February 1, 2020
Although Oxford United are the closest
Football League ground to where I live, for some reason I have never built an
affinity with the club, with non-league Oxford City my preferred choice for
watching football in the City of Dreaming Spires, and Wycombe Wanderers for
local Match-day Hospitality. Indeed, Oxford United’s Match-Day Hospitality is
very poorly advertised, with scant details on their website, and I haven’t felt
inclined to pursue further.
Today is my 7th visit to the
Kassam to see Oxford United play ( plus two visits to watch London Welsh ) and
I once went to the decrepit Manor Ground in 1990 to see Brighton lose 0-3
thanks to a Paul Simpson hat-trick. My first visit to the Kassam was shortly
after it opened during the 2001/2002 season ( a 1-1 draw with Kidderminster Harriers
– remember they used to be a league team ! ), and Mrs Fatbear and I were at the
record attendance of 12,243 for the winner-takes-all match against Leyton
Orient at the end of the 2005/06 season, when Orient needed a win for automatic
promotion and Oxford needed a win to stay in the Football League, and a dramatic injury
time winner for the O’s sent Oxford United into the Conference. Such was the
interest in that game, having something to eat outside the stadium beforehand,
we were offered £200 for our tickets, which we declined. Since then my only
visits have been to watch Crawley play.
With none of my usual Saturday
afternoon options available, a review of today’s sporting fixtures has resulted
in the decision to return to the Kassam, and I easily purchase and print-off a
ticket for the South Stand Upper for £26 from the Oxford United website.
Oxford United had been on a good run
but 4 league matches without a win has seen them slip to 8th in the
League One table, but they are only 9 points off an automatic promotion place
with two games in hand. They have a home live TV FA Cup replay against
Newcastle to look forward to, and they thrashed West Ham 4-0 in the League Cup
earlier in the season.
Blackpool on the other hand are in 15th
place, and whilst they should be safe from any relegation worries, they are on
a run of 9 matches in all competitions without a win, including an eventful 2-1
loss at nearby Wycombe in mid-week. 476 away
supporters are to make a similar long journey today.
The Kassam is a unique stadium, and
being a three-sided ground is usually the first thing said about it. There were
financial issues during the building of the stadium and whilst there is regular
talk about building the 4th stand, for the moment it remains just
that, talk. Nevertheless, the views from the stands are excellent, and there is
parking for 2,000 cars. However, as it often takes a long time to get out of
the car park after a match, Mrs Fatbear has agreed to drop me off and pick me
up after the match.
Programme are available from sellers
outside the ground, but by the main entrance on a stall selling various items of
Oxford United paraphernalia I notice two difference programmes, one in yellow
and one in orange. After asking what is the difference between the two, the response is “one is
for away fans but apart from the cover and the inside front and back pages, it
is the same”. I decide to buy one of each, and at £3 the programme is a decent
effort and there is plenty to read. It would be better if there were more pen
pictures of the visitors rather than just 4 players, and as some clubs have
started doing, have some information on the home side, especially for the
visitors !
My ticket is scanned at the turnstile and
I make my way up the stairs to a passage behind the seats. Its pretty gloomy
but there is a TV showing Soccer Saturday, a fairly large food and drink
outlet, and a place where programmes ( home version only ) and the Oxford Mail
are for sale.
I look at the food and drink price list
on one of the walls. There is Prospect Real Ale, Tetley, Somersby Cider and
Carlsberg all for £4 and small bottles of wine at £3.90. Most soft drinks and
coffees are £2, tea is £1.80 and water is £1.50. Various pies are £4, burgers
and hot dogs are £3.40, although the Cheeseburger is £4.60. I spy other types
of bottled beer in the fridge behind the
counter. All alcohol has to be consumed in this area as it is forbidden to drink
within view of the pitch. As there was a bit of a queue I decide against purchasing
anything and head for my seat.
It is a windy, chilly day and there is
a hint of rain as the players warm-up, but by kick-off there are blue skies above.
Strangely, despite the heavy rainfall in the past week, the sprinklers are on
to water the pitch.
Today is the first day after the
transfer deadline. Oxford have lost two first teamers to Brentford for £3M but
had already brought in 5 new players during the window. The Tangerines have
also been busy, signing three players on the last day ( none of whom feature
today ). They had previously signed 5 new players in the window, converted a
loan to permanent ( James Husband ), and saw 6 players leave the club.
When the teams are announced, all 5
players signed earlier in the transfer window are in the Blackpool line-up,
although disappointingly, the splendidly named Matty Virtue-Thick is only on
the bench, and Husband is not involved at all. Perhaps his wife wouldn’t let
him out !
