxford's three-year spell in Division Three might soon be over, but manager Ian Atkins was sacked in March after agreeing to take charge at rivals Bristol Rovers, and under his successor Graham Rix the club plummeted to ninth place in the final table. Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football team based in Bristol. Graham Rix (b October 23, 1957) is an English former football player and coach.

Another setback

Rix was sacked the following November, with Oxford in the bottom half of Coca-Cola League Two. Oxford replaced him with the Argentine Ramón Díaz, who was unable to secure anything higher than a mid-table finish. The Argentina national football team is the national football team of Argentina and is controlled by the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA Ramón Ángel Díaz (born 1959-08-29 in La Rioja) is a former Argentine football player Diaz and his team of assistants left the club at the beginning of May 2005 and ex-England midfielder and former West Bromwich Albion, Rushden and Oldham manager Brian Talbot was immediately signed on a two-year contract as replacement. West Bromwich Albion Football Club (also known as West Brom, The Baggies, Albion, The Albion, The Throstles or WBA) are Rushden & Diamonds FC is a professional football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Oldham Athletic Football Club (2004 Ltd, more commonly Oldham Athletic Football Club or informally Oldham Athletic, is an English football club Brian Ernest Talbot (born 21 July 1953 in Ipswich) is an English football manager and former player Apart from a brief winning streak in September which saw United reach eighth in the table, Talbot found little success and was sacked in March 2006 with the club in 22nd place. He was replaced by youth team coach Darren Patterson. Darren Patterson (born 15 October 1969 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish former footballer who is currently the manager of Oxford

On 21 March 2006, Firoz Kassam sold the club for approximately £2 million (including the club's debts) to Florida-based businessman Nick Merry, who had played for United's youth team in the mid-1970s. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Nicholas "Nick" Merry (born Woodstock Oxfordshire, England) is a British businessman who made his money in the United States running Merry immediately initiated changes to the upper hierarchy of the club. Jim Smith, the club's most successful ever manager, returned to the helm bringing in five new players on his first day in charge. James Michael "Jim" Smith (born October 17 1940, Sheffield) is a former English football player and manager

Smith was unable to prevent relegation in the 2005–06 season. After 44 successive years in English league football, Oxford were relegated to the National Conference from League Two after finishing in 23rd place,^[29] becoming the first former winners of a major trophy to be relegated from the league.

Life in the Conference

Jim Smith was retained as manager for 2006-07. The 2006-07 Football Conference season saw the promotion of Dagenham & Redbridge and Morecambe to The Football League for the first time whilst The season started brightly for Oxford, with 14 wins and 8 draws from their opening 25 games. However, this was followed by a run of eleven league games without a win from November, which saw them drop into second place just after Christmas, a position in which they remained until the end of the season. On Boxing Day 2006 a crowd of 11,065 watched United draw 0–0 with Woking at the Kassam Stadium, the largest-ever attendance for a Football Conference match (excluding playoffs). Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, as well as many other members of the Commonwealth They qualified for the playoffs by coming second,^[30] facing Exeter in the playoff semi-finals. Conference National (currently named the Blue Square Premier for sponsorship reasons is the top division of the Football Conference. Exeter City Football Club are an English football club based in Exeter, who were members of the Football League from 1920 to 2003 and rejoined After winning 1–0 in the first leg at Exeter, Oxford lost the second leg 2–1 and after extra time lost 4–3 on penalties, thus failing in their attempt to return to the Football League at the first attempt.

On 9 November 2007, Jim Smith resigned as manager and first team coach Darren Patterson was named as the new manager. Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[31] Oxford spent most of the 2007–08 season in mid-table, though a run of 9 wins in their last 11 games saw them finish in 9th place, 10 points outside the playoff places.

