The Kassam

3238 days ago

The Magic of the FA Cup: Oxford puts Swansea to the sword

Oxford is the City of my birth and although I hate the place with a passion I've had a soft spot for Oxford United since seeing the team play, with my soccer mad daughter a year or so ago. And today at the Kassam, Oxford showed what the FA Cup is all about.

The home side are currently third - so in an automatic play-off spot - in the bottom flight: League two. They are "in form". The visitors in the 3rd Round of the Cup were Premiership Swansea who are not in form and are among the four or five sides battling to avoid going down with Aston Villa who appear to be dead in the water. Right now the Swans are just above the relegation zone but you would not bet the ranch on them surviving.

And so perhaps Swansea saved a few players for more important league battles

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3497 days ago

Come on You Yellows – Watching Oxford United at the Kassam

Please do not get me wrong. I still support West Ham. It is West Ham till I die. But…I really enjoyed an afternoon at the Kassam yesterday as the mighty Yellows (Oxford United) beat Cambridge United two nil in a League Two encounter. To be honest it could have been 5-2 but Oxford were clearly the better - of two not very good - sides.

It was the first time I’ve seen Oxford play and it was a family day out. The stadium has only three sides so behind one goal is a wall. Occasionally the ball was hoofed over it and a lad was sent out into the car park to chase it. We sat behind the other goal with the loudest section of the 5,900 crowd and it was a great (and cheap) day.

The referee really did not know what he was doing. For once, the chant was spot on. But then nor did quite a few of the players. In the Premier League

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