Salisbury

Salisbury FC is a semi-professional football club from the cathedral city of the same name in Wiltshire, eighty-five miles west of London, that was formed in 2015 following the liquidation of Salisbury City FC.

An original club called Salisbury City played between 1905 and 1939 and competed in the Southern and then the Western League. The second coming of 'City' was formed in 1947 as Salisbury FC and is of no relation to their predecessors.

The council-owned  Victoria Park, the former home of Salisbury City

The 'Whites' soon won promotion to the Western League Premier Division as a record crowd of 8,902 flocked to Victoria Park to see them draw in the championship decider against Weymouth. The club was crowned as Western League champions in 1957-58 and 1960-61 before they progressed to the Southern League in 1968.

Over the next twenty-five years, Salisbury remained primarily in the second tier before having a short spell in the Premier Division. In 1985, Geoff Butler became the team manager for a reign that would last another seventeen years. 

Victoria Park still has its original railings around the pitch

.

In 1993, the club changed its name to Salisbury City FC after it was denied promotion to the Premier Division due to ground grading issues at Victoria Park. They were remedied, and two seasons later, City took their place at the top table of the Southern League.

However, it was obvious that the homely ground in a public park was not suited to modern-day football, so in 1997 City moved to a new ground three miles out of town, where the original city was located at Old Sarum, and named it The Raymond McEnhill Stadium after their Chairman at the time. It became more commonly known as The RayMac as time evolved.

In 2001-02, the Whites were relegated, and off-the-field troubles saw the departure of Butler. The club suffered from severe financial problems, but a consortium was put together by a sponsor of the time, Neville Beal, to save the day. He convinced former Southampton favourite Nick Holmes to come back from the USA to manage the team.

With the help of the reorganisation of non-league football, City were promoted at the end of 2003-04, but they were placed in the Isthmian Premier League. However, after just one season, they returned to the Southern League. City won the title in the 2005-06 season and were promoted to Conference South. 

The following season, they reached the FA Cup second round. After drawing at home to Nottingham Forest, Salisbury went out in the replay, with both games being shown on live TV. That achievement was topped by beating Braintree Town in the playoff final to reach the Conference National division.

The promotion caused further financial worries because the money coming in did not cover the playing budget, which led to players being released. The club was put up for sale for £1 to try to attract new investors, but none were forthcoming. In September 2009, Salisbury City entered into administration. 

The club was fined and deducted ten points. Throughout the season, the administrators looked for a solution, but the Conference board relegated The Whites two divisions back to the Southern League Premier Division, despite a failed appeal from the club.

By this time Holmes had moved upstairs and was replaced by Tommy Widdrington, but they moved on when a new consortium led by the new Chairman, William Harrison-Allan, took over. Star striker Matt Tubbs was sold to Crawley Town for a reported £70,000. Darrell Clarke took over the reins on the pitch as player-manager

Despite having a young side and many new faces, City reached the FA Trophy quarter-finals and won the playoff final 3-2 against Hednesford Town to climb their way back to Conference South for the 2011-12 season. 

That season was one of consolidation in the league, leading to a creditable tenth-place finish, but the FA Cup brought great rewards. Arlesey Town and then Grimsby Town were dispatched after a replay for the club to reach round three for the first time, where they were defeated 3-1 against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Clarke made several new signings for the 2012-13 season, which produced dividends as City reached the playoffs once again. After beating Chelmsford City, Dover Athletic were defeated in the final at the RayMac to secure promotion back to the Conference National.

However, Clarke departed in the summer of 2013 to become the assistant manager of Bristol Rovers. Mikey Harris was appointed as the new boss as the club announced that they had left administration in December 2013 after five years of financial troubles.

This did not satisfy the board of the Football Conference, who relegated the club to the Conference South at the end of the 2013-14 season before being expelled for a failure to clear all outstanding debts.

A new club, Salisbury FC, was formed, moving into the Raymond McEnhill Stadium and being placed in the Wessex League for the 2015-16 campaign, going on to be crowned as Wessex League Premier Division champions in their inaugural season under manager Steve Claridge.

The team also embarked on a fantastic FA Vase run, going all the way to the semi-final, where they went out to fellow reformed club Hereford FC over two legs. Promotion was achieved, however, to the Southern League Division One South & East.

The Whites finished as runners-up in 2016-17 but missed out on promotion after losing 2-0 at home to Tiverton Town after defeating Evesham Town in the semifinal of the playoffs. Salisbury would not be denied in the 2017-18 season.

The team once again ended as league runners-up, but on this occasion, it proved to be enough to secure automatic promotion as non-league football was restructured. In 2018-19, the side reached the playoffs but were defeated by Metropolitan Police in their semi-final clash.

A couple of abandoned seasons owing to COVID-19 ensued, which was followed by a disappointing finish. The long-serving Claridge was replaced by Brian Dutton in October 2022. Another lower midtable spot ensued before Salisbury reached the playoffs in 2023-24, where they went on to defeat Gosport Borough and  AFC Totton to go up to National League South.

