On This Day

[OUFC4eva]

25th February 1978 - Third division U's smash struggling Hereford United 3-0 at the Manor
thanks to goals from Jason Seacole , Hugh Curran and Peter Foley in front of a paltry
gate of 3,793. United also missed two penalties - Foley and Curran the guilty parties.

At the end of the 1977-78 season Hereford were relegated with 32 points and the U's finished
in a disappointing 18th with 40 points (two points for a win). Gary Briggs was playing
on loan from Middlesbrough.

United - Burton; Fogg, G,Briggs, C.Clarke, Drysdale; Duncan, Taylor, Jeffrey, Foley; Curran, Seacole

[OUFC4eva]

26th February 1994 - Battling relegation, Denis Smith's United defeated Nottingham Forest 1-0
at the Manor with an 88th minute strike from makeshift left back Alex Dyer at the Cuckoo Lane End.
The game marked the debut of striker Paul Moody who joined from Southampton
a few days earlier for £60,000.

United - Whitehead; Smart, Elliott, M.Ford, Dyer; Beauchamp, Lewis, R.Ford, Allen; Byrne, Moody

Att: 9,338

[OUFC4eva]

1st March 1982 - a few days after the 'Bad Eagle' was sacked by Birmingham City, United appoint Jim Smith
to replace Ian Greaves after he left for Wolverhampton. Roy Barry was caretaker manager prior to the appointment
of Smith.

[OUFC4eva]

3rd March 2012 - Ten man U's defeat bitter rivals Sw*ndon Town 2-0 at Grenoble Road
thanks to first half strikes from Asa Hall and Oli Johnson in the first 18 minutes.
Striker James Constable was dismissed after only ten minutes for an apparent
elbow on Sw*ndon defender Joe Devera. Injury hit U's were missing playmaker Peter Leven
but produced a terrific defensive display with Whing and Duberry particularly impressive.

United - Clarke; Batt, Duberry, Whing, Tonkin; Johnson, Wilson , Hall, Holmes; Rendell, Constable

Sw*ndon - Foderingham; Caddis, Devera, McCormack, Cibocchi; Ritchie, Ferry, Risser, Rooney; Murray, Benson.

[OUFC4eva]

4th March 1986 - First leg of the Milk Cup semi-final at Villa Park and the U's under Maurice Evans
earn a superb 2-2 draw on a difficult surface. United ahead after Aldridge turned in a Houghton centre
with Villa fighting back through Paul Birch and Simon Stainrod. After being brought down in the penalty area,
Aldridge expertly netted a second half spot kick to set up a scintillating second leg at the Manor. The
Estimated away support was 5,000 with travel chaos all the way up to Birmingham pre M40.



United - Judge; Trewick, Briggs, Shotton, Slatter; Houghton, Phillips, Hebberd, Rhoades-Brown; Aldridge, Charles

Villa - Spink; Norton, Elliott, Evans, Glover; Birch, Bradley, Kerr, Hodge; Walters, Stainrod

Att: 23,098

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcISHepsMcc

[OUFC4eva]

7th March 1998 - Manchester City 0 Oxford United 2

United, in what is now the Championship, triumph at Maine Road with goals from Joey Beauchamp
in the first half and Jamie Cook late on. The game marked the end of midfielder Stuart Massey's
professional career after a horror tackle from Peter Beardsley. City were managed by Joe Royle
who was appointed a couple of weeks before this fixture.


United- Whitehead; Robinson, Davis, Gilchrist, Marsh; Massey, Gray, Smith, Beauchamp; Francis, Cook

City - Wright; Briscoe, Wiekens, Jeff Whitley, Symons; Shelia, Tshadadze, Jim Whitley, Bradbury; Beardsley, Rosler

Att: 28,720

[OUFC4eva]

9th March 2010 - The sky falls in on promotion chasing United as they suffer
a shock home defeat to Hayes and Yeading on a blustery Tuesday night
at Grenoble Road. Steve Basham was the tormentor in chief as the former
U's striker netted twice in the first half to put Hayes 2-0 up.

Simon Clist pulled a goal back in the second half and despite the visitors
being reduced to ten men, the U's could not save themselves and suffered
a damaging loss.