For Oxford, two of their new players
start, with another two on the bench. Liverpool loanee and Welsh International
Ben Woodburn is out injured although veteran John Mousinho starts. He is not to
be confused with the Wolves player or the “Special One”………….
Blackpool are not the Tangerines today,
as the colour clash with the yellow of Oxford means they are playing in pale blue
and black stripes.
Oxford start quickly and with less than
a minute played the first yellow card is brandished to Blackpool as Thorniley
is outpaced and cynically ( and needlessly ) chops down the Oxford forward. The
free-kick is dangerous but is headed off for a corner, which comes to nothing.
Oxford centre-back Dickie stands out in
his white headband, looking like a poor man’s Steve Foster, and it is against
the run of play when Blackpool take an early lead.
The two Oxford centre-backs get in each
other’s way and the ball falls to Madine, who shimmies past the covering
defender to the left and then to the right, before the ex-Cardiff man drills a
low shot into the keeper’s right-hand corner. 0-1 after 8 minutes.
For a short while Oxford look shaky as
Blackpool press but it is their turn to score against the run of play when a cross
from the right into the Blackpool area bounces off an Oxford player for Marcus
Browne ( on loan from Middlesborough ) to hit a volley on the leap from around
the penalty spot into the centre of the goal. It looks like the keeper should
have done better, but at half time it is announced that the goal has been awarded
to Sykes so there must have been a deflection. 1-1 after 18 minutes.
Oxford grow in confidence, with wing-back
Long looking the main source of danger and Blackpool look vulnerable down their
left. The game becomes Oxford’s neat passing versus Blackpool’s gritty defence
and pace on the counter-attack. When Blackpool do relieve the pressure and win
a corner, their centre back doesn’t react quickly enough at the back-post and
his header goes tamely wide and high and a good chance is wasted.
The Blackpool foul count starts to
add-up and when left-back Bola scythes down Sykes, a melee inevitably follows,
and when the handbags are over, with the home crowd baying for a sending-off,
only a yellow card is produced for Bola, and an Oxford player is also shown the card,
presumably for his involvement in the ruckus.
Oxford continue to press, and an out
swinging free kick from the right is only headed clear to Browne just outside
the edge of the six yard box, and he calmly curls a right footed shot into the
far top corner over two defenders on the line for a splendid finish. 2-1 after 39 minutes.
The final act in the first half is when Oxford's
Henry is allowed to cut in from the left to fire a low bouncing shot which the
keeper unconvincingly pushes wide.
Its 2-1 to Oxford at half-time, which
is a fair reflection of the play.
The second-half starts quietly with
Blackpool slowly getting back into the game. Leicester loanee Dewsbury-Hall starts
to stamp his mark on the game, getting control in the centre of midfield and passing
neatly. But there is no real cutting edge to their play, Feeney shots
harmlessly wide from outside the area and a couple of corners are easily dealt
with by the Oxford defence.
Indeed, it is Oxford who look dangerous
on the break and with 56 minutes on the clock Browne out-muscles his marker,
draws the covering defence and squares to Holland, but the West Ham loanee’s left
footed shot goes narrowly wide and a glorious chance is wasted.
Moments later Blackpool win a corner,
and Heneghan’s header from Ronan’s delivery to the far post is kicked off the line by Henry.
There starts to be a little unease in
the home crowd as the tide slowly seems to be turning, but after what seems to
be more than 40 Oxford passes, Browne is put clear but his left footed shot is
straight at the keeper and the rebound is cleared.
The game starts to fizzle out a little
as the substitutes start to be introduced. Virtue-Thick does make it onto the
pitch, but Oxford look comfortable and settling for what they have. With 5 minutes of injury time being played,
Oxford left back Ruffels is close to the half-way line and has time to clear
long into the Blackpool half, but inexplicably he turns and plays a woefully
under hit back pack to the keeper. Madine latches onto it and heads for goal.
With only the advancing keeper to beat, he decides to shoot, but his left
footed effort hits the outside of the post and goes off for a goal-kick, and
the golden chance is spurned.
There is still time for one more Blackpool
attack but a long range header is straight at the keeper.
On the balance of play and chances
created, Oxford deserve the win, but in the end got out of jail with Madine’s
miss at the death. Both sides remain in the same places in the league table, but
Oxford are now 6 points from an automatic promotion place with two games in
hand. Blackpool still look safe from relegation, but it is now 10 games without
a win and pressure must be mounting on manager Simon Grayson.
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