Oxford City – Away Fans Guide
by Sam Turner
Stop number two of our National League South travels and this time it’s a town more famous for its University than its football teams. Oxford itself has been around since the late Anglo-Saxon times and was originally known as “Oxenaforda”, or ‘Ford of the Oxen’ due to…well…a ford over which Oxen crossed. As you all most likely are aware the city itself is most famous for its university which is known worldwide as the oldest in the English-speaking world.
The history of the place is altogether long and complicated and most definitely not something that needs delving in to deeply here. This article is to let you know about modern day Oxford given that the Yellow Army will be descending on the city to support the team as they face Oxford City at their Marsh Lane ground.
Let’s start with some key facts.
OXFORD, OXFORDSHIRE
Location: 51 miles (82 kilometres) away from London. Oxford City’s ground (Marsh Lane, OX30NQ) 173 miles (278 kilometres) from Plainmoor which roughly equates to a 3 hour drive if you are making the trip by car. More travel information, directly from the club, will be provided at the end of this article.
Population: 150,200 (ONS Census, 2011)
Interesting facts (that you may not have known):
- One of Oxford’s nicknames is the “City of Dreaming Spires” after the architecture of the University buildings
- The Ashmolean Museum (Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX12PH, if you fancied giving it a visit), according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was the first museum to ever be opened to the public when it opened its doors in 1683.
- If you take a walk around the University ground you may notices different gargoyles aligning the walls, some are even picking their nose or going to the bathroom.
Oxford City F.C.
Manager: Mark Jones
Ground: Marsh Lane
Capacity: 3,218 (520 seated)
Segregated: No
History:
- The club played their first professional game in December 1883 and soon became the leading club in Oxfordshire. This wouldn’t last however as when Headington United turned professional in 1949 the club went into a decline.
- An attempt was made to return the club to success in 1979 when the legendary Bobby Moore was appointed manager alongside former West Ham United teammate Harry Redknapp who, aged 32 at the time, served as his assistant.
- It did not work however as, in 1988, the club were evicted from their White House Ground by landlords who sold it off for housing.
- The club was not reformed until 1990 but when they did reform they began a climb through the ranks that lead to them reaching the final of the FA Vase in 1995.
- An FA Cup run that they experienced in the 1999/2000 season ended in a three game tie against Wycombe Wanderers. A third game was needed because a fire alarm went off before the first replay which meant the game had to be abandoned. This tie is still the only FA Cup game to ever go to three games after a rule change meant that all ties must be finished after a maximum of two games.
- City also hold another record, the 6 games taken for them to lose to Alvechurch in 1971/72, which due to the rule change will probably never be beaten.
Things to do and see in Oxford:
- Visit Oxford University and explore the grounds of the historic college, just 23 minutes away from Marsh Lane on the number 13 bus. If you get on at Ewin Close and get off at Queens Lane Stop K3 you will be in the heart of the University.
- Visit Oxford Castle (bus 13 from Ewin Close to High Street stop L2)
- Many of Oxford’s surroundings were crucial in inspiring Lewis Carroll’s 1862 book Alice in Wonderland. Christ Church College, where the ‘real Alice’ (Alice Liddell) lived, is one of these.
- New College (Holywell Street, Oxford, OX13BN) and Bodleian Libraries (Broad Street, Oxford, OX13BG) are filming locations for the Harry Potter series
- The Oxford Covered Market
- Ashmolean Museum
Directions to the ground from Oxford Train Station:
- If you are getting to the Oxford by train then you will most likely be getting off at Oxford station. To get to the ground from their the quickest way is to catch the number 14 bus from Railway Station (Stop R4) to Ewin Close (13 stops) and will take approximately 25 minutes.
Oxford City Vs Torquay United | 14/08/18 | 7:45pm KO
Adults £12, Concessions £6, Students £6, U16’s Free
To find out about away travel click here