On This Day

[OUFC4eva]

17th January 2004 - United, with only one previous league defeat all season - a 0-2 loss at Doncaster the previous September - travelled to Kingston Upon Hull for a top of the table clash versus the Tigers of Hull City,
managed by Peter Taylor.
United struggled and in the end were defeated 4-2. Strikers Danny Allsopp and Ben Burgess each bagged a brace
with Steve Basham and Matt Bound scoring for Ian Atkins' U's.

United - Woodman; McNiven, Crosby, Bound, McCarthy, Robinson; Hunt, Whitehead, Wanless; Foran, Basham

Att: 21,491

[Kairdiff Exile]

I often wonder what might have been if we'd won that game. There was little between the two sides in the league at that point, but the defeat kick-started a lengthy period of decline. Of course, many sides had found us out (and Atkins' hoofball tactics) by then, so the second half of the season would always have been a challenge - but the momentum of that Hull defeat really hurt us.

[Kernow Yellow]

Not a bad attendance for Div 4 either! Hull played well that day, cementing their newly-won place at the top of the table. They went up that year and never looked back. Just shows what can be done when a city (and a council) really get behind their football club when it comes to sorting out a stadium...

[Old Abingdonian]

Agreed, KY. I was there too, and have often reflected on the dramatically different paths the two clubs took after that meeting. We were very well beaten on the day: 4 - 2 flattered us.

[OUFC4eva]

18th January 1984 - Third Dvivison U's entertained top flight strugglers Everton
for whom under pressure manager Howard Kendall was fighting to save his career.
This was a 5th Round League Cup tie and United were by far the better side.
Deservedly taking a 65th minute lead from a left sided corner - McDonald stabbing home -
United were cruising towards round six when Kevin Brock, under heavy pressure from
Peter Reid, presented Adrian Heath with a careless back pass with just minutes
remaining.

Heath pounced to round 'keeper Steve Hardwick and slot gleefully into the open net.

United were crestfallen.The Toffees went on to destroy the U's 4-1
in the replay at Goodison on a snow covered pitch just a few days later. Everton, under
Kendall went on win two league titles during the next three seasons and the Cup Winners Cup.
Oxford went on to enjoy a golden period of success under Jim Smith and Maurice Evans.

United - Hardwick; Hinshelwood, Briggs, Shotton, McDonald; Lawrence, Train, Hebberd, Brock; Biggins, Vinter.

Att: 14,333

[OUFC4eva]

19th January 1991 - Not a match to live long in the memory as Brian Horton's United were beaten 2-0
at an empty and freezing Hawthorns. Just two weeks earlier Albion crashed out of the
FA Cup 2-4 to Woking and boss Brian Talbot and coach Sam Allardyce were immediately sacked.
Just four days before this match transport minister Malcolm Rifkind declared the M40 link
between Oxford and Birmingham officially open:

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/88633 ... irmingham/

United - Veysey; Robinson, Melville, Foster, Smart; McClaren, Magilton, L.Phillips, Simpson; Durnin, Nogan.

Att: 8,017

[OUFC4eva]

20th January 1988 - The U's defeated Manchester United 2-0 at the Manor Ground in a 5th Round League Cup tie
watched by 12,658. Gary Briggs and Dean Saunders grabbed the goals. United went through to face Luton
Town in the two-legged semi-final:

United - Judge; Bardsley, Briggs, Caton, Dreyer; Hebberd, Shelton, L Phillips, Rhoades-Brown; Foyle, Saunders

Man Utd - Turner; Anderson, Moran, Duxbury, Gibson; Blackmore, Robson, Olsen, Strachan; McClair, Whiteside

[OUFC4eva]

21st January 1989 - United, managed by Brian Horton, impressively defeated Leeds United 3-2 at the Manor.
Martin Foyle, Les Phillips and Paul Simpson with the goals. The game marked the first home appearance
for sub Mike Ford who had damaged his back whilst on honeymoon more than six months previously.
Vince Hilaire, and Noel Blake replied for Leeds in front of a sparse crowd of 7,928
in this second division clash.

United - Judge; Bardsley, Greenall, Slatter, J.Phillips; Shelton, Lewis, L.Phillips, Hill; Simpson, Foyle.

Leeds - Day; Aspin, Aizlewood, Blake, Snodin; Whitlow, Sheridan, Rennie, Hilaire; Davison, Baird.

