What the Stats Say...Torquay

Expect goals and cards galore on the South coast, as Oxford make the trip to Plainmoor to face Torquay United this weekend, in a fixture that has produced regular goalfests. Matt Peck compares the respective records of the division's least disciplined sides.

The January Sales

A new year approaches and that means one thing: out with the old and in with the new. January, and the opening of the transfer window, sparks a frenzy of movement in the football world as managers, chairmen, agents and players get to work on securing the moves that may come to shape the rest of the season. So what are our hopes and fears for this transfer window?

On This Day - 26/12/01

This year, as with last year, Oxford have been denied a lucrative home fixture on Boxing Day. But ten years ago, in our first season at Minchery Farm, the then-new stadium was to play host to a fiery encounter between Oxford and Luton in front of what was then a record crowd of 11,121.

What the Stats Say...Wimbledon

Oxford make a Boxing Day trip to Kingsmeadow to face AFC Wimbledon in the Football League for the first time. The original Wimbledon were familiar opponents before their defection to Milton Keynes, but this will just be United's second trip to the newly-formed phoenix club. Wimbledon are currently enjoying their first season back in the Football League, but have struggled of late, as Matt Peck reveals.

Merry Christmas from TBFUTH!

The festive season is well and truly upon us now, and that means one thing...a busy football schedule! Keep checking back over the holidays, we'll be taking a look back in time at an early Kassam Boxing Day fixture, as well as trying to keep things ticking over with our Christmas and New Year's fixtures and looking ahead to the January transfer window.

And if you've left left it until now to do your Christmas shopping, read this quick! It may not be too late!

The Bipolar Relationship Between Chris Wilder and Oxford United Supporters

So Chris Wilder has reached the milestone of three years in the job at OUFC, something I doubt many would have predicted three years ago, given that we had endured ten managerial changes in the preceding decade. One striking aspect of Wilder's reign – and this has been thrown into sharp relief in recent weeks – is the extreme extent to which he polarises the opinion of supporters. To a certain extent we would experience this no matter who is in charge (let's not forget the 'Pattonistas' and the 'anti-Pattos' during Darren Patterson's ill-fated tenure) but Wilder in particular appears to be divisive like no other figure currently at the club.

What the Stats Say...Northampton

Strugglers Northampton Town are the next visitors to the Kassam, and with new manager Aidy Boothroyd at the helm they may be confident of getting a result against an out of form Us side. However, as Matt Peck reveals, the stats show that they will have a tough task on their hands, as Oxford seek to banish memories of our last home match, which ended in defeat to Cheltenham Town.

Northampton's Loss is Oxford's Gain

This won't be popular among a certain (small but very vocal) section of our fanbase, but I'm going to praise Chris Wilder. With the recent run of poor results he's come in for a lot of criticism, and though some of it was justified, some amounted to little more than a vindictive personal attack on the man. Wilder is rightly criticised for what appears to be a scattergun approach to signings, and while some of the big name signings from the summer have so far been disappointing, in the interest of balance we should remember that some of Wilder's unheralded signings have proven to be unexpected stars.

What the Stats Say...Morecambe

United return to action after what feels like an eternity, having had spent the previous weekend watching other teams play in the second round of the FA Cup. Morecambe is the destination this weekend, a place where we have fared well on our few visits. Matt Peck mulls over previous encounters, examines each side's poor recent form and also compares disciplinary records.

Youth Team Unlucky to Lose Out

The under 18s were desperately unlucky to exit the FA Youth Cup at the hands of Premier League Bolton Wanderers on a bitterly cold evening at the Kassam Stadium. This was the first time any of these players had had the chance to play at the ground and they were all clearly eager to make the most of the opportunity. The match was watched by a good crowd of 451, curious at the opportunity to see future Oxford stars in action. Oxford progressed to the Third round after beating a highly fancied Dulwich Hamlet team, while Bolton, as a Premier Academy League team, entered the competition at this stage. However, with Bolton at the bottom of their league the tie was ripe for a cup upset.

Loanees Progress Report

With the January transfer window fast approaching, a flurry of activity is imminent, and given Wilder's track record at the club we can expect to see a host of new signings pulling on the famous yellow shirt in January. However, our ability to deal in the transfer market will be dependent on whether we can ship out some of the unwanted players on our books, many of whom are currently out on loan to other clubs. With several players currently out on loan, from the youngsters gaining experience lower down the pyramid to those players who have served their purpose here and will be looking to put themselves in the shop window, now seems a good time to catch up with those Oxford players currently plying their trade elsewhere.

