Monday 9 July 2012

Malcolm Crosby

Maclom Crosby signed a new three year deal at Northampton in May 2010
He had initially joined the club in September 2009 as assistant manager to Ian Sampson.  In March 2011, Crosby was appointed caretaker manager, following the sacking of Sampson.  Gary Johnson was appinted as manager, and it appears Crosby was allowed to leave Northampton at the end of the season.

From there, he was appointed as head of football development at Oxford United on 31 May 2011.  
The club site reported his role as 
"His main responsibilities will be for the scouting and recruitment of all areas of the Football Club. He will work closely with Chris Wilder evaluating upcoming opposition, and assisting with the first team squad recruitment.

Malcolm will also work closely with the Youth Development department and will oversee the scouting and recruitment pathway for U9s through to the U18s. Additionally Malcolm will work with Chris Allen and the youth team squad to aid both coaching and player development.

Chairman Kelvin Thomas said: "Bringing in Malcolm shows the club's intent to improve and develop our scouting and recruitment. We have already made some improvements to the process, but bringing Malcolm in to oversee this process is a major step forward."

"It is going to possibly take a few years to see the fruits of this appointment, but we want to get back to finding, developing and bringing players through that impact both our first team and beyond."
"It is an area of the club we have wanted to develop for a while, but we had to focus on the first team and ensure we got back and stayed in the Football League, and now we feel it is the right time especially with Malcolm becoming available to take on this role."

Manager Chris Wilder said: "Malcolm brings a tremendous amount of football experience to the set up and I think it is very important that we have a focus in this area.It has been very tough coming through the non-league years, being able to attract and keep players, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction.

"Malcolm will also be able to assist me in watching our opponents to ensure that our preparation is spot on.To have someone with Malcolm's experience and knowledge can only be beneficial." 

However, just one year later,on  19 June 2012, Crosby was to leave United, the report saying .
"Oxford United can confirm that Malcolm Crosby will be leaving his role as head of recruitment at the end of his contract period.

Malcolm returned to the club in a scouting capacity in May 2011 after previously working as first team coach and then caretaker manager in the 1990's. he leaves with the club's thanks and blessing as Chairman Kelvin Thomas said:
"We thank Malcolm for his hard work over the past year. He has a wealth of experience in the game and we know that he will be pursuing other options. We wish him every success in that.
"Malcolm has been a good servant to the club during his time here and will always be welcome at Oxford United."

Crosby was subsequently appointed as head scout at Birmingham City.  

Physios and coaches

The role of physios, coaches, and strength and conditioning seems to change fairly regularly at Oxford United in recent years.

Physios
Neil Sullivan left his role as physio in August 2008 to join Derby County, after seven years at Oxford.  
Charlie Grieg replaced him in a caretaker capacity, with Jon Brown taking charge in December 2008.
Jon Brown left in August 2011, with youth team physio Max Martini taking temporary charge. 
Andy Lord joined in September 2011 from Derby, where he had been working with Neil Sullivan. 

Strenth and conditioning 
Jordan Milsom had this role in 2006/07, left for Swindon for a year, and then rejoined in June 2008 under manager Darren Patterson, with Lindsay Davis (sports massage and kitman), John Williams (nutrition)
Milsom left in December 2008 for Leicester City.  At the time, it was decided not to replace him, a BBC interview in January 2009 reporting "Boss Chris Wilder wants to use every available penny for team building and it is a decision backed by chairman Kelvin Thomas.  I think we are going to do things differently.  We are lucky to have some great universities and sport science departments to lean on.  Wilder has said he would rather have the money towards a player and Thomas agrees that in non-league football they cannot justify the expense.  Chris feels, and I agree, that a fitness coach at this level is probably an extravagance and Chris is very confident that the medical staff and Mickey Lewis can deal with the fitness."
 
Andrew Dubowski joined in November 2010 with ten years experiece in the navy.  He left in December 2011.   
Dan Bond arrived in Jan 2012.

United finished 2011/12 outside of the play-offs, having been comfortably in seventh place before the last seven games saw them pick up just two points.

On 10 May 2012, just five days after the end of the season saw United it was announced to BBC Radio Oxford that the club would be taking advice from Wigan Warriors.  The rugby league side are also owned by Ian Lenagan, and it appears that the owner has decided to take more decisive action on the backroom staff, and reasons for failure in the past season.  Wilder said "We have fantastic connections with Wigan who place a massive importance on fitness.   It's part of the club that we need to study and improve because obviously from my point of view as manager I need players on the training ground and available for selection."

