Ronald Frederick Atkinson (born 18 March 1939) is an English former football player and manager . Nicknamed "Big Ron" , he was regarded as one of Britain's best-known football pundits in the 1990s and early 2000s.
135-667: Nicknamed "The Tank" during his playing career, he represented Oxford United for twelve years, and still holds the club record for appearances. As a manager, he won the FA Cup with Manchester United in 1983 and 1985 and the Football League Cup with Sheffield Wednesday in 1991 and Aston Villa in 1994 . Atkinson was born in Liverpool in the Old Swan area of the city with his brother Graham Atkinson who
270-724: A "sit-in" on the pitch before a game against Wigan in protest. Despite being the second team in the city, there is less rivalry with Oxford City because of their lower position in the pyramid system (there have been no competitive league matches between the two since 1959). Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The first manager appointed
405-456: A "vote of confidence" in the media, stating that Atkinson was one of England's "top three football managers". By this stage, an ageing Villa side that had so nearly won the league title 18 months earlier were now among the relegation battlers. He was replaced by Brian Little , who kept Villa in the top flight and built a new younger team. Three months after being sacked by Villa, Atkinson became manager at Coventry City replacing Phil Neal , who
540-418: A 21st-place finish at the end of the 1991–92 season . A 2–1 win over Tranmere Rovers , and a win for Blackburn Rovers over Plymouth Argyle , meant United survived relegation by two points. Oxford, now in the renamed Football League Division One , briefly restored Maurice Evans as manager, before turning to Bristol City manager Denis Smith . Despite Smith's efforts, Oxford were relegated to Division Two at
675-673: A 4–1 exit at the hands of Southampton in the League Cup. United were still in the bottom four of the First Division with a third of the season already gone. Atkinson returned to West Brom in the autumn of 1987, by which time they had fallen into the Second Division and were battling against relegation to the Third Division. Survival was achieved, as Albion finished the 1987–88 season in 20th place, and they began
810-512: A British record fee of £1.5million. He also signed fellow Albion midfielder Remi Moses for £500,000. Long-serving Northern Ireland international, Sammy McIlroy , left the club after 13 years when he signed for Stoke City in February. After constantly leading the league during the first half of the season, United finished the season third in the league and qualified for the UEFA Cup , while
945-524: A Third Division side, Oxford United faced closure because of the club's inability to service the debts owed to Barclays Bank , but were rescued when businessman Robert Maxwell took over the club. In April 1983, Maxwell proposed merging United with neighbours Reading , to form a new club called the Thames Valley Royals , to play at Didcot . Jim Smith would have managed the club and been assisted by Reading boss Maurice Evans . The merger
1080-613: A bomb with you , are you?", when she draped her jumper over her head like a headscarf. It was reported Atkinson was being brought in to support Iffy Onuora at Swindon Town in December 2005, and Atkinson and the club appeared to confirm this. It later transpired that Atkinson's role was as part of a Sky One documentary about the club being filmed at the County Ground . In late January 2006, Atkinson and Swindon Town parted company, with Swindon manager Onuora citing interference as
1215-518: A comfortable lead at the top of the table that lasted into the new year. However, their form tailed off badly and they again finished fourth, with Liverpool finishing the season as league champions. With the ban on English clubs in European competitions continuing, there was not even the consolation of a UEFA Cup place. United's title chances were not helped by the fact that captain Bryan Robson
1350-555: A current membership of over 400, and the Oxford United Exiles. OxVox was formed in 2002, to replace the disbanded FOUL group, which broke up after the immediate future of the club was secured. It was the fiftieth supporters trust created under the Supporters' trust banner. The club itself also runs a Juniors club, aimed at younger fans and offering a number of bonuses to the club's members such as birthday cards and
1485-452: A debut to promising young forward Norman Whiteside in April 1982, just before the player's 17th birthday. In the 1982–83 season, two appearances at Wembley, one of which was an FA Cup victory against Brighton & Hove Albion , coupled with another third-place finish in the league, fuelled speculation that United were back in a big way. During the first half of the season, they had topped
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#17327930862071620-482: A free T-shirt. The official matchday programme for home games costs £4 and was voted best Conference Premier Programme of the Year for the 2007–08 season. A number of songs are sung during home games, such as " Yellow Submarine " (with adapted lyrics) and songs relating to the old Manor Ground. The club have a number of celebrity supporters, including Timmy Mallett , Tim Henman and Jim Rosenthal . The club's mascot
1755-483: A home defeat to bottom club Bury . In February 2018, the club was bought by Thai businessman Sumrith "Tiger" Thanakarnjanasuth, who replaced Darryl Eales as chairman; Thanakarnjanasuth had previously been part of the consortium that owned Reading F.C. After a lengthy period under caretaker-manager Derek Fazackerley during which the team slipped to within 4 points of the relegation zone, Karl Robinson , former manager of Milton Keynes Dons and Charlton Athletic ,
1890-408: A housemate on the twelfth series of Celebrity Big Brother . He was the second housemate to be evicted on Day 9 after receiving the fewest votes to save him against Charlotte Crosby , Courtney Stodden , Lauren Harries and Louie Spence . In 2002, Atkinson released a Christmas song, "It's Christmas – Let's Give Love a Try", but this failed to gain chart success. The following year, Atkinson
2025-584: A lacklustre season which included defeats to Droylsden and Tonbridge Angels , camouflaged by a belated run of eight wins in the last eleven games, Oxford finished ninth in the Conference National in 2007–08 , 10 points off the last play-off place. On 2 October 2008, Nick Merry stepped down as chairman to be replaced by Kelvin Thomas, who had been part of the management team at the time of Merry's takeover. Just under two months later, Patterson
2160-471: A league club in a single season. Oxford began the next season with a new manager and a new stadium, with the relocation to the Kassam Stadium completed after six years of speculation. Former Liverpool and England defender Mark Wright was given the manager's job, but resigned in late November, after being accused of making racist remarks to referee Joe Ross . Wright's successor, Ian Atkins ,
2295-608: A move to the league with Cambridge United , in November 1974, going on to win the Fourth Division in 1977 and leaving them when they were on the verge of promotion to the Second Division, which they later achieved that season under Atkinson's assistant John Docherty . In January 1978, Atkinson moved to manage First Division West Bromwich Albion . He soon signed Brendon Batson from his former club, to play alongside Laurie Cunningham and Cyrille Regis . Never before had
