Oxford United v York City

Love lift us up where we belong

Oxford United 3-1 York City (16:05:10)

- click on photos to enlarge image -

Squeaky bum time in the Football Conference and a chance for either Oxford United or York City to claim the last available place in League Two. The Conference play-off final is fast becoming our favourite day of the year here at EFW. And that isn't just because we're afforded a Wembley Stadium press pass for the day either. Ok, it's a fair cop - that's exactly the reason.

Little did Petula Clark know that when she penned 'I will follow' in the 60s it would turn into a terrace classic some 50 years later. It has and its spawned a monster. A monster so big that once you hear it it'll be in your head all bloody day. York City's Ultras (as previously featured on these pages) the Jorvik Reds were once again the pioneers in England and have been airing this song for a while. Don't worry, it's coming to a ground near you next season.



Oxford United are the best supported club in the Conference both home and away. Their ultras were formerly known as the Giallo Esercito (Italian for Yellow Army) but have since simplified their name to the Oxford Ultras. Although fewer in number than York, they've been a growing influence since they were formed midway through the 2008/09 season. On matchdays at home they gather at the back of the Oxford Mail Stand and at away games, well, I'll let this video do the talking:



Sadly, adopted strictures from the men in suits don't allow for any such thing at the home of football. The two sets of ultras knew beforehand that they weren't allowed to take anything resembling "fun" into the stadium and as such they concentrated their efforts on the vocal side of things to get behind their respective teams.

Over 28,000 Dundee United fans had turned Hampden Park into a sea of orange in the Scottish Cup Final the day before this match. Oxford United went one better. Actually, they went several thousand better. Over 30,000 U's fans were inside Wembley and they'd left a sold out club shop back at their 3-sided Kassam Stadium. They'd even sold 500 yellow sponge hands according to the 16-page pull-out in the Oxford Mail. They were known as foam hands in my day.

I'm fairly new to this press lounge lark. Unlike my colleague Mr Fuller who - unhappy with the selection of sarnies on offer - sent the chef scurrying back into the kitchen for something other than 'egg mayo'. Their most difficult customer since Mark Lawrenson by all accounts. Inside the press box, we were sat next to The Guardian Chief Football Writer Paul Doyle. A bit ironic after I'd interviewed Sid Lowe and Barry Glendenning from the same organ recently. Brilliant I thought, he could write a proper match report and I could sit back and relax.

The only time I can recall a period of silence from the crowd inside Wembley occurred before the game when once again they insisted on wheeling out opera singer Martin Toal. It was 15 minutes before the match, the crowd were bubbling and wanting to sing their songs and yet, we're continually subjected to this chap, brilliant within his field I'm sure but not what we want at a football match. A football match Wembley. That's what you were built for. Get to the back of the queue opera singers. And you Muse. And American Football (ok that's enough - Ed).

The match was an absolute belter. Normally, days out like these are spoilt by the actual 90 minutes of football - not today. Oxford took the lead with a couple of quality goals. Goals that nearly burst my right ear drum thanks to the deafening noise created by the U's fans. Yellow and blue flags danced furiously and lung busting versions of "Yellows" and more ambitiously, lusty versions of "Come On You Yellows" bounced around the stadium. What could possibly go wrong now they thought.

Jimmy Jimmy. Jim Smith and Jim Rosenthal occupy the big screen as a 'Wall of Yellow' fills Wembley.

Just before half time Ryan Clarke's world collapsed around his ears. The player of the season for Oxford ensured that James Nesbitt's agent will once again be commissioning another of his "hilarious" footballing bloopers DVDs. In came a fairly innocuous York City cross, up popped Clarke for a routine catch, flapped at it and whoops - into the net in went. 2-1 at half time. Initially, I thought he must have been barged into the net like Steve Sherwood of Watford who felt the brunt of Andy Gray in the 1984 FA Cup final. Not a bit of it. He'd goosed it up. Game on.

That Ryan Clarke flap.

York are back in it.

Jorvik Reds momentarily delighted.