In a 14 May 2012 Oxford Mail interview , chairman Kelvin Thomas said:- “We have to look at the reasons why we didn’t get into the play-offs, I’ve said I think overall our strength and conditioning was decent, but not at a level that was going to push us into the play-offs.  We have to look at the whole area and I think it’s potentially one area we need to invest in and get more quality in there in terms of personnel on the sports science side.  I think we’re going to look to get a bit more experience in that department to help (manager) Chris (Wilder) on that side of things to help really kick it on and hopefully change the structure so we’re doing things the right way. Hopefully that will improve the injury situation, but we have to look at it over a four-year period as well – in the time Chris has been in we haven’t had that many injuries and then one year when it’s really hit us.  Some of that’s luck, some is conditioning. We’re going to improve the conditioning and hopefully the luck will turn around.”

Alasdair Lane is set to be unveiled in July 2012 as head of this department, after a year at Rotherham and a number of years at Brentford, following time in the army.  
In August 2012, Ian Lenagan wrote "Additions to staff include Strength & Conditioning Manager, Sports Psychologist, Nutritionist Consultant and Video Analyst with Oxford United now using the same software technology as announced recently by Premier League Champions, Manchester City. "
At the end of 2009/10, the club had
Manager - Chris Wilder
First team coach - Mickey Lewis
Goalkeeping coach - Alan Hodgkinson
Physios - Jon Brown, Charlie Grieg
Sports massage therapist - Lindsay Davis
Youth development - Les Taylor
At the end of 2010/11,
Manager - Chris Wilder
Assistant Manager - Mickey Lewis
First team coach - Andy Melville
Goalkeeping coach - Alan Hodgkinson
Youth team manager - Chris Allen (appointed July 2010)
Physios - Jon Brown, Charlie Grieg
Strength & Conditioning - Andrew Dubowski
Sports massage therapist -
Youth development - Les Taylor
At end of 2011/12
Manager - Chris Wilder
Assistant manager - Mickey Lewis
First team coach - Andy Melville
Goalkeeping coach - Alan Hodgkinson
Youth team manager - Chris Allen
(appointed July 2010) 
Physio - Andy Lord
Sports massage therapist -
Strength & Conditioning - Dan Bond (appointed Jan 2012)
Head of football development - Malcolm Crosby
Youth development - Les Taylor

(not listed in the programme
Sports Therapist - John 'Spike' Elliott 
2012/13 
Manager - Chris Wilder
Assistant manager - Mickey Lewis
First team coach - Andy Melville
Goalkeeping coach - Alan Hodgkinson MBE
[not mentioned - Wayne Brown]
Youth team manager - Chris Allen
(appointed July 2010) 
Physio - Andy Lord
Head of sports science - Alasdair Lane
Sports Therapist - John 'Spike' Elliott
Strength & Conditioning - Dan Bond
Head of football development - 
Youth development - Les Taylor
Nutrition - Ed Tooley
2013/14
Manager - Chris Wilder / (temp Mickey Lewis) / Neil Waddock
Assistant manager - Mickey Lewis
First team coach - Andy Melville (resigned end of season)
Goalkeeping coach - Wayne Brown

Youth team manager - Chris Allen
Head physio - Andy Lord (resigned end of season)
Head of sports science - Alasdair Lane
Sports Therapist - John 'Spike' Elliott?
Strength & Conditioning -
Video Analyst - Dan Bond
Head of football development - 
Youth development - Les Taylor?
Nutrition - Ed Tooley?
2014/15 

Manager - Neil Waddock
Assistant manager - Mickey Lewis
First team coach Goalkeeping coach - Wayne Brown

Youth team manager - Chris Allen
Head physio - Andy Lord
Head of sports science - Alasdair Lane
Sports Therapist - John 'Spike' Elliott?
Strength & Conditioning -
Video Analyst - Dan Bond
Head of football development - 
Youth development - Les Taylor?
Women's team manager - Les Taylor?
Nutrition - Ed Tooley?