2430-557: A ninth-place finish at the end of the season, and was sacked the following November. Oxford replaced him with Argentine Ramón Díaz , who managed the team to a mid-table finish. Diaz and his team of assistants left the club at the beginning of May 2005, after being banned from the ground by the chairman following failed negotiations. During his time at the club, Diaz brought in a number of South American players including his own sons, and Juan Pablo Raponi . Ex-England midfielder and former West Bromwich Albion manager Brian Talbot signed
2565-423: A player and had become assistant manager. In November 1997, he returned to Sheffield Wednesday following the sacking of David Pleat . Wednesday had made a poor start to the 1997–98 season , including a 7–2 loss at Blackburn and a 6–1 loss at Manchester United. Under Atkinson, Wednesday's form picked up immediately and they pulled well clear of relegation trouble, but he was not offered a permanent contract and left
2700-407: A result of the comment. Carlton Palmer , one of Atkinson's players while he was manager at Sheffield Wednesday, defended Atkinson by saying, "I'm black and I'm sitting here and I'm gonna stand up for Big Ron not because he's a friend of mine; I'm standing up for him because I know what he's like as a bloke. If we're going to deal with racism then let's deal with the bigger picture of racism not about
2835-558: A rivalry between Oxford and Reading . In addition, Wycombe Wanderers , Luton Town and Northampton Town are also seen as rivals. The rivalry with Swindon stems from the clubs' close proximity, as well as the fact they have played each other 55 times since 1962. Oxford and Swindon met a few times in non-competitive fixtures before 1962. The earliest match on record was a friendly in the 1950–51 season at Headington. They also played each other in 1954–55 both home and away, and at Headington during 1958–59. All programmes are fairly scarce, with
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#17327930862072970-572: A series of meetings and events, including a 'Scarf of Unity', which was a collection of scarves from various clubs which was long enough to stretch around the perimeter of the pitch. Chairman Robin Herd stepped down to concentrate on his engineering projects, and in April 1999 Firoz Kassam bought Herd's 89.9% controlling interest in Oxford United for £1, with which he also inherited the club's estimated £15 million debt. Kassam reduced £9 million of
3105-511: A team in the top division of English football simultaneously fielded three black players on a regular basis. Atkinson led West Bromwich Albion to third place in the league in the season 1978–79 and also to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals. On 30 December 1978 they achieved a famous 5–3 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford . The club were second in the table at the time, only beaten off top spot from Liverpool by goal difference. They finished fourth in 1981, and shortly after this Atkinson
3240-565: A throwaway comment that wasn't meant in that manner." A BBC Radio documentary about Batson, Cunningham and Regis, entitled Three Degrees West , repeated on 16 May 2004, was cancelled owing to Atkinson's central contributions. Also in 2004, Atkinson said to an audience at Hillsborough Stadium : "The Chinese people have the best contraception in the world - their women are so ugly. I can't understand why there are so many of them." On Celebrity Big Brother in 2013, he jokingly asked fellow contestant, Irish doctor Danielle Marr, "you're not carrying
3375-409: A twentieth-place finish, one place clear of relegation. Smith's second spell didn't last long, and he was replaced by David Kemp a few weeks into the following campaign. At the end of the 2000–01 season , Oxford were relegated back to the Third Division for the first time in 35 years, with 100 goals conceded. They suffered 33 league defeats, the second-highest number of league defeats ever endured by
3510-465: A two-year contract to replace Rix. Talbot found little success and was sacked in March 2006, with the club in 22nd place. He was replaced by youth team coach Darren Patterson . On 21 March 2006, Firoz Kassam sold the club, including its debts, for approximately £2 million to Florida-based businessman Nick Merry , who had played for United's youth team in the mid-1970s. Merry immediately made changes to
3645-415: A week later, a move that upset many Sheffield Wednesday fans. Taking over from Jozef Venglos , Atkinson led Aston Villa to second place in the inaugural FA Premier League season in 1992–93 and to victory in the League Cup in 1994, securing (ultimately short-lived) UEFA Cup campaigns for both of these successes. As of 2021, Atkinson's second place remains the highest-ever finish by an English manager in
3780-616: A woman's international football match (England v Sweden), an Under-17 international football tournament and music concerts. In 2021, the club approached Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) and requested that it transfer c. 18 hectares (44.48 acres) of land for the development of a new 18,000-capacity football stadium with ancillary leisure and commercial facilities to include, hotel, retail, conference, and training/community grounds on Green Belt land at Stratfield Brake near Kidlington . On 18 January 2022, OCC recommended an engagement exercise be carried out first to gather feedback from
3915-447: Is Ollie the Ox. United were the best-supported club in the Conference National before Luton Town joined the division, and the home match between Oxford and Luton, which drew a crowd of 10,600, was used to highlight the passion for English football during the 2018 World Cup bid . In 2009, a "12th man fund" was set up by a group of supporters in order to provide additional transfer funds to
4050-565: Is a professional football club based in Oxford , England. The club compete in the EFL Championship , the second tier of English football , after achieving promotion in the 2024 EFL League One play-off final . Founded as Headington Football Club in 1893, the club adopted its current name in 1960. Nicknamed The U's, it has played its home games at the Kassam Stadium , replacing its former home of Manor Ground in 2001. The club joined
4185-489: Is currently a pundit on William Hill 's "The Punt" podcast and on Manchester United's channel MUTV . In October 2019, he made a return to broadcasting, commentating on 6 a side World Cup final in Crete, alongside UK commentator John Gwynne. On 23 January 2007, Atkinson returned to Kettering Town, the club he had managed more than thirty years previously, as director of football. It was announced on 19 April 2007 that he had left
Ron Atkinson - Misplaced Pages Continue
4320-529: The 1983–84 season, Atkinson's side reached the semi-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup although their defence of the FA Cup ended at the first hurdle with a shock 2–0 defeat at Third Division team AFC Bournemouth . They finished fourth in the league, having topped the table at several stages once again, before injuries to key players counted against them and they dropped points. The end of