Salisbury FC will play in the National League South in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Salisbury City 3 Dover Athletic 2 after extra time (Sunday 12th May 2013) Conference South Playoff Final (att: 3,408)

The 2012-13 season was drawing to a close, but with me having the day free, I was keen to grab a little more action. The play-offs were bound to create an atmosphere and attract good crowds. I had a choice of the game at Salisbury or the Conference North final between Brackley Town and FC Halifax Town. 

Brackley had made their game all with ticket collections needing to be made by 1pm on match day. As the nearest railway station was at Banbury, a forty-minute bus ride away, I didn't fancy the early start as I knew my Saturday night could be fluid!

On the Wednesday before the game, I picked up my train tickets, using £14 of refund vouchers from previous cancelled trains to subsidise the day. The journey from Waterloo was most pleasant with a fair sprinkling of Dover fans aboard for what must have been a very long day for them. We arrived at our destination at about ten to one.

I was unsure whether a bus ran out towards the ground on a Sunday, so I walked through the aesthetic city centre and along Castle Road as I had another port of call in mind along the way.

Victoria Park was across the other side of the city's ring road, but I was keen to have a look. The original pitch from City's days was still intact, along with the railing around it. It was obviously still in use, which was nice to see. A modern changing room block was on the far side, but none of the old structures were there. The excellent park also contained a playground and plenty of tennis courts.

I walked onwards uphill and had a brief chat with way fan who had decided to make the walk to try and lose some weight. He was going a bit slow for me, so I marched on past Old Sarum Castle and out of the town. There were plenty of signs pointing the way to the stadium, and it was good to see others walking it. 

About half a mile past the castle, and past fields with some of the largest pigs I've ever seen, I reached where the bus would have dropped me off, and there were still three-quarters of a mile to go. I had made the right decision.

The crowds were gathering towards the stadium as six coaches of Dover fans were arriving. They seemed to be making plenty of noise and were obviously up for the occasion. The queues to get into the ground were already around fifty long, and it was still over an hour before kick-off. I bought the £3 programme, which had been produced by the league, rather than City. 

I was told that the entrance to the bar was inside the ground. Once inside, I was getting worried as there was no sign leading to where I could quench the thirst I had built up. A steward assisted me, although he did say it was nearly full, and he wasn't kidding. 

I squeezed my way to the far end, where there was a bit more space, and got served remarkably quickly by the overstretched but excellent staff. The Fullers Seafarers was excellent, despite being on keg. I thought £3 was a fair price.

Entertainment was to be had as the Watford v Leicester City game was being shown on the TVs. As that game came to an end, the visitors were given a really dodgy penalty. Scoring it would have sent them to the final at Wembley. Anthony Knockaert missed the kick, and Watford went up the other end to bag the winner, to loud cheers throughout the bar.

Young City fans were singing as the atmosphere built. The terracing could be seen out of the window and was getting very busy. I wasn't too worried. I was inside the ground, so I had another pint before going downstairs. The catering queue was long, but again, the youths behind the counter were on top of everything. 

Most importantly, a team was doing the cooking so that the stock didn't run down. I had a cheeseburger and chips for £4.50 and also purchased a couple of sets of hand warmers for my Dad after seeing that they were on sale at a special price.

The RayMac was a well-designed stadium, at least for home fans. The seated stand had a two-storey building behind it containing all the facilities, as well as a couple of balconies. The home fans' covered terrace continued from next to it and went behind the goal to the far corner flag. A raised path went behind it to make access easier. 

The far side was a few steps of open terracing, with two small covered seated stands on the halfway line, with a scoreboard separating them. The far end was also an open terrace, which was taken up by the Dover fans, with catering and toilet facilities behind it.

Space was at a premium, and the stewards and club officials were a little concerned that not everyone could fit into the terracing sections. Many tried to stand on the raised path at the rear, but were moved on. I stood in the raised open corner for most of the first half.

I thought the visitors were slightly the better side in the first half. There were plenty of set pieces around either penalty area, but chances were at a premium. Daryl McMahon looked Dover's best player as he looked to control the middle of the park, while Ricky Modeste was lively on the wing. I was also aware that Salisbury were likely to improve in the second half.

And so my thoughts were proved correct. By now, I had taken up a position under the cover and found a raised section where the stewards had given up on moving fans. Five minutes after the restart, City's Ricky Wellard went on a surging run and was brought down. He dusted himself down and scored with a superb curling free kick to send the place berserk.

It looked like they would hang onto their lead, especially after McMahon had been sent off for a second yellow card with ten minutes left. The excellent turnout of away fans urged their heroes on, but nothing too dangerous was being created. With just a minute or so to go, Athletic's Ian Simpempa turned in a free kick at the back post to send the game into extra time.