Financial crisis

In June 1995, Oxford United's board of directors had unveiled plans for a new 16,000-seat stadium at Minchery Farm to replace the dilapidated Manor Ground. The Manor Ground was a football stadium in Oxford, England, that was the home of Oxford United The club had hoped to move into the new stadium near the Blackbird Leys housing estate by the start of the 1998–99 season, but construction was suspended during the 1997–98 season because of £13 million debts, which almost bankrupted the club. Blackbird Leys is a ward located on the south-eastern outskirts of Oxford, England and is one of the largest council estates in Europe Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their Creditors Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against ^[2]

During October and November 1998 the backroom staff at the club went unpaid, due to United's financial situation, and supporters rallied round, delivering food parcels to the ground. Supporters set up a pressure group called Fighting for Oxford United's Life (FOUL),^[32] which began to publicise the club's plight through a series of meetings and events. An interest group (also advocacy group, lobby group, pressure group or special interest group) is an organized collection of people who seek Chairman Robin Herd had effectively given up on the club, and in April 1999 Firoz Kassam bought Herd's 89. Firoz Kassam (born 1955 is a Tanzanian-born, British -based businessman 9% controlling interest in Oxford United for £1, with which he also inherited the club's estimated £15 million debt. Kassam reduced £9 million of the debt to £900,000 by virtue of a Company Voluntary Arrangement, by which unsecured creditors who were owed over £1,000 were reimbursed with 10p for every pound they were owed. Administration is a procedure under the Insolvency laws of a number of Common law jurisdictions which functions as a rescue mechanism for insolvent companies Secured creditors were paid off when Kassam sold the Manor to another of his Firoka companies for £6,000,000. Kassam set about completing the unfinished stadium, gaining planning permission for a bowling alley, a multiplex cinema, and a hotel, among other things, following a series of legal battles which were eventually all settled.

Stadium

Main articles: Kassam Stadium and Manor Ground, Oxford

Kassam Stadium
Location	Grenoble Road, Oxford, OX4 4XP, England
Built	1997
Opened	2001
Owner	Firoka Group
Operator	Oxford United
Construction cost	£15m
Tenants	Oxford United
Capacity	12,500 Kassam Stadium

Oxford United played at the Manor Ground between 1925 and 2001. The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner and former chairman of the club Firoz Kassam. The Manor Ground was a football stadium in Oxford, England, that was the home of Oxford United Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Manor Ground was a football stadium in Oxford, England, that was the home of Oxford United The ground hosted United's record crowd of 22,750 against Preston North End in an FA Cup 6th round match on 29 February 1964. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire ^[1] The four stands were: Beech Road (west), London Road (home), Cuckoo Lane (north) and Osler Road (east). In the 1990s, the Taylor Report was published calling for the improvement of football stadiums. The Taylor Report is a document whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in

The Manor Ground's terracing was becoming redundant and redeveloping the ground was too costly, so the club decided to move to a purpose-built all-seater stadium on the outskirts of the city. Construction work began in the early part of 1997, but was suspended later that year due to the club's financial problems. ^[2] Construction of the new stadium resumed in 1999 following a takeover deal and Oxford moved there in 2001. The last league match at the Manor on 1st May 2001 saw a 1–1 draw with Port Vale. The stadium was later demolished and is now the site of a private hospital.

Since 2001, Oxford United have played at the Kassam Stadium. The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner and former chairman of the club Firoz Kassam. The all-seater stadium has a capacity of 12,500 and is unique in the English League in having only three stands; when first planned in 1995 it was originally going to have a 16,000-seat capacity, but by the time the stadium opened Oxford were playing in a lower division, so the smaller capacity was deemed adequate. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Construction of the fourth stand is not expected to take place before Oxford have progressed to at least the third tier of English football.