Reflections on a Free Weekend

This weekend raises something of a dilemma. While many of our League Two rivals turn their attention to Cup action, we're left with a blank week. Morale is understandably low after five defeats on the bounce and some of the more reactionary elements among the support have begun to embarrass us all (further examples here and here). The enforced break from competitive first team football does, however, give us a chance to take stock of what has gone wrong over recent weeks and perhaps allow some time to recover from that awkward knee-jerking.

What the Stats Say...Cheltenham

This weekend sees Cheltenham make the short trip down the A40 to contest the 'Cotswold Derby' (apparently) and look likely to bring a large following...for Cheltenham, anyway. Matt Peck is on hand to examine the relatively short Football League history between the two sides and to compare Cheltenham's frighteningly impressive form to our own.

The TBFUTH Christmas Shopping Guide

With Christmas just a month away now the time for giving is upon us (and by that I'm not referring to the way our defence gifted Crawley four goals on Saturday), which means one thing: the Christmas shopping season has begun. Christmas offers football clubs and merchandisers plenty of opportunity to offload their tat on unsuspecting football fans, so expect to see all manner of club-branded nonsense in stores over the coming weeks. So, for the benefit of those of you lucky enough to be buying for an avid Oxford fan, we thought we'd make things easier for you by producing this simple guide of essential OUFC purchases this Christmas, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

What the Stats Say...Crawley

Following a terrible week which saw Oxford lose to Southend twice and then get dumped out of the FA Cup by Sheffield United, the tough prospect of a trip to second-placed Crawley now beckons. However, this week's events (i.e. the return of Robert Hall) mean that the mood amongst Oxford fans is surprisingly upbeat. That optimism will be further buoyed by a quick read of Matt Peck's latest stats package, which reveals Oxford's impressive record at the Broadfield Stadium.

The All-Important Final Piece

Oxford fans awoke to good news yesterday, with reports that West Ham wonderkid Rob Hall has returned to Oxford on loan for a further month. In fact, it’s difficult to overstate how important he has been to us already this season. After 3 defeats in a row, news of Robbie’s return has immediately lifted spirits ahead of a difficult trip to Crawley, but most promising is that his return is “with a view to a longer stay”. If Hall’s services can be secured for the rest of the season, he could just be the final piece required to make a sustained tilt at automatic promotion this year.

What the Stats Say...Sheffield United

Four-times FA Cup winners Sheffield United, of League One, host no-times FA Cup winners Oxford, of League Two, this weekend at Bramall Lane for an FA Cup 1^st round fixture – the first time the clubs have met in an FA Cup fixture. The yellows make their second trip to Sheffield this season (the first coming on the opening day of the season to Rotherham's temporary home at the Don Valley Stadium) hoping to cause something of a cup upset. Regular contributor Matt Peck brings us the lowdown on the clubs' respective FA Cup records.

Wilder at the Blades

Oxford face a trip to Sheffield this weekend for an FA Cup fixture against Sheffield United and it's a match that will have particular significance to Chris Wilder, Blades fan and former player. In light of this, Ian Rands, Sheffield United supporter and creator of A United View on Football, gives us his insight on Wilder the footballer from his time at Bramall Lane.

Andy Whing: Oxford's Utility Player

Now on TBFUTH we cast an eye over the much-maligned Andy Whing. Whing has so far attracted the ire of the Kassam's boo boys, but is he just misunderstood? Instead of moaning at him because he's different to what we're used to, or because he is a less attack-minded full-back, perhaps we should instead look at what he can bring to the team and focus on some of his unique attributes. Could the slow, steady and so far misunderstood defensive big boy go on to become a key squad member over the course of the season?

What the Stats Say...Southend (JPT)

Oxford face Southend again, as the Shrimpers visit for a Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie just days after their league clash which saw Southend take a two-point lead at the top of the table. Southend are now 9 points ahead of the Us in the league, but after being thoroughly outplayed on Saturday they will arrive at the Kassam with a battle on their hands. They do, however, have a far superior record in this competition, though this will be the first meeting between the two sides in the Football League Trophy, due in no small part to Oxford's abysmal record in it, as Matt Peck reveals.

What the Stats Say...Southend

Oxford visit Roots Hall to take on Southend this weekend, before welcoming the Shrimpers as guests to the Kassam Stadium just days later for a Johnstone's Paint Trophy match. Ahead of this double-header, Matt Peck examines the records as United attempt to topple the form team at the start of a very tough sequence of matches.

