…The game ebbed and flowed for a while, and it wasn’t a bad game at all but the entertainment on the terrace was second to none. Again using “Seven Nation Army” as a theme, the Oxford fans responded to a “Yorkshire” chant from the Guiseley lot with “Mild, Flat Caps and Whippets”. The Guiseley fans weren’t annoyed, indeed they applauded the creativity. This was followed by further excellent, written on the spot Oxford songs – the benefit of a smaller crowd iss these things can spread to fans that want to sing much more easily – such as “You’ll Never Take the Woolpack” and “You’re Just a Bus Stop Near Minston”. That last one was researched on the spot by Alex, and was then followed with a chant from both sides of “Local Knowledge!”. Brilliant.
The fans were desperate to see substitute Paul Stonehouse be brought on to the pitch, singing songs about him (one set to “Stay Another Day”, for crying out loud) and even asking Snow White to walk around the pitch and ask the manager to bring him on. Just as that started to pre-occupy us, Tom Winters scored in the 70th minute to put Oxford back in front. As we sang in celebration, keeper Scott joined in with us. It might not be the biggest crowd, but it must be fun playing in front of that lot when things are going right.
I chatted with Alex and the others about the club website during a brief lull in the singing. When I visited it to enquire on ticket prices it looked like it had been hacked by someone spamming you about knock-off university courses. It turns out that it wasn’t, it’s just that the club has been bought by an American who is using the Oxford City name to get interest in his other businesses in the USA and beyond. It’s certainly true that the Oxford name has kudos attached to it, you only have to look at how many tourists in London are wearing Oxford hoodies on their flights back home.
Snow White now had his own dwarf, which was an Oxford fan called Sam (on his knees). Sam would later regale us with the song “Any Dream Will Do”, belting it out as we laughed at him uncontrollably. Yussuf would add his second – and Oxford’s fourth – in the 85th minute, and that just kicked the party up a notch. Snow White managed to find seven dwarves now….
Great Post Jim, Glad you had a good time!
I was snow white. All the others bottled it…..great laugh down there..
I used to go to OCFC back in 2009, and remember singing the ‘Family Club’ chant with the guys we used to go with. So funny finding out that it’s still being sung.
Other renditions included a versions of ‘That’s Not My Name’ by the Ting Tings for then winger Mark Janes, Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars used for ‘City City, as if we have a choice’ and many many more.
With them in conference south next season I can’t wait to meet the new fans and learn the new chants.