The record attendance is 12,243, which was achieved in the final game of the 2005–06 season, when a defeat against Leyton Orient condemned them to relegation from the Football League. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs The stadium has also hosted Rugby Union matches, an Under-17 international football tournament and a music concert. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short ^[33]

Crest

The crest reflects the name and history of the city. Originally, Oxford was a market town, situated near to a ford on the River Isis which was used by cattle. A ford is a place in a Watercourse (most commonly a stream or River) that is shallow enough to be crossed by wading on Horseback or in a wheeled The Isis is the name given to the part of the River Thames above Iffley Lock which flows through the city of Oxford. The club crest thus depicts an ox above a representation of a ford. Oxen (singular ox) are Cattle trained as draft animals. Often they are adult castrated males ^[34]

The shape and design of the crest has changed numerous times since it was first produced. When playing as Headington and during the early years of Oxford United, the crest included a full ox crossing the ford, as well as the initials H. U. F. C. (pre-1962) or the name Oxford United (post name-change). Between 1972 and 1979, ^[35] the crest became circular, showing just the ox's head on a yellow and black background. The words 'Oxford United Football Club' were placed around the ox. For the next 17 years, the crest was simply the ox's head coloured blue. In 1996, the crest had a shield shape and contained the ox's head over the ford, on a yellow background. Escutcheon (ɪ'skʌtʃən (also called scutcheon) is the term used in Heraldry for the Shield displayed This version was retained until the move to the Kassam Stadium in 2001, when club steward Rob Alderman designed the current version. It has a similar design to the preceding crest, but the ox and ford are contained in a circle with a yellow background, with the remainder of the crest being coloured blue. The club name also returns to the crest.

Supporters

Oxford have a number of independent supporters' clubs and groups such as OxVox (the Oxford United Supporters' Trust) with a current membership of over 300, and the Oxford United Exiles. ^[36][37] The club itself also runs a Juniors club, aimed at younger fans and offering a number of bonuses to its members such as birthday cards and a free T-shirt. ^[38]

Oxford United's main rivals are Swindon Town. Swindon Town Football Club is an English football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, who currently play in League One. In their last encounter, Oxford beat Swindon 1–0 in the FA Cup live on BBC television in December 2002. Oxford City are the city's other significant club; however, there is little rivalry between the clubs or their supporters. Oxford City Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Southern Football League Premier Division after gaining promotion via

Current squad

As of 31 May 2008. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[39]

No. Position Player 1 GK Billy Turley 4 MF Barry Quinn (first team captain) 5 DF Chris Willmott 8 MF Eddie Hutchinson 10 FW Yemi Odubade 16 DF Luke Foster 18 MF Phil Trainer 19 MF Joel Ledgister

No. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports William Lee "Billy" Turley (born 15 July 1973) is an English Football goalkeeper currently playing for Conference National For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Barry Scott Quinn (born May 9 1979 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish footballer, currently playing for Oxford United In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Christopher Alan "Chris" Willmott (born September 30 1977 in Bedford, England) is an English footballer, currently For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Edward Stephen "Eddie" Hutchinson (born February 23 1982) is a professional footballer currently playing for Oxford United in the Football Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Yemi Odubade (born July 4 1984, Nigeria) is a footballer, currently playing for Oxford United. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Luke James Foster (born 8 September 1985 in Mexborough, England) is an English footballer, currently playing for Oxford For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Phil Trainer (born July 3 1981 in Wolverhampton, England) is a professional Footballer currently playing for Oxford United For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Position Player 20 DF Alex Jeannin 21 DF Matt Day 23 MF Adam Murray 29 FW Matty Taylor 37 FW Alex Fisher 38 MF Declan Benjamin 41 DF James Clarke

Notable players

For more details on this topic, see List of Oxford United F.C. players. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Alexandre 'Alex' Jeannin (born 30 December 1977 in Troyes, France) is a French footballer who currently plays in England In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Matt Day (born 24 March, 1987 in Hungerford) is an English footballer, currently playing for Oxford United He is a defender For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Adam Murray (born on 30 September 1981 in Birmingham) is an English professional footballer currently playing for Conference Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring This is a list of notable players who have played for Oxford United F

Club officials

Oxford United football club

• Chairman: Nick Merry
• Directors: Jim Smith and Kelvin Thomas
• General Manager & Club Secretary: Mick Brown

Coaching and Medical Staff

• Manager & First Team Coach: Darren Patterson
• Assistant Manager & Youth Team Coach: Mickey Lewis
• Goalkeeping Coach: Alan Hodgkinson
• Fitness Coach: Dave Wates