Great Form, Crap Fixtures

Six matches into the season we examined Oxford's form so far and concluded that we hadn't yet seen significant signs of improvement compared to last season. After sixteen matches, the picture looks rather different; United are currently placed 4^th in the table with 29 points, while at the same point last season we were 18^th with 17 points and in the midst of a run of five straight defeats. With the side in impressive form of late, have we found the winning formula that will steer us to promotion this season?

On This Day - 29/10/96

Today, Oxford played out a thrilling 2-1 victory over Port Vale at the Kassam Stadium. On this day 15 years ago, it was their potteries rivals, Stoke City, who made the trip to the Manor. The intervening 15 years demonstrate how fortunes can change, as Oxford and Port Vale have both tumbled from the second tier to make today's match a Fourth Division affair, while Stoke of course find themselves in the Premier League and contesting cup finals.

Cult Hero: Martin Foyle

With Port Vale the next visitors to Grenoble Road this Saturday, we turn our attention to a well-known veteran of both clubs: Martin Foyle. Foyle is a legendary figure at Port Vale (he is their post-war record goalscorer and later went on to manage the club), but he also made over 150 appearances and scored 44 goals for Oxford before he was sold to Port Vale. More recently he was manager of York City on that fateful day at Wembley last May, at the same time creating an unusual space for himself in the history books of Oxford United.

What the Stats Say...Plymouth

Next up for Oxford are Plymouth Argyle, bottom of the entire Football League, and Matt Peck is on hand to examine the stats. Crisis club Plymouth have not had an easy start to life in League Two and currently find themselves 5 points from safety, however they have seen an upturn in form of late and will be eager to winning ways, following defeat to 'the A420s' at the weekend.

What the Stats Say...Gillingham

Oxford make the trip to Gillingham aiming to earn their first win at Priestfield since 1983, but with the one of best away records in the league are in a very good position to do so. Matt Peck once again brings his statistical expertise to these pages to reveal Oxford's record away at the Gills.

A Lack of Common Sense and Consistency from the FA

We learned in the week that United and Bristol Rovers have been charged by the FA following their match at the Kassam for 'failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative behaviour'. Here is our take on the situation.

What the Stats Say...Macclesfield

Oxford make the trip to Macclesfield's Moss Rose this weekend and as usual Matt Peck is on hand to recall previous encounters between the two clubs. Also in this bumper stats package Oxford's impressive form is examined, and Oxford's historically poor attacking record is revealed.

A Wealth of Positives

There are so many positives for Oxford fans to take from this game that it's difficult to know where to start. Saturday's performance righted all the problems from United's string of home draws in emphatic fashion, as the team really turned on the style for Ultimate Support Saturday in front of an impressive crowd of 9291.

What the Stats Say...Bristol Rovers

Matt Peck returns to give us the stats on Bristol Rovers, ahead of tomorrow's Ultimate Support Saturday match. With over 20 league matches between the two sides at Oxford going back as far as 1965 there's plenty of history to this fixture. Bristol Rovers will be looking to get revenge for the 6-1 pasting we gave them in the League Cup last season, but their manager Paul Buckle is unbeaten at the Kassam from his time in charge of Torquay.

Ultimate Support Saturday

On Saturday it's Bristol Rovers' turn to visit the Kassam and the match has been designated as 'Ultimate Support Saturday' to drum up support for the Yellows. Supporters are asked to invite friends along, turn up in numbers and back the team vocally. For those still unsure of what it's all about, we spoke to Joe Nicholls, the fan behind the initiative, to get the lowdown.

What the Stats Say...Hereford

Hereford were another side who, like Accrington, somehow managed to avoid us through the years until last season. In fact, Oxford and Hereford had only been in the same division as each other once before, that being in 1977/78 – though the two clubs faced off in the League Cup in the 1980s and 1990s. Matt Peck casts some light on Oxford's league record at Edgar Street.

Tim Russon's Greatest Moments

As Oxford prepare to make the relatively short hop to Hereford tomorrow, we thought we'd pay homage to Hereford's vice-chairman Tim Russon, who is now into his second year as a club director after taking over in June of last year. Perhaps a director of an opposing team is an odd choice of subject matter for a blog to choose, but Oxford fans will be familiar with Russon from the many years he spent as the face of Central South TV sports round-ups throughout the 1990s. With reports characterised by elaborate and frankly ridiculous metaphors and cheesy puns, Tim Russon provided the voice to some of the most hilarious football highlights packages ever to grace local news.