4455-542: The 1984–85 season, United again won the FA Cup. However, Atkinson and his team were denied the chance of another European Cup Winners Cup campaign as the Heysel disaster at the European Cup final that year resulted in an indefinite ban from European competitions for all English clubs. In the 1985–86 season, they won their first ten games of the league season and were unbeaten after their first fifteen games to build
4590-450: The 1986–87 season , he failed to achieve the same success as Hughes and was not a popular figure among fans. Despite media speculation that Atkinson would be sacked in favour of Aberdeen manager Alex Ferguson or Barcelona manager Terry Venables , the 1986–87 season began with Atkinson still at the helm. His two FA Cup wins and five successive top four league finishes had made him the most successful United manager since Matt Busby , but
4725-456: The 1988–89 season well, looking like serious promotion contenders. Following his time at Manchester United, Atkinson was due to take charge of Atlético Madrid , however internal politics at Atlético delayed his appointment, with Atkinson returning to manage West Brom in the meantime. In October 1988, Atkinson was finally appointed manager of Atlético Madrid, winning his first game in charge 6–1 against Espanyol . Atkinson's tenure at Atlético
4860-421: The 2021–22 season , United were the league's joint top scorers and finished in 8th place. During the season, the club's ownership changed hands again, with Indonesian businessmen and minority shareholders Erick Thohir and Anindya Bakrie taking control after a series of transactions. Thanakarnjanasuth's investment with the club remained, but he was replaced as chairman by Grant Ferguson. Oxford were promoted to
4995-599: The A420 derby . Oxford United was founded on 27 October 1893 as Headington Football Club at the Britannia Inn, Headington in a meeting called by a local doctor, Robert Hitchings, as a way for the cricketers of Headington Cricket Club to maintain their fitness during the winter break. The fellow founder was the Revd John Scott-Tucker, vicar at St. Andrew's Church , who was appointed first president of
5130-495: The EFL Championship via the play-offs . Some of the club's notable players, such as Ron Atkinson who holds the record for the most overall appearances (560); John Shuker who holds the record for the most appearances in the Football League (478); and Ron's late brother Graham Atkinson holds the record for the most goals scored (107). In total, nineteen players have made international appearances while playing for
5265-793: The Football League in 1962 after winning the Southern Football League , reaching the Second Division in 1968. After relegation in 1976, between 1984 and 1986 the club earned successive promotions into the First Division , and won the League Cup in 1986 . However, Oxford were unable thereby to enter the 1987 UEFA Cup because of the UEFA ban on English clubs in European competitions. Relegation from
5400-585: The Football League . The average attendance in the previous season was 7,415, which was the second highest in League Two and the thirty-fourth highest in the whole Football League. The average attendance was highest in the Conference in two out of the four years the team spent in the division, with the average in the other two years placing second, behind Exeter City and Cambridge United respectively. The stadium has also hosted rugby union matches,
5535-527: The Oxon Senior League . The first season included a 9–0 victory, with eight of those goals coming from P. Drewitt. This remains a record for the highest number of goals scored by an Oxford player in a first-team match. At this time a small rivalry existed with Cowley F.C., who were based a few miles south of Headington. During a league game on May Day , the referee gave two penalties to Cowley; supporters broke past security and players, resulting in
Ron Atkinson - Misplaced Pages Continue
5670-535: The Southern League to the Second Division , achieved in only six years from 1962 to 1968. He was the first ever footballer to captain a club from the Southern League through three divisions of the Football League and played three seasons in the Second Division. After retiring from playing, Atkinson became manager player of non-league Kettering Town in 1971, aged only 32. His success there led to
5805-496: The Third Division was achieved in 1965 . A year before the promotion, Oxford became the first Fourth Division club to reach the sixth round of the FA Cup , but have not progressed that far in the competition since. Oxford won the Third Division title in 1967–68 , their sixth season as a league club, but after eight years of relative stability the club was relegated from the Second Division in 1975–76 . In 1982, as
5940-526: The black Chelsea player Marcel Desailly ; believing the microphone to be switched off, he said, "...he [Desailly] is what is known in some schools as a fucking lazy, thick nigger ". Although transmission in the UK had finished, the microphone gaffe meant that his comment was broadcast to various countries in the Middle East . He also left his job as a columnist for The Guardian "by mutual agreement" as
6075-582: The final of the League Trophy at Wembley Stadium , only the club's third appearance at the national stadium, but were defeated 3–2 by their League One opponents Barnsley . In 2016–17 , having sold Kemar Roofe during the close season for a record £3m and signed Marvin Johnson for an undisclosed fee also thought to be a club record, Oxford finished eighth in League One, four points short of
6210-407: The play-off places after a poor run, finishing third. They beat Rushden & Diamonds over two legs to advance to the play-off final against York City on 16 May 2010. Oxford won the final 3–1, to return to the Football League for the 2010–11 season . The attendance was 42,669, a new record for the final, with around 33,000 being United fans. Oxford's first game back in the Football League
6345-534: The 1957–58 season. The reason for the change is unknown. In 1960, Headington United was renamed Oxford United, to give the club a higher profile. Two years later, in 1962, the club won the Southern League title for the second successive season and was elected to the Football League Fourth Division , occupying the vacant place left by bankrupt Accrington Stanley . Two successive eighteenth-place finishes followed, before promotion to
6480-457: The 1968–69 season. Gerry Summers was manager for six years, before being replaced by Mick Brown . During Brown's four-year run, United were relegated back to the Third Division after spending eight years in the Second. 1981%E2%80%9382 Manchester United F.C. season The 1981–82 season was Manchester United 's 80th season in the Football League , and their 7th consecutive season in
6615-583: The 1990s, a 5–0 home win over defending champions Blackburn Rovers. During his spell as manager of Coventry, he brought in high-profile players including Gordon Strachan , Noel Whelan and Gary McAllister (although in his autobiography he states that this latter signing was Strachan's initiative and he was opposed for tactical reasons) but they continued to struggle in the Premier League and in November 1996 he became Director of Football, handing over managerial duties to Strachan, who by then had retired as
6750-416: The 2012–13 season. After another bright start, Oxford led the table several times in the first half of the 2013–14 season . On 25 January 2014, with the club faltering though still in the play-off places, Wilder resigned as manager to take up the reins at relegation-threatened Northampton. Mickey Lewis subsequently became the caretaker manager for a second time for the club. On 22 March 2014, Gary Waddock