Normally, I'd have a pint at half time but not today. It was luxury biscuits with chocolate and cream, coffee, moisturiser and the best hand towels in Europe in the bogs (so that's where the budget went - Ed) and a quick catch up with the Twenty20 where England appeared to be on the verge of giving the Aussies a lesson in cricket. England World Champs? Surely not.

York took the game to Oxford in the second half. Our friends from the Jorvik Reds responded with several versions of 'I will follow'. Lyrics for this little ditty: We love you! We love you! We love you! And where you go we'll follow, we'll follow, we'll follow! We'll do it for you City! You City! You City! And that's the way it should be, it should be, it should be. WhoaaaaahWhhoah Whoooooa (repeat to fade). Believe me, you will all be singing it soon. Every one of you.

As it was Alfie Potter sent the Oxford fans into ecstasy and his team into League Two with a goal that I will always remember. Why is that? Well, I found the video function on my camera, switched it on for the first time and hey presto:



Off to the post match press conference we went. Oxford gaffer Chris Wilder stole the show in there. He is still bitter about the 5pts United were deducted last season. Talked additionally about how it annoys him that fans think they've got a big budget and put "Your Lutons and your Oxfords" in the same sentence. And then went on about "Your Morecambes and Your Dagenhams next season". Asked how he was going to celebrate he said "Anyone who knows me will tell you I'll rip the arse out of this for two weeks". Everyone laughed.

There was a bizarre end to our afternoon. Mr Fuller and I got locked inside the stadium with seemingly every door locked and no escape. We'd been fannying around for a bit - who wouldn't when given the virtual freedom of Wembley - but this was ridiculous. I can think of worse places to spend the night. It wasn't as if we were going to ruin the turf by pitching up the EFW tent on the pitch. As it was, after what seemed like a dogs age, we were marched out past the team coaches by security along with some of the bemused staff who'd also found themselves locked in. In fairness, it was better than the Wembley Tour. Cheers!

Not a bad little view for EFW.

Love lift us up where we belong.

"Anyone who knows me will tell you I'll rip the arse out of this for weeks" Wild Wilder in the press conference.

Top scorer AND appearing on EFW. What's not to like..

- For lots more photos of the day CLICK ME -

The Ball is Round report from Mr Fuller

*Feel free to comment below*

AFC Wimbledon (Part 2)

Wombling Free

AFC Wimbledon 2-0 Forest Green Rovers (06:02:10)

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I last frequented this ground 16 years ago (alright Grandad - Ed). Back in 1994, Kingstonian FC delivered a swift blow to my nether regions by humiliating Brighton & Hove Albion and dumping them out of the FA Cup. What happened in the immediate aftermath of that game is stuff of Albion legend. I can't tell you exactly what occurred though because I'm still bound by a super injunction and they never get overturned these days do they?

It took the visit of Forest Green Rovers to prompt a return visit. I've always been a fan of the Rovers Return. Previously on these pages, you may have noted us gushing over FGR and moreover their fans. They've become firm friends since we pitched up in Nailsworth last season. A group of them ended up forming the backbone of the EFW Oktoberfest, a legendary trip that saw 32 of us take in four games in three glorious days in Germany and the Netherlands last year.

Kingstonian now share this Kingsmeadow ground with their (now) more successful tenants - AFC Wimbledon. The Dons fans have renamed it the Meadow of Kings. A fair call when you factor in five promotions in seven trophy hogging seasons. I'd say the vast majority of football fans have a soft spot for AFC Wimbledon and what they've achieved in recent history. There are some who don't approve - this is football after all. Arrogance is the word that keeps getting quoted to me by non-believers.

So what is the AFC Wimbledon matchday experience like? Well, with my professional hat on, I turned up three hours before kick off to drink in the atmosphere with the FGR lads who'd made their way across the country in the early hours of this Saturday morning. The first pub of choice was the infamous Sir Robert Peel, infamous in that some girls inside have been known to remove their clothes for just 1GBP. It's all above board like - honest guv.