Trouble at Home

Saturday's 1-1 draw with Accrington Stanley was another disappointing home result for Oxford. After two impressive away wins, optimism was running high amongst supporters before this match as many of us sniffed an opportunity to go on a winning streak, but a lacklustre performance and poor result has severely dented the optimism, and the knives are out for Chris Wilder once again. 

What the Stats Say...Accrington

Despite its uncanny resemblance to binary code, Matt Peck's stats this week are in fact related to Oxford's home meeting against Accrington Stanley (last season's 0-0 draw). Not a long history of fixtures between these two clubs, with both clubs still looking to score their first ever goal against the other.

The Unusually Intertwined Histories of Oxford and Accrington

For years Oxford United and Accrington Stanley were two clubs, inextricably linked by history, who had never played each other. Of course, all that changed last season when Accrington visited the Kassam Stadium to play out a 0-0 draw in League Two (neither side has ever scored against the other yet). On Saturday, Accrington make their second visit and now seems as good a time as any to revisit the circumstances in which the two clubs came to be joined in the history books.

Why 4-3-3 is the right formation for Oxford United

It has been one of the great forum debates of the Chris Wilder era: is Wilder right to set the team up in a 4-3-3 formation? With many supporters questioning this formation and many nostalgically longing for a return of the classic 4-4-2, George Dugdale explains why he feels 4-3-3 is the right formation for OUFC.

What the Stats Say...Barnet

As Oxford prepare for their third ever league visit to Underhill, Matt Peck looks back at previous encounters and predicts a draw. Can James Constable repeat last season's brace, or will Sam Deering get revenge on the club that released him in the summer?

What the Stats Say...Dagenham

Despite the fact that we've only once played Dagenham away in the league, Matt Peck provides some more fascinating statistical insight ahead of tonight's match. Caution is advised for those who are still traumatised by our first season in the Conference.

League Two's Surprise Packages

In every league, in every season, there's at least one club who exceeds everyone's expectations by doing remarkably well. They may win promotion, qualify for the playoffs, or even just beat the drop against the odds. For example, who would have predicted that Accrington, Stevenage and Torquay would have qualified for the playoffs last season? When I wrote my League Two season preview a few weeks ago, I wrote about who I expected to be challenging, but tried to keep half an eye on potential surprises this season. In this article, I'll try and expand on that by examining the sides who look set to cause a few surprises this season.

What the Stats Say...Burton

Burton are the latest visitors to the Kassam for Saturday's Bridle Bonanza and Matt Peck looks back at our short history of home fixtures against the Brewers, the last of which provided 3 goals (all for Oxford), 2 red cards (both for Burton) and the end of a very long run of matches without a clean sheet.

Déjà Vu

The start of the season has been something of a mixed bag for Oxford, and we have already witnessed a high point of victory away at Swindon followed by frustrating results in our last two fixtures. At the time of writing the Us currently find themselves in 13^th, and if this form is carried throughout the season we're likely to witness another year of midtable mediocrity in the basement division. The inconsistency of the performances so far have inspired a sense of d

éjà

 vu amongst Oxford supporters, and left many of us asking if this season is going to be more of the same.

What the Stats Say...Crewe

As we travel northwards to face a Crewe side that has struggled so far this season, Matt Peck brings us some stats from previous visits to Gresty Road. With Crewe losing four of their first five fixtures, Oxford will be hopeful of earning their first victory at Crewe in fifteen years.

What's in a Captaincy?

In his first contribution to The Boys from Up the Hill, Longliveclarkey examines the poisoned chalice that is the Oxford United captaincy. Is Jake Wright (or James Constable before him) suitable captain material? Is the selection of a captain of any significance or is it merely a token gesture? Does the weight of responsibility hinder the captain's performance?

On This Day - 28/08/06

We take a trip down memory lane and turn the clock back five years to remember a Bank Holiday fixture from our first season in the Conference.

What the Stats Say...Aldershot

With Aldershot coming to Oxford this afternoon, Matt Peck looks at our home record against the Shots. Both sides will be looking to kick on from impressive victories (ours over Swindon last weekend, Aldershot's over West Ham in the League Cup during the week), but recent history appears to be on Aldershot's side, having won on their last two visits to the Kassam.

