Oxford United

How the once mighty (even if for a very short time) have fallen. Oxford United (then Headington United) were promoted to the League in 1960 (62?) when Accrington Stanley collapsed and fell out of the league. This year, they fell from a reasonable mid-table position for most of the season to relegation to the Conference. Ironically, they are being replaced by Accrington Stanley, who were themselves one of the founder members fo the league in the 1880s. Technically, its not the same team - this is the "new" Accrington Stanley refounded and who have scrapped their way up from the nether reaches of the football pyramid.

Oxford only really had success when they were owned by Robert Maxwell, nearly as bg a crook as Robert Chase was at Norwich (allegedly). Still, for a time, they sat at the top of the old Division 1 and won the Milk Cup in 1986 (ish).

They have a brand new stadium, strangely still owned by the ex-owner of the club, Firoz Kassam, and to whom Oxford still pay an awful lot of rent. Kassam still owns the hotel and leisure complex around the stadium as well. They are thriving. The club, however, is not.

Mind you, I've never felt so uncomfortable as when I sat in with the home fans for a couple of Oxford home games last season. They really don't show football fans or the city of Oxford's residents in a good light.

Here's hoping for a swift return and a more sympathetic owner.