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?