City played very sensibly and kept the ball and made the ten men work hard. This bore fruit when man of the match Stuart Sinclair was slotted in, and he finished with a lovely dink over goalkeeper Mitch Walker into the far corner of the net. The teams turned around for the second half with the rain continuing to lash down, with City attacking the home end.

The game looked safe after Jamie White fired a superb half volley over Walker and into the net with 111 minutes on the clock. They continued to create more openings but didn't stick the chances away as Dover's players were run into the ground. 

It would have been cruel on the visitors if they had suffered a big defeat, as they had played their part. They then created a tense finale after Bill Bricknell beat home keeper Will Pudd to a fifty-fifty challenge and slotted the ball into the empty net.

City kept the ball for the remaining minute or so as the Athletic players were running on empty, even when they got it back. Despite several appeals over the PA throughout the afternoon for supporters not to go onto the pitch at full-time or there would be no presentation, the full-time whistle was greeted with utter jubilation and a large invasion. 

I stayed back for a few minutes, and it was lovely to see the utter joy on the faces of fans and players alike. It was also good to see individual players going to find friends and family as they walked around the pitch.

Although it had started out as a cagey affair, the game got better as it went on for a neutral fan. I set off thinking that I was in for a long walk back. I saw a queue at the Beehive stop opposite the park and ride and saw that a bus was due three minutes later, which was perfect timing and a complete fluke. 

I was dropped off in Market Square and got back to the station in time for the 6.27 train back to Waterloo. It had been an excellent day out, rounded off by a great edition of Match of the Day.

Salisbury 3 Hendon 1 (Saturday 3rd November 2018) Southern League Premier Division South (att: 731)

For some reason, I just knew that the journey to the south west with Hendon would be a tricky one on the pitch and could be a bit tetchy off it. Salisbury had built a bit of a reputation for itself, not least that of manager Steve Claridge, who was known for his incessant berating of officials.

The club wasn’t hugely popular. Some thought that they’d got a bit of a leg up straight into the Premier Division of the Wessex League when reformed. I was actually looking forward to it as it’s always good to visit fine venues such as the Ray Mac.

We departed at 11am on a very roomy minibus from Silver Jubilee Park, with lots of football discussion about the league and Hendon FC along the way. The journey wasn’t quite as quick as anticipated, and it was around 2pm when we arrived.

We were not especially impressed to be charged £1 to park. It wasn’t the price, it was the principle of charging an official away team vehicle. We later found out that some of the players had trouble convincing the stewards of their tales.

Admission was £11. A good programme was a further couple of quid, along with an extra £1 for a draw ticket. My fellow passengers followed me as I knew the way to the bar. It was disappointing that there were no nearby pubs, but we weren’t to be let down.

The New Forest Ale straight from the barrel was in excellent nick and fairly priced. The ladies behind the counter certainly added to the décor, with the gent in charge also friendly. They went out of their way to make sure one of our disabled party guests was looked after all afternoon. We were impressed.

There was a nice moment in the bar as Hendon superfan Alex Barnett took his top off to unveil a T-shirt made for him by a friend, which revealed that it was his 500th consecutive Hendon league match in attendance. That’s some feat!

Hendon manager Jimmy Gray was missing as his wife had sprung a surprise 40th birthday present on him, with relatives heading down from Sheffield. His assistant, Mark Boyce, was placed in charge of the team for the day.

It was a sunny afternoon, and both teams were in the top four before play. All was set for a proper game of football. I grabbed some food from the counter and then headed to join fellow Dons fans behind the goal, where plenty of vocal home fans also stood.

Hendon went ahead within ten minutes. A low inswinging corner from Lee Chappell was touched in by Connor Calcutt at the near post. The pace of Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick was causing the Whites' defence no end of problems.

He was taking some real stick, as were other Don's ball players. The home fans were having none of it and accused the players of acting. Some comments towards the black players were borderline at times. Despite that, I found the majority of the fans fine, passionate, but could also enjoy a laugh.

Whatever, the shouts from fans and the home bench got into the head of the referee. Hippolyte-Patrick latched onto a through pass. His effort flew over the bar, but he was clattered at the same time by home keeper Jake Hallett.

I was certain it was a penalty, and even more so on later seeing the highlights. The home fans booed, claiming a dive. The referee signalled a goal kick. It was rumoured that the man in black formerly played with Claridge at Weymouth. From decision-making making I wouldn’t be shocked.

The Dons looked in full control for the first twenty-five minutes. Their stylish forays looked likely to produce more goals, but for all their neat play, they didn’t make Hallett work nearly hard enough. Fair play to Claridge and his troops, who sorted themselves out and took over the midfield.

Salisbury began to get on top and produced some fine moves as the visiting defence was stretched, with keeper Danny Boness making a couple of stops. However, there was nothing he could do when a fine attacking move was finished off by Tom Whelan.