Sunday 10 June 2012

Woodstock Partners and Oxford United

Woodstock Partners Limited
On 21 March 2006, Woodstock Partners Limited ("WPL") acquired Oxford United Football Club Limited ("OUFC") from Firoka (London Park) Limited, a company ultimately owned and controlled by Firoz Kassam, a successful hotelier and businessman.
The Woodstock connection could have been dreamed up in a local pub, as all of the key people were all based in the village.

Nick Merry
Merry fronted the takeover as Chairman.  He had once been in the United youth team, and was now living back in the UK, having apparently made his fortune in America with a dental products business, and also claimed to have mining interests in Africa.

Jim Smith
Fondly known as "The Bald Eagle", Smith managed back-to-back promotions with United to the top tier in the 1980s, before leaving for QPR.  He had last been working with Harry Redknapp at Southampton nearly a year before, and was now in semi-retirement between Spain and Woodstock.  Smith took over as manager from caretaker Darren Patterson once the takeover was completed.

Kelvin Thomas
Kelvin Thomas, another Woodstock resident, was also appointed a Director.  Thomas had football and other interests in the USA, as well as a home in Florida.

Merry, Smith and Thomas were all appointed Directors of United.  

Ian Lenagan
Lenagan is again a Woodstock resident, who made his fortune floating his IT business at the height of the dot.com boom in 2000.  Although rugby league is his key sporting interest, Lenagan supports all kinds of arts and sporting, including Old Woodstock Town Football club, and he also invested in the London Broncos rugby league team.

Lenagan was very much the quiet man behind the takeover, not publically making his involvement know until nearly a year afterwards, nor being one of the new board of Directors of OUFC.  

The WPL 'plan' was for an initial investment of £2MM, with a further £750,000 to cover the next three seasons.   It was never entirely clear whether this was supposed to be a 50:50 sharing of costs between Merry and Lenagan, however the WPL shareholding was 1 share each, which suggests an equal partnership. 



2005/06
Smith signed several players, however United were relegated to the Conference on the last day of the season. 

The cost of the takeover was approximately £2MM - this was the amount required to pay back everything owed to Kassam's companies as at the take-over date, plus legal fees.   At 30 June 2006, the amount due from OUFC to WPL was £2,099,045.


2006/07
OUFC had a storming start to their non-league campaign, undefeated in something like 18 games and top of the league.  However, results fell away, and the club finished second in the league to Dagenham and Redbridge, and with only one automatic promotion place, it was down to the play-offs.  United were defeated to Exeter in the play-off semi-final, who went on to win promotion, followed by a second consecutive promotion to League One the following year.

The club made a net loss for the year of £653,830.  At 30 June 2007, the amount shown as due from OUFC to WPL was £2,912,000, an increase of £812,995.   The bank overdraft had also increased from £17,579 to £136,759 during the year. 

2007/08
A poor start to the season saw Jim Smith replaced as manager by Darren Patterson.  However, the club saw their worst finish in recent years, finishing mid-table.  

The club made a net loss for the year of £870,582.  At 30 June 2008, the amount shown as due from OUFC to WPL was £3,282,759, an increase of another £370,759.   The bank overdraft had increased by £292,208, and taxes due had also increased to £128,226, from £57,192 the year before. 

2008/09

Patterson was unable to get results on the pitch, and it soon became apparent that financially the club were struggling.  The stadium apparently refused to provide the usual executive box catering one match because the quarterly rent payment had been missed.  Matters came to a head in October 2008.  Nick Merry resigned as Chairman, and Darren Patterson was sacked as manager, the last straw being a defeat to Torquay in the FA Cup.  Kelvin Thomas was appointed as Chairman, flying in from the USA.  Jim Smith took temporary charge as manager for a few games, and after a detailed interview and screening process, Chris Wilder was appointed manager, his first game being boxing day 2008.  OUFC suffered a five point deduction for fielding an ineligible player, and despite a race for the play-offs, the team finished just short. 
   
The amount due to WPL from the year before was £3,282,579, however WPL stopped charging interest on its loans with effect from April 2008, and had written back £29,000 relating to the previous year.  Effectively the opening amount due was now £3,253,579.  


The club made a net loss for the year of £887,870.  At 30 June 2009, the amount shown as due from OUFC to WPL was £3,361,059, an increase of £107,480, and this amount would be unchanged for the next few years. The bank overdraft had been reduced to £92,000, however taxes due had also increased to £444,000, from £128,000 the year before.  Accruals and deferred income had also rocketed to £923,880 from £306,446.


