Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United F.C. is an English football team currently playing in Football League Two.
The club is owned by chairman Firoz Kassam and the team managed by Graham Rix. Its home ground is the Kassam Stadium in Oxford with a capacity of 12,500.
History of the Club
The club was formed in 1893 as Headington United with its home ground at The Manor in Headington, and played most of its football in the Spartan League. In 1949 the club was elected to the Southern League and became professional. In 1960 the name of the club was changed to Oxford United in a move to appeal to the city as a whole.
The club was elected to the Fourth Division of the football league in 1962, following the demise of Accrington Stanley F.C.. It gained promotion to the Third Division in 1963-4, the 2nd Division as Champions in 1967-68, then (for the first time in club history) relegated after eight consecutive seasons.
In 1982 the millionaire publisher Robert Maxwell saved the club from bankruptcy. This led to a sustained period of success under the guidance of Jim Smith, in which the club was succesively promoted to the then Division One. This included the feat of winning two consecutive Championships (Division Three and Division Two). It was to stay in Division One for three seasons which included winning the Milk Cup (League Cup) in 1986.
The team was relegated in 1988, and with the death of chairman Robert Maxwell it faced an uncertain future. In 1992 the Club was purchased from Maxwell's administrators by Robin Heard of Biomass Recycling. It was relegated to Division Two in the season of 1993-4, but was promoted back to Division One in the season of 1995-6.
The history of the Club was then dominated by financial problems and plans to move to a new ground, and was relegated back to Division Two at the end of the 1998-9 season.
In 1999 Firoz Kassam bought Oxford United F.C. for £1m, also taking over its debts and the newly-commissioned stadium which had ceased building. Oxford United was relegated to the Third Division (now Football League Two) at the end of the 2000-1 season. Firoz Kassam managed to stabilize the Club's financial situation, restarting work on the new Stadium and leisure complex at Minchery Farm. On 18 August 2001 the team played its first match at its new home ground, now called the Kassam Stadium.
Honours
- League Titles - Div. 2: Champions 1984-5, Runners Up 1995-6; Div. 3: Champions 1967-8, 1983-4; Div. 4: Promoted (4th) 1964-5
- FA Cup - Best season: 6th round, 1964 (A Shared record for a 4th Division club).
- League Cup - Winners 1986.
