A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Oxford United is an English professional association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. They play in The Championship, the second level of the English football league system, as of the 2024–25 season. The club was formed in 1893 as Headington United,[1] before changing its name (to Oxford United) in 1960,[2] and has played home matches at two stadiums throughout its history, the Manor Ground until 2001, and the Kassam Stadium since. In 1986 they won their only major trophy, the League Cup. The club joined the Oxfordshire Senior League in 1921, before joining the Spartan League in 1947.[3][4] Two years later the club moved to the Southern League, before being elected to the Football League in 1962.[5] Oxford spent three years in the First Division between August 1985 and May 1988. At the end of the 2005–06 season, after 44 years in the League, United were relegated to the Football Conference. They returned to the League after winning the Conference National Play-off Final in 2010.[6]
The record for most games played for the club is held by Ron Atkinson, who made 560 appearances between 1959 and 1971. John Shuker holds the record for the most appearances since they joined the Football League. Graham Atkinson is the club's record goalscorer, scoring 107 goals including 97 in the league. Jim Magilton holds the record for the most international caps gained as an Oxford player, having made 18 appearances for Northern Ireland. The highest transfer fee ever paid by the club is the £470,000 paid to Aberdeen for Dean Windass in 1998, though it has been reported that the undisclosed fee paid for Marvin Johnson in 2016 exceeded this amount,[7] and the highest fee received is the estimated £3,000,000 paid by Leeds United for Kemar Roofe in 2016. The highest attendance recorded at the Manor Ground was 22,750 for the visit of Preston North End in the FA Cup, while the highest attendance at the Kassam is 12,243 against Leyton Orient.
Honours and achievements
Oxford United's only major honour in English football is the League Cup, which the club won in the 1985–86 season, defeating Queen's Park Rangers in the final 3–0.[8] The club has also won the Third Division championship twice and the Second Division championship once.[9] The latter Third Division, Second Division and League Cup victories all occurred within the space of two years. United also achieved promotion from the Fourth Division after the 1964–65 season. Oxford's highest top-flight finish is eighteenth, which was achieved twice in two years, starting in 1986.[9] The most recent promotion occurred after the 2009–10 season, when they beat York City 3–1 in the Conference National play-off final.[10]
Oxford's best performance in the FA Cup involved reaching the quarter-finals against Preston North End in the 1963–64 season. In doing so, they became the first team to reach that stage from the Fourth Division.[11] Before the club were admitted to the Football League in 1962, they won the Southern Football League championship on three occasions, the final win occurring the season before election into the Fourth Division, and finished runner-up twice.[9] They also won the Southern League Cup twice.
The Football League
- Before the Premier League
- Second Division (level 2): Champions 1984–85[12]
- Third Division (level 3): Champions 1967–68, 1983–84[12]
- Fourth Division (level 4): Promoted (3rd) 1964–65[2]
- After the formation of the Premier League
- Division Two (level 3): Runners-up 1995–96[13]
- League Two (level 4): Runners-up 2015–16[14]
Other honours
- Southern League
- Premier Division: Champions 1952–53, 1960–61, 1961–62[9]
- Premier Division: Runners-up 1953–54, 1959–60[15]
- Southern League Cup
- Football Conference
- Conference National Play-off winners: 2009–10[10]
National cup competitions
Player records
Age
- Youngest first-team player: Leo Snowden, 15 years, 157 days (against Chelsea U21, 7 November 2023).[16]
- Oldest first-team player: Alan Judge, 44 years, 176 days (against Southend United, 6 November 2004).[14]
Appearances
Appearances are for matches in the Football League, Conference National, Southern League, FA Cup, Football League Cup, Football League Trophy, Football League Group Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Full Members Cup, FA Trophy and Southern League Cup. Substitute appearances are included in brackets. Statistics correct as of 8 March 2021.