6885-533: The Championship in the 2023–24 season , after beating Bolton Wanderers 2–0 in the play-off final , marking their return to the division after a 25-year absence. Oxford United crest depicts an ox to symbolise the location. It reflects the name and history of the city, as Oxford was originally a market town situated near to a ford on the River Isis , which was used by cattle. The shape and design of
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#17327930862077020-658: The First Division. Perryman left to become player-manager of Brentford , while Aldridge scored 15 times in 25 league games but was sold to Liverpool mid-season for £750,000 while Dean Saunders joined from Brighton for £60,000 and Martin Foyle was signed from Aldershot for £140,000. Robert Maxwell resigned as chairman in May 1987, to take over at Derby County , handing the club to his son Kevin . The cup-winning team continued to break up however, as captain Malcolm Shotton
7155-467: The Premier League, subsequently equalled by Kevin Keegan in 1995–96 . Despite leading Villa to their first major success since their 1982 European Cup triumph, a mutual dislike between Villa chairman Doug Ellis and Atkinson that developed from 1992, inevitably resulted in him being sacked on 10 November 1994 following a 4–3 defeat at the hands of Wimbledon – three days after Ellis had given Atkinson
7290-677: The World Cup for the UK digital channel UKTV G2 . In 2006, Atkinson took part in the BBC Two programme Excuse My French . Atkinson, comedian Marcus Brigstocke and television presenter Esther Rantzen were immersed in the French language by staying in a remote town in the Provence region, being compelled to adapt to the French lifestyle and speak the language. His assignment at the end of
7425-552: The back". The pair never worked together again following the events at Atlético. Atkinson went on to manage Sheffield Wednesday from February 1989 to June 1991. Although the club were relegated to the Second Division in May 1990 after a 3–0 home defeat against Nottingham Forest, Atkinson secured promotion back to the First Division the following season . They also won the League Cup that year, beating Manchester United 1–0 at Wembley. On 31 May 1991 Atkinson stated he would be remaining as Wednesday's manager, only to leave for Aston Villa
7560-468: The blue stripes were lost for good and a lighter shade of orange was used for the shirt. The yellow kit was first worn during the 1957–58 season , with black shorts and yellow socks. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the black shorts were first replaced with yellow ones, and then with royal blue shorts. Since the early 1990s, the strip has been composed of the yellow shirt and navy coloured shorts and socks. A large variety of away kits has been used over
7695-635: The chance of overseeing a UEFA Cup campaign by departing from Albion and taking over at United. In the 1981–82 season, United finished third in the First Division, to qualify for the UEFA Cup , though for much of the season they were one of several teams who topped the table before a late surge from Liverpool saw Bob Paisley 's team seal the title. Early in the season he had paid a national record £1.5 million for Bryan Robson from his old club West Bromwich Albion, and shortly afterwards also added midfielder Remi Moses , also from West Brom, and Arsenal striker Frank Stapleton to his ranks. He also gave
7830-428: The club at the end of the season. Atkinson's last managerial job came with Nottingham Forest , for the final four months of the 1998–99 season . This spell was not a success and at his first home game against Arsenal he even climbed into the wrong dug-out. He also angered a number of Forest fans following an 8–1 defeat at home to Manchester United when he stated in an interview after the game that his team had given
7965-469: The club, including the hiring of former manager Jim Smith in his second spell. Despite signing five new players on his first day in charge, Smith was unable to prevent relegation at the end of the 2005–06 season . After 44 years in English league football, Oxford were relegated to the Conference National after finishing in 23rd place, becoming the first former winners of a major trophy to be relegated from
8100-406: The club. The team's traditional kit colours are yellow shirts, along with navy coloured shorts and socks. Their crest showcases an ox , symbolizing both the name and historical background of the city, which was initially established as a market town for cattle located adjacent to a ford on the River Isis . Oxford have a long-standing and fierce rivalry with Swindon Town , with whom they contest
8235-491: The club. The suffix United was added in 1911 after merging with Headington Quarry. The club's first football match played was against Cowley Barracks. Headington had no regular home until 1913, when they were able to purchase Wootten's Field on London Road, but this was redeveloped in 1920, forcing the club to move. A permanent home was found in 1925, when they purchased the Manor Ground site on London Road. The facility
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#17327930862078370-474: The club. As a result, the number 12 shirt was retired at the start of the 2009–10 season (though it was reintroduced in 2018–19 ). The fund raised over £40,000 and resulted in the signings of Mehdi Kerrouche (on loan) and Jamie Cook , amongst others. Oxford United's fiercest rivalry is with Swindon Town ; matches between the two are referred to as the A420 derby , a primary road between both cities, which are only 30 miles (48 km) apart. There also exists
8505-754: The course was to provide a match analysis on a football match ( Paris Saint-Germain – AS Monaco ) in French for a French radio station. He briefly made a return to television, appearing as a pundit on Football Italia broadcast on Bravo . He left the programme when Bravo lost the broadcast rights to Italian football. Atkinson returned to the screen on 16 August 2009 on the Channel 4 reality show Celebrity Wife Swap . When questioned about his controversial comments by swappee Tessa Sanderson , he refused to discuss it. Atkinson brought out an autobiography 60 Minutes with Ron Atkinson , in which he talks about his controversial comments and his football career. Atkinson
8640-425: The crest being coloured blue. This was used until 2016 when the club reverted to the ox head with no shield and no wording. In 2018 the crest was redesigned again to mark the club's 125th anniversary. This saw the return of the shield around the ox head with the name of the club above it. This is the version which remains in use currently. In 2008, a bronze statue of an ox was unveiled outside of what would have been
8775-427: The crest has changed numerous times since it was first produced. When playing as Headington and during the early years of Oxford United, the crest included a full ox crossing the ford, as well as the initials H.U.F.C. (pre-1962) or the name Oxford United (post name-change). In 1972, the crest became circular. In 1979, zoologist Desmond Morris , who at the time was a club director, designed the current ox-head logo which
