Oxford United F.C. season 2010–11 marked the club's return to League Two after a four-year absence. Oxford United finished 12th in the division, having achieved promotion from the Football Conference via the playoffs the previous season. It was the club's 117th year in existence, their 111th of competitive football and their 62nd since turning professional. This article covers the period from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011.
United's first season back in the League began with a 1–1 draw at Burton Albion, and their first League win came in their 5th game, a 4–0 defeat of Morecambe. However, this convincing victory was one of only 4 wins in their initial 17 matches, and the team had dropped to 21st in the table by late November. A turnaround in fortunes saw them win 9 of the next 15 games, more-or-less guaranteeing safety from relegation and prompting hopes of a playoff place. However, a return to early-season form from the end of February onwards resulted in a mid-table position at the end of the season.
Oxford were eliminated from the FA Cup by fellow League Two side Burton Albion, but achieved an eye-catching 6–1 victory over Bristol Rovers of League One in the first round of the League Cup, before bowing out to a late goal that gave Premier League outfit West Ham a narrow home victory in the second round. They won the Oxfordshire Senior Cup for the third year running. James Constable was the club's leading scorer, also for the third season running, with 17 goals (which was to be his highest tally for Oxford outside the Football Conference).
Team kit This season's team kit supplier was the American brand Nike, via JustSport, this season being the second in a three-year deal. The club's main sponsor for the 2010–11 season was Bridle Insurance, an Oxfordshire-based insurance company who replaced Buildbase, who had sponsored Oxford United for a decade.
Match fixtures & results
Legend WinDrawLoss
Friendlies
DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceNotes13 July 2010Didcot TownAway6–2Green, Owen, Crockford, Cole (2), Constable17 July 2010Dumbarton F.C.Away0–2Potter, Deering20 July 2010Livingstone F.C.Away0–024 July 2010Leicester CityHome1–1Constable2,77026 July 2010Brackley TownAway1–027 July 2010Manchester United XIHome2–1Constable6,08230 July 2010Oxford CityAway1–01,0102 August 2010Banbury UnitedAway3–0Deering, Philliskirk, Cole36918 January 2011Thame UnitedAway3–1Green, Deering, McDonagh1,382
Football League Two For information on this season's Football League Two, see 2010–11 Football League Two. Oxford United's home games are played at the Kassam Stadium.
Results summary
Results by round
GameDateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceNotes17 August 2010Burton AlbionAway0–04,321214 August 2010BuryHome1–2Midson7,552321 August 2010Wycombe WanderersAway0–06,983428 August 2010Accrington StanleyHome0–06,42854 September 2010MorecambeHome4–0Heslop, Constable (3)6,237611 September 2010Hereford UnitedAway0–2Constable, Craddock2,980718 September 2010Stockport CountyHome0–17,033825 September 2010Crewe AlexandraAway1–1Constable4,584928 September 2010Cheltenham TownAway1–1Midson4,349102 October 2010Port ValeHome2–1Craddock, Green7,947119 October 2010Aldershot TownHome0–17,8081216 October 2010Macclesfield TownAway3–2Constable, Craddock1,3951323 October 2010Northampton TownHome3–1Potter, Payne, Craddock (pen)7,6471430 October 2010Bradford CityAway5–011,376152 November 2010Torquay UnitedHome0–26,4011613 November 2010Rotherham UnitedAway2–1Clist3,8911720 November 2010GillinghamHome0–17,1441823 November 2010ChesterfieldAway1–2Craddock, MacLean5,929194 December 2010BarnetHome2–1Uddin (og), Constable6,0042028 December 2010Macclesfield TownHome2–1Heslop, Constable9,440211 January 2011Southend UnitedHome0–27,362223 January 2011Torquay UnitedAway3–4Craddock, Midson (3)3,021238 January 2011Aldershot TownAway1–2Charles (og), Craddock3,1292415 January 2011Bradford CityHome2–1MacLean, Craddock7,0682522 January 2011Northampton TownAway2–1Craddock6,0972625 January 2011Shrewsbury TownHome3–1Hall, Constable (2)6,2642729 January 2011Cheltenham TownHome1–1Craddock7,738281 February 2011Southend UnitedAway2–1Constable4,944295 February 2011GillinghamAway0–05,3643012 February 2011Rotherham UnitedHome2–1Heslop, MacLean6,6153115 February 2011StevenageAway0–02,5903219 February 2011MorecambeAway0–3Hall (2), McLaren2,1713326 February 2011Hereford UnitedHome0–27,807341 March 2011Lincoln CityAway3–1MacLean2,261355 March 2011Stockport CountyAway2–1Craddock4,1193612 March 2011Port ValeAway1–2Midson, Worley5,6613715 March 2011StevenageHome1–2Craddock (pen)6,0183819 March 2011Crewe AlexandraHome2–1Constable (2)6,7513927 March 2011Burton AlbionHome3–0MacLean (2), Craddock (pen)7,127402 April 2011BuryAway3–03,515419 April 2011Wycombe WanderersHome2–2Potter, Winfield (og)9,3094216 April 2011Accrington StanleyAway0–02,0664323 April 2011ChesterfieldHome0–08,1954425 April 2011BarnetAway2–2Constable (2)3,425452 May 2011Lincoln CityHome2–1Hall, Craddock7,485468 May 2011Shrewsbury TownAway3–08,817