2009/10
Chris Wilder's team had an excellent start to the season, clear at the top by Christmas.  Another crucial matter was the transfer of Dean Whitehead from Sunderland to Stoke for £3MM.  OUFC had sold Whitehad back in June 2004 for £150,000, and Kassam had sensibly insisted on a sell on clause, which resulted in a total profit on player transfers of £531,232 in the season.   

Back on the pitch, loan players were brought in to try and strengthen in one or two positions, results fell away, and Stevenage romped to the title.  In the last few games, Wilder returned to the players of the first half of the season, United were into the play-offs, defeating Rushden and Diamonds in the semi-finals, and eventually winning 3-1 against York City to return back into the football league.  The play-off final at Wembley was unfortunately not the big money-spinner that had been expected after all costs were taken into account.

The WPL loan remained unchanged at £3,361,059.

2010/11

From the last published accounts for OUFC (June 2011):
The WPL loan was £3,361,059 at June 2011. From the WPL accounts, £2,801,552 was due to Directors, and £392,941 to Other loans. [These loans used to be described as all Directors loans until Nick Merry resigned, leaving Ian Lenagan as sole director, and after this the loans have been disclosed separately. So it may be that Merry did invest £392K into WPL. During the Harry Redknap fraud trial, HR said that he had put money into OUFC, and so this may be in here somewhere. I think the club denied any direct connection with Redknap, so it may have been routed via Merry and WPL.]
From the fans forum on 15 March 2012, £440K was put in by WPL in November 2011, £350K in Feb 2012, and after expected repayments, the loan will have increased by £250-£300K.
Hence total WPL investment will now be around £3.611MM to £3.661MM. Note that no interest has been charged on this loan/investments from April 2008. 

Other loans
From the last published accounts for OUFC (June 2011):
Other loans were :
 - due within one year £180,000 (2010 : £355,000)
 - due after one year £100,000 (2010 : £100,000).
From the forum, there had been loans of £355K from three fans in October 2008 [and presumably 100K from somewhere else in long term creditors].
£200K was repaid last year [calendar year 2011], £255K still outstanding, of which £25K will be repaid this year [CY2012]. The club is not anticipating more external loans.
Tieing back to the numbers in the accounts, it seems total loans were £355K+£100K=£455K.
Repaid by June 2011 was £175,000, leaving £280,000.
Repaid after June 2011 was £25,000, leaving £255K as at the 15 March 2012, and with another £25K to be repaid in 2012.
This then leaves £230K, split I presume as £130K from the three fans, and another £100K in long term creditors.

Saturday 9 June 2012

The Adam Chapman contract saga

So what is happening with Adam Chapman's contract?
The normal situation is that a player's contract will expire on 30 June on any particular year, and then the player is a free agent to move without transfer fee or compensation.
Under 24 players
However, for players under 24 (at 30 June), there are rules to protect the club, to compensate for contributing to his training and development.
If the club makes a 'not less favourable' contract offer, and that is turned down, the club is entitled to compensation if the player moves elsewhere.  (Not less favourable being basically the best year from his previous contract excluding signing on fees).
So what happens after 30 June if the player turns down the contract offer?
1 - the club enters into a new full contract with the player.
2 - non-playing: The club continue to pay his basic wages under the existing contract, and are still entitled to a Compensation fee.  The player is treated as 'Unemployed', meaning he can sign for another club outside of the usual transfer windows.  The player is not subject to club discipline and regulations.  After the first day of the season, if the player has not moved elsewhere without good reason, the club can stop paying him, and still be entitled to compensation.
3 - playing: The club enter into a week-to-week arrangement, under the same terms as his existing contract, and subject to club rules and regulations. So long as he is still paid, the club is still entitled to compensation if he moves elsewhere. 
4 - stop paying him under (2) above, at which point the player is a free agent.
5 - stop paying him under (3) above, at which point the player is a free agent, but cannot sign for another club until the next transfer window.
What compensation is due?
This perhaps the hardest to work out.  The Football Compensation Committee take into account
1: any costs incurred by either of the two clubs in operating a Football Academy or Centre of Excellence, in particular the cost of providing for students:- living accommodation; training and playing facilities, staff, education; kit; medical; matches; and any other incidental costs
2: the following criteria:- status of the two clubs; age of the player; transfer / compensation fee paid by the transferring club; length of time player was at the club; terms of the new contracts offered by both clubs; playing record; and substantiated interest from other clubs.
So where are we at now?
The club offered an initial contract which was turned down, all part of normal negotiations.
The club offered an improved contract which has also been turned down.
The club have said they are at stalemate now, with the club unwilling to increase its offer, and Chapman not wanting to reduce his demands.  Because of the value of the Compensation due (OUFC paid a transfer fee to Sheffield United, and also incurred costs in training and development), he will not be released on a free. 
So Chapman will continue to be paid under his old contract, either playing (or not), until he either moves or signs a new contract.
[edit: club statement: "Adam has clearly stated in discussions that he remains fully committed to the club and wants the opportunity to earn the level of contract he feels he deserves.  Once his existing agreement expires at the end of this month we will discuss with Adam about entering into an agreement whereby he continues playing on his existing financial package as per Football League regulations."]
So it seems Chapman / the club will be taking option 3, playing on a week-to-week contract, hoping to prove he is worth what he says, or to attract another club to sign him instead.  

