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The Road to Milk Cup Glory: Wembley Awaits

Sunday 19 April

After leaving Villa Park with a 2-2 draw from the first leg of the semi-final, the U's were backed as favourites to seal their spot at Wembley with the advantage of playing in front of their fans at the Manor Ground. United were just 90 minutes from sealing a place in a cup final at Wembley for the very first time.

By the time the second leg arrived, the sides knew who their potential Wembley opponents would be, Queens Park Rangers. Having surprisingly come through their semi-final against Liverpool 3-2 on aggregate, the Hoops were eagerly awaiting to discover their Wembley opponents. That gave Oxford greater incentive to reach the final and to take on the manager who had left the Manor Ground in the summer - Jim Smith. Smith’s view was, “I have maintained all along that Maurice Evans, who took over from me, is doing a good job and nothing would give me more pleasure than to walk out at Wembley with him. I think they must be favourites to beat Villa now that they have drawn the away leg.”

Between the two legs, the U's had a weekend off courtesy of the FA Cup, but Villa were in league action, thumped 4-1 at home by Arsenal. The Villans had been in poor form in the league, hardly the best preparation for the game at the Manor. It all paved the way for perhaps the Manor’s greatest night, the night when Oxford United, a Football League club since just 1962, could qualify for a senior Wembley cup final for the very first time.

Even a 0-0 or 1-1 draw would see them through given that away goals counted double in the semi-final, so the frenzy that surrounded the stadium and the club was entirely understandable. It was announced the Club would be taking in record receipts of around £70,000 from a packed Manor Ground. It ended up being £71,274 from a crowd of 13,989.

The electric atmosphere that filtered through every corner of the ground sadly couldn't translate onto the pitch in the first half. With the tie on a knife-edge, it was little wonder that the first 45 minutes was a tense affair, with neither side willing to make a mistake and both happy to keep the opposition at arm’s length for the time being.

The only real chance of note fell to Ray Houghton in the 15th minute. Villa defender Paul Elliott let in Aldridge to reach Phillips’ through ball, but instead of shooting the striker fed Houghton on the right. Houghton drove the ball hard and low but Villa goalkeeper Nigel Spink saved well, flinging his body to Houghton’s feet.

The spectacle was a poor one and the tension was so high that the nerves out on the pitch were clear to see. However, at half-time the goalless scoreline meant that the U’s had one foot inside Wembley Stadium, going through on the away goals rule at that point.

Legendarily though, Maurice Evans was not content at the break. He told his men, “I’ve just driven here past three hospitals, full of people dying and people ten times worse off than you. So for God’s sake, stop being tense and play the blasted game. Because it’s only a game, and I’m not worried about it.” Billy Ocean’s hit single ‘When The Going Gets Rough, The Tough Get Going’ could also be heard in the dressing room at half-time, helping to inspire United for the biggest 45 minutes of their season.

The half time activity within the home dressing room certainly seemed to inspire the group, as from there, his men wanted more than just the draw and they opened the second half very much on of the attack, bringing more aggression and intent to their play. It paid dividends on 57 minutes, as Les Phillips scored to put the home side ahead on aggregate. Trevor Hebberd played the ball forward, John Aldridge produced a cushioned header and accepting the gift, Phillips took a touch and then put the ball beyond Spink from 12 yards. The dream was beginning to become reality.

That dispelled some of the tension around the Manor Ground and the Yellows stepped it up another gear. Tony Dorigo appeared to handle a Ray Houghton corner on the goal line but got away with it before, with 18 minutes to go, it seemed as if United had booked their passage to the final. Peter Rhoades-Brown played a free-kick into the Villa area where Aldridge played provider again, heading the ball back across goal and into the path of Jeremy Charles to flash a diving header into the net. 2-0 on the night, 4-2 on aggregate.

United weren’t far off putting the game beyond any doubt when Villa midfielder Steve Hodge produced an incredible goal line clearance from Neil Slatter, but from there, the U’s inched closer and closer to victory. Nothing is ever that easy though and without any jeopardy, would it really have felt like a true Oxford United victory? Three minutes from time, Mark Walters volleyed home for the visitors, 2-1.

Another Villa goal would send the game into extra-time. But this was a resilient Oxford outfit and with the Manor roaring them on, they didn't look like letting that lead slip. The referee's while eventually came and the game was won. United were going to Wembley, the fans were on the pitch, it was all over.

A magnanimous Maurice Evans said afterwards, “Jim Smith is entitled to lead out both teams at Wembley! I’m delighted for everybody although what has happened hasn’t changed my feeling that I never wanted to go back into management.”

Smith, an interested observer at the game, added, “I’m really chuffed. I’ll always have very special links with Oxford, so it’s going to be a great day at Wembley. Oxford fully deserved it and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer bloke than Maurice Evans.”

Skipper Malcolm Shotton, with United in Division Three, reflected on the incredible rise. “I came here from non-league football in May 1980, and by Christmas we were in danger of relegation into Division Four. But I was made captain when Ian Greaves was the manager and I have never looked back since then. We have won the Division Three championship, The Division Two championship, and now we are at Wembley. I’ll have to go one better and make sure we win the trophy.”

As Shotton referenced, United had won promotion, as champions, from Division 3 to Division 1 in successive seasons, but I don't think anyone associated with the Club would have believed the team could make it to a cup final at Wembley. The feeling after the final whistle knowing that the team will walk onto the hallowed Wembley turf five weeks later to the glorious cheers of 100,000 people, was one that the supporters knew might never be felt again.