Incredibly, on Good Friday 2010 - just a month after the home defeat- Hayes
did the double over the faltering U's who this time had Matt Green red carded.

U's - Clarke; Batt, Day, Creighton, Wright; Deering, Bulman, Hargreaves, Clist; Green, Grant

Att: 5,045

[Kernow Yellow]

I travelled up from Cornwall for both those Hayes and Yeading games, and still shudder at the memory. Thank god we got promotion that season so it was quickly forgotten!

[OUFC4eva]

11th March 2006 - Stockport County 2-1 Oxford Utd

A disastrous day at a freezing Edgeley Park saw United succumb to an 87th minute
penalty winner after Jon Ashton needlessly and recklessly brought down Stockport forward
Tesfaye Bramble in the penalty area. Adam Le Fondre calmly slotted the ball past Billy Turley
in the Oxford goal. United had earlier got themselves back into the game after Tim Sills headed
in a Chris Hargreaves centre on the hour and were the dominant side. Bramble
had given the Hatters a first half lead.



The calamitous defeat resulted in the sacking of Brian Talbot just a couple of days later
by director Bill Smith who was running the club at the behest of Firoz Kassam who was
in talks to sell his majority stake in the U's to Nick Merry.

U's - Turley; Goodhind, Ashton, Willmott, Robinson; Odubade, Mansell, Hargreaves, Burgess; Sils, Basham

Att: 4,424

[OUFC4eva]

20th March 1977 - U's cultured midfielder Peter Houseman and his wife Sally are killed in
a car crash on the A40 near Cassington after attending a fund raising event for the club in Cowley.
The crash also claimed the lives of their friends Alan and Janice Gillham and left six children
orphaned.

Houseman, 31 had played for United just hours earlier in a 0-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace.
Manager Mick Brown signed him for Oxford in the summer of 1975 from Chelsea for £30,000.
He made 65 appearances for Oxford scoring twice - away at Chester in August 1976
and at home to Gillingham in December that year.

[YF Dan]

I didn't realise Peter Houseman died on his way back from a club event. That makes it even more tragic.

I hope the club are doing something to mark the 40th anniversary.

[OUFC4eva]

I didn't realise Peter Houseman died on his way back from a club event. That makes it even more tragic.

I hope the club are doing something to mark the 40th anniversary.

Peter Houseman and his wife Sally attended a dance at Cowley Workers Social Club.
The dance was organised by Oxford United FC and the Supporters' Club which had established
a joint fund raising committee. The dance was aimed at raising much needed funds for United.

[YF Dan]

I'd also forgotten it was a member of the Bullingdon Club who caused the death of Peter, his wife and friends, by driving home after an evening of 'entertainment', stinking of alcohol, driving at over 100mph.

But of course, your honour, he wasn't drunk.

[OUFC4eva]

21st March 1992 - Relegation threatened U's won three precious points in a Manor Ground
2-1 victory over Jim Smith's high flying Portsmouth. Trevor Aylott scored a late stunner after
Beauchamp levelled Darren Anderton's opener. Gary Bannister made his first appearance
as sub for United after his loan move from WBA.

U's - Veysey; Smart, Evans, Melville, Williams; Beauchamp, Magilton, Lewis, Allen; Durnin, Aylott

Pompey- Knight; Hall, Butters, Symons, Awford ; McLoughlin, Burns, Kuhl, Anderton; Clarke, Whittingham

Att: 8,428

[OUFC4eva]

22nd March 1986 - United suffer a club record 6-0 defeat at Anfield.
Molby (2), Rush (2), Lawrenson and Whelan with the goals for the Reds.
U's manager Maurice Evans said post match that he enjoyed watching
Liverpool who completely outclassed United.

U's - Hardwick; Langan, Briggs, Shotton, Trewick; Houghton, Phillips, Hebberd, Rhoades-Brown, Aldridge, Charles

Liverpool - Grobbelaar; Gillespie, Hansen, Lawrenson, Beglin; Johnston, Whelan, Molby, McMahon; Dalglish, Rush.

Att: 37,861