We asked the Oxford United fans to get behind the team last Saturday when we took on Sunderland, and you responded magnificently.
The first crowd of over 10,000 for a league game in three years saw United fight back to draw 1-1 with the Black Cats, and Chairman Tiger called us this morning to pass on a thank you to the fans.
“It was a great day” he told us “and the fans were amazing. They played a big part in the team coming back to get a point because they stayed positive and really got behind the players. We thank them for that. I also want to thank the players because they responded the right way to going a goal down, and it was their commitment that lifted the fans; it is always a two way thing.
“We have spoken a lot about togetherness and team spirit and I think last Saturday showed what we are starting to build here. There are some big games coming up, including Peterborough on Saturday, and we have to use the Sunderland game as a starting point to build from for the rest of this season.”
STAT PACK
Tiger’s comments got us thinking. The Sunderland match was the 20th time that the crowd has been over 10,000 since the U’s moved to the Kassam Stadium in 2001.
Crowds of over 10,000 at the Kassam Stadium (By Number)
| 06/05/2006 | Leyton Orient | League | 12,243 | L | 2-3 |
| 06/11/2002 | Aston Villa | L Cup | 12,177 | L | 0-3 |
| 03/05/2010 | Rushden & Diamonds | Conf p-o | 11,963 | W | 2-0 |
| 25/09/2018 | Manchester City | L Cup | 11,956 | L | 0-3 |
| 03/03/2012 | Swindon Town | League | 11,825 | W | 2-0 |
| 07/05/2016 | Wycombe Wanderers | League | 11,815 | W | 3-0 |
| 28/01/2017 | Newcastle United | FA Cup | 11,810 | W | 3-0 |
| 26/12/2016 | Northampton Town | League | 11,790 | L | 0-1 |
| 10/01/2016 | Swansea City | FA Cup | 11,673 | W | 3-2 |
| 08/12/2002 | Swindon Town | FA Cup | 11,655 | W | 1-0 |
| 30/01/2016 | Blackburn Rovers | FA Cup | 11,647 | L | 0-3 |
| 26/12/2001 | Luton Town | League | 11,121 | L | 1-2 |
| 26/12/2006 | Woking | Conf | 11,065 | D | 0-0 |
| 10/09/2016 | Swindon Town | League | 11,042 | W | 2-0 |
| 08/05/2007 | Exeter City | Conf p-o | 10,691 | L | 1-2 |
| 08/09/2009 | Luton Town | Conf | 10,613 | W | 2-0 |
| 09/02/2019 | Sunderland | League | 10,383 | D | 1-1 |
| 26/04/2009 | Northwich Victoria | Conf | 10,298 | L | 1-2 |
| 02/02/2016 | Millwall | FL Trophy | 10,138 | L | 0-1 |
| 26/12/2013 | Plymouth Argyle | League | 10,049 | L | 2-3 |
The draw against Sunderland means that United’s record in front of over 10,000 people stands at 8 wins, 10 defeats and 2 draws, with 26 goals both for and against
| P | W | D | L | F | A |
| 20 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 26 | 26 |
Looking at things chronologically, United have improved greatly in recent years - the promotion winning performance against Wycombe, the obligatory win over Swindon and a memorable cup win over Newcastle making it three terrific wins and a draw from the last six games, with one of the two defeats coming in a fighting display against Premier League Champions Manchester City earlier this season.
There is a slight myth to the idea that United ‘always lose in front of the big crowds’, and that stems from the first few big games at the Kassam Stadium where they only won one of the first seven games when the crowd was over 10,000. It took eight years before the first League win in front of a 10,000 crowd- a win over Luton Town in the Conference.
It also comes from Boxing Days where United traditionally draw a big crowd but have yet to win any of their four games with crowds above 10,000 on that date.
Crowds of over 10,000 by Chronological Order
| 26/12/2001 | Luton Town | League | 11,121 | L | 1-2 |
| 06/11/2002 | Aston VIlla | L Cup | 12,177 | L | 0-3 |
| 08/12/2002 | Swindon Town | FA Cup | 11,655 | W | 1-0 |
| 06/05/2006 | Leyton Orient | League | 12,243 | L | 2-3 |
| 26/12/2006 | Woking | Conf | 11,065 | D | 0-0 |
| 08/05/2007 | Exeter City | Conf p-o | 10,691 | L | 1-2 |
| 26/04/2009 | Northwich Victoria | Conf | 10,298 | L | 1-2 |
| 08/09/2009 | Luton Town | Conf | 10,613 | W | 2-0 |
| 03/05/2010 | Rushden & Diamonds | Conf p-o | 11,963 | W | 2-0 |
| 03/03/2012 | Swindon Town | League | 11,825 | W | 2-0 |
| 26/12/2013 | Plymouth Argyle | League | 10,049 | L | 2-3 |
| 10/01/2016 | Swansea City | FA Cup | 11,673 | W | 3-2 |
| 30/01/2016 | Blackburn Rovers | FA Cup | 11,647 | L | 0-3 |
| 02/02/2016 | Millwall | FL Trophy | 10,138 | L | 0-1 |
| 07/05/2016 | Wycombe Wanderers | League | 11,815 | W | 3-0 |
| 10/09/2016 | Swindon Town | League | 11,042 | W | 2-0 |
| 26/16/2016 | Northampton Town | League | 11,790 | L | 0-1 |
| 28/01/2017 | Newcastle United | FA Cup | 11,810 | W | 3-0 |
| 25/09/2018 | Manchester City | L Cup | 11,956 | L | 0-3 |
| 09/02/2019 | Sunderland | League | 10,383 | D | 1-1 |
Other Stats
Taking league games only, not including play-off matches the overall record stands at:
| P | W | D | L | F | A |
| 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 12 |
- Three of the top 20 crowds were against Swindon Town and Oxford won all three.
- Nine of the Kassam’s top 20 crowds have come in the last three years, with cup games against Newcastle, Swansea, Blackburn and Millwall in addition to the Manchester City game.There was also the season finale against Wycombe Wanderers on 7th May 2016 as 11,815 watched United sweep the Chairboys aside 3-0 to secure promotion from League Two.