8910-479: The debt to just £900,000, by virtue of a Company Voluntary Arrangement , by which unsecured creditors who were owed over £1,000 were reimbursed with 10p for every pound they were owed. Secured creditors were paid off when Kassam sold the Manor to another of his companies, for £6 million. Kassam set about completing the unfinished stadium, gaining planning permission for a bowling alley, multiplex cinema and hotel next to
9045-549: The end of January. Robin Herd , co-owner of the March Racing Team , took control of the club in 1995. In June of that year, the board of directors unveiled plans for a new 16,000-seat stadium at Minchery Farm, to replace the dilapidated Manor Ground . The club had hoped to move into the new stadium near the Blackbird Leys housing estate by the start of the 1998–99 season, but construction was suspended during
9180-409: The end of the 1993–94 season , with just four wins in the last eleven games. Denis Smith brought in two strikers who were experienced in the top division: Southampton 's Paul Moody and Nottingham Forest 's Nigel Jemson . Oxford finished seventh in 1994–95 season , and in the following season gained promotion by finishing runners-up to rivals Swindon Town , despite not winning an away game till
9315-436: The end of the season. On Boxing Day 2006, a crowd of 11,065 watched United draw 0–0 with Woking at the Kassam Stadium , the largest-ever attendance for a Conference match (excluding play-offs). Oxford qualified for the play-offs by finishing second, but lost on penalties in the semi-final to Exeter City . On 9 November 2007, Jim Smith resigned as manager and first-team coach Darren Patterson returned as manager. In
9450-401: The fans a "nine-goal thriller". Atkinson took over as manager on 11 January 1999 and Forest's relegation was confirmed on 24 April with a 2–0 defeat at his old club Aston Villa. He announced his resignation as manager within hours of the final whistle, with effect from the final game of the league season on 16 May and said that he would be retiring from football management altogether. Atkinson
9585-428: The first time since the 1973–74 season . However, they failed to win any of their last seven matches and finished the season in ninth place, two places and four points outside the play-offs. Chairman Kelvin Thomas stepped down during the 2012 close season, to be replaced by owner Ian Lenagan . The 2012–13 season was blighted by injuries and patchy form: after opening the season with three wins and briefly heading
9720-516: The following year . This meant that Oxford United would be playing First Division football in the 1985–86 season, 23 years after joining the Football League. Smith moved to Queens Park Rangers shortly after the promotion success, and made way for chief scout Maurice Evans, who, several seasons earlier, had won the Fourth Division title with Reading. Oxford United finished eighteenth in the 1985–86 First Division , avoiding relegation on
9855-501: The initials STFC into the Kassam Stadium's pitch. Oxford fans use nicknames when talking about Swindon such as moonraker , in reference to the myth that they tried to rake the reflection of the moon out of a pond. The rivalry with Reading was heightened during the chairmanship of Robert Maxwell, because of his desire to merge the two clubs. This was met with strong opposition from both sets of fans, with United supporters staging
9990-470: The last day of the season after defeating Arsenal 3–0. They also won the Football League Cup , known at the time as the Milk Cup under a sponsorship deal. As winners, Oxford would have qualified for the following season's UEFA Cup , had it not been for the ban on English teams that had resulted from the previous year's Heysel Stadium disaster . After beating fellow First Division side Aston Villa in
10125-403: The league more than once but a storming run of form by Liverpool beginning before Christmas meant that the title headed for Anfield for the second year running. 1982–83 also saw the breakthrough of Whiteside as one of the best performing players in the First Division. Whiteside was also on the scoresheet for the FA Cup final replay as United beat Brighton 4–0 after drawing the first game 2–2. In
10260-550: The league title went to Liverpool (who surged in the second half of the season after being mid table at Christmas) and Ipswich Town finished second. Late in the season came the debut of teenage forward Norman Whiteside , who at the age of 17 was selected for the Northern Ireland squad at the FIFA World Cup . He also scored for United on the last day of the league season in only his second senior appearance for
10395-497: The league. Coincidentally, Accrington Stanley , the club whose bankruptcy in 1962 allowed United to be elected into the League, was one of the two clubs promoted to replace them. Jim Smith was retained as manager for the following season, and it started positively for Oxford, with 14 wins and 8 draws from the opening 25 games. A run of eleven league games without a win followed, and saw United drop to second, where they remained until
10530-659: The local community. The survey was heavily publicised by Oxvox with respondents completing the survey from areas such as Orkney Islands. Among local residents, 38 per cent were in favour, while 58 per cent were against. In January 2023, the County Council Cabinet agreed to enter into negotiations on plans to build the stadium at a different site in Kidlington known as the Triangle, between Frieze Way and Oxford Road south of Kidlington roundabout and east of
10665-516: The main reason for stopping the documentary from going ahead. Just a week later the cameras turned up at Peterborough United 's ground, London Road , to begin filming for the documentary called Big Ron Manager . Peterborough were paid £100,000 to allow the filming to take place. Atkinson spent the 2006 World Cup recording an amateur video blog and distributing it through the UK-based video sharing site SelfcastTV.com. He also provided commentary on
10800-463: The medal for his service to the club, and so gave him his, in what was seen as an "unprecedented gesture". It was the last time the League Cup was played under the name "Milk Cup", sponsors Littlewoods taking over the following season. John Aldridge scored 23 goals across the season, while their survival was helped by the arrival of veteran Steve Perryman from Tottenham . The 1986–87 season saw Oxford United narrowly avoid relegation and stay in
10935-434: The move to the Kassam Stadium in 2001 to 2010). Following the return to the Football League , Bridle Insurance became new shirt sponsors. The Bridle deal ended after the conclusion of the 2012–13 season. The home sponsor for the 2013–14 season was announced as Animalates, with the away kit being sponsored by Isinglass Consulting for that same season after winning an innovative prize draw. That one-year deal with Isinglass
11070-569: The new ground likely to cost up to £150 million. In June 2024, a decision on the application was postponed to early 2025 to allow further work on the proposals to "provide further clarity" for the planning committee. As a result, the club may need to find a temporary home after their lease at the Kassam expires. Oxford have a number of independent supporters' clubs and groups such as OxVox (the Oxford United Supporters' Trust) with
11205-700: The new shirt sponsors, as part of a principle partnership agreement, in August 2020, using the brand name " Amazing Thailand ". Oxford United had no regular home until 1913, switching between the Quarry Recreation Ground, Wootten's Field (now Stephen Road), Sandy Lane (now Osler Road) and the Britannia Field (now the top end of Lime Walk), all in Headington. In 1913 they were able to purchase Wootten's Field on London Road, however, this