Thursday 10 May 2012

Gillingham FC

An exploration of Gillingham FC's stadium and finances

Gillingham FC were in the equivalent of the Championship from 2000/2001 to 2004/05; League 1 from  2005/to 2007/08; dropping to League 2 in 2008/09; getting promoted straight back uo for the just the one season to League 1 for 2009/10; and then back to League 2 for 2010/11 and 2011/12.  In both these last two seasons they have finished jsut outside of the play-offs. 

During the Championship years, three of the four stands at the Priestfield Stadium had been demolished and rebuilt, whilst the Brian Moore Stand has remained a temporary scaffolding stand for away fans since 2004.  
By May 2008, Gillingham FC were £13MM overdrawn, a combination of paying for Championship football, and the rebuild of the ground.

The Priestfield stadium was then sold by the club for £10.1MM to Priestfield Developments Ltd, a fellow subsidiary of GFC Holdings [the parent company of the football club and the ground], funded by loans from Bank of Scotland (now HBOS) of £10.1MM.  This was though basically a corporate restructuring. The £10.1MM wasn't 'new' money, it simply reduced the existing £13MM overdraft the club had with Bank Of Scotland. So in effect, Bank Of Scotland started off owed £13MM, lent £10.1MM to Priestfield Developments, which paid Gillingham FC £10.1MM, which repaid Bank Of Scotland £10.1MM. So Bank Of Scotland had a £3MM overdraft at Gillingham FC and a £10.1MM loan at Priestfield Developments, the loan secured on the ground. 

In August 2011, the stadium was sold back to the club for £1.05MM. Priestfield Development's filings state that mortgages over the property have now been satisfied, and the club now has legal charges over the ground due to another company, Three Directors Limited.  Barclays Bank also now have charges over Gillingham FC's assets.  The joint owners and directors of Three Directors Limited just happen to be the same three directors of Gillingham FC (owner Paul Scally, Michael Anderson, and Michael Quarrington).

My guess is that when the Bank Of Scotland overdraft came up for renewal in May 2011, the group said it would not be able to repay / renew it unless the £10.1MM loan was reduced or written off - the stadium at this time perhaps valued at £1.05MM. (If Bank Of Scotland called in the mortgage/ overdraft and owned the stadium, they perhaps think its value is just £1.05MM).  So Bank Of Scotland then say if the club can repay the overdraft and Priesfield Developments can sell the stadium for £1.05MM, they will walk away - better to lose £9MM then lose the full £13MM they were owed.

So what has then perhaps happened is that Three Directors Limited have scraped together £1.05MM, loaned this to Gillingham FC, allowing the club to buy the ground, and the club now has secured a new overdraft from Barclays. Bank Of Scotland lose £9MM. [Bank Of Scotland are of course now tax-payer owned].

So Gillingham have had a run in the Championship, have a fairly decent rebuilt ground (for home fans), of which £9MM has been paid for by the taxpayer. Scally taking a nice 6 figure salary out of the club all the while.