It got worse before the half-time whistle for the away support, as a free kick was half cleared to Lewis Benson, who fired home from the edge of the box. We were quite shell-shocked in the bar as we supped our half-time pints, but knew that Hendon were far from out of the game.

A couple of decent half-chances were missed by the Dons soon after the restart as we congregated on the open end. They would prove to be costly. The stewarding didn’t impress as they made sure nobody stood in a yellow-hatched area, even though there was lots of space.

I suspect that the club was under the auspices of the local authorities. It certainly did seem a little over the top compared to our experiences at Dorchester a few weeks previously, which was a similarly sized venue. There were lots of stewards, but not a great deal of common sense shown.

This was exemplified when Alan Wood, a regular fan who films games and puts Hendon’s attacks on YouTube, warned that he could not film any more. Surely the idea is to promote non-league football? It reminded me of why I’d more or less given up going to Football League games.

The mood wasn’t lightened by events on the pitch. Salisbury was a very capable team that took control as the match went on. Hendon’s skilful players were immediately closed down and not given room to perform.

Caretaker boss Boyce rang the changes, but it wasn’t to be for the visitors. Zack Kotwicka more or less finished off proceedings with ten minutes remaining when he made it 3-1. It could have been we, but for some good keeping, brave defending, and wayward finishing.

My luck was better as I cashed out on my accumulator bet to win £60 as the game came to an end. It was a fairly subdued minibus on the journey home, as the post-mortem got underway. It was simple in my eyes. The better side won after they tactically did a job on Hendon.

Lee Cousins and I got a lift up the hill from Tom Stockman on our return, so we went for a couple of pints in JJ Moons in Kingsbury before I headed home with a takeaway to watch Match of the Day.

Farleigh Rovers

Farleigh Rovers FC is a non-league football club located in the village of the same name in the North Downs, a few miles south of Croydon in Surrey, who were formed in 1922. 

For sixty years, the Foxes competed in the local Edenbridge & Caterham and Croydon Leagues and then the Surrey Intermediate League. From the start of the 1982-83 season, the club became a founder member of the Surrey Premier League, going on to become champions at the first attempt.

A send successive title followed in 1983-84, which led to Rovers joining the Combined Counties League, where they went on to finish sixth in 1990-91. After ending in mid-table in 1993-94, the club returned to the Surrey Premier League.

That competition became known as the Surrey County Premier League from 2000-01, with Rovers remaining there until rejoining the Combined Counties League as members of the newly formed second-tier Division One in 2003-04. The club also introduced youth teams, known as Farleigh Foxes.

The Division One title was sealed in 2014-15, but they were denied promotion as their ground at Parsonage Field didn't meet ground grading requirements. The FA later enforced all clubs to comply with those standards, which saw Farleigh return to county football as members of the Surrey Elite Intermediate League for the 2018-19 campaign.

After finishing second from bottom and then two consecutive seasons being abandoned owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the league became known as the Surrey County Premier League. The team finished bottom in 2022-23 and were relegated to the Surrey South East Combination, where they were placed in Intermediate Division One

Farleigh Rovers FC will play in the Surrey South East Combination Intermediate Division One in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Farleigh Rovers 4 Mole Valley SCR 5 (Wednesday 8th May 2013) Combined Counties League Division One (att: c20)

The back end of any football season often sees random midweek fixtures crop up, especially when bad weather intervenes. The 2012-13 season had suffered from lots of waterlogged pitches. I scanned my weekly Non League Paper looking for a game at a new venue.

The game at Farleigh grabbed my attention. Years ago, I came across some of their match programmes when not too many clubs of their level produced them. The match was to kick off at 6.45pm as Parsonage Field didn't have floodlights, so this would get me home a little earlier. 

This was an added attraction as I was at work at 6.30am the following morning, as I caught a train to East Croydon and then hopped aboard the 403 bus, which went to Warlingham. This large village was nearly two miles from Farleigh, but a walk didn't bother me. 

I set off down to a field, which on Google maps looked like a huge playing field. I was disconcerted to find it surrounded by a fence, but I didn't have any other options apart from a huge detour, so I clambered over and marched through the field like some mad pioneer.

I could see the near goal of Parsonage Field in the distance. The game was kicking off as I climbed out of the field at the other side, as the referee sensibly kicked off five minutes early with the skies darkening earlier than expected. 

I was directed to the bar where I parted with the best three quid I was to spend all season and received a programme and my admission in return. The ground was basic with standing spectator accommodation down just one side, including an overhang roof from the changing rooms and clubhouse, but I loved it. 

It had atmosphere and character. The ref showed further initiative by playing just forty minutes each way with a shortened interval. I stood near the benches and got incredible value for money on and off the pitch, though it has to be said that the game was played in good spirits from both sides, with a bit of humour chucked in. 

Rovers near the bottom of the table took the lead against promoted SCR as Ross Price finished a nice move. The visiting skipper and centre forward Phil Page restored parity soon after he had missed a gilt-edged chance that he had created himself with a powerful run. I expected them to go on after that, as it seemed their manager did. 

