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*

The year of the Ox

Oxford 2-1 Lewes (01:02:09)

We're not ones to spurn the opportunity of a celebration here at EFW Towers. On Monday the Chinese were toasting their new year and the start of The Year of the Ox, so we thought it only apt that we should join in the fun and head to Ox-ford. Tenuous maybe but ever such good fun.

I was joined on this trip by European Football Weekends regular 'Big Deaks', occasional EFW attendee and loyal Brighton fan (still!) 'Greeno' and our favourite football statistician 'Cynical Dave'. Together we accounted for 8% of the total away support for the day. Lewes had 50 fans at Oxford in total. A magnificent effort from the EFW team I'm sure you'll agree. We were proud anyway.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting a non league ground recently can't have failed to appreciate their atmosphere of friendliness and comradeship. It's one reason why we've started going to these games and to be honest, I'm totally hooked on the non-league now. Obsessed.

Lewes are our absolute favourites. They are hopeless (this season) but we love them. In the run up to this match with all conquering Oxford United, they'd managed to lose their previous seven games in a row without troubling the opposition's net once. Oxford United in comparison are huge. People have heard of them for Christ's sake.

To be honest with you, this didn't feel like a non league match. The three sided stadium was all seated and they charged £17 to get in. Credit is currently being crunched Oxford. You couldn't walk around the ground or change ends at half time. Mental note to self; pen letter to OUFC suggesting they build fourth stand, make it a terrace with a roof, charge £8 to get in, home fans one side, away fans the other and I fancy Bob would indeed be your Uncle.

We noted another thing which sets Oxford apart from other non league clubs we've been to lately. In the pub across the road from the ground before the match there was a Premiership game on the telly and everyone was watching it! They cared. They were shouting at the telly and everything. Oxford fans haven't quite grasped the concept of the non league just yet. They are newcomers to this level of football. In a few years time they'll see the light and be sporting 'Against Mod£rn Football' t-shirts like the rest of us.

Actually - aside from the telly - the pub was a corker. It's called The Priory and thank the Lord it was there because there is nothing else around for miles near the ground aside from a horrendous bowling complex. They even had a little note chalked up on a beam to welcome us:


However, they obviously underestimated the numbers in the EFW camp. Welcome to the 2 Lewes fans!? We changed it after a few beers to 4.

Once inside the ground I overheard someone saying it was so soulless and boring that the two teams should have entered the pitch to the sound of Radiohead blearing out of the PA. A bit harsh that. Once they've built the fourth stand it will be ok. Especially if that fourth stand is a terrace influenced by my letter.

Cynical and Big Deaks soaking it all up.

I don't often bang on about the game too much in these reports unless something remarkable happens. In this match it did. After 689 minutes without a league goal, Lewes scored (scored!). Stefan Cox squared a near perfect two yard pass to Joe Keehan (the managers son) and he smashed in a shot from 20 yards which to everybody's amazement went in. Pandemonium in the away end. The four of us engaged in a bout of star jumps. Enormous fun.

Who are ya!?

After that Oxford scored twice, Lewes missed a penalty and had a player (Wilkinson) sent off for nothing (headbutt). They'd done us proud. Plucky underdogs, we all love those don't we!? There is a video here of the penalty miss. It's a bit shaky as I'd had a few beers and was excited. Afterwards I pan round and you can see Cynical (shocked), Big Deaks (giggling) and Greeno (also giggling):

After the game we headed back to The Priory pub to celebrate the Lewes goal. Again Oxford fans were watching a live Premiership match (Liverpool v Chelsea - yawn). We sank a few beers and then headed back into town to catch a train back to Brighton.

We wanted to get back quick as we'd shipped in a case of Bud and wanted to watch the Cincinnati Backflips v Chicago Slidders in the Superbowl. We didn't though did we. American football!? No thanks. Instead we went (predictably) to EFW Headquarters and partied like it was 1999 again. It had started to snow at that point so we stayed until closing in the vein hope that we'd get snowed in and have to stay there the night. Happy days (and nights). Until next time.....

p.s. Ignore these two videos below. They are the same as the one above. I just don't know how to get rid of them!