Managerial history

Main article: List of Oxford United F.C. managers

Below is a list of Oxford United managers since Harry Thompson's appointment in 1949 to the present day. Nicholas "Nick" Merry (born Woodstock Oxfordshire, England) is a British businessman who made his money in the United States running James Michael "Jim" Smith (born October 17 1940, Sheffield) is a former English football player and manager Darren Patterson (born 15 October 1969 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish former footballer who is currently the manager of Oxford Alan Hodgkinson MBE (born August 16 1936 in Maltby, England) is a former footballer who played in the position of The following is a list of Oxford United FC managers from 1949 when the club turned professional to the present day

Name	Dates	Achievements	Games	Win %	Notes
Harry Thompson	August 1949 – December 1958	Southern League Champions (1953); Southern League runners up (1954); Southern League Cup Winners (1953,1954)	466	47. Harry Thompson ( 29 April 1915 &ndash 29 January 2000) was an English professional footballer who played for Mansfield History Professional football (and Professional sport in general developed more slowly in Southern England than in the north. History Professional football (and Professional sport in general developed more slowly in Southern England than in the north. The Southern League Cup is the official knock-out cup competition of the Southern League. 20	[40][41]
Arthur Turner	January 1959 – February 1969	Southern League runners up (1960); Southern League Champions (1961,1962); Fourth Division Promotion (1965); Third Division Champions (1968)	504	43. Arthur Owen Turner ( 1 April 1909 – 12 January 1994) was an English professional footballer and football manager History Professional football (and Professional sport in general developed more slowly in Southern England than in the north. History Professional football (and Professional sport in general developed more slowly in Southern England than in the north. "Fourth Division" redirects here For usage of the term in the Military, see 4th Division. From the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest 25	[42][43]
Ron Saunders	March 1969 – June 1969		12	50. Ron Saunders (born 6 November 1932 in Birkenhead, Cheshire) was an English football player and successful manager 00	[44]
Gerry Summers	July 1969 – October 1975		293	31. Gerald Thomas Francis "Gerry" Summers (born 4 October, 1933 in Small Heath Birmingham) was an English professional football 74	[45]
Mick Brown	October 1975 – July 1979		187	28. Michael J "Mick" Brown (born 11 July 1939 in Dublin) is an Irish football scout who currently works for 88	[46]
Bill Asprey	July 1979 – November 1980		81	27. Bill Asprey is a former football player and manager Born in Wolverhampton in 1936 he played 304 times for Stoke City between 1953–54 and 16	[47]
Ian Greaves	December 1980 – January 1982		50	44. Ian Denzil Greaves (born 26 May 1932 in Oldham, Lancashire) is an English former football player and manager 44	[48]
Roy Barry (caretaker)	February 1982 – February 1982		6	33. Roy Barry (born 19 September 1942) is a former Scottish professional footballer who played for Musselburgh Athletic 's junior side 33	[49][50]
