Stevenage V Oxford united Official matchday thread

[Tails]

If we go up, surely the main 'reunited' rivalry, will be with Reading?

[Batch]

If we go up, surely the main 'reunited' rivalry, will be with Reading?

No, the plastics have always come a very distant third at best (or should that be worst). In fact I'd put them below Rovers too now, and some may put them below the Gills.

[Crozzer]

From the Waccoe site:

"Oxford are the Leeds United of the BSP."

http://www.waccoe.com/index.php?showtopic=178716


The thought of witnessing Oxford's last away win at Swindon on February 24th, 1973, only 37 years ago is still something that is disturbing, but life must go on.

[One F In Fitton]

One thing that I am certain of is that they've been getting more & more wound up about us - which is an achievement in itself - since they went down. The internet is a big part of this, plus Town fans (like myself) living amongst them, just generally belittling them.
 
The anti-Swindon feelings seem to have been on the increase around here, & that's gone hand in hand with their growing frustration/anger/embarrassment with being stuck in the non-league. They're going to be ready to explode if/when we play them again.

For me it's important that both rivals have each other at the top of their 'hate-list' - THAT'S a proper rivalry, and it doesn't dissipate just because they've been in different divisions for a while. City & Rovers without doubt have each other at the top of their lists, Reading have always hated Aldershot more than anyone, whereas Town & O*ford feels like THE one to me (although I do take into account where I live), and many other people.

[Spy]

As I've said before Oxford are our number 1 rivals and IMO anyone who says any different is talking rubbish.

[Ardiles]

If we go up, surely the main 'reunited' rivalry, will be with Reading?

Reading and Bristol City, certainly.  All this 'Hating Oxford is in the blood if you're a Swindon fan' nonsense gets on my nerves.  They didn't even exist until 50 years ago, and for the last 25% of that time we've barely crossed their path.

Our traditional rivals were the two Bristol clubs and Reading.  Read Dick Mattick's book...it's all there.  Oxford were a non-League outfit who came along much later on.  Like Cheltenham.  Only more yellow.

[Spy]

Reading and Bristol City, certainly.  All this 'Hating Oxford is in the blood if you're a Swindon fan' nonsense gets on my nerves.  They didn't even exist until 50 years ago, and for the last 25% of that time we've barely crossed their path.

Our traditional rivals were the two Bristol clubs and Reading.  Read Dick Mattick's book...it's all there.  Oxford were a non-League outfit who came along much later on.  Like Cheltenham.  Only more yellow.

What matters is the way it's been in peoples lifetime that they can remember. Not what happened 75 or 100 years ago or whatever.

Don't think rivalry was intense until the 60s or 70s anyway when football violence started happening and crowd segregation was brought in.

We've had this discussion at length before.

Do you seriously think Oxford aren't our main rivals even though we sing songs about them at almost every game even though we haven't played them for nearly a decade???

[Reg Smeeton]

What matters is the way it's been in peoples lifetime that they can remember. Not what happened 75 or 100 years ago or whatever.

Don't think rivalry was intense until the 60s or 70s anyway when football violence started happening and crowd segregation was brought in.

We've had this discussion at length before.

Do you seriously think Oxford aren't our main rivals even though we sing songs about them at almost every game even though we haven't played them for nearly a decade???

The last season we played O*ford at the CG was 00-01, the crowds for the visit of both Rovers and Shitty were bigger....much bigger in the case of the Shitheads. Which might indicate the O*frod fixture is of lesser interest to a lot of Town fans, or possibly their away support is not very good.

[lambourn red]

No, the plastics have always come a very distant third at best (or should that be worst). In fact I'd put them below Rovers too now, and some may put them below the Gills.

Depends where you live , out our way they are a very close second behind the Pox . I dont really feel much hate towards either Brizzle team as I never really come across any of there supporters whereas we are surrounded by plastic mockney supporting Reading fans who probably dont even know they had Elm Park before the Mad Stad

[The_Plagiarist]

The Scum
The Shit
The Gas
in that order
then probably the plastic biscuitmen

[Spy]

It's an interesting stat. It  doesn't change anything tho.

This is a great survey on rivalry...

http://www.footballfanscensus.com/issueresults/Club_Rivalries_Uncovered_Results.pdf

According to this us and Oxford are part of one of the "requited" rivalrys. Both sets of fans surveyed considered the other team their number 1 rivals.

We are 13th in the list of who most fans named in their top 3 rivals. Which considering there's 92 teams I think is pretty impressive.  

