WHEN SATURDAY COMES

I’ve been buying WSC since day one. It’s come a long way since 1986 (what a year that was) and now employs professional writers but is still by far one of the best football reads around. Every month I find so much in it that I both sympathise with and relate to. And from time to time it really brings home how much times have changed in the decades that I’ve been following the U’s.

In the latest edition (January already) Geoff Pearson wrote: “To attend a match in the 1980’s, particularly as a visiting fan was to offer yourself up as a target for indiscriminate and aggressive policing interventions that more often than not treated fans as potential hooligans rather than members of the public paying to see a sporting event”.

There’s an incident at Fellows Park, Walsall, in that era that neatly proves this point and has stuck in my mind. I was leaving the ground with a mate Nigel and his Dad when Nigel, on spotting that the fourth member of our party had somehow got well ahead of us and was already in the street above, pointed at him and laughingly said, “here, how did he get up there?”. At which point he was slapped across the cheek by a policeman who told him, “That will wipe the smile off your face”. It wasn’t hard enough to cause any damage but was just plain wrong. Not all police at the time behaved like that of course.

DOING THE RIGHT THING

I’ve no doubt that the current owners of Oxford United really are trying to do the right thing by the fans, both those who still come along all or most weeks and those whose attendance has lapsed. The bring along a friend for nothing offer to season ticket holders and distribution of lots of free tickets for schools was the kind of gesture that really helps, as does the free travel to Hartlepool. It really is appreciated.

But at the end of the day it really is all about the overall match day experience and seeing a winning team. To this end I was thinking that Darryl Eales and co. could do worse than get their hands on the Priory. I’ve not a clue what is happening with it but something is going on in the wasteland / improvised match day car park which is now fenced off and deemed a construction site.

BURY PRE-MATCH OPTIMISM

Based on the fact that we’d had loads of chances last week that we should have scored from and that the Shakers came to us having lost their last three league games conceding six and scoring just one, I had predicted a home win with us scoring at least two.

Pre-match I met a Bury supporting friend, Gareth, in the Catherine Wheel. I told him my prediction. He warned me to expect a text from him. His prediction was a draw and when asked who their danger men were replied whichever of the forwards are picked, they’re all small, neat and nippy. He mentioned in particular, Danny Mayor, who had also been picked out as “Star Man” in the programme.

FIRST HALF

At half time I texted Gareth thus, “Two goals looked wildly optimistic. We will do well to get one. Atmosphere zero”.

His response, “You’re looking more likely to get one than us though. Agree, very poor game so far”.

I can’t work out how Michael Appleton thought we played well in the first half. I don’t think anyone sat near me was particularly impressed with what we had seen. Yes we had what seemed like 75% of the possession and had a couple of efforts both on and off target but they were nothing to shout about. Our build up play was slow and there was a laboured feeling about much of what we did. But Bury were worse.

SECOND HALF

This period began in much the same fashion except it soon became clear that the visitors approach had changed somewhat. For years I’ve considered Bury to be a footballing side and certainly not a dirty team but some of the challenges that started to come in were far from being legal. Jake Wright was studded down the back of his calf in close proximity to both linesman and referee with the ball being nowhere near the Bury man’s foot. Nothing was given.

Despite there being three bookings for either side it had become clear from early on that Stephen Martin had no authority and looked out of his depth. When we were attacking the East Stand it was difficult to tell if Danny Hylton had been brought down inside or outside the penalty area. Once the decision was made the game should have re-started in a matter of seconds but such was Martin’s lack of control that it was minutes later that play got back underway. (Well that was what it seemed like).

Once Bury had introduced that element of thuggery, they had a period of dominance when they played their best football of the match and went one nil up. Initially I’d considered this quite a good move but having seen it again on TV have revised my opinion. What I thought was a neat flick was indeed a miskick and we afforded them way too much space. At the end of it all we had four or five players all lying on the turf including Joe Riley who had collided with Jake Wright. It’s not often our defence is a shambles but it was then.

Andrew Tutte then hit the bar for the second time of the afternoon, this time with a racking 20 yarder. Thankfully it didn’t go in. 1-0 flattered them so 2-0 would have been taking the piss.

Not long after that we were level. Andy Whing played a through ball to Hylton who beat his man, got to the byline and pulled the ball back into the six yard box. These are difficult balls for defenders to deal with. Craig Jones, who was not the best placed Shaker to do so, tried to nonetheless with the outcome being he’d achieved an oggie. Thank you very much.

On the final whistle I was able to text “so my prediction was right” to Gareth. His reply was “we did everything we could to make your prediction come true – conceding from our own corner, shocking”.

I’d not really looked at it like that. I was looking through yellow tinted glasses; his were of the white variety.

What I thoroughly liked about the goal, other than it being in the 90th minute which is always sweet, was the way we kept going to the end and still had fitness in the tank. Riley sent Wes Burns away and for someone who has not played a lot of football his pace and stamina were noteworthy as he too steamed towards the byline. (There’s a telling message, or possibly two, here.) And all credit to Tyrone Barnett also for running the length of the pitch to be in the right place to head home the cross, albeit a little too close for comfort as it went through the keeper’s legs. There was nothing of the prima donna about him in the last few minutes before he heads back to Peterborough.

THE PITCH

It has already become noticeable that the quality of the playing surface has become poor and that just does not rest easy with the type of football we are trying to play. Just take a look at the ball rolling along the grass (and even that is looking bare in some patches already) and notice how it pops up and down at random moments. Burns was just about to get his cross in for the winner when the ball popped up but the timing was such that he was able to delay and then do the necessary.

Whether the rugby is to blame I don’t have conclusive proof but that can’t help. If only there was something we could do about it.

THE FORWARDS

All three of them ran tirelessly all afternoon making numerous runs that probably weren’t noticed by many in the crowd. That was so because the ball never came forward to them such is our style of play. But they keep doing it because on the 10th time they do it they might, just might, be played in. So much about football is graft. We had that.

So Barnett has now gone. I’ll miss him having greatly warmed to the guy as he got fitter and as he fitted in more. He’s the only player to have scored for us in the league since Hylton netted against Wycombe.

I’d like to see him stay but we’ve now got, or will have when they are all available, so many forwards it is going to be a huge conundrum for MApp to pick the most effective combination and keep everyone happy.

In addition to Hylton, probably my man of the match, and Burns, who did well on his debut, we’ve Will Hoskins and James Roberts coming back from injury plus the Jarrow Roofer, John Campbell and from January, Patrick Hoban. And that isn’t including our wide(ish) men Alfie Potter and Callum O’Dowda. With all that lot our record of just 22 league goals in 20 games really should improve. But it is not that simple as it comes down to creativity in other areas too. If we get it right it could be exciting times ahead.

POST MATCH PINT

Was drunk in the North Star, Steventon. What a pub. One of only 11 left in the UK without a bar counter, apparently and with settles and the like is a pleasant far cry from your ubiquitous pub chain outlet.

Anyway, I digress, but the reason I mention it is I flipped through a South Oxon CAMRA magazine whilst I was in there and in an article on micropubs noted that reference to the Rat Race Ale House, in Hartlepool. That’s where I’ll be heading next Saturday if my free transport gets me up north in time. Oh, that’s not got a bar counter either if my memory is correct.

But first to the land of Half Man Half Biscuit and to nicely round off this view Nigel Blackwell, one of the founders and still a member, used to edit a football fanzine called “Left for Wakeley Gage”.

Under bridges over bridges to our destination; Tranmere here we come.