However, a fine lob from Rob Depeazer after a keeping calamity made it 2-1 to Rovers. Indeed, they should have made it three in stoppage time, but a forward missed a one-on-one when sprung from a long pass.  At half-time, SCR stayed outside, and their manager really got stuck in to his troops.

I don't think the players were in any doubt as to his feelings. It was rather apt on the day the man of the famous hairdryer, Sir Alex Ferguson, had retired. It was too much for the number seven, who stormed off, never to return! Meanwhile, I enjoyed a bottle of Spitfire for a very reasonable £2.80.

The 'pep' talk seemed to work as SCR were level within a minute of the restart as Jack Wightwick finished. However, a daft penalty was given away to see Rovers regain the advantage. Fabian O'Brien made no mistake from the spot.

The lethal Page hammered in an equaliser as the home keeper, nicknamed Gonzo by his team mates, stood motionless. A lovely flowing passing movement on the decent pitch, which had drizzle landing on it, led to SCR grabbing the lead for the first time when Lauris Chin scored.

Phil Page completed his hat trick when he cleverly lobbed Gonzo to make it 3-5. Farleigh weren't done yet after they were assisted with a lovely glancing header from the SCR full back Mark Toomey-Layne, who found the corner of his own net. 

They also missed a couple of half-chances to draw level while they had their own bar rattled by Wightwick at the last knockings, and Gonzo also produced a great stop from Page. 

Everyone deserved great credit for the display. It was certainly full-on entertainment. 

I walked back over the now damp, deserted field to Sainsbury's in Warlingham for the bus back to Croydon. I was back indoors in Kingsbury at 10.15 and most pleased that I made the effort. 

It was probably my match of the season and definitely the best value!

Oxford United

Oxford United FC is a football club from the historical university city of Oxford, which is located fifty-one miles west of London. The club was originally formed as Headington FC in 1893, after the district of the city where the club was based.

The football club was formed for the cricketers to stay fit during the winter months, playing only friendly games, with the first match taking place at Cowley Barracks. In 1911, the club added 'United' to their name as they continued without a permanent home ground, with fixtures taking place at Quarry Recreation Ground, Wootten's Field, Sandy Lane and Britannia Field. They purchased Wootten's Field, but this was redeveloped in 1920.

A year earlier, the club entered competitive football for the first time by joining the Oxfordshire District League. In 1925, a permanent home was found as the club moved into The Manor Ground to share with Headington Cricket Club. 

After playing in other local leagues, United played in the Spartan League in 1947 and 1948 and then successfully applied to join the Southern League the following year. At the same time, the cricket moved out to a new ground in Cowley.

In 1950, the former First Division player Harry Thompson was appointed as manager as United became the first professional club in the UK to install floodlights. The Southern League title was won in 1952-53, with a runners-up spot to follow the season after. 

Arthur Turner took over as manager in 1958, and after another second-place league finish, back-to-back championships were won in 1960-61 and 1961-62. By now, the club had changed their name in 1960 to Oxford United, to try and gain a higher profile, as wing half Ron Atkinson embarked on the start of a glittering career.

Their success paid dividends when the club were elected to the Football League for the 1962-63 season to replace the bankrupt Accrington Stanley. By 1965, the 'U's' had progressed to the Third Division, where they remained until the end of the 1967-68 season, when promotion to Division Two was secured. They lasted at that level for a spell of eight seasons before suffering relegation back to their previous status.

In 1982, United were close to bankruptcy as the club was in debt to Barclays Bank. However, businessman and media magnate Robert Maxwell arrived to save the day. Maxwell unveiled a hugely unpopular plan to merge United with Reading in March 1983, moving the new club to Didcot and naming them Thames Valley Royals. 

U's boss Jim Smith was to manage the side, with Reading supremo Maurice Evans to assist. The merger was only averted after mass protests from supporters, despite Maxwell threatening to fold the club if the move didn't go through.

Instead, Smith led the team to the Third and then Second Division titles in consecutive seasons, with the club finding itself in the League's top tier for the first time in their history for the start of the 1985-86 season. 

The good times continued to roll as the League Cup was lifted in their newfound level following a 3-0 win over Queens Park Rangers at Wembley, with the likes of Ray Houghton, Kevin Brock, John Aldridge and the fearsome defensive combo of Malcolm Shotton and Gary Briggs starring. 

By now, Maurice Evans had taken over as manager after Smith had moved to their opponents in the final to make success that little bit sweeter. To see action from the historic day, click here.

The League Cup win was probably the highlight, as the following season saw the team narrowly avoid relegation. Robert Maxwell resigned as chairman in May 1987 to take over at Derby County, handing the club over to his son Kevin. 

My drawing of the Manor Ground, team kits, and club crests.
Click on the images to enlarge them.

