The week unwrapped

Although it’s been a week packed full of real football, most Oxford fans will tell you, in their very best earnest voice, that what happened on the field was insignificant compared to what happened off it.

The defeat to Portsmouth on the opening day offered a sobering realisation that even if our prospects of survival this season are better than last, they are far from assured. Then Tyler Goodrham’s Exocet winner in the EFL Cup against Colchester eased the tension a little. A home draw to Brighton in the second round offers a soothing balm.

And then it was the big one… in an epic four hour planning meeting at Cherwell Council, a historic wrong was finally righted as the club were granted planning permission for the new stadium. It was quite a rollercoaster, full of pantomime and grinding doubt, but we got there. I wrote something about it here.

Elsewhere, James Golding went to Crewe on loan, but otherwise things appear quiet on the transfer front. Gary Rowett has alluded to not being 100% happy by what’s been happening around him during the summer but a couple of new faces and the shutting of the window should allow everyone to chill a bit and re-focus our attentions.

And, if you Des Buckingham has joined Saudi Pro Leaguers Al Kholood, so we should expect a trillion dollar bid for Owen Dale in the coming days.

Hullfacts

You know you’re in trouble when your pre-season includes celebratory headlines about your players getting paid. Even towards the end of last season Hull were being labelled as one of ‘those clubs’, a basket case that will help us avoid relegation.

The problem seems to be more about cash flow than cash. They’re appealing a lengthy ban from paying fees for players because of missed payments last year. None the less, support for Hull’s owner, Acun Ilıcalı, remains reasonably solid. He’s like the Turkish Ant and/or Dec, producing and hosting, amongst other things, Turkey’s Got Talent, and their equivalent of The Voice and MasterChef. Insert your own Gregg Wallace joke here.

Their summer has been topsy turvy after the appointment of the Bosnian Jefferson Louis Sergej Jakirović who played for 21 clubs and has managed another eight. The close season had a decidedly Turkish flavour with Enis Destan and our old friend John Lundstram joining from Trabsponspor plus two friendlies against Istanbulspor and Kasimpasa. 

The relationship between off-the-field chaos and on-field performance is rarely simple, at least in the short term. After a 2-0 defeat to Lincoln, Hull were unbeaten throughout pre-season. An opening day goalless draw at Coventry was a solid start which was followed up by losing to Wrexham on penalties in the EFL Cup, but only after a last minute aberration which saw them concede twice. 

Good Hullfact: Oxford have played at Hull’s new stadium three times, in 2004 it was called the KC Stadium, in 2021 it was the KCOM Stadium and in 2025 it was called the MKM Stadium.

Football friend | Same Ricketts

Sam Ricketts appeared to be just another lightweight homegrown Oxford United player when he appeared on the scene at the start of the millennium. Despite making his debut in the famous ‘Guy Whittingham’ Swindon derby in 2000, the tidy angular-faced full-back seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time as Ian Atkins turned to more trusted, experienced players to hoof his way out of League 2. 

Ricketts moved to Telford, an ambitious big-spending non-league side. After being capped by England C, Telford’s ambitions got the better of them and they went bust leaving Ricketts without a club. He was offered a way back into the Football League with Swansea City, joining a Lee Trundle inspired promotion campaign from League Two, The Swans narrowly missed out on promotion to The Championship with a play-off final defeat the following season. 

His stock rising, Hull City stepped in to sign Ricketts in 2007/8 where he won promotion to the Premier League as first choice full-back. In 2009 he joined Bolton and then Wolves. He was capped by Wales in 2005 making over 50 appearances. Truly one who got away.

From the archive | Hull City 4 Oxford United 2 (2004)

At the start of the 2003/4 season, Oxford finally seemed to have cracked it. The arrival of Ian Atkins as successor to Mark Wright had transformed Oxford into a rugged, direct, but ultimately effective side. A perfect assault vehicle for League Two. 

By the middle of January, Oxford were second in the division, equal on points with Hull with a game in hand. Having lost just one game all season, hopes were high as we travelled to the new KComm stadium for a top of the table clash.

Hull’s manager, Peter Taylor, had riled the Oxford hierarchy when it was leaked by the Hull players that he’d branded them ‘donkeys’ earlier in the season. But this was the immovable object meeting the irresistible force as the best attack and best defence in the division collided head on. 

Apparently, Atkins’ men were so used to watching the ball flying over their heads, Hull’s ability to keep it on the ground seemed to totally flummox them. After a goalless first half, Ben Burgess waltzed through the Oxford defence to open the scoring on 58 minutes. Eight minutes later it was 3-0 after a brace from Danny Allsopp. Steve Basham pulled a goal back before captain Andy Crosby put into his own net to make it 4-1. Matt Bound made it 4-2 in the final minute.

The result would end any fleeting hopes that Oxford’s decline was finally over. They won just three of their next ten games, dropping to fourth. Ian Atkins then fell out with Firoz Kassam over a new contract and resigned to join Bristol Rovers. Atkins was replaced by Graham Rix, who set about transforming the side into a possession-based team. The switch won them just six points from their last 10 games, leaving the side ninth at the end of the season.

Want more?

If you’re a true glutton for punishment, then sign up to the Oxblogger Newsletter, an eclectic bimonthly online fanzine written by the fans for the fans. The pre-season issue is out now featuring your pre-season predictions, what happens when you fall out of, and back in love with Oxford United, an appraisal of The Soccer Tribe, the defence of non-scoring defenders and the surge of kit reveals.

Plus, the latest Oxblogger Podcast which originally planned to cover the panoply of owners that we’ve had over the decades, but eventually just talked about our current ones. Still, there’s a very good quiz about historical Brians. 

And, if you’ve really got this far and aren’t aware, this season marks the 40^th anniversary of Oxford United’s first season in the top flight, The Glory Years is out now the remarkable in-depth story of our rise through the divisions during the 1980s.