PREVIEW Oxford United v Blackpool

A full guide to Family Day at the Kassam Stadium

20 October 2023

Oxford United welcome Blackpool to the Kassam Stadium on Saturday in Sky Bet League 1 (3pm)

It's Family Day and a big crowd is expected to see the U's take on the Tangerines, a side chasing them at the top of the table.

TEAM NEWS
James Beadle, Fin Stevens and Greg Leigh all returned safely from international duty and are available as the U's look to extend a five game winning run in the league

Oisin Smyth misses out through suspension, a second yellow card against Bristol Rovers meaning he misses one game, but Stan Mills is available after a successful appeal against his red card in the same game and Alex Gorrin may be involved in the squad after signing a new deal this morning.

"We've trained well this week and will be ready" Liam Manning told iFollow, although illness and injury have slightly disrupted his plans. "It's typical that you have two weeks to plan but then get one or two knocks and pains and then a couple of people start feeling ill. We'll keep them away from the group and then see how everyone is closer to the game but we do know we have depth and we have players ready to step in and take their chance if they get one.

"It will be a tough game again. Blackpool have only just dropped down from the Championship and are a very strong side but we will do our homework and we are really looking forward to it."

See the full interview with Liam, and the thoughts of Greg Leigh and Mark Harris in iFollow now.

THE OPPOSITION
Blackpool Boss Neil Critchley is looking for his side to make it three wins in a row as the clubs meet for the first time since the Play-Off semi-final in 2021.

"I think it will be a really good game, if you look at how Oxford play, they are in a really good moment. They've got good players all over the pitch with some experience, athleticism in the right areas of the pitch and technical quality.

"They're winning games and they're at home so it breeds confidence, but we've been to Barnsley and won, we should've won at Charlton and we've been to Derby and won in the cup, so we've proven against the big clubs we can go there and win. We know we'll have to play well but we're in decent form ourselves.

"We've only lost once in our last six games and we're growing and improving. This is another chance for us to go and be us and do everything we can to impose our game and our style of game against a really good team."

Former U's forward Kyle Joseph misses out through an injury that has limited him to just one appearance so far this season

FAMILY DAY
It's Family Day with a host of activities all around the ground. The family-friendly activities, held mainly outside the South Stand, will kick off from 12pm to 2:30pm, and will give supporters plenty to enjoy before the football.

Season Ticket Holders can purchase a guest ticket HALF PRICE when booking in advance. Call the Ticket Office on 01865 337533 to take advantage of this offer.

Fans can expect all these fantastic activities:

Meet our mascots Olly and Olivia
Coaching demos from the top class Oxford United in the Community team
FREE Facepainting (Yellow and Blue of course!)
Gaming Parties Gaming Van
World Championship freestyler Luca Placintino showcasing his amazing skills
Smash Padel will be hosting lots of fun games for supporters to take part in
Escape Hunt Oxford will be testing supporters' cognitive skills with a mini escape
Fun photo opportunities with Oxford New Theatre
Partyman World, Oxford in attendance

Tickets are available now from

oufctickets.co.uk
By calling 01865 337533
In person from the Kassam Stadium Ticket Office on matchday

PARKING AND ACCESS

There are around 2,000 free parking spaces at the stadium but we ask everyone to arrive early and park legally.

The gate behind the Planet IT North Stand will initially be open so pedestrians can move from one end of the ground to the other behind that stand.

MATCH GUIDES

FAMILY GUIDE
Click here to download a full guide to bringing your family to games at the Kassam Stadium: FamilyGuide 23 24.pdf

VISITING FANS

You can download a full guide to visiting the Kassam Stadium here: Away Supporters Guide 23 24.pdf

Please park in the West Car Park - the one closest to the cinema and bowling complex at the fence end of the ground.

DISABLED SUPPORTERS

You can download a full guide to visiting the Kassam Stadium here: Disabled Supporters Guide 23 24.pdf

The Programme

Women Travel to London Bees

Under 18s Welcome Coventry City

CLUB SHOP

The Club Shop has stock of all three new kits plus a huge range of leisure and training wear. Make sure you call in before the game, or take a look online HERE

GETTING HERE
The Football Special bus services, including the Didcot/Abingdon service, offer easy and affordable transport to home games and are part of the government's £2 for a ticket scheme.

A full guide to getting to games is available HERE.

POLYTHENE UK FIFTY/50
Our Polythene UK Fifty/50 tickets are available all around the ground and offer a great chance to win cash at half time.

COVERAGE
The game is available to watch overseas or hear in the UK in iFollow.

You can also follow the whole game on Twitter through @OUFCOfficial and we will have a full match report and Gallery right here on the final whistle.

Match Reports

REPORT Oxford United 1 Blackpool 1

U's have to settle for a draw against the Seasiders. Full time report

21 October 2023

An extra time header from Jordan Rhodes cancelled out a Greg Leigh goal at the Kassam Stadium this afternoon as the U's had to settle for a first draw of the season.

Leigh's first half goal, finishing off a magnificent passing move, looked enough to win it for United, but Blackpool hit back and Rhodes, whose first senior goal came as a loanee at the U's, nodded them level in the 93rd minute of a fiercely competitive game.

With Josh McEachran settling in seamlessly in place of the ill Cameron Brannagan, United started strongly but found Blackpool hard to break down until Leigh's incredible start to his Oxford career continued with his fifth goal in eight games.

Fresh back from two games with Jamaica, Leigh was constantly the danger man despite nominally being at left-back in a four-man defence. He popped up on the wrong flank to head a deep cross into the waiting gloves of keeper Dan Grimshaw after half an hour with the first chance of the afternoon, and six minutes later crashed home his fifth goal of the season to put United in front.

Watch it back; the passing and movement were mesmeric as Ruben Rodrigues knitted together a series of one-twos down the left. The team then moved the ball sweetly across the face of the box and when Marcus McGuane spread the ball to Stan Mills he clipped in a cross for Leigh, who had ghosted through a static Blackpool defence to joyously thump the ball past the exposed Grimshaw. Leighthal.

A goal down, the visitors needed to raise their game after the break and they became more of a threat as the game wore on.

Sonny Carey lobbed a half chance into James Beadle's arms when he might have done better with their first clear opening of the match, Shayne Lavery planted a similar chance over the bar after 66 minutes, and James Husband steered a header wide on 70 as their ambitions grew.

It wasn't one-way traffic but United were becoming stretched. Carey lobbed a chance over and Rhodes was denied by an outstanding save from Beadle, but three minutes into added time Rhodes dived to glance the ball home and United were forced to settle for their first draw of the campaign

A good game of football between two good sides. You cannot win every game and United will now look to get back to winning ways when they get on the road to Wigan on Tuesday.

Att: 9,417

Away: 781

Polythene UK Fifty/50 winning number 97163 wins £1001

Report by Chris Williams, pictures JasonPIx, Rex Shutterstock, Steve Daniels, Steve Edmunds and Darrell Fisher.

Stats by OPTA