The 1987-88 season ended in relegation, with Evans replaced by Mark Lawrenson towards the end of the campaign. He didn't last too long as he walked out after a disagreement over selling Dean Saunders to Derby! When Maxwell met his demise in 1991, his estate, including United, became insolvent. 

A new owner was sought, and eventually BioMass Recycling Ltd took over. Brian Horton steadied the ship before moving on, and after another brief shift from Evans, Denis Smith took over at the helm. Sadly, he could not prevent relegation at the end of the 1993-94 season.

Smith signed some experienced players as Robin Herd took over the club in 1995. Plans were announced for a new stadium at Minchery Farm near the Blackbird Leys housing estate. In early 1997, construction began, but it was suspended a year later after monies were not paid to Taylor Woodrow, the company building the stadium. 

Former playing hero Malcolm Shotton was next in charge of the team as the club's finances once again put their future in jeopardy. Fans set up FOUL (Fighting for Oxford United's Life) to raise awareness of the situation. Firoz Kassam bought the club from Herd for just £1, but he inherited the £15M debts.

He sold the Manor Ground to another of his companies for £6M and then reduced the other £9M down to £900,000 by setting up an acceptable CVA with the creditors. The stadium work was restarted, as well as the gaining of planning permission for Kassam to construct a bowling alley, cinema and hotel next to the new venue.

Several managers tried their hand, but the club found themselves back in the League's basement division in the summer of 2001, just as they moved into the Kassam Stadium. By March 2006, the club had gone through another six managers, but still found itself in the same division. 

At that point, Kassam decided to sell the club for £2M, which included all the debts to former youth team player Nick Merry. Kassam kept the ownership of the stadium, with United paying rent to play there. Jim Smith was brought back as team boss, but he could not prevent a poor run which ended in relegation to the Football Conference in 2005-06. 

Ironically, it was Accrington Stanley who took United's place in the League. The crowds stuck with The U's as a record regular season gate of 11,065 turned out for the Boxing Day clash with Woking. Smith could not repeat his former glories, and after Darren Patterson had a short spell in the hot seat and the club underwent a change of ownership, Chris Wilder was appointed.

After a promising start to his spell, Wilder took the team back to the League in 2009-10 via a playoff final victory over York City at Wembley. After a season of consolidation, United finished just outside the playoffs in 2011-12, before owner Ian Lenagan also took on the role of club chairman.

With United hovering around the playoff places, Wilder surprisingly handed in his resignation in January 2014 to take the manager's job at bottom-of-the-table Northampton Town. Mickey Lewis stood in as caretaker before Gary Waddock was appointed as permanent manager.

Waddock departed in the summer of 2014 after the side slipped out of the play-off places, with Michael Appleton being appointed as his replacement. He set about rebuilding the side and took United to promotion to League One in 2015-16.

The club also enjoyed a visit to Wembley, where they were defeated in the final of the Football League Trophy by Barnsley. The club made a repeat visit in the same competition the following season before going down to Coventry City.

Appleton left the club in June 2017 to become the assistant manager at Leicester City, with former Leeds United assistant boss Pep Clotet arriving in his place. The Spaniard was sacked in January 2018, with Karl Robinson eventually arriving in his place. United finished the 2018-19 campaign in twelfth position before reaching the playoffs in 2019-20. 

Portsmouth were defeated before Wycombe Wanderers won the Wembley final behind closed doors. Indonesian businessmen came on board alongside former Thai owners, as plans for a new stadium were knocked back at Stratfield Break near Kidlington. Liam Manning replaced Robinson in March 2023, before he was headhunted by Bristol City the following November.

The job was given to local lad and former youth team goalkeeper Des Buckingham, who had put together an excellent coaching CV overseas. A new plan for a new club home at Kidlington Triangle was more successful, as the Us were given planning permission in March 2024.

The positive vibes continued thanks to the goals of Mark Harris and the form of the side as they defeated Peterborough United in the playoffs before beating Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at Wembley to return to the Championship, thanks to two goals from Joshua Murphy. Gary Rowett replaced Buckingham in December 2024.

Matt Bloomfield was appointed as the new team manager thirteen months later. The new appointee couldn't help the side avoid relegation at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Oxford United FC will play in the EFL League One in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Oxford United 1 Hull City 1 (Saturday 29th October 1983) Division Three (att: 7,884)

As a student in Borehamwood on the outskirts of London, I was enjoying the cartography part of my course while struggling badly with the mathematics involved in land surveying. I needed some relief, and it was offered with a trip to a new ground to watch The Tigers. 

I set out to the city proudly wearing my Tigers shirt and a borrowed Union Jack, on which I had taped 'Hull City' across the middle. I got a few looks from the locals as I headed to the station.

Unfortunately, back in the day, I had a terrible problem with gambling on fruit machines. I managed to blow all my spare money at King's Cross. This meant that on arrival at Oxford station, I had to walk the three or so miles to Headington. 