11340-409: The original Stratfield Brake site. OCC's cabinet consented to lease the proposed site to the club and, in February 2024, Oxford United unveiled plans to build a new 'all-electric', 16,000-seat stadium on the site, with proposed pedestrian access from Oxford Parkway railway station , to open in 2026. The club's architect, AFL, submitted its full planning application for the scheme on 1 March 2024, with
11475-399: The outskirts of the city, costing in the region of £15 million. Construction work began in the early part of 1997, but was suspended later that year due to the club's financial problems. Construction of the new stadium resumed in 1999 following a takeover deal and the last league match at the Manor on 1 May 2001 saw a 1–1 draw with Port Vale . The site was sold for £12 million and the stadium
11610-414: The playoff places, and again lost in the final of the League Trophy at Wembley, this time to relegation-bound Coventry City . In June 2017, Appleton left the club to become assistant manager at Leicester City of the Premier League, and was replaced by Pep Clotet , formerly assistant manager at Leeds United . On 22 January 2018, Clotet was sacked, with the club in tenth place in League One after
11745-639: The post at the Conference North club following his disapproval over the sacking of manager Morell Maison. In December 2018, Atkinson was announced as an ambassador for worldwide six-a-side football firm, Leisure Leagues , as part of the deal he was to act as Director Of Football for the England 6-a-side team. Kettering Town Cambridge United Manchester United Sheffield Wednesday Aston Villa Oxford United F.C. Oxford United Football Club ( / ˈ ɒ k s f ər d / )
11880-449: The preceding season, because construction company Taylor Woodrow had not been paid for the work already undertaken. The 1996–97 season saw Oxford finish seventeenth, and included the sale of Scottish international defender Matt Elliott to Leicester City . Despite Smith's departure to West Bromwich Albion in December 1997, United finished twelfth the following season under his successor, and former captain, Malcolm Shotton . Shotton
12015-470: The pressure to build on the earlier successes was becoming more intense than ever. The 1986–87 season began poorly with three successive defeats, and despite a minor upturn in September and October which included a 5–1 home win over Southampton in the league, the pressure on Atkinson remained intense and the board finally ran out of patience on 6 November 1986 when he was dismissed as manager two days after
12150-432: The previous season's top scorer Joe Jordan was sold to AC Milan . Atkinson retained the services of Garry Birtles , who had been a disappointment in his first season with United, scoring just once in his first 28 games. Birtles had a more successful second season at Old Trafford , finding the net 11 times. In early October, he brought midfielder Bryan Robson to Old Trafford from his former club West Bromwich Albion for
12285-555: The referee being "freely baited". The first FA Cup tie played was in 1931, against Hounslow F.C. in the Preliminary Round, ending in an 8–2 defeat for Headington. United spent two seasons in the Spartan League in 1947 and 1948, finishing fifth and fourth respectively. It was around this time that the cricket team left the Manor and moved to new premises near Cowley Barracks . A move into professional football
12420-513: The relegation zone. An improved fourth-place finished followed in the shortened 2019–20 season , which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic . When the season was suspended, Oxford were third in the table, but following an agreement from clubs to end the season early, the U's dropped one place to fourth after the final table was decided under an unweighted points per game system. The play-offs continued as normal, where United faced Portsmouth in
12555-478: The roads they were positioned on: The North, East, South and West stands were called Cuckoo Lane, Osler Road, London Road and Beech Road respectively. In the 1990s, the Taylor Report was published calling for the improvement of football stadiums. The Manor Ground's terracing was becoming redundant and redeveloping the ground was too costly, so the club decided to move to a purpose-built all-seater stadium on
12690-513: The season ended, Atkinson was named Premier League Manager of the Month for March 1995. The penultimate game of the season brought another fine result when the Sky Blues travelled to North London and beat Tottenham Hotspur 3–1. Survival was finally confirmed as Atkinson guided the Sky Blues to a 16th-place finish. In December 1995, Atkinson guided the Sky Blues to one of their best results of
12825-418: The season saw the sale of key midfielder Ray Wilkins to A.C. Milan of Italy for £1.5 million, while the duration of the season had seen the breakthrough of young striker Mark Hughes . Rather than plunge into the transfer market for a big name, Atkinson shifted Norman Whiteside into midfield to fill the gap left by Wilkins and allowed Hughes to form a partnership with the experienced Frank Stapleton. In
12960-403: The second, in 1962, resulted in their election to the Football League . Promotion followed from the Fourth Division in 1965, and the club was crowned Third Division champions three years later. Turner left the club nine months after this success. Over the next thirteen years, five managers took charge. Ron Saunders was in charge for only a dozen games, moving to Norwich City at the end of
13095-403: The semi-final 4–3 on aggregate, Oxford faced Queens Park Rangers in the final , which was held at Wembley Stadium on 20 April 1986. The game finished 3–0 with goals from Trevor Hebberd , Ray Houghton and Jeremy Charles . After the match long-serving physiotherapist, 72-year-old Ken Fish, collected one of the winner's medals, instead of manager Maurice Evans . Evans felt that Fish deserved
13230-401: The semi-final. Following a 1–1 draw in the first leg, United won 5–4 on penalties when the second game ended 1–1 after extra time. In the final behind closed doors at Wembley, Oxford lost 2–1 to Wycombe Wanderers , Joe Jacobson's penalty proving decisive in the tie. Oxford made the play-offs again the following season , losing 6–3 on aggregate to Blackpool , who went on to win the final. In
13365-444: The single sheet issued at Swindon being very rare. The 1962–63 game was a testimonial, with the first league meetings coming in 1965–66. During the height of football hooliganism, trouble flared up between the sets of fans. In 1998, during a match at the County Ground , 19 Swindon supporters were arrested, while in 2002 there was an incident between supporters after Oxford fans returned from an away fixture. In 2011, vandals burned
13500-442: The smaller capacity was deemed adequate. Construction of the fourth stand is not expected to take place, with the club focussing its plans on building a new stadium instead, although it did seem like a possibly at one stage, with foundations having already been put in place. The record attendance is 12,243, which was achieved in the final game of the 2005–06 season, when a defeat against Leyton Orient condemned them to relegation from