League table
FA Cup RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceNotes1st7 November 2010Burton AlbionAway1–02,483
League Cup RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceNotes1st10 August 2010Bristol RoversHome6–1Heslop (2), Green, Constable (2), Midson5,0082nd24 August 2010West Ham UnitedAway1–020,902
Football League Trophy RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceNotes1st31 August 2010Aldershot TownAway2–01,607
Oxfordshire Senior Cup
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendanceNotesQF2 March 2011North LeighASM Stadium, Thame9–3Sangaré, Clist, Potter, Midson (3), West, Hackney (2)212SF29 March 2011Banbury UnitedASM Stadium, Thame2–0Potter, HackneyFinal12 April 2011KidlingtonKassam Stadium4–0Hanson, Burge, Heslop, Potter1200
Player details As of 9 May 2011 (does not include Oxfordshire Senior Cup matches or friendlies). No.Pos.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupJP TrophyTotalDisciplineAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GKRyan Clarke460102010500102DFDamian Batt27 (1)010100029 (1)0113DFAnthony Tonkin37 (2)010201041 (2)0314MFDannie Bulman4 (1)00020(1)06 (1)0104MFPaul McLaren241000000241505DFMark Creighton5 (2)01000107 (2)0415DFDjoumin Sangaré2 (2)00000002 (2)0006DFJake Wright33 (2)000201036 (2)0618MFSimon Heslop30 (8)300220032 (8)5709FWJames Constable35 (9)1500220037 (9)175110FWJack Midson11 (10)60011(1)012 (11)71011MFSimon Clist16 (7)1(1)0(2)01017 (10)11014MFAsa Hall34 (7)4(1)0200036 (8)45015MFAlfie Potter16 (22)2101 (1)01019 (23)20016MFSimon Hackney2 (11)00000002 (11)00017MFMitchell Cole(4)00010102 (4)00017FWRyan Doble1 (2)00000001 (2)00018MFSteven Kinniburgh10 (1)010000011 (1)02019MFRichie Baker(6)00010102 (6)00019MFRyan Burge50000000500020FWSam Deering(6)0(1)0(1)0(1)0(9)00022DFHarry Worley41 (2)110200044 (2)110023DFBen Purkiss19 (4)010101021 (4)01024FWMatt Green9 (8)1101 (1)11012 (9)22026DFLeigh Franks4 (1)00000004 (1)02027FWDanny Philliskirk(1)0000000(1)00027MFPaul Wotton40000000400028MFJosh Payne23 (5)110001025 (5)17029FWTom Craddock36 (3)1510000037 (3)156030DFBen Futcher60000000603030DFMitchell Hanson(2)0000000(2)00032FWSteve MacLean26 (5)600000026 (5)640
Awards End of Season AwardsWinner Andrew Knapton Supporters' Player of the Year James Constable Oxford Mail Supporters' Man-of-the-Match Harry Worley Players' Player of the Year Ryan Clarke Young Player of the Year Harry Worley Jack FM 'Big Banana' Award Ryan Clarke Media Moment of the Year Tom Craddock (for his winner vs Port Vale, 2 October 2010) Goal of the Season Tom Craddock (vs Hereford United, 11 September 2010)
Transfer
In DatePlayerFromFeeNotes 1 July 2010 Richie Baker Bury Free 22 July 2010 Harry Worley Leicester City Free 31 August 2010 Tom Craddock Luton Town Undisc 21 December 2010 Laurence Gaughan Unattached Free 31 December 2010 Paul McLaren Unattached Free 1 January 2011 Josh Payne Doncaster Rovers Free 13 January 2011 Djoumin Sangaré Unattached Free 2 April 2011 Mitchell Hanson Unattached Free
Out DatePlayerToFeeNotes 5 July 2010 Adam Murray Luton Town Free 1 January 2011 Dannie Bulman Crawley Town Free 4 January 2011 Richie Baker Barrow Free 6 January 2011 Rhys Day Mansfield Town Free 8 January 2011 Mark Creighton Wrexham Free 7 February 2011 Mitchell Cole Retired Free
Loan in DatePlayerFromEnd dateNotes 28 July 2010 Leigh Franks Huddersfield Town 31 January 2011 2 August 2010 Danny Philliskirk Chelsea 27 August 2010 31 August 2010 Josh Payne Doncaster Rovers 30 January 2010 8 November 2010 Paul Wotton Southampton F.C. 31 December 2010 11 November 2010 Ben Futcher Bury F.C. 4 January 2011 11 November 2010 Steve MacLean Plymouth Argyle 30 June 2011 31 January 2011 Simon Hackney Colchester United 30 June 2011 17 March 2011 Ryan Burge Doncaster Rovers 18 April 2011 22 March 2011 Ryan Doble Southampton 30 June 2011
Loan out DatePlayerToEnd dateNotes 25 September 2010 Dannie Bulman Crawley Town 31 December 2010 27 September 2010 Aaron Woodley Oxford City 27 October 2010 15 October 2010 Rhys Day Mansfield Town 6 January 2010 5 November 2010 Jack Midson Southend United 28 December 2010 13 November 2010 Mark Creighton Wrexham F.C. 4 January 2011 19 November 2010 Sam Deering Newport County 4 January 2011 31 January 2010 Matt Green Cheltenham Town 30 June 2011 8 February 2011 Sam Deering Barnet 30 June 2011 21 March 2011 Jack Midson Barnet 30 June 2011
See also 2010–11 in English football 2010–11 Football League Two
References General Oxford United F.C. Official Website
Specific
External links Oxford United F.C. Official Website Oxford Mail