I stood outside the away end, hoping for a solution to getting in after explaining my predicament to the police. I told them that I lost the money when walking to the ground. Just after kick-off, I asked if there was any way I could go on and repay later. 

One of the coppers took pity on me and another fan in a similar situation and took us in through the gate to join the thousand or so City fans behind the goal.

City went into the game in third place after being defeated in the league for the first time the week before, while United were unbeaten at the top. Jim Smith was in the process of taking his team to the title, while Colin Appleton also had a good side who were coping easily after their promotion the previous campaign.

I took stock of my surroundings. We were on the Cuckoo Lane End, which was an open terrace wedged into the space available. Opposite was the London Road End, which had a large fence at the front owing to the badly sloping pitch and a roof over the vocal locals. In the corner on our right were two little pavilion-like structures, which were the grounds' original seating, but by now hosted sponsors and players. 

Many thanks to Martin Smith for permission to use his photo from the match.

Alongside was the main Beech Road Stand, with a large bank of seating behind a terraced paddock. The stand ended just past the halfway line, where open terracing took over. The final side consisted of the small Osler Road Stand and then a few rows of open terrace. It was a ramshackle arrangement and one that the club would struggle with as it progressed. By the time it was demolished, additional seated stands had been added down the Osler Road side.

City attacked down the hill in the first half and went in ahead at the interval following a Brian Marwood strike. The U's piled on the pressure in the second period, with the Tigers' defence holding firm and Tony Norman having another fine game until they were finally breached.

There had been the odd scuffle around the ground during the afternoon, and at full-time, plenty of likely lads from the London Road End piled onto the pitch and advanced towards us, throwing missiles, some of which were picked up from the crumbling terracing. I wasn't especially looking forward to the walk back.

Luckily, the home fans looking for trouble congregated near the away coaches, so I was fine. Along the trek back, I was behind a few United fans, with one saying that they'd have been sick if they were City fans, only drawing the game. 

I got chatting, and they were good fans. It made the journey go quicker. I met some Tigers fans from Ipswich on the train back, and we got chatting to some Chelsea fans on the tube who extolled the qualities of Kerry Dixon and David Speedie.

Oxford United 2 Accrington Stanley 0 (Tuesday 18th December 2012) FA Cup Round Two Replay (att: 2,566)

It was early shift time, and I pondered between a relatively local revisit to Brentford and Bradford City at the same stage of the competition, where they were only charging £12 admission, or a new ground. I had put off a visit to the Kassam for far too long, as I'd read about the awkwardness of getting there from the station.

After much musing, I decided to bite the bullet, so with advanced rail tickets and a match ticket booked, saving me money on the day, I headed for Paddington. It was a pleasant surprise to get on a high-speed direct train for the journey, and just over an hour later, I was in the university city. 

Eventually, after getting through the congestion, I got outside where the number five bus was awaiting. I paid £3.20 return to Blackbird Leys, which seemed very good value for a four-mile ride either way. Although it was dark, the city's buildings still looked stunning as the bus wound its way along the narrow streets that were becoming busier as the workers headed home. 

The ride along the ethnically diverse Cowley Road showcased a plethora of eateries and drinking establishments, and looked like a good night out for future reference. I jumped out near the Blackbird pub on the sprawling estate with the glow-in-the-dark pointing me in the right direction through various snickets to the stadium.

After collecting my ticket from reception, I took a few photos before following a few others for a couple of hundred yards to a pub intriguingly called The Priory.  I was directed to a huge marquee outside for real ale, which was no doubt a hub of activity when London Irish played their home games from 2012 at the Kassam. 

Sadly, the beer was in keg form, but at least it was only £2.50 a pint with Tetley's and Hobgoblin on offer. The locals seemed friendly and a jolly bunch. I had a warm drink inside the pub before heading back to the game. The portable burger van in the car park seemed busy, which pointed towards a poor catering experience inside, judging by experience. 

Once through the turnstiles, I immediately regretted not bringing food from the van in with me, as the queues at the only open concession were large. Instead, I went inside the stand to get my photos and to have a look. The stadium was excellent, if a little soulless. The South Stand was the main structure, with two tiers of seating separated by corporate boxes. 

It was almost identical to the one at The New Den. A nice touch along the balcony wall was a board commemorating each of the club's honours. Opposite, home and away fans shared the single-tiered seated North Stand. I was in the East Stand behind the goal. Again, this was a single block of seating, although there were a few rows walled off at the back for further seating if required in the future. 

The other end was totally unoccupied, with just a fence to stop errant shots from flying into the car park behind. Foundations are in place for a fourth stand, should the need arise. Just after kick off, I popped downstairs for some much-needed food, to find two poor blokes looking like they were ready to collapse. 

The club had totally underestimated the demand for catering, and they'd been left on their own with a poor supply of stock. I purchased a small Cornish pastie, which was most tasty and a watery cheeseburger, which was definitely not. A Bovril was much needed as the cold was beginning to bite.