In 2012, Scally's hopes of a stadium sale, and move to either Chatham Docks or Mill Hill with an enabling development have been scuppered, with the proposed Docks redevelopment including a supermarket, but not a football ground, and hence the Mill Hill area would not also get a supermarket and retail facilities, the key to a move. In rather a pithy put-down, the Docks developers said "He [Mr Scally] was estimating that would be in the Premiership within two years, and actually rather than going into the Premiership they've gone down a league. I understand the attendance is about 5,000 so it can't be a capacity issue. I don't understand the reason now for a complete relocation."

By May 2011, the club's overdraft had increased to £3,683,424 - with interest charged at 2% above base rate. 

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Ryan Clarke's penalty record for Oxford United

In Ryan Clarke's first team competitive matches for Oxford United, he has faced 19 penalties.  He has saved eight (with one scored on the rebound vs Port Vale), conceded ten, and had one missed at Chelmsford.  Of those conceded, one at Bradford was retaken, and the original save has not been counted in the figures above. 
  
Thank you to Unification on www.yellowsforum.co.uk , and www.oufc.co.uk for verification of the penalties via their match reports
Football league Golden Gloves winner Dec 2011 - 4 clean sheets

17 Mar 2012 - vs Rotherham (H) - CONCEDED (vs Lewis Grabban) - match won 2-1
United 2-0 up against Rotherham with 82 minutes on the clock.  Adam Chapman trips Jason Taylor inside the box.  Millers top scorer Lewis Grabban shoots to the left and Clarke dives to the right.

10 Mar 2012 - vs Bradford (A) - CONCEDED (vs Kyel Reid) - match lost 2-1
On 54 minutes, with the score 0-0, Kyel Reid is tripped by Whing on the left side of the area.  Clarke was helpless as Craig Fagan lashed an unstoppable penalty into the roof of the net.

21 Feb 2012 - vs Barnet (H) - SAVED (vs Izale McLeod) - match won 2-0
United 2-1 up against Barnet with 84 minutes on the clock.  Damian Batt trips Mark Byrne inside the box.  League top scorer Izale McLeod shoots straight straight down the middle and Clarke pushes it away to his right and the ball is cleared.

17 Dec 2011 - vs Northampton (H) SAVED (vs Adebaya Akindenwa) - match won 2-0
United 2-0 up in the 95th minute.  Handball to the cobblers, and Clarke tips Aknifenwa's shot away to the left.  

29 Oct 2011 - vs Port Vale (H) SAVED (vs Marc Richards) - match won 2-1
Marc Richards falls over Michael Duberry, Clarke dives to the right and saves a penalty from Richard for the second year in succession.
25 Oct 2011 - vs Plymouth (H) CONCEDED (vs Simon Walton) - match won 5-1
Duberry takes out Jared Sims, captain Simon Walton scores from the spot. 

10 Sep 2011 - vs Burton (A) CONCEDED (vs Justin Richards) - match drawn 2-2
Liam Davis fouls Jacques Maghoma, captain Justin Richards scores.  

3 March 2011 - vs Port Vale (A) SAVED (BUT IN ON THE REBOUND) (vs Marc Richards) - match won 2-1 
On 26 minutes, Ben Purkiss knocks over Tom Pope in the area.  Clarke dives to his left to save from March Richards, but he scores on the rebound. 


19 February 2011 - vs Morecambe (A) SAVED (vs Laurence Wilson)- match won 3-0
Damian Batt pushes Tony Capaldi (yet to be seen playing competitive football for OUFC) in the area.  Clarke dives to his right and saves.  
[picture from www.oufc.co.uk]

29 January 2011 - vs Cheltenham (H) SAVED (vs Brian Smikle)- match drawn 1-1
Jake Wright brings down Brian Smikle in the area.  Clarke dives to his right and saves. 

30 October 2010 - vs Bradford City (A)  CONCEDED (vs Lee Hendrie) - match lost 5-0
Mark Creighton trips James Hanson, and the penalty is awarded.  Lee Hendrie's first shot to Clarke's left is saved, but on a retake, he scores to on the other side.
 
24 April 2010 - vs Eastbourne Borough (A) CONCEDED (vs Simon Weatherstone) - match lost 1-0
On 84 minutes, Mark Creighton is hit by the ball on the arm in the area late on in the game, Simon Weatherstone scores to leave the game at 1-0.  United are safely in third place in thee BSP play-offs and Rushden &Diamonds await. 