Reading named us as their number 1 rivals and Gillingham considered us their number 2 rivals. City and Rovers both named us 3rd rivals after each other and Cardiff.

[One F In Fitton]

All this 'Hating Oxford is in the blood if you're a Swindon fan' nonsense gets on my nerves.  They didn't even exist until 50 years ago, and for the last 25% of that time we've barely crossed their path.
Our traditional rivals were the two Bristol clubs and Reading.  Read Dick Mattick's book...it's all there.  Oxford were a non-League outfit who came along much later on.  Like Cheltenham.  Only more yellow.

I've read that book, but I didn't need to do that to know the history. And that's exactly what it is - history.

Anyone that regularly went to games (and was aware of what was going on in the streets, pubs and terraces) from the mid-70's onwards is well aware of the gradual rise (to the top) in importance of the Oxford rivalry. They used to smash the place up every year, pretty much unopposed by us because they didn't matter then, but things changed.  I'm not exactly a local, but I know a lot, and every single one of them says it's Oxford. Then you've got all the singing - barely a mention of anyone else.

Their previous non-league life is a long time ago and therefore irrelevant - the key factor is what went on in the period that I previously mentioned, when we played them a fair few times.

[Reg Smeeton]

I've read that book, but I didn't need to do that to know the history. And that's exactly what it is - history.

Anyone that regularly went to games (and was aware of what was going on in the streets, pubs and terraces) from the mid-70's onwards is well aware of the gradual rise (to the top) in importance of the Oxford rivalry. They used to smash the place up every year, pretty much unopposed by us because they didn't matter then, but things changed.  I'm not exactly a local, but I know a lot, and every single one of them says it's Oxford. Then you've got all the singing - barely a mention of anyone else.

Their previous non-league life is a long time ago and therefore irrelevant - the key factor is what went on in the period that I previously mentioned, when we played them a fair few times.

Seeing as how you say you live somewhere knowing a few O*frod fans, you probably believe their "urban mytholoogy" a bit like Gillingham.

Take a season like 73/74...crowd v Shitty 13,991 v O*frod 4 weeks later 7,537....also slightly less than  the 7756 for a game v Millwall 2 weeks earlier.

We didn't play them again until Boxing Day 76/77 when a decent CG crowd turned up to see Don Rogers' last game for Town.

Following season there were more at the CG for a fixture v Preston 3 weeks earlier.

Reality is, that the proximity of the fixture will always add a few to the gate, but O*frod never sell their allocation, and down the years they been seen as a pretty unattractive dour side.

So a season like 78/79, we could have 16000+ for a game v Taylor's Watford, and couple of weeks later 8000 for O*frod....more or less the season's average.

[Rich Pullen]

Growing up in West Wiltshire I'd say the biggest rivalry was Bristol City. There's a lot of City and (and Rovers) fans in Westbury and Trowbridge.

...to hell with it, lets declare war with Supermarine

[One F In Fitton]

Seeing as how you say you live somewhere knowing a few O*frod fans, you probably believe their "urban mytholoogy" a bit like Gillingham.
Take a season like 73/74...crowd v Shitty 13,991 v O*frod 4 weeks later 7,537....also slightly less than  the 7756 for a game v Millwall 2 weeks earlier.
We didn't play them again until Boxing Day 76/77 when a decent CG crowd turned up to see Don Rogers' last game for Town.
Following season there were more at the CG for a fixture v Preston 3 weeks earlier.
Reality is, that the proximity of the fixture will always add a few to the gate, but O*frod never sell their allocation, and down the years they been seen as a pretty unattractive dour side.
So a season like 78/79, we could have 16000+ for a game v Taylor's Watford, and couple of weeks later 8000 for O*frod....more or less the season's average.

That first bit is so patronising and incorrect that I'm struggling to take you seriously.

I was present at all of the games through this whole period, and I know what I'm talking about. If you've lived amongst that lot THE OPPOSITE is true - you learn to ignore what they say. You're making a random and unfounded statement about something which you know nothing about, ie me.

Your stats all come from the period from when they were still not considered a rival. Your stats are from the times when it was a one-sided affair still. The hostility from our side started after this period. Plus it's not just about numbers - surely you're aware of the gradual change in attitude towards O*ford of the Town fans during the 80's & 90's?! Do you know how many people were put off by the trouble when they came to town? We've had plenty of paltry attendances vs Reading & Shitty too, by the way.

Anyone that swats this rivalry away is living in the past - simple as that.