It
has certainly been a memorable season, if not necessarily a
successful one. The end of the season, whether successful or not, is
always a time to reflect on the events of the previous 12 months and
we're now in full swing here on TBFUTH. We asked for your votes and
we got them, so here are the people and the events that defined the
2011/12 season, as voted for by you.
Player
of the Season
Winner:
Ryan Clarke
Percentage
of Vote: 50%
Ryan Clarke is the
winner of this year's TBFUTH Player of the Season Award with
50% of the vote; confirmation, if any were needed, of his continued
popularity with the fans. When added to his Players'
Player of the Year award from the club, it demonstrates what a
fantastic season he has had once again. An almost ever-present
between the sticks for three years now, Clarke has frequently been
the difference between victory and defeat, pulling off a host of
incredible saves at important times. And that's without even
mentioning his unbelievable
penalty record. The position of goalkeeper is one of the most
unappreciated, but also one of the most important positions on the
field – something we were painfully reminded of at the end of this
season with Clarke's injury. To have such a solid and reliable keeper
in the squad is a major advantage and it is great to see that Oxford
fans do not take this fact for granted.
Goal
of the Season
Winner:
Peter Leven v Port Vale (29/10/11)
Percentage
of Vote: 89%
There
was only ever going to be one winner of this category. With almost
90% of the vote, Peter
Leven's glorious strike from the half-way line is the runaway winner
of our TBFUTH Goal of the
Season Award. This isn't
the first award Leven's piece of genius has been nominated for,
making it onto the shortlist of the Football League's Goal
of the Year competition. Named by many as one of the greatest
goals ever scored by an Oxford United player, this goal was nigh
on perfect in every way. It came at the perfect time, just two
minutes after Vale had pulled level, their fans attempting to rush
onto our pitch while celebrating. Aesthetically, it was perfect,
hanging in the air for what felt like an eternity, looking destined
to sail over the bar before slowly – ever so slowly – dropping
into the net. And it was celebrated perfectly, sparking pandemonium
in the stands from fans who couldn't quite believe what they had just
seen. In fact, it was so perfect, it's worth watching again.
Most
Inspired Signing
Winner:
Andy Whing
Percentage
of Vote: 65%
“What
people will find is that I never give up”. Those were the words
of Andy Whing when he signed for the club last
summer, and his efforts this season have proven them to be
correct. We have already waxed
lyrical about Whing's gritty performances this season, but of
course it goes without saying that he has done a fantastic job this
season in rather difficult circumstances, and his hard-hitting
displays in the middle of the park have often been the only thing
that has prevented us from being totally overwhelmed in midfield. And
it is to Chris Wilder's credit that he recognised that we needed a
player to fill this role. Not only that, but to pluck him from a
higher-placed club in Leyton Orient (who had already offered him a
contract extension) was excellent work in the transfer market. The
combination of these two factors make the signing of Andy Whing our
TBFUTH Most Inspired
Signing Award, with 65%
of the vote.
Worst
Signing
Winner:
Deane Smalley
Percentage
of Vote: 70%
While
we celebrate the good we should also acknowledge the bad, and one
particularly poor bit of business has hung over Chris Wilder's head
all season. Smalley's signing was heralded as a major coup for the
club, who beat off competition from League Two champions Chesterfield
for his signature – where he had impressed the season before.
However, his good form at Chesterfield served only to disguise what
had been an otherwise mediocre career with a meagre scoring record.
Upon his arrival he was announced as the player to score the extra
'ten
or 15 goals' that would be required to win us promotion. He
managed two (and only one of these came in the league), before being
shipped off on loan to Bradford, where he also failed to make an
impression. Two other factors have also exacerbated things: first is
that we paid a fee for Smalley, and second is that he'll be here
(quite probably drawing a large wage) for another year. We can only
hope that next season, when the weight of expectation will be less
heavy on his shoulders, Smalley will demonstrate the quality that he
surely has somewhere in there. Until then, however, he will have the
dubious honour of winning the TBFUTH
Worst Signing Award, with
70%
of the vote.
Best
Loanee
Winner:
Robbie Hall
Percentage
of Vote: 72%
Of
all the many loan players to pull on the yellow shirt this season
(and there have been plenty), one clearly stood out above the rest:
Aylesbury-born Rob Hall. Those who had questioned the wisdom of
signing an untried youngster who had yet to play a senior game of
football were silenced early on, as Hall scored
on his debut to bring victory in Dagenham. Over the following
three months, he firmly established himself as a fan favourite (no
mean feat for a loanee) with his standout performances, as well as
his evident passion and dedication (again, uncommon for a loanee).
Alas, as with all good things his loan spell had to come to an end
and after he returned to West Ham he left a big hole behind him and a
team that had come to rely
on the teenager's magic feet. Undoubtedly Hall will have a big career
ahead of him and he has started with style, as TBFUTH
Best Loanee Award winner.
Worst
Loanee
Winner:
Danny Philliskirk
Percentage
of Vote: 43%
This season has seen a
string of loan players come through the doors of the Kassam Stadium,
and while some of those have been successful, others have proven to
be total disasters. Chief among that latter category is Danny
Philliskirk, who arrived at the club in October, made a grand total
of four appearances (two of which were from the bench) and appearing
to put in minimal effort during his brief stay. He was dropped after
the appalling display away at Crawley, a match in which he made no
positive contribution and was hauled off after half an hour. The most
frustrating aspect was that we'd seen it all before. Philliskirk had
already had a brief and unimpressive spell at Oxford last season,
making just one appearance before being shut out of the side and sent
back to his parent club. So unnecessary and such a waste, and it is
for those reasons that Danny Philliskirk receives the TBFUTH Worst
Loanee Award, beating off stiff competition from the unpopular
Mehdi Kerrouche.