[OUFC4eva]

22nd January 1977 - recent turmoil in the boardroom - with a change of chairman -
did not seem to affect struggling United as they defeated league leaders Brighton 1-0
at the Manor in the third division.

Centre back Nick Lowe headed in a second half Peter Houseman corner
to give United a precious victory and two more points before the biggest
home gate of the season - 8,145.

This match was Mick Tait's last appearance for the U's at the Manor
with the cash strapped U's forced to sell their prized asset.

United - Burton; Fogg, Lowe, Bodel, Shuker; Houseman, Jeffrey, Duncan, M.Briggs; Foley, Tait

Brighton - Grummitt; Tiler, Rollings, Cross, Cattlin; Towner, Horton, Piper, O'Sullivan; Ward, Mellor

[OUFC4eva]

23rd January 1971 - FA Cup fourth round day and 17,814 packed into the Manor Ground to see the U's take on Watford.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw with Ken Skeen scoring for United. The afternoon was marred as the wall at the
London Road end collapsed after just six minutes of play. Six spectators were injured.

United emerged victorious - winning the replay 2-1 at Vicarage Road - thanks to goals from Skeen and
Colin Clarke before 19,200

United - Kearns; Lucas, Smithson, Clarke, Shuker; Sloan, Evanson, R.Atkinson, Skeen; G.Atkinson, Cassidy

[OUFC4eva]

24th January 1998 - New manager and former skipper Malcolm Shotton takes charge of
the U's - replacing Malcolm Crosby - for the first time and the effect was immediate.
United beat Portsmouth 1-0 at the Manor. Joey Beauchamp scoring a late, late winner at the London Road End
in front of 7,402.

United - Whitehead; Robinson Purse, Gilchrist, Marsh; Massey, Smith, Gray, Murphy ; Jemson, Beauchamp

[Kairdiff Exile]

I remember it well. Technically, I think Shotton was not actually in charge that day and was due to take control on the Monday - but he watched from the stands in the first half and then went down to "have a few words" with the players in the dressing room at half-time when it was still 0-0. Knowing what we do know, that was probably just 15 minutes of shouting, threats and intimidation! Did the trick though...

[OUFC4eva]

25th January 2014 - After defeating strugglers Torquay United 1-0 - who were being managed by Chris Hargreaves -
confusion and chaos reigned in the bowels of the Kassam Stadium.

U's chairman Ian Lenagan revealed post match that Chris Wilder had appeared to have quit the U's.
He could not be found - his office was vacant -and he had appeared to have walked out.
Wilder released a statement later that night stating that he had not resigned.
The following day a deal had been done to allow Wilder to join Northampton Town after more than
five years at Oxford. Wilder enjoyed a 46% win rate winning 123 games, drawing 66 and losing 79.

United - Clarke; Hunt, Mullins, Wright, Newey; Williams, Wroe, Rose, Ruffels; Smalley, Constable.

Att: 4,744

Scorer: Deane Smalley.

[OUFC4eva]

26th January 1980 - Struggling's U's , managed by Bill Asprey, suffered a 2-0 loss at Oakwell, Barnsley before 9,058.
The match marked midfielder Colin Duncan's last appearance in the yellow and blue of United before a £50,000 move
to Gillingham. Wantage based Duncan, 22, linked up again with Gerry Summers at Priestfield who gave him his debut
for United in 1974. Duncan played 206 games for the U's.

United - Brown; Doyle, Briggs, Cooke, Watson; McIntosh,Duncan, Taylor,Jeffrey; Foley, Berry

[OUFC4eva]

27th January 1979 - High flying Watford, managed by the late Graham Taylor
are the visitors to a snowy Manor Ground. This was United's first home league
fixture for a month due to a very cold snap during the winter of 1978-79.
Despite the snow and ice, a crowd of 10,310 braved the conditions and saw
United score through Peter Foley with central defender Steve Sims replying for
the Hornets who were later to finish runners up to eventual champions, Shrewsbury Town.

United - Burton; McIntosh, Briggs, Bodel, Fogg; Graydon, Taylor, Jeffrey, Hodgson; Foley, Seacole

Watford - Sherwood; Stirk, Sims, Garner, Harrison; Mercer, Train, Joslyn, Bolton; Jenkins, Blissett.