13635-400: The stadium, following a series of legal battles which were eventually all settled. The season ended with relegation back to the Second Division. Oxford's poor form continued into the 1999–2000 season and, with the team in the relegation zone, Shotton resigned in late October. After a few months with Mickey Lewis as player-manager, former manager Denis Smith returned to the club, managing
13770-399: The table, United lost their next six games, a pattern of inconsistency that was to continue throughout the season. United finished outside the play-offs for the third consecutive season, but manager Chris Wilder was given a further one-year contract in April 2013. Some Oxford fans were unhappy about the decision to renew Wilder's contract, having pressed for his sacking during the second half of
13905-549: The then Oxford United chairman, Kevin Maxwell. Following Robert Maxwell's death in 1991, his personal estate, including the club, became insolvent. After a long search for a new owner, during which BioMass Recycling Ltd took over the club, Brian Horton was named as Oxford's new manager. He remained in charge until September 1993, when he moved to Manchester City in the recently formed FA Premier League . Horton led United to mid-table finishes during his management spell, apart from
14040-426: The top division of English football . United had finished eighth in the league the previous season, with manager Dave Sexton being sacked after his four-year spell in charge had failed to deliver a major trophy. His successor was West Bromwich Albion manager Ron Atkinson . One of Atkinson's first moves as manager was to bolster the club's attack with the £950,000 signing of Frank Stapleton from Arsenal , while
14175-462: The top flight in 1988 began an 18-year decline which saw the club relegated to the Conference in 2006, becoming the first winners of a major trophy to be relegated from the Football League. After four seasons, Oxford returned to League Two in 2010 via the play-offs, and six seasons later achieved promotion to League One , after finishing second in League Two in 2016. In 2024 they were promoted to
14310-470: The west stand. It was subsequently vandalised in January 2011, being covered in pink paint and the club used the opportunity to raise money for a breast cancer charity . While playing as Headington United, orange and blue striped shirts were worn with navy shorts and socks. The design of the shirt changed regularly, with the stripes being changed every few seasons. After joining the Southern League ,
14445-480: The years, ranging from red and black stripes on the shirts, to a fully white kit. The first sponsor to appear on the shirt was Sunday Journal , a local newspaper, in 1982. Between 1983 and 1985, there were three sponsors: BPCC, Pergamon and the Sunday People . Following those were Wang Laboratories (1985 to 1989), Pergamon (1989 to 1991), Unipart (1991 to 2000), Domino (2000 to 2001) and Buildbase (from
14580-546: Was Harry Thompson in July 1949, soon after the club turned professional. In a nine-year spell he led the team to the Southern League title in 1953, as well as the Southern League Cup in 1953 and 1954. He was replaced by Arthur Turner in 1958, who would become the longest-serving manager in the club's history, serving more than a decade in charge. Turner led United to back-to-back Southern League titles, of which
14715-432: Was a guest on an episode of TV chat show Room 101 and host Paul Merton played the video as an outro to the show. Following his sacking from Atlético Madrid, club president Jesús Gil claimed Atkinson had racially abused his own player, Donato , during his final game in charge of the club against Barcelona in January 1989. Atkinson resigned from ITV on 21 April 2004, after he made a racist comment live on air about
14850-431: Was already working as a pundit for ITV Sport and after leaving management he continued in this role. For a number of years, he covered most of the channel's live matches, sometimes as a studio guest, but more often as the " ex-football insider " member of a two-man commentary team. His commentaries with Brian Moore and then Clive Tyldesley provided the basis for the 1990s and early-2000s ITV Champions League nights. He
14985-527: Was also a professional footballer. After a few years his family moved to Shard End (then in Warwickshire , now an area of Birmingham ). He attended Lea Village Secondary School. After beginning his career as a ground staff boy at Wolverhampton Wanderers , he was signed by Aston Villa from works team BSA Tools at the age of 17, but never played a first-team match for them. He has referred to then Villa coach Jimmy Hogan as his biggest influence. Atkinson
15120-608: Was also the main co-commentator for ITV's coverage of the European Championships and the World Cup during this period. He also fronted two series of Extra Time with Ron Atkinson for Central Television, with Ron interviewing football personalities like Kevin Keegan , Terry Venables and Martin O'Neill . In 1997, he appeared as manager of Harchester United in Dream Team . In August 2013, Atkinson became
15255-401: Was appointed on 22 March 2018. Robinson had to wait five games for his first win, but his aim of retaining the club's League One status was achieved with three wins from the last five games of the season. The club finished in 16th place on 56 points, six points above the relegation zone. A 12th-place finished was achieved the following year , despite the club spending over half of the season in
15390-401: Was appointed the head coach of the club after a lengthy interview process, leaving his job as Head of Coaching at MK Dons. Under Lewis and Waddock, Oxford slipped out of the play-off places in the final few weeks of the season, finishing a disappointing eighth in the table, nine points off the last playoff place. In July 2014, Waddock's contract was terminated after a change of ownership and he
15525-459: Was appointed the manager of Manchester United following the dismissal of Dave Sexton . Atkinson was seen as the man who could bring the spark to Manchester United that had been so sorely lacking under his predecessor. Sexton had taken them to second place in the league in 1980 but did not win a major trophy in his four years at the club. United had finished eighth in the season before Atkinson's appointment , and Atkinson had actually missed out of
15660-404: Was away to Burton , which finished in a 0–0 draw; their first League win was on 4 September against Morecambe at the Kassam Stadium, with James Constable scoring a hat-trick in a 4–0 victory. They finished the season in 12th place. The team spent much of the 2011–12 season in or around the playoff places, and achieved the double over rivals (and eventual champions) Swindon Town for
15795-399: Was based on a Minoan-style bull's head. The first iteration of this design showed just the ox's head on a yellow and black background. The words 'Oxford United Football Club' were placed around the ox. For the next 17 years, the crest was simply the ox's head coloured blue, with various combinations of wording surrounding it. For example, in the 1987–88 season , the wording 25th Anniversary
15930-456: Was called off as a result of fans of both clubs protesting against the decision. Furthermore, the Reading chairman stepped down and was replaced by an opponent of the merger. Maxwell also threatened to fold the club if the merger did not go through. Oxford won the Third Division title after the 1983–84 season under the management of Jim Smith, who also guided them to the Second Division title