Best
Team Performance
Winner:
Swindon Home
(03/03/12)
Percentage
of Vote: 88%
After
losing James Constable with just ten minutes on the clock no one
thought we were going to win this one. Swindon arrived at the Kassam
unbeaten in 2012, on a run of 10 wins on the bounce and eager for
revenge.
Sometimes, however, football is capable of producing some fantastic
surprises. United took the lead after 16 minutes when Asa Hall
latched onto a cross and then doubled it moments after when Oli
Johnson got on the end of a ball from Lee Holmes. Even 2-0 up at half
time, few allowed themselves to believe that we would be able to hold
them off for another 45 minutes. However, every Swindon attack was
met with dogged resistance as the yellows defended like the Alamo
and, just as they had at Swindon earlier in the season, somehow kept
the ball from the net. It was a determined performance, with the
players holding their nerve despite the immense pressure on them.
Given the lethargic – almost apathetic – ending to the season,
the steely determination shown that day now seems to be held in even
higher regard, winning our TBFUTH
Best Team Performance Award
with a remarkable 88%
of the vote.
Worst
Team Performance
Winner:
Morecambe Home (31/03/12)
Percentage
of Vote: 52%
Given
subsequent events, the Morecambe game was the beginning of the end of
our playoff hopes. However, at the time it was a surprisingly poor
performance at a bad time in the season. Just a poor performance,
nothing to worry about, everyone has those days once in a while.
Except, of course, that this match would go on to set the tone for
that disastrous run of results that saw us take a meagre three points
from a possible 21 to end the season out of the playoffs in ninth
position. The match did not start well, and Morecambe took the lead
after just three minutes when the Oxford defence failed to deal with
a simple ball into the box. An equaliser from Scott Rendell just
minutes later appeared to set things back on track, but United never
got going, appearing tediously slow and lethargic and it soon became
apparent that we were not going to find a winning goal. To make
matters worse, Morecambe retook the lead on 74 minutes and that was
it: game over. The performance itself was bad enough, but the fact
that it heralded further poor performances which ultimately cost us a
shot at promotion earn this dreadful display our TBFUTH Worst Team
Performance Award.
Best
Moment
Winner:
The final whistle at home to Swindon
Percentage
of Vote: 59%
The
TBFUTH Best Moment Award was always something of a foregone
conclusion. It was a magical moment and ensured that this season will
be remembered fondly despite the bad ending. When the referee finally
called time on the A420 derby, it was met with initial relief,
quickly being replaced by jubilation as it sunk in that we had
finally done the double over Swindon for the first time in 38 years.
Supporters who had waited their entire lives to witness this finally
had a reason to gloat to Swindon-supporting friends, neighbours and
work colleagues. And that it was achieved in such dramatic
circumstances only heightened those feelings, that many Swindon fans
had already begun crowing of their victory ahead of the match made it
all the sweeter when that final whistle blew.
Worst
Moment
Winner:
Losing our playoff place after Plymouth
Percentage
of Vote: 52%
From
the start of the season in August right until the final kick in May
the entire season is focused towards one goal. For it to then slip
away with just two weeks remaining is soul-destroying and the obvious
choice for our TBFUTH Worst Moment Award. We travelled to Home
Park on a poor run of form, but still clinging onto that final
playoff place on goal difference. Though Plymouth had struggled all
season, they had begun to pull themselves away from danger and could
secure their safety in this match. They did this with a 1-1 draw and
as the Plymouth fans celebrated their survival on the pitch, the news
from around the country began to filter in. We were out of the
playoffs, and with just two matches to go against Southend and Port
Vale, and with Crewe building up a real head of steam, our fate was
no longer in our hands and our playoff aspirations were slipping
away.
Clown
of the Season
Winner:
Paolo Di Canio
Percentage
of Vote: 66%
Where
to begin with this one. Firstly, congratulations to Paolo
Di Canio: you've won the TBFUTH Clown of the Season Award.
No one involved with that lot up the road was ever going to be
popular in Oxford, but Di Canio has become a particularly reviled
figure and the reasons are numerous. Perhaps it was the sheer
desperation of the move, a cry for media
attention from a club that had been relegated with the faintest
of whimpers. Then there was the ensuing media circus that followed
his arrival, with national media outlets queuing up to sing the man's
praises before his team has even kicked a ball, not to mention Di
Canio's own frequent and barely coherent nonsensical soundbites. Di
Canio's antics surrounding our trip to the County Ground added
further fuel to the flame, one minute comparing the match to the Word
Cup final, then accusing Constable of being a Swindon
fan, before being embarrassingly forced to eat
his words after the match. The poor grace with which he accepted
his defeat – being sent to the stands, then allegedly making
cut-throat gestures at the Oxford directors, and then 'promising'
revenge – have only emphasised his pantomime villain reputation.
And that's barely scratching the surface; we haven't even mentioned
his well-publicised fascism and alleged racism
yet.
Best
Opposition Goal
Winner:
Ryan Hall, Southend (05/11/11)
Percentage
of Vote: 41%
Having
absolutely dominated the match away at Southend, it was so
disappointing to come away with nothing. However, if we had to lose,
it was at least to a stunning goal. Southend won the ball in
midfield, which was then played forward to Ryan Hall, who found
himself in acres of space 25 yards from goal. He then unleashed an
incredible strike with the outside of his boot which curled past the
helpless Clarke and into the back of the net. We have unfortunately
witnessed quite a few wondergoals go against us, but this was the
deserving winner of our TBFUTH Best Opposition Goal Award.
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