The Peel pub: FGR fans, a few Dons and a couple of Bristol Cities.

The Nailsworth branch of the EFW Team. Great set of lads.

Least we forget.

Hayden, the lesser seen three legged Womble.

The FGR fans were in good spirits and fine voice. After a rousing rendition of Sweet Caroline (good times never felt so good), it was onto the amply sized clubhouse at the ground via the best eatery in town - Fat Boys Cafe. How happy would you be if Ska band The Beat pitched for a gig in your clubhouse!? That's exactly what's is about to occur at Kingsmeadow in a couple of weeks. Pork pie hats and mirrors in the bathroom that night and no mistake.

What about the actual game then? (finally - Ed). Well, AFCW raced to a 2-0 the lead within 9 minutes following some fancy free flowing football. Rovers fans began questioning their gaffers team selection. One turned to me and said he'd made the single biggest error of judgement since Wayne Bridge uttered the fateful words to his lingerie clad mademoiselle "I'm just of to see my dear old mum for a few hours. My mate John is popping round to borrow my socket set. Let him in will you?"

As the game opened up, the Dons midfield began making good use of the space that they found, space that the everyday FGR folks left behind. Talking of *cough* The Wombles, as the game petered out late on, there was only thing on the EFW agenda. We have a bit of thing for clubs mascots and Rovers fan Pearchy is an expert in luring them into his den. The Dons have a tremendous mascot in Hayden the Womble. Could we sign him up for EFW....

....of course we could...

....and Uncle Bulgaria!

These two were first in the queue for tickets to The Beat.

Bobs Full House.

On the head my son.

After the match, we past the masses queuing for tickets for the away game with Luton next week and returned to the clubhouse. Speeches, MOM awards, mirth and hilarity, this was football as it should be. With a successful Dons Trust, the best badge seller in the country, an award winning programme and forthcoming away games at Luton Town, Cambridge and Oxford, there is a real feelgood factor surrounding the club. I just hope the fans stick with them if the trophies start to dry up. Rovers on the other hand appear to be dropping faster than John Terry's shorts. They'll be back - hopefully.

Just before I leave you (at last - Ed). We covered AFCW earlier in the week here on EFW. So in the interests of balance, here is the result of a chat that FGR fan Shep and I had over a few beers prior to the match:

What's the best thing about supporting FGR? It's in my blood. Was brought up watching them from 5 years old so it's always been there. It's local, a good social occasion and I've made a lot of friends over the years that I would have never crossed paths with unless it
was for FGR.

And the worst? The football at times. I've been lucky to see us go from the Hellenic League
up through to Conference but at this level we are perennial strugglers and this season we seem to be doing it the hard way. Off the field the club, like most, is struggling financially so it always seems the begging bowl is out. I do think we get taken for granted at times and that's a dangerous game to play.

What has made you laugh in your times of following Rovers? I can't think of much on the football front but away trips, generally on the train are always a laugh as it's the people who make it. I could recall stories of Hitchen Town away, Gary and Shaun (actually Shane) at Cambridge station, pubs of London and numerous other trips but even great times when
we used to share the players coach in the Southern League.

According to Wikipedia, Forest Green Rovers have a rather greedy 6 (six) nicknames - Rovers, The Green, FGR, The Little Club On The Hill, Green Army and *cough* The Lawnmowers - which of those are embraced by the fans? 'Rovers' is the one most relate to, although when speaking to people after a game they always seem to ask - Have you been up The Green today? Not sure on the 'Lawnmowers', I think someone might have been on the wind up there.

Who are your rivals? Historically it would have been Shortwood United our neighbours across the valley but Gloucester City would be number one in most older supporters
eyes. Nothing stirs up the blood more than Oxford United now for me though.

Can you sum up FGR in a Tweet of less than 140 characters? A club that's changing to adapt to the times but I'm not sure I like it. We still try and make the best of it though.

- For more photos from the day CLICK ME -

- AFC Wimbledon Part 1 -

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