An Aldershot Giant-Killing

Aldershot Town have been a familiar league opponent for Oxford over recent years. Since the two clubs first met in the 2006-07 season, they have played each other eight times in four different competitions. The original Aldershot FC were perhaps a less familiar opponent, but it is to them – and a particular FA Cup tie – that I now turn my attention to, ahead of the visit of the reformed Shots on Saturday.

TBFUTH on Facebook

You can now find The Boys from Up the Hill on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Boys-from-Up-the-Hill/254236444596570

We've been on Twitter since the blog was started, but for the benefit of non-Tweeters, you can now 'Like' us on Facebook and every new post on TBFUTH will appear directly on your News Feed. Not bad, eh? Another reminder for those who aren't so into social media, you can also keep up to date with the blog through our RSS feed, which will also keep you up to date with all new blog posts.

James Constable: Oxford Legend?

James Constable's brace yesterday at the County Ground was just the latest in a series of heroic acts during his time at the club. Beano's reputation as cult hero was never in any doubt before yesterday's match, his goalscoring record was already the most impressive since Paul Moody, but yesterday's events and the circumstances surrounding them could prove to be enough to elevate him to the status of 'Oxford legend' in the eyes of many fans.

What the Stats Say...Swindon

Those of a nervous disposition should look away now. Matt Peck returns with a statistical look at our away form at Swindon. And it doesn't make for pretty reading...

A Timeline of the Oxford-Swindon Rivalry

On Sunday, Oxford and Swindon will meet for the first time in many years in a match that Oxford fans have been eagerly anticipating since Swindon were relegated at the end of last season. After such a long time without playing them, for some this will be the first time they have ever been to a match against our biggest rivals, while others will have plenty of memories from this fixture. For those who are less familiar with the rivalry, this is your chance to read up on the history of the rivalry, while for those who've been there and done it, why not re-live the memories?

What the Stats Say...Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury are the next visitors to the Kassam and the ground staff have been working hard to accommodate them by burning their initials into the pitch. Last season we weren't quite so accommodating, beating the Shrews 3-1 as James Constable ran riot against his former club. Matt Peck's stats are back, so how does our home record against Shrewsbury stack up?

What the Stats Say...Bradford

Matt Peck's stats are back, this time concerning our home record against Bradford City. Last time the clubs met, Oxford ran out 2-1 victors at the Kassam, but who has the better record historically? Has Oxford been a happy hunting ground for the Bantams, or have we traditionally held strong at home?

Early Pressure

Two early defeats and speculation about the future of key players has provided something of a come-down after all the preseason positivity around Oxford. Wednesday's performance against Cardiff has certainly kept much of the hope alive and shown the undoubted quality of the side, so at this early stage of the season optimism and uncertainty meet to create an unusual tension around the club.

What the Stats Say...Cardiff

After providing a great stats package ahead of Saturday's opening day defeat to Rotherham, we again extend thanks to Matt Peck, who has dug out these stats on Oxford's League Cup record against Cardiff.

VIDEO: Girls Academy

I stumbled across this video on Youtube the other day and found it quite interesting, so it's worth sharing. It was filmed by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle ahead of this summer's Women's World Cup, when the England women's team played Sweden in a friendly at the Kassam ahead of the tournament. As well as some stuff about the history of the women's game and England's preparation for the World Cup, the main feature is on Oxford's Girls Academy. It's not terribly informative, but it gives an interesting insight into a part of the club that we as fans don't often see.

What the Stats Say...Rotherham

Many thanks to Matt Peck, who has produced this fantastic stats package ahead of the season opener against Rotherham. Who has traditionally had the best of the encounters between the two sides? Who has scored the most goals? It's all here!

And so it begins...

Que sera sera

Whatever will be, will be

We're going to Don Valley....

A Sign of Things to Come, or Jamie Guy Syndrome?

So, preseason is finished and the club has come through it unbeaten (that is, if we ignore the youth team's 4-2 defeat to Witney Town). However, as previous experience has taught us, good preseason results have little bearing on the team's actual competitive performance once the league campaign gets underway. This doesn't mean, however, that there is nothing that we can learn from this year's preseason performances.

2011-12 League Two Season Preview (Part 3)

The third and final part of this rather wordy series is here. Featuring the remaining 8 League Two clubs (last but certainly not least): Dagenham & Redbridge, Accrington Stanley, Barnet, Hereford United, Cheltenham Town, Macclesfield Town, Burton Albion and Morecambe. Also, if you haven't already, don't forget to read parts 1 and 2.

