The full five minutes of stoppage time had almost passed when Oxford United were given one last chance against Ipswich Town on Saturday. Many of the Oxford fans had already left the Kassam Stadium with their side trailing 1-0 when they were awarded a corner. Then came an inch-perfect delivery from Herbie Kane and a header from the centre back Luke McNally to claim an unlikely draw.
It is not the first time Oxford have tested their fans’ heart rates this season. Only Liverpool and Fulham have scored more than their 74 goals across the top four divisions of English football, but their 49 goals conceded points to their shaky defence. Their boom-or-bust approach is perhaps part of the reason they find themselves in fifth, in the Sky Bet League One play-off spots, rather than vying for the automatic promotion places.
Karl Robinson, the outspoken former Milton Keynes Dons manager, has moulded a team in his image and has taken Oxford to the play-offs in his two full seasons in charge.
In 2020 they finished fourth on a points-per-game basis but lost to Wycombe Wanderers in the final, while last year they finished sixth before falling in the semi-finals against Blackpool.
“If you go back to the Eighties, we had a really attacking side under Jim Smith. I’m not saying we’re as good as that side, but there’s certainly that attacking intent — we’ll go for it, and that’s great to watch,” Simon Hathaway, host of the Oxford podcast The Fence End Pod, said.
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That period in the Eighties remains the most successful in Oxford’s history. They won back-to-back league titles in the Third and Second Divisions under the inspirational Smith to reach the top flight for the only time in their history. Smith left, but Oxford spent three seasons punching above their weight in the old First Division and lifted the League Cup in 1986 — the club’s only significant trophy.
Memories of Oxford’s three- year spell in the First Division and that day at Wembley are tempered by the fact they came under Robert Maxwell’s ownership. The controversial newspaper tycoon took over the club in 1982 and was in charge as they rose up the divisions, but he was also the man who proposed a club merger with Reading.
Far more damaging for Oxford was the financial fallout after Maxwell’s death in 1991. Debts were called in as Maxwell’s estate collapsed and the club’s future was plunged into uncertainty. On the pitch, Oxford were relegated from the second tier in 1999 and in 2006 they dropped out of the Football League altogether.
It is no surprise, then, that many Oxford fans are hoping for a more sustainable rise this time around. “It was an amazing time,” Paul Peros, the chairman of the Oxford United Supporters’ Trust OxVox, said of the club’s success during the Eighties, “but having been through that, having seen the repercussions, the issues and where it came from, it does 100 per cent give you an appreciation for what a strong, slow build-up has done.”
Their biggest priority is finding a new ground: the three-sided Kassam Stadium belongs to their former owner, Firoz Kassam, and has never truly felt like home. Oxford’s lease on the stadium expires in 2026, and last week the council agreed to continue discussions about building a new ground at Stratfield Brake, on the outskirts of the city. Fans have also warmed to their Indonesian investors, who last year made an offer to take full control of the club, which is still pending.
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Robinson’s team were largely dominated on Saturday by a slick-passing Ipswich side led by Kieran McKenna, the former Manchester United assistant. The Northern Irishman is forging his own path as a manager, going ten games unbeaten.
By contrast, the 41-year-old Robinson’s reputation is well established. After two play-off near-misses with Oxford, he will hope it is a case of third time lucky as his side look to reach the second tier for the first time in 23 years. “We’re in the mix again against all the odds — and that’s the pleasing thing,” Robinson said.
