Sunday 11th January 2004
United we stand will start a fund for a memorial to Robert Corps who died last month (Details below), United we stand will put the first £5 in the pot and if anyone else would like to make a contribution please email me at the site.
After all it is for a good cause to remember a young fan that loved Oxford.
Oxford continued their unbeaten run today at home to Lincoln City, though they drew 0-0 the game was exciting and proved that Ian Atkins should now start with either Mark Rawle or Richie Foran at Hull next weekend in the top of the table battle, our biggest game since losing to Doncaster back in September.
Though we got a valuable point, News of one of Oxford valued supporters passing just after the Christmas period made us all think just how lucky we were and that there really is more to Football.
Young Robert Corps who was a disabled supporter and Sat in the disabled section at the top of the South stand with his family- Died on December 28th at the very young age of 19, Robert suffered from Muscular Dystrophy and had supported the U's from a very young age, was a regular at the Manor Ground and had been watching the U's for the past 6 years with his Mother Pat and Father Jeff.
At yesterday's game friends and family left flowers at the position by the barrier where Robert sat on a match day, a very touching moment for them.
Our deepest sympathy's and heartfelt thoughts go out to Pat and Jeff at this very sad time and to all his family and friends to whom he will be missed dearly.
many of you will know that we have a plaque in the Oxford mail stand to remember Andrew Knapton who passed away after the last game at the Manor, We should get the same done in the disabled section for Robert, ok most of you would not have known or met Robert, but through sheer determination he continued to support the Mighty U's at every home game through terrible conditions, So I hereby urge people to help contribute even a small amount to remember him up where he loved being the most-Watching his beloved Oxford United.
Flowers left in Memory of Robert Corps aged 19.
I spent nearly all of the match chatting with a host of Oxford United players yesterday, Derek Townsley, Manny Omoyinmi and Jamie Brooks were there with Dave Waterman, Andy Scott(off the crutches) and Danny Brown, Just as the game began I had a text from Womble to tell me that Townsley was wanted by Gretna in the Scottish league, at that time I was stood chatting to him and asked him about it, he was totally bemused and asked me to put teletext on for him so that he could read it for himself, (ITV page 475), shocked him a bit to see his name up on the TV. That was denied.
Then I got to chatting to Jamie Brooks and He said that He and Manny could be going to Margate on loan for a month, it will help extremely with his return to fitness and will also do Manny good as he has already spent 2 months on loan at the Kent club, Jamie can then expect to come back to Oxford and try and force himself into the first team to help with the push for promotion, that chat resulting in you hearing it on Radio Oxford after the game, as it got passed on to them.....As a ceertain TV advert goes..Its good to talk....lol.
Friday 9th January 2004
Carlisle United manager Paul Simpson has hinted that he may be prepared to let Richie Foran leave Brunton Park on a permanent basis.
The striker moved to Oxford United on loan earlier this week and Simpson is well aware that the player is out of contract at the end of this season.
"Richie is on a Bosman in the summer," he told the Cumbrian club's official website.
Foran could make his Oxford debut tomorrow as Lincoln City visit the Kassam Stadium to take on the league leaders, Oxford are aiming to make it 17 games unbeaten and extend their lead at the top.
Richie Foran (Centre) During our last visit to Cumbria
Wednesday 7th January 2004
Oxford got a deserved point at the Vetch last night after the defence managed to keep out Lee Trundle and Co, the match was a hot tempered affair, with Oxford having 4 booked in the first half and 1 in the second, with Swansea having just the one booking, that coming in the second half, though had the referee had his glasses on he would have seen that the 5-1 booking count should have be reversed for what was the biggest load of play acting and crowd pressure I have ever seen at a football match.
Oxford were never going to win this match with a officials that were scared of the crowd behind them, in the first half the linesman in front of the North stand raised his flag everytime Swansea lost the ball, let alone got fouled, we were warned by their fans before the game to expect the crowd to intimidate the officials, what happened was a complete and utter joke.
In the first half I was sat in front of the main stand with the Swansea fans blasting the Oxford subs everytime they ran past warming up, I could see the hate and anger in their faces, this was not just idle banter, they were serious and had they been let off their leads the sheep would have been finished off big time, let alone the Oxford players, I have never come across that sort of hatred in all the games that I have taken pictures for Oxford at, if the fans were bad, the players were almost the same, they were constantly trying to get fellow pro's booked or sent off, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how much I write about the game and the anxiety of it, Oxford got a precious point at a ground where most teams have got slaughtered, the U's have Andy Woodman to thank for the point, he made one blinding save in the 2nd half that was worthy of a match winner, but at the final whistle all the players in yellow shirts were the winners, they coped with everything that the swans threw at them and their faces had the bigger smiles at the end, the 319 Oxford fans that made the journey to Wales and paid their £4.60 to get over the bridge were happy too, the players again showed their gratitude to the travelling army after they had done their after match huddle in the centre circle.
A good night and a great point......not much else to say.
Hunty tells the ref what he thinks of him
Players await a rare Oxford free kick
McCarthy and Trundle square up
The Vetch Field East and South stands
The Vetch Field North Stand, or the 4th official
The Dugouts with oxford on the right
