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The original 12th Man purchase, Jamie Cook, has left the club by mutual consent.

Cook re-joined United from Crawley at the beginning of last season, the purchase funded by the fans 12th Man fund. He scored an amazing goal against Luton in his 2nd home debut, but generally failed to have an impact in Chris Wilder’s team. Read the rest of this entry »

Oxford United lost 0-1 at Stevenage last night to pretty much put paid to our championship ambitions for the season.

On a wet and windy night, with perhaps the worst pitch played on this season, United played with no composure and little thought. The ball was treated like a hot potato and quality was sadly missing. Stevenage frankly weren’t that much better, but at least did show some movement off the ball, which gave them attacking options. The only goal of the game was a penalty 5 minutes into the second half, Clist bringing down Beardsley, Laird sending Clarke the wrong way from the spot.

I think the fact that our man-of-the-match for the second game running, maybe even third game, was Jake Wright says a lot about us as an attacking force as we approach Easter.

Thanks to the incompetent wonders of the Conference, Oxford United have had another free weekend. Last week was entirely understandable, but there are no excuses for this week. This league must be the only one that writes it’s fixtures up on the back of a fag packet – mind you, given they showed similar Luddite tenancies last year with the lack of a computerised registration checking system. We need to get out of this league….

On Wednesday United went to Court Place Farm to take on Oxford City in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup semi-final. Ash Cain and Jamie Cook netted for United in a 2-1 win. The game most notable for the return of Adam Murray after his back injury. Banbury play North Leigh in the other semi-final a week on Tuesday.

Using the ‘emergency’ loan system United have brought in a new central midfielder to replace a slightly chubby outgoing one. Lee Fowler moved on after his short spell with U’s – never fit enough to really challenge for a place. In his place came Aldershot’s Lewis Chalmers on loan until the end of the season. Lewis was a part of Aldershot’s Conference championship winning team.

United have announced a early-renewal scheme for season ticket holders. Remarkably United haven’t done this before (not within memory anyway), and is a good sign of the thinking of the leadership of the club now. ST holders will be able to renew their tickets for the same price as this season if they do so by 6th April.

Thinking of tickets, Stevenage have bizarrely not made our trip to the Lame X ‘Stadium’ all-ticket. U’s fans will apparently only have 1400 places in the away stand, and the only advance tickets will be sold via a premium-rate phone number incurring around £4 charges for a ticket. Don’t they remember the chaos last year (which wasn’t a top of the table clash)??

U's Fans Queuing at Stevenage

The queue continues...

U’s fans were left queuing the full length of the ground, through the underpass and out on the other side of the dual carriageway. Having filled the away end, home fans were cleared out of a quarter of their main stand to get more in, even then there was a number of U’s fans in the home terraces. That was when we weren’t getting to the play-offs. This time we are going for the title, and this is a top of the table clash. We sold out 1500 tickets for Luton on a Tuesday evening (with the accompanying threat of violence). I suppose we will be blamed when the likely chaos ensues….

So, now onto two home games in 4 days. Hayes & Yeading on Tuesday, followed by Kettering on Saturday. Stevenage, a point behind having played a game more play Barrow on Tuesday before playing in the FA Trophy at the weekend.