Youth team

[YF Dan]

Is anyone planning to go and watch the youth team hopefully/probably win the league on Saturday morning?

[Mally]

I thought they'd already won it by winning 5-0 against Cheltenham last week acording to the official site

[Matt D]

this report says it's still mathematically possible for it to be taken from them, so i assume saturday potentially seals it for them.

[A-Ro]

What time is KO and is it at Court Place Farm?

[Mally]

this report says it's still mathematically possible for it to be taken from them, so i assume saturday potentially seals it for them.

I've just looked at the table. The only team that can catch them is Swansea City would have to win their remaining 6 games and Oxford would have to lose their remaining 4 games. I think it's in the bag but agree its not mathematically certain.

This achievement is all the more remarkable considering that all the other youth teams are from league sides. It suggests we have a very good crop of youth players to come through into the first team as long as Southampton (or Reading?) don't come and poach them away but it also speaks volumes for Darren Patterson's managerial talents.

[YF Dan]

11 o'clock at Iffley Road.

They win the league if they avoid defeat in any of the last 4 matches, and even then could still win it.

[Mooro]

I would recommend to anyone to go along, as you get to watch a game without the chorus of criticism that you normally get at the KasStad, and it gets you up and out of the house nice and early, then you can just get the bus up the road, amble to a pub for a few beers then on to the main game in the afternoon....

I used to do it a few years back (which got me into all this Us Youth stuff), and once I'd got over the strange looks from the parents, found it a highly enjoyable start to a matchday, particularly when you knew the afternoon game was likely to be prettty poor.

It is a remarkable effort from the kids, given the standard of the other clubs, so absolutely hats off to Darren and Les &amp co for producing a team able to acheive such success.

I would also mark this up as a triumph for the U's Youth scheme as it allowed us to take on so many kids over the last few years and also back them with enough equipment to make it worthwhile. A few years ago they were having to pushstart the minibus to get to &amp from games, now they have decent kit, transport &amp equipment to use which all goes to improve the whole experience for them and hopefully bring out better results.

The only gripe I have, and one which Ive aired on here before, is that the scholarship scheme was changed a couple of years back to revert to U18 teams (from U19) in the league, which has resulted in two year scholarships instead of three. The U's youth momentum allowed us to take on a large number of scholars two years ago, which means our squad is probably slightly older than many (which admittedly has perhaps helped the title challenge), but it has to be said that the first years and schoolboys that have played regularly have also done very well.

However, what this also means is that the club are now having to decide on the future of these guys at 18, rather than allowing them another year to develop (or not). With the wage cap on the senior side, it is always likely that one or more may slip through the net, which seems a great shame, but I'm not sure what the rules actually allow us to do about it....

To his credit, Smith has basically carried three graduates this season (Gunn, Beechers, Kennett) but I hope that he sees fit to do the same next year to give some of this current youth squad a chance to grow into the side fully. Not every one will prove a winner, but hopefully the fact that Gunn's development allowed him to release Dempster (and free up some wage budget to get the loanees in), may just persuade him that it is worthwhile.

I hope he does, as there is clearly a lot of potential in Darren's squad and given a few years of giving these guys a chance we might begin to see the results in the first team squad.

Anyway, I digress, get down there tomorrow morning and give these guys some support, they've deserved it......

[Pe├▒a Oxford United]

then you can just get the bus up the road, amble to a pub for a few beers then on to the main game in the afternoon.....

As I recall you can get a bus right through to the Catherine Wheel if you know which one to get. (If you don't, it's still a long walk from Rose Hill, not to mention the long walk after the pub.

[Mooro]

..or walk thru to the Cowley Road &amp get the bus into B Leys...

[A-Ro]

As I recall you can get a bus right through to the Catherine Wheel if you know which one to get. (If you don't, it's still a long walk from Rose Hill, not to mention the long walk after the pub.

Never trust travel advice from someone living in Spain. (unless of course you're going to Spain)

Under normal circumstances this would have been true but since High St. is being dug up the Thames Travel 602 service now goes down the Abingdon Road, across Donnington Bridge and then back en route. This is likely to be the case for the next couple of months.

[Werthers Original]

You just get the bus up Iffley Road and Rose Hill then, consulting your A-Z if need be, turn left into the last side street before the ring road and go under the ring road into the quaint hamlet of Littlemore, where you will pass various pubs such as the George and the Golden Mile (I always think of it as the Goldenballs), then under the little railway bridge to the 'new ground'. 15-20 minutes, sorted. No parking needed.

[Hog]

You just get the bus up Iffley Road and Rose Hill then, consulting your A-Z if need be, turn left into the last side street before the ring road and go under the ring road into the quaint hamlet of Littlemore, where you will pass various pubs such as the George and the Golden Mile (I always think of it as the Goldenballs, then under the little railway bridge to the 'new ground'. 15-20 minutes, sorted. No parking needed.

That's not surprising really as it is actually called The Golden Ball !

[frankie]

champions...
give the kids a chance, at least they are proud to wear the shirt!!!!
where were you today?
its a shame you have only just found out how good they are.

[Mally]

champions...
give the kids a chance, at least they are proud to wear the shirt!!!!
where were you today?
its a shame you have only just found out how good they are.

Is that a collective &quotyou&quot or is it aimed at somebody in particular?

Does anybody think Jim Smith's comments after the game about the youth team players were some sort of reverse psychology or, as I believe, was he voicing his true feelings when he said I'll be long gone before any of them play for the first team?

Does this mean:

a. Jim Smith isn't planning to stay arond for long, or
b. Jim Smith doesn't believe they will be good enough until they are in their mid 20's?

I think he meant the latter - what a great incentive to give them on their big day.

[Baboo]

champions...
give the kids a chance, at least they are proud to wear the shirt!!!!
where were you today?
its a shame you have only just found out how good they are.

Is that a collective &quotyou&quot or is it aimed at somebody in particular?

Does anybody think Jim Smith's comments after the game about the youth team players were some sort of reverse psychology or, as I believe, was he voicing his true feelings when he said I'll be long gone before any of them play for the first team?

Does this mean:

a. Jim Smith isn't planning to stay arond for long, or
b. Jim Smith doesn't believe they will be good enough until they are in their mid 20's?

I think he meant the latter - what a great incentive to give them on their big day.

I asked myself the same question. Although Jim doesn't seem to have a great deal of time for the youth I interpreted it as being a). Also having heard Mr Patterson on Radio Oxford he came over with bags of confidence and self belief. And with what he has achieved surely he must be the next Manager in waiting. If / when this happens, will Jim disappear completely or move upstairs in some capacity I wonder.