The highlight of the first half was seeing a bloke near me skillfully lick the open top of his Müller yoghurt carton. There were a couple of half-chances for the U's, but they were up the other end, so it was hard to judge how close they got. It was dire stuff. Sometimes feel sorry for Accy and the stick they get as they punch above their weight, a bit like Scarborough did during their League days. 

However, any sympathies went out the window, even though I admired the thirty or so loyal fans who'd made the journey south. Their players showed a couple of pieces of gamesmanship, which I found disgusting. United were breaking when a challenge was shrugged off. Luke Clark went down clutching his head and looking in distress. 

The generally inept and definitely overweight ref James Adcock stopped play, only for Clark to be up as soon as the physio touched him. Either the medical man had healing hands, or Clark was cheating. I know what I think. The keeper, Paul Rachubka, also auditioned for panto, trying to get a U's forward into trouble. I even joined in the chant of "you're just a team full of w*****s".

Therefore, I was delighted when James Constable glanced home from a corner, and Peter Leven added the second 11 minutes from time. Alfie Potter was the best footballer on show by a mile in my humble opinion. I dived out five minutes from time, finding the return bus stop with remarkably little trouble and caught the bus back to the station and managed to get the 22:11 back to the smoke. 

I fell asleep in an instant and only woke properly as we pulled into Paddington. I was home and in bed by midnight. In short, it had been a dreadful game, a decent new ground amongst friendly home fans.


The photos of the Manor Ground have been taken from the internet, as I didn't take a camera on my visit and the ground was demolished by the time I got around to taking them elsewhere.

Horley Town

Horley Town FC is a non-league football club from the Surrey commuter town of the same name, which is located just north of Gatwick Airport, around twenty miles south of London. The club were formed in 1896 as Horley FC, before they merged with Gatwick Rovers in 1908.

For the best part of eighty years, the club competed in local competition, adding Town to their title in 1975, before moving from the Surrey Senior League to the London Spartan League in 1978. Three years later, the 'Clarets', playing at The Defence, which was named in memory of those who lost their lives defending the country, moved to the Athenian League.

After the Athenian League was disbanded, Horley joined the Combined Counties League in 1984. The club left that competition between 1996 and 2003 to play in the Surrey County Senior League before rejoining the former. At the same time, Town moved into The New Defence, which was located next to the town's rugby club and sports centre.

Horley were demoted to Division One owing to ground grading issues in 2006, but these were soon corrected with the team winning promotion back to the Premier Division a season later. Town continued to build its youth structure with teams from the under-sevens age group upwards representing the club.

Trevor Smith was succeeded by Anthony Jupp former stalwart of the team, as manager in June 2014 after a spell as interim. The club continued to maintain their place in the Premier Division, finishing in seventh place at the end of the 2016-17 season. 

Glynn Stephens joined in 2017 to work alongside Jupp before leaving in January 2019. The club was shifted to the Premier Division of the Southern Combination League for the two aborted 'Covid' seasons, before returning to familiar territory.

Jupp remained at the club in a management role before he departed in May 2022 at the same time as manager Matt Chapman, after previously filling in again as boss. Martin Rapson was given the job before he was joined by Tyler Chambers at the back end of the 2023-24 season, leading the side to ninth place in 2024-25. 

The following season, Horley reached the playoffs, where they defeated Tadley Calleva and Fleet Town to win promotion to the South East Division of the Isthmian League.

Horley Town FC will play in the Isthmian League South East Division in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Thursday 25th October 2012

After finishing work for the weekend, I had alighted at Redhill station and visited the town's club, before taking a walk and a number 100 bus which dropped me off on Court Lodge Road, virtually outside the ground. 

I was in a good mood as this was on the way to my hotel, where I'd spend the night before heading to Germany for four days of football, sightseeing, and socialising. I couldn't see the point in wasting opportunities, so visiting the two extra grounds was a no-brainer.

The ground was through the leisure centre car park next to the rugby club. The gates were open with the groundsman working on the pitch, and a gent coming out of the clubhouse who gave me permission to click away.

The New Defence was a neat functional venue with some hard standing going all the way around the pitch, along with plenty of turf. The clubhouse was upstairs in a two-storey building with changing rooms and other facilities below. A roof overhang gave shelter to the seating at the front. 

There was another small cover for standing spectators behind the goal by the turnstiles in what was a neat but more functional than atmospheric arena. At least that was the impression I took away with me.

I went on my merry way, nearly getting lost in the warren of little streets in the housing estate. Eventually, I went back to the original bus stop and, following a tour of the perimeter of the airport, I alighted at the Ibis Hotel to check in for the evening.

Dorking 4 Epsom Athletic 5 (Friday 1st August 2014) Combined Counties League Division One (att: 150)

To read all about Dorking FC and my matchday experience while they were tenants at The New Defence, click here.