Jim Smith	March 1982 – June 1985	Third Division Champions (1984); Second Division Champions (1985)	167	53. James Michael "Jim" Smith (born October 17 1940, Sheffield) is a former English football player and manager From the 1992-93 to the 2003-04 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest From 1892 until 1992 the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. 30	[51][52]
Maurice Evans	June 1985 – March 1988	League Cup Winners (1986)	140	31. Maurice George Evans ( 22 September 1936 &ndash 18 August 2000) was a football player with Reading Football Club, and later manager The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition 51	[53][54]
Mark Lawrenson	March 1988 – October 1988		23	17. Mark Thomas Lawrenson (born 2 June, 1957 in Preston, England) is a former professional football player a defender in the Liverpool 39	[55]
Brian Horton	October 1988 – August 1993		251	31. Brian Horton (born 4 February 1949 in Hednesford, Staffordshire) is an English football manager currently working as the assistant 47	[56][57][58]
Maurice Evans (caretaker)	August 1993 – September 1993		3	0. 00	[59][60]
Denis Smith	September 1993 – December 1997	Second Division runners up (1996)	248	40. Denis Smith (born November 19, 1947 in Stoke-on-Trent) is an English football manager and former player From 1892 until 1992 the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. 08	[61][60][62]
Malcolm Crosby (caretaker)	December 1997 – January 1998		5	0. Malcolm Crosby (born July 4, 1954 in South Shields, England) is an English football manager and former 00	[63][64]
Malcolm Shotton	January 1998 – October 1999		88	29. Malcolm Shotton (born Newcastle upon Tyne, 16 February 1957) is an English former football player and manager 95	[65]
Micky Lewis (caretaker)	October 1999 – February 2000		22	27. 27	[66][67]
Denis Smith	February 2000 – October 2000		30	26. Denis Smith (born November 19, 1947 in Stoke-on-Trent) is an English football manager and former player 67	[61]
Mike Ford (caretaker)	October 2000 – October 2000		6	0. Michael Paul "Mike" Ford (born 9 February, 1966 in Bristol) is a former English professional footballer 00	[68]
David Kemp	October 2000 – April 2001		31	22. David Michael Kemp (born February 20, 1953 in Harrow) is a former English professional footballer and manager 58	[69]
Mike Ford (caretaker)	May 2001 – May 2001		1	0. 00	[68]
Mark Wright	May 2001 – November 2001		22	18. Mark Wright (born 1 August 1963 in Dorchester, Oxfordshire, England) was an English international footballer now turned 18	[70]
Ian Atkins	November 2001 – March 2004		122	38. Ian Leslie Atkins (born 16 January 1957 in Sheldon, Birmingham) is a former English professional football manager, and 52	[71]
Graham Rix	March 2004 – November 2004		29	20. Graham Rix (b October 23, 1957) is an English former football player and coach. 69	[72]
Darren Patterson (caretaker)	November 2004 – December 2004		3	33. Darren Patterson (born 15 October 1969 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish former footballer who is currently the manager of Oxford 33	[73]
Ramon Diaz	December 2004 – May 2005		25	40. Ramón Ángel Díaz (born 1959-08-29 in La Rioja) is a former Argentine football player 00	[74]
Brian Talbot	May 2005 – March 2006		44	22. Brian Ernest Talbot (born 21 July 1953 in Ipswich) is an English football manager and former player 73	[75]
Darren Patterson	March 2006 – March 2006		3	33. 33	[73]
Jim Smith	March 2006 – November 2007		82	41. 46	[51]
Darren Patterson	November 2007 - present		34	44. 11	[73]

