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The Manor Ground home of OXFORD UNITED FC
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Well Oxford were to have had only a few moths left at the Manor Ground before they moved to a new stadium: Minchley Farm. But it'll seems to have gone wrong and the ground isn't finished/paid off or as far as I know even being worked on! In the meantime as you would imagine not a great deal of money has been spent on the Manor Ground recently, and to be honest if you've actually been to the Manor Ground, you'd know it's hardly had any money spent on it ever. Hard to believe it's 10 years since Oxford played First (i.e. Top) Division football here, they certainly wouldn't get away with playing the top teams each week here.
Where to start!? It isn't even a one-stand stadium. There is a "main stand", along most of one touchline, a particularly tatty looking large shed type of effor, enhanced in stature by a wonderful piece of classic open terracing that sits alongside it. On the opposite side of the ground, is a hotch potch of enclosure. From the home end to the half-way line there's a very small covered area of terracing, it would look excellent at a non-league ground! Next to this are not one but two seated stand! Both quite similar, about forty seats wide and 15 seats deep, again poor but functional! Finally, to the two ends. First the home end, the magnificence which is the London Road End, actually this isn't bad, fully covered, and maybe twenty metres deep with neat yellow painted terracing, usually well populated with Oxford fans. At the opposite end, is an open terrace for away fans, really quite terrible facilities, and there's this strange building above it which looks like it used to be a cricket scoreboard. Actually there are two more minute little stands for seats in the corner, but they're barely worth mentioning and let's face it I'm going to have to write something new for the new ground in a few months anyway!
Overall? Character, well yes sort of, mainly in the disbelief that the Manor Ground hosted top division football. Definitely a ground in need of drastic improvement or perhaps even better - replacement. At least it shows the ambition of Oxford.
Easy! Get on the M40 and head for Oxford, and then for Headdington which is East of Oxford, the ground is quite easy to find on a match day. Big problem car parking near the grund due to restrictions, but easy enough to park a mile or so away.
Er...Minchley Farm? No, really the number of different stands has to be seen at the Manor Ground.
Well I went to a "derby"against Reading andthe atmosphere was dire, but they are particularly non-keen on Swindon so try that game.
1996/7: Not cheap at all - 9 quid to stand on an open terrace for example.
Page last updated: 14th August 1997 Any comments, errors, get in touch: Andrew Thomas.