| # | Name | Position | Years | Leaguea | FA Cup | League Cupb | Otherc | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ron Atkinson | Midfielder | 1959–1971 | 508 (1) | 33 (0) | 18 (0) | 0 (0) | 559 (1) | [17] |
| 2 | John Shuker | Forward | 1962–1977 | 473 (5) | 29 (0) | 24 (0) | 3 (0) | 529 (5) | [18] |
| 3 | Gary Briggs | Defender | 1978–1989 | 418 (2) | 24 (0) | 50 (0) | 14 (0) | 506 (2) | [19] |
| 4 | Colin Clarke | Defender | 1966–1978 | 443 (1) | 23 (0) | 27 (0) | 3 (0) | 496 (1) | [20] |
| 5 | Cyril Beavon | Defender | 1959–1969 | 416 (2) | 27 (1) | 18 (0) | 0 (0) | 461 (3) | [21] |
| 6 | Les Robinson | Defender | 1990–2000 | 380 (5) | 22 (0) | 36 (0) | 16 (0) | 454 (5) | [22] |
| 7 | Maurice Kyle | Defender | 1959–1969 | 403 (0) | 26 (0) | 19 (0) | 0 (0) | 448 (0) | [23] |
| 8 | Roy Burton | Goalkeeper | 1971–1982 | 395 (0) | 16 (0) | 28 (0) | 8 (0) | 447 (0) | [24] |
| 9 | Joey Beauchamp | Midfielder | 1989–1994 1995–2002 |
321 (41) | 21 (3) | 26 (3) | 9 (5) | 377 (52) | [21] |
| 10 | Graham Atkinson | Forward | 1959–1974 | 357 (4) | 19 (0) | 17 (0) | 1 (0) | 394 (4) | [25] |
- a. Includes Football League, Conference National and Southern Football League.
- b. Includes Football League Cup and Southern League Cup.
- c. Includes Football League Trophy, Football League Group Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Full Members Cup and FA Trophy.
Goalscorers
- Most goals in a season: Bud Houghton, 43 goals (including 39 Southern League goals) in the 1961–62 season.[26][27]
- Most goals in a season during Football League membership: John Aldridge, 34 goals (including 30 League goals) in the 1984–85 season.[26]
- Most Football League goals in a season: John Aldridge, 30 goals in Division Two in the 1984–85 season.[28]
- Most goals in a Southern League match:
- 5, Bud Houghton (against Boston United, 12 April 1961).[29]
- 5, Tony Jones (against Wisbech Town, 10 December 1960).[29]
- Most goals in a Football League match: 4 goals, achieved by 6 players.[29]
Top goalscorers
Goals are for matches in the Football League, Conference National, Southern League, FA Cup, Football League Cup, Football League Trophy, Football League Group Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Full Members Cup, FA Trophy, Conference League Cup and Southern League Cup. Appearances are included in brackets. Players in bold are current players. Statistics correct as of 23 May 2024.
| # | Name | Position | Years | Leaguea | FA Cup | League Cupb | Otherc | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graham Atkinson | Forward | 1959–1974 | 97 (361) | 7 (19) | 3 (17) | 0 (1) | 107 (398) | [25] |
| 2 | James Constable | Forward | 2008–2014 | 90 (246) | 7 (15) | 2 (6) | 7 (13) | 106 (280) | [30] |
| 3 | Tony Jones | Midfielder | 1959–1967 | 89 (318) | 9 (24) | 2 (14) | 0 (0) | 100 (356) | [31] |
| 4 | John Aldridged | Forward | 1984–1987 | 72 (114) | 2 (5) | 14 (17) | 2 (5) | 90 (141) | [32] |
| 5 | Peter Foley | Forward | 1975–1983 | 71 (277) | 9 (13) | 8 (27) | 2 (14) | 90 (321) | [33] |
| 6 | Joey Beauchamp | Midfielder | 1989–1994 1995–2002 |
64 (362) | 4 (24) | 10 (29) | 0 (14) | 78 (429) | [21] |
| 7 | Bud Houghtond | Forward | 1961–1963 | 69 (106) | 5 (5) | 1 (3) | 0 (0) | 75 (114) | [34] |
| 8 | Paul Moody | Forward | 1994–1997 2001–2002 |
63 (171) | 5 (9) | 4 (14) | 3 (3) | 75 (197) | [35] |
| 9 | Matty Taylor | Forward | 2007–2009 2019–2023 |
54 (123) | 4 (10) | 2 (5) | 4 (11) | 64 (138) | [36] |
| 10 | James Henry | Midfielder | 2017–2024 | 51 (218) | 3 (11) | 1 (9) | 3 (21) | 58 (259) | [37] |
- a. Includes Football League, Conference National and Southern Football League.
- b. Includes Football League Cup and Southern League Cup.
- c. Includes Conference play-off, Football League Trophy, Football League Group Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Full Members Cup, FA Trophy and Conference League Cup.
- d. Where two players scored the same number of goals, the player with the fewer appearances is listed first.
International caps
- First capped player: David Sloan, for Northern Ireland on 10 September 1968 against Israel.[38]
- Most international caps while an Oxford player: Jim Magilton, 18 for Northern Ireland[39]