2011-12 League Two Season Preview (Part 2)

Following on from part 1 published yesterday, here is part two of our League Two season preview, featuring Aldershot Town, Southend United, Plymouth Argyle, Port Vale, Shrewsbury Town, Rotherham United, Crewe Alexandra and Bradford City. If you haven't yet read part 1, featuring previews of Crawley, Northampton, Bristol Rovers, Torquay United, Swindon, Oxford, Gillingham and AFC Wimbledon you can do so here.

2011-12 League Two Season Preview (Part 1)

The new season will soon be upon us and so it's time to take a look at how clubs will be lining up in a few weeks time. Despite being something of a fallow period for us fans while no matches are being played, this period between the end of one season and the beginning of another can actually be an incredibly busy one for football clubs. Within the flurry of transfer activity around over the past weeks some clubs have been spending big whilst others are cutting back, some looking to make minor improvements while others rebuild from scratch, and while some clubs grab headlines others go about their business quietly. So who looks set to challenge and who is in for a season of struggle?

Two Legends, One Match

Here's one to bookmark for when you have two hours going spare. Local internet broadcasters OxBox TV have uploaded the benefit match for Joey Beauchamp and David Langan in its entirety, complete with interviews and commentary from Jack FM's Selfy. It's a marathon watch but a pretty fantastic effort and great coverage, worth watching for those who still need another football fix before the season starts; after all, you can only watch the playoff final DVD so many times in one summer!

In Profile: Summer Signings

Oxford have returned home from their tour of the States and begin their home friendlies on Saturday which, for many fans, will be the first opportunity to see the new signings in the flesh. Some of the new players will already be familiar to Oxford fans, others less so, but as we will be kicking off the new season with so many new faces in the squad, we thought it might be helpful to provide you with a brief introduction as well as a little information on our new recruits ahead of their debut appearances on Oxonian soil.

Tour Highlights

The US tour is now over and our hosts Seacoast United have kindly uploaded video highlights of all three of Oxford's matches to YouTube. I'm sure this is old news to some, but for the benefit of those who haven't yet had the chance to see any of the action from those matches you can now see all of them at the bottom of this page.

Some Concerns About Our Preseason Preparations

As a football club with a tendency to start the season in title-winning form only to suffer a catastrophic capitulation in the later stages (think 94/95, 03/04, 06/07, 09/10), it seems we are traditionally better prepared than most clubs at the start of the season – it's only later on that problems appear! However, this year I feel we may have made some mistakes which could later come back to haunt us.

TBFUTH's Guide to Oxford's American Tour

On July 11^th the players and staff of Oxford United will fly out to America for their preseason tour, to play two matches against the Seacoast United Phantoms of New Hampshire and one match against Mass United FC of Massachusetts. Both clubs play in the fourth tier of American 'soccer', but like most of us over here I knew nothing about the lower levels of football in America, so I decided to do a little digging to see if I could get a feel of what to expect when the yellows take to the (artificial) turf out in the US of A.

In Profile: David Langan

Following on from yesterday's article on Joey Beauchamp, we now turn our attention to David Langan, League Cup winner and now registered disabled, ahead of Friday's 'Two Legends, One Match' testimonial. David Langan played at the highest level with Oxford and was an important member of the squad throughout the club's finest hour, playing in the Milk Cup final. But since he left Oxford he has fallen on hard times. Football has taken a lot from David Langan and it's time for it to give him something back.

In Profile: Joey Beauchamp

Ahead of Friday's 'Two Legends, One Match' testimonial for Joey Beauchamp and David Langan we'll be taking a look at the careers of both players and examining their contribution to OUFC. First we'll look at Joey Beauchamp. A local boy come good he is a true Oxford United legend, though other events mean he may not be so popular with fans of either West Ham or Swindon! So is he a local hero or simply a mummy's boy?

Introducing...

Welcome to The Boys from Up the Hill, a brand new blog about all manner of aspects of Oxford United FC, which I hope will be interesting both to read and to write.

I hope to kick things off with a couple of posts about Joey Beauchamp and David Langan ahead of the 'Two Legends, One Match' testimonial and then maybe a guide to Oxford's USA tour and other preseason fun.

Those posts will be hopefully surface at some point over the next few days but in the meantime you can follow TBFUTH on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS and Atom feeds. If you're interested in writing an article for the blog or have something interesting to say you can get in contact by email at tbfuth@hotmail.co.uk.