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.