Honours

For more details on this topic, see Oxford United F.C. seasons. This is a list of seasons played by Oxford United FC in English Association football, from 1931 (when the club then known as Headington United F

• Southern League
  • Premier Division Champions: 1952–53, 1960–61, 1961–62
  • Premier Division Runners-up: 1953–54, 1959–60
• Southern League Cup
  • Winners: 1952–53, 1953–54
• Football League
  • Pre-advent of the Premiership
    • Division 2: Champions 1984–85
      Division 3: Champions 1967–68, 1983–84
      Division 4: Promoted (4th) 1964–65 ^[76]
  • Post-advent of the Premiership
    • Division 2: Runners-up 1995–96
• FA Cup
  • Best season: 6th round, 1962-63 (a shared record for a 4th-Division club)
• League Cup
  • Winners: 1986 ^[76]

Records

The largest recorded home attendance at an Oxford United game was a match against Preston North End in the sixth round of the FA Cup at the Manor Ground on 29 February 1964. History Professional football (and Professional sport in general developed more slowly in Southern England than in the north. Clubs for 2008-09 season Champions 1894-95 Millwall Athletic 1895-96 Millwall Athletic 1896-97 Southampton The 1952-53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England. Clubs for 2008-09 season Champions 1894-95 Millwall Athletic 1895-96 Millwall Athletic 1896-97 Southampton The Southern League Cup is the official knock-out cup competition of the Southern League. The 1952-53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Football League Championship (often referred to as The Championship for short or the Coca-Cola Football League Championship for sponsorship reasons Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Coca-Cola Football League 1 for sponsorship reasons is the second-highest division of The Football Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for Sponsorship reasons is the third-highest division of The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Coca-Cola Football League 1 for sponsorship reasons is the second-highest division of The Football The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition The 1986 Milk Cup Final was a football match held on 20 April 1986 between Oxford United and Queens Park Rangers. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Manor Ground was a football stadium in Oxford, England, that was the home of Oxford United Leap years Although the modern calendar counts a year as 365 days a complete revolution around the sun takes approximately 365 days and 6 hours Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The attendance was 22,750 ^[77] which exceeded the normal capacity. Scaffolding was needed to put up make shift stands for the excess supporters. Scaffolding is a temporary framework used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures The largest attendance at the Kassam Stadium within a football match was 12,243 for the final match of the 2005–06 League Two season against Leyton Orient. The Kassam Stadium is the home of Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground's owner and former chairman of the club Firoz Kassam. In this season of Football League Reading is the only club in England to get more than 100 points and they also have won the League Championship elsewhere there Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Coca-Cola Football League 2 for Sponsorship reasons is the third-highest division of Leyton Orient FC are an English Professional football team from east London currently playing in League One of the Football League

Oxford's largest-ever scoreline was 9–1 win in the FA Cup first round versus Dorchester Town on 11 November 1995. Dorchester Town Football Club play in the Conference South. They play at the Avenue Stadium in Dorchester Dorset, England, on land owned by the Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 In the league, their largest win was 7–0 versus Barrow in Division 4. Barrow AFC are a football team based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, England. Their largest defeat was 7–0 away to Sunderland in 1998. Sunderland Association Football Club is a professional Association football team based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, which plays in

John Shuker holds the most league appearances with 478 between 1962 and 1977. John Shuker is an English former professional footballer. He is notable for holding the club record of league appearances for Oxford United. John Aldridge hold the record for the most league goals with 82. John William Aldridge (born Liverpool, 18 September 1958) Aldridge is a British-born former Republic of Ireland international He also scored the most league goals in a season in the 1984-85 season, scoring 30. ^[76]

The most capped player in international appearances is Jim Magilton with 18 caps for Northern Ireland. A cap is an appearance for a select team such as a school county or international team in sports James "Jim" Magilton (born May 6, 1969 in Belfast) is a former Northern Irish footballer who currently manages Ipswich The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international football. The largest amount of money Oxford have received from a player sold was £1,600,000 for Matt Elliot's transfer to Leicester City in January 1997. Matthew "Matt" Elliott (born November 1, 1968) is a former professional footballer most notably as a defender for Leicester City. PLEASE NOTE This section is the introduction Please do not add too much detail here The largest transfer fee Oxford have paid for was £475,000 for Dean Windass' transfer from Aberdeen in August 1998. Dean Windass (born 1 April 1969 in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire) is an English footballer who plays as a Striker Aberdeen Football Club (also known as The Dons, The Reds and The Dandies) is a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen ^[76]

References

Further reading

• Swann, Geron; Ward, Andrew (1996). The Boys from up the Hill: An Oral History of Oxford United. Oxford: Crowberry. ISBN 0-9507568-2-2.  
• Howland, A and R (2001). Oxford United: The Headington Years. Marlow: Perfitt-Bayliss. ISBN 0-9541797-0-6.  
• Williams, Chris (2006). Lords of the Manor.  
• Murray, Jon (May 9, 2007). Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "Smith Considers Future". Oxford Mail/This Is United. #
• Howland, Andy and Roger (1989). Oxford United: A Complete Record (1893-1989). Breedon Books. ISBN 0-907969-52-6.  

External links

Official

• Official website

Independent media sites

• Oxford Mail coverage
• Oxford United F. C. on BBC Sport: Club News - Recent results - Upcoming fixtures - Club stats

Major fan sites

• OxVox - The Oxford United Supporters Trust
• MincheryFarmWeb - OUFC Fansite with all the latest news & photos

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