The 2013–14 season was Oxford United's fourth season in League Two after returning from the Conference. They finished 8th in the League, one place better than the previous season but again failing to secure a play-off place after a promising start.
In the first half of the season Oxford led the table several times and were rarely outside the automatic promotion places, mainly thanks to an impressive points haul away from home (they were the last team in the top four divisions to be beaten away from home, not losing an away match in the league until defeat at Newport County in February). On 25 January 2014, with the club faltering though still in the play-off places, Chris Wilder resigned as manager to take up the reins at relegation-threatened Northampton Town. Mickey Lewis subsequently became the caretaker manager for a second time for the club. On 22 March 2014, Gary Waddock was appointed the head coach of the club after a lengthy interview process, leaving his job as Head of Coaching at MK Dons. Neither Lewis nor Waddock managed to halt the Us' loss of form and they slipped out of the play-off places in the final few weeks of the season, losing 11 of their last 15 league fixtures and finishing a disappointing eighth in the table, 9 points off the last play-off place.
United were knocked out of both the League Cup and FA Cup by Championship side Charlton Athletic. At half-time in the FA Cup 3rd round an upset had seemed likely when Oxford were beating their higher-division opponents 2–0, but they conceded two goals to the home side in the second half and were beaten 3–0 in the subsequent replay at the Kassam Stadium.
It was the club's 120th year in existence, their 114th of competitive football and their 65th since turning professional. This article covers the period from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014.
Team kit
Match fixtures and results
Pre-season friendlies
League Two For more information on this season's Football League Two, see 2013–14 Football League Two. Oxford United's home games are played at the Kassam Stadium.
Results
Results summary
Results by round
League table
FA Cup
Football League Cup
Football League Trophy
Oxfordshire Senior Cup
Squad statistics
Appearances and goals
Top scorers
PlacePositionNationNumberNameLeague TwoFA CupLeague CupJP TrophyTotal1 FW 9 James Constable 10 1 0 1 122 FW 10 Deane Smalley 7 2 0 0 93 MF 15 Ryan Williams 7 1 0 0 84 MF 17 Danny Rose 4 1 0 0 55= FW 24 David Connolly 4 0 0 0 45= FW 8 Dave Kitson 4 0 0 0 45= DF 19 Johnny Mullins 3 1 0 0 45= MF 11 Alfie Potter 4 0 0 0 49 MF 14 Asa Hall 3 0 0 0 310= MF 7 Sean Rigg 2 0 0 0 210= MF 22 Nicky Wroe 2 0 0 0 212= MF 18 Scott Davies 0 1 0 0 112= DF 3 Tom Newey 1 0 0 0 112= MF 37 Josh Ruffels 1 0 0 0 1TOTALS5170159
Disciplinary record
NumberNationPositionNameLeague TwoFA CupLeague CupJP TrophyTotal3 DF Tom Newey 9 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 10 14 DF Michael Raynes 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 16 DF Jake Wright 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 07 MF Sean Rigg 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 08 FW Dave Kitson 10 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 19 FW James Constable 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 010 FW Deane Smalley 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 011 MF Alfie Potter 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 013 DF David Hunt 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 014 MF Asa Hall 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 015 MF Ryan Williams 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 116 DF Andy Whing 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 117 MF Danny Rose 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 018 MF Scott Davies 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 019 DF Johnny Mullins 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 022 MF Nicky Wroe 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 035 FW Callum O'Dowda 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 037 MF Josh Ruffels 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0TOTALS68 5 2 0 2 0 3 0 75 5
Transfers Players transferred inDatePos.NamePrevious clubFeeRef.4 July 2013DFTom NeweyScunthorpe UnitedFree8 July 2013DFKenzer LeeWest Ham UnitedFree8 July 2013DFMatt BevansWatfordFree22 July 2013DFJohnny MullinsRotherham UnitedUndisclosed30 July 2013MFJosh RuffelsCoventry CityFreePlayers transferred outDatePos.NameToFeeRef.30 July 2013MFLiam DavisYeovil TownFreePlayers loaned inDate fromPos.NameFromDate toRef.4 July 2013MFAsa HallShrewsbury TownJanuary 20143 August 2013MFRyan WilliamsFulhamend of season12 September 2013GKShwan JalalA.F.C. Bournemouth2 October 201310 January 2014MFNicky WroePreston North Endend of season10 January 2014GKJonathan HenlyReadingMarch 201431 January 2014FWDavid ConnollyPortsmouthend of seasonPlayers loaned outDate fromPos.NameToDate toRef.
References