30 March 2010 - vs Stevenage Boro (A) CONCEDED (vs Scott Laird) - match lost 1-0
Simon Clist trips Chris Beardlsey, and Scott Laird sends Ryan Clarke the wrong way and scores.  

30 January 2010 - vs Chelmsford (A) MISSED (vs Dave Rainford) - match won 3-1
 Edmans is fouled, Dave Rainford shoots over the bar in stoppage time.

30 January 2010 - vs Chelmsford (A) CONCEDED (vs Dave Rainford) - match won 3-1
Handball by Damien Batt.  Dave Rainford scores into the top left corner of the goal.  

28 November 2009 - vs Barrow FA Cup (H) CONCEDED (vs Andy Bond) - match drawn 1-1
Luke Foster runs into the back of Robin Hulbert and is sent off.  Andy Bond scores to Clarke's right.

14 November 2009 - vs Kidderminster Harriers (A) SAVED (vs Robbie Matthews) - match lost 3-1
Steve Kinniburgh sent off with 15 minutes to go for a trip on Matthew Barnes-Homer.  Matthews shoots to the right, Clarke saves, and makes a follow up save from Smikle on the rebound.
 
29 August 2009 - vs AFC Wimbledon (A) SAVED (vs Danny Kedwell) - match won 1-0
Penalty awarded after Damian Batt makes contact with Paul Lorraine in the area.  Top scorer Danny Kedwell shoots too close to Clarke, who palms the ball away to his right.  

11 August 2009 - vs Kettering (A) CONCEDED (vs Jean-Paul Marna) - match drawn 1-1
Clarke brings down Marna with the ball not close enough for Adam Chapman to clear.  Clarke dives to the left and Marna scores. 

Sunday 8 January 2012

Aldershot 0 - Oxford 3

An enjoyable afternoon in Aldershot, which makes a change from Tuesday night cup games.  Oxford  winning 3-0 with first half goals from JPP, Duberry and Leven.  Pre-match pub predictions from me were a 4-0 victory and also for Duberry to score, so I put £2.50 on the first at 66/1, and £5 on the second at 16/1.  Good old Dubes didn't let me down, but second half we were all urging on  the 4th goal, and Deane Smalley's late ricochet off the bar was costly. 

£17 for the terrace seems fairly steep compared to say Hereford, Macclesfield prices. In the Aldershot programme they talk about that FA Cup 3rd round game in 1987, when Oxford were top flight visitors to Division 4 Aldershot (we lost 3-0).  The Shots raised the price to £9 instead of the normal £3, and these days that would be like paying £50 or £60 if a Premier League side came to our ground - but the Shots did keep prices sensible for Man United in the Carling Cup this season. Apparently that FA Cup game holds the record for the lowest ever FA Cup 3rd round attendance.

It was sad to see a few fans kicked out before even getting in for drink, and several others having an impromptu picnic with cans of lager on the grass banks outside the turnstiles before the game.

JPP seems revitalised and showed why he was signed in the first place. I'm not convinced that Wilder wants him back long term and first thought he was given game time to put him in the shop window. However he deserved his start and goal. Also rewarded with his own song - not original, as Celtic and Liverpool use it too, but "I Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode / The Saturdays (depending on your age).

Also a fairly new Duberry song ["In our defensive foursome, he's absolutely awesome, we signed him from St Johnstone, he's Michael Duberry", to the Adams Family theme],  and of course the Marvin Morgan song too [MM had tweeted a year ago that he wished Aldershot fans who had booed him off the pitch were dead, so everytime we play Aldershot (or Shrewsbury now), we sing "He wants you all dead,
He wants you all dead, Marvin Morgan, He wants you all dead"]. I wonder if any other clubs picked up on this, the Shots fans must find it bizarre over a year later to still be reminded of it.

Towards the end of the game, their fans had obviously given up caring, cheering every touch their players made, and of course cheering pretend goals.  United fans replied back in song after each pretend goal "3-1 to the Oxford Boys", then "3-2 to the Oxford Boys", but the Shots fans didn't even sing enough pretend goals to get back into the match

The ground has a posh new £17K full colour LED scoreboard too. Funded by the Shots Trust. I didn't think these were supposed to keep counting after the 90 minutes though, as we got to see all 4 minutes of added time counted on.  Hopefully the LEDs are high quality, as it seems that Aldershot 0 may become burned in otherwise.