2012 Prediction League; Game 13 v Oxford Utd (away)

Div3North · 15-10-2012, 22:51

Oxford United

V

Accrington Stanley

2012-13 Prediction League – Game 13; v Oxford Utd (away)

Oxford United won all three of their League games in August

, and lost all 6 in September

; on 1st October Chairman Ian Lenagan (who’s also the owner of Wigan Warriors RLFC, as well as being a theatre producer and having an MSc in magnetohydrodynamics – whatever they are!) said of Manager Chris Wilder:-

“Chris Wilder will stay with Oxford United, but there is a tipping point. I am strongly of the opinion that you judge a manager when he has had the opportunity to have his strongest squad on the field and not before”

So he’s in trouble, then …

But I suspect Dean Holdsworth’s in more ………….

Oxford United weren’t Oxford United until 1960; they were Headington (later Headington United) - formed (by a Vicar and a Doctor) to provide a way of keeping the members of Headington Cricket Club fit during the winter (imagine trying to explain the offside law and LBW to your wife at the same time ………!

), and only turned full-time pro in 1949. It’s well recorded that – after winning the Southern League - they were elected to the Football League in 1962, replacing us ; in the early days things went well enough, although they almost folded in 1982, to be saved by one Robert Maxwell , Officer and Gentleman (not), who apparently planned to merge them with Reading as “Thames Valley Royals”, playing in Didcot (if anyone knows where that is

); fan-power seems to have scuppered that Maxwell Wheeze (pity it couldn’t scupper his others!); the Good Times then Rolled, and – managed by the Bald Eagle

(Jim Smith) – they won back-to-back promotions in 83/4 and 84/5 to gain a place in the First Division (that’s the proper First Division, minus prawn sandwiches). At the end of their first season (85/86) they had to beat Arsenal to stay up, and they did (3-0). In 86 – as well as staying up – (as you’ll all remember, won’t you!) they won the Milk Cup

(now the CockUpCup) by beating QPR 3-0, and they would have played in the UEFA Cup the next season but for the Heysel ban.

It wasn’t all plain sailing, though, and by 2005/6 they were down at the foot of League Two (Division 4 to you and me), relegated in 23rd place (above Rushden and Diamonds) with a record of 11 wins, 16 draws and 19 defeats for 49 points …………

And who replaced them? What goes around, comes around; we did!

They weren’t out of the League for long, that said, coming back up in 2009/10 alongside Stevenage Borough (as they still were), the Us winning their playoff semi final 3-1 on aggregate over Rushden, and the Final by 3-1 against York. Defender Damien Batt created a (probably unwanted) record that season, being sent off after 98 minutes 17 seconds

of their game against Tamworth – the latest card in any game of the season; at least he wasn’t on his own in the bath for long …………

Since then we’ve played them four times (never having met before), and our record is three draws (0-0 twice in 2010/11 and 1-1 away last season) and one loss (2-0 at home); four games, ONE goal (take a bow Peter Murphy) and three points ……………….. Pants!

Out (to York) went striker Oli Johnson (24), who they’d signed from Norwich on a short-term deal in January but didn’t re-sign (maybe a return of 3 goals in 17 games may have had something to do with that?

), plus ex Yeovil, Crewe and Stockport defender Anthony Tonkin (32) to Aldershot and former Luton MF Asa Hall (25), who turned down a new contract and signed instead for Shrewsbury. In came former Exeter and Bradford City LB Luke O’Brien (24), ex Bristol Rovers and Port Vale striker/winger Sean Rigg (23) and CB Michael Raynes, still only 24 despite having played 6 years at Stockport and one each at the Iron and the Millers; loan signings added Rotherham defender Johnny Mullins (26), who hasn’t played for that nice Mr Evans

since the 6-2 thrashing by Port Vale; Brighton’s 18 year-old MF Jake Forster-Caskey, who has England caps at u16/17/18 level; midfielder Lee Cox (22), who joined Swindon via Leicester and Inverness Caledonian Thistle (don’t the Scottish sides have romantic names …….Gretna …..Partick Thistle ……..Third Lanark ……. What the hell ever happened to Second Lanark?

); defender Daniel Jesse Boateng (20) (I wouldn’t address him as “Jesse”, by the way) signed from Arsenal; most impressive of all, on paper, was their capture of Man U’s 18 year-old defender Sean McGinty, signed on loan until January, who didn’t play a single minute of League football

at the Kassam, and was recalled by Sir Alex after just five weeks …….

They did Bournemouth over on penalties (5-3) after a goalless first round game in the Capone Cup, and then went out to Leeds 3-0 away; they’re still in the Tinpot following wins over Swindon (1-0) at home and Cheltenham 4-2 (away); next up – as they say (isn’t it a horrible expression?) – is a trip to Plymouth in early December; sooner them than me!

Their League form is frankly bizarre; they won their first three matches (2-0 at Bristol Rovers, 2-0 at home to Southend and 2-1 at home to Plymouth); then they lost 6 straight

, conceding 18 goals into the bargain; 4-2 at home to Exeter, 2-0 at home to Bradford, and away defeats 3-1 at Rotherham and at York, 2-1 at Cheltenham and 4-0 at Burton; they followed that up by beating the Wombles 3-2, drawing 0-0 with Gillingham and losing, tonight, to Port Vale 3-0 ……… Home record therefore is W3 D1 L2 F9 A9; away it’s W1 D0 L5 F5 A15; overall, P12 W4 D1 L7 F14 A24 for 13 points and 19th place

, and four blank score sheets in 12. Leading scorers are former Peterborough (and various loan teams) striker Alfie Potter (4), and ex Oldham striker Deane Smalley (24), Brighton’s Jake Forster-Caskey, and ex Middlesbrough and Luton striker Tom Craddock (26 yesterday), with 3 each; the fearsome James Constable – a summer-long target for Mark McGhee at Bristol Rovers – has but one

, and ex Morecambe (Plymouth and Cardiff) defender Tony Capaldi – Norwegian born but a Northern Irish international (don’t ask, I don’t know

) and ‘name’ striker John-Paul Pittman (ex Villa, Forest and Wycombe) – haven’t scored at all. Yet.

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00 pm on Saturday 20th October. 12 points covers from Cheltenham in 3rd, down to and including Wimbledon in 22nd; a couple of wins sends you flying up the table; if we’d played (and beaten) Rotherham a couple of weeks back we’d currently be lying in 5th, not 11th, so tight is it ………. So what d’you reckon? Time we scored against them? Time we beat them? Time we marmalized them?

Could be; happen we will …………… Come on Team Cookie ……….and Keep the Faith!

Good luck to everyone ……………and thanks for playing!