16065-455: Was extended for the 2014–15 season, again featuring on the away kits only. The home kit that season was sponsored by tyre company Black n Rounds. In July 2015, Oxford United announced a three-season deal with investment management company Liontrust Asset Management covering both home and away shirts. For the 2018–19 and 2019–20 season, the principal shirt sponsor was Thai beer firm Singha . The Tourism Authority of Thailand were announced as
16200-425: Was first considered during the 1948–49 season. Vic Couling, the president at the time, had applied for Headington to become a member of a new Second Division in the Southern League . Other teams that applied included Weymouth , Kettering Town and future league side Cambridge United . Although the plans were postponed, the First Division was going to be expanded by two clubs; Weymouth and Headington were elected. It
16335-399: Was later demolished. The land is now occupied by a private hospital. Since 2001, Oxford United have played at the Kassam Stadium . The all-seater stadium has a capacity of 12,500 and has only three stands instead of the usual four; when first planned in 1995 it was originally going to have a 16,000-seat capacity, but by the time the stadium opened Oxford were playing in a lower division, so
16470-546: Was later discovered that Llanelli had just one vote fewer than Headington. Oxford's first season in the Southern League was in 1949, the same year they turned professional. Former First Division forward Harry Thompson was hired as manager. In 1950, Headington United became the first professional club in Britain to install floodlights, and used them on 18 December against Banbury Spencer . They initially played in orange and blue shirts, but changed to yellow home shirts for
16605-399: Was only available for half of United's league games due to injuries. There was more disappointment for United's fans when the sale of Mark Hughes to Spanish club Barcelona was announced at the end of the season. Atkinson had prepared for Hughes' departure in March 1986 by paying Nottingham Forest £570,000 for England striker Peter Davenport . Although Davenport was their top scorer in
16740-406: Was placed under the crest. In 1996, the crest had a shield shape and contained the ox's head over the ford, on a yellow background. This version was retained until the move to the Kassam Stadium in 2001, when club steward Rob Alderman designed a new version. It has a similar design to the preceding crest, but the ox and ford were contained in a circle with a yellow background, with the remainder of
16875-472: Was previously the assistant manager of the Barnsley side that gained promotion to the Premier League. During October 1998, the backroom staff at the club went unpaid, due to United's financial situation with the new stadium, and the threat of administration caused a group of fans to set up a pressure group called Fighting for Oxford United's Life (FOUL). The group began to publicise the club's plight through
17010-425: Was purposely and acrimoniously sacked to make way for him. He took over in mid-February 1995, with the Sky Blues just above the Premier League relegation zone. His new team managed some good results, including a 4–2 home win over local rivals Leicester City , a 3–2 away win over Liverpool and a point against a Blackburn Rovers side who ended the season as champions. With survival looking certain several games before
17145-472: Was quite a turbulent one and despite relative moderate success in terms of league position, a clash of personalities with the then-owner of the club, Jesús Gil , led to Atkinson being sacked after just three months as manager. His right-hand man at West Bromwich Albion, Colin Addison , was appointed, much to the disdain of Atkinson, who went on record in the English media as saying Addison had "stabbed him in
17280-531: Was redeveloped in 1920 before a stadium could be built. Having purchased the Sandy Lane site, the club developed and played at the Manor Ground between 1925 and 2001. The ground was originally shared with Headington Cricket Club until 1949, when they moved to Cowley Barracks. The capacity at closure was 9,500, but hosted United's record crowd of 22,750 against Preston North End in an FA Cup sixth-round match on 29 February 1964. The four stands were named after
17415-407: Was replaced by Michael Appleton . Waddock's surprise sacking ensured he had the worst record of any Oxford manager, winning only once and losing seven times in his eight games in charge of the club. After an indifferent first season under Appleton, Oxford achieved promotion to League One in his second year in charge, finishing the 2015–16 season in second place with 86 points. They also reached
17550-435: Was sacked after a poor run of form, and was replaced by former Halifax Town manager Chris Wilder . Following Wilder's arrival, the team won 15 of the remaining 21 league matches that season . A 5-point deduction for fielding an unregistered player resulted in a seventh-place finish, four points and two places short of the play-offs. Oxford led the table for most of the first half of the 2009–10 season, but dropped into
17685-435: Was sacked in March 1988 with Oxford bottom of the First Division. Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson was named as Oxford's new manager, but was unable to prevent relegation to the Second Division . He was sacked three months into the 1988–89 Second Division campaign after a dispute with the chairman over the £1 million sale of striker Dean Saunders to Derby County; Derby were owned by Robert Maxwell, father of
17820-455: Was sold to Portsmouth , Kevin Brock joined former manager Jim Smith at QPR and Welsh international Charles was forced to retire due to injury. Oxford started the season respectably and spent much of the early stages around the fringes of the top 10, though Houghton would follow Aldridge to Liverpool for £825,000. However, after November the team would fail to win another game, and Maurice Evans
17955-399: Was transferred to Headington United (renamed Oxford United in 1960) in the summer of 1959 on a free transfer. There he played alongside his younger brother Graham . He went on to make over 500 appearances in all competitions as a wing-half for the club, earning, in his playing days the nickname: "The Tank", and scoring a total of fourteen goals. He was United's captain through their rise from
18090-502: Was unable to make an immediate impact and Oxford finished in 21st position in the league, at the time their lowest-ever league position. United missed out on the play-off places in the following season by one place and one point. Fifteen wins at the start of the 2003–04 season saw Oxford top of the table at the end of January. However, Ian Atkins was sacked in March 2004 after allegedly agreeing to take charge at rivals Bristol Rovers . Atkins's replacement, Graham Rix , could only manage
18225-645: Was used as a cricket pitch in the summer, and a football pitch in the winter. In 1899, six years after their formation, Headington United joined the Oxfordshire District League Second Division, where they competed until the outbreak of the First World War ; the Second Division was renamed the Oxfordshire Junior League after the resumption of football in 1919. In 1921, the club was admitted into
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