The 2023–24 season is the 130th season in the history of Oxford United and their eighth consecutive season in League One. The club participated in League One, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the 2023–24 EFL Trophy.
Oxford finished 5th in the league table, but were promoted back to the EFL Championship via the play-offs, beating Bolton Wanderers 2–0 in the play-off final to return to the second tier of English football for the first time in 25 years.
It was the club's 130th year in existence, their 124th of competitive football and their 75th since turning professional. This article covers the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.
Current squad
No. Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth (age) Previous club Date signed Fee Contract end Goalkeepers 1 Jamie Cumming GK Winchester Chelsea 11 January 2024 Loan 30 June 2024 13 Simon Eastwood GK Luton Blackburn Rovers 1 July 2016 Free 30 June 2026 31 Eddie Brearey GK Academy 1 July 2022 Trainee 30 June 2024 41 Monty Marriott GK Academy 6 November 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 Defenders 2 Sam Long RB Bicester Academy 1 July 2013 Trainee 30 June 2026 3 Ciaron Brown LB Hillingdon Cardiff City 1 July 2022 Free 30 June 2025 4 Jordan Thorniley CB Warrington Blackpool 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2026 5 Elliott Moore CB Coalville Leicester City 1 August 2019 Undisclosed 30 June 2026 12 Joe Bennett LB Rochdale Wigan Athletic 30 November 2023 Free 30 June 2024 15 Fin Stevens RB Brighton Brentford 1 July 2023 Loan 31 May 2024 22 Greg Leigh LB Sale Ipswich Town 24 August 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 26 James Golding RB Sutton Academy 23 March 2022 Trainee 30 June 2027 28 Stephan Negru CB Florești Shelbourne 1 January 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2026 Midfielders 6 Josh McEachran CM Oxford Milton Keynes Dons 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 8 Cameron Brannagan CM Manchester Liverpool 11 January 2018 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 14 Oisin Smyth AM Derrytrasna Dungannon Swifts 31 January 2022 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 17 James Henry RM Reading Wolverhampton Wanderers 12 July 2017 Free 30 June 2024 18 Marcus McGuane DM Greenwich Nottingham Forest 1 July 2021 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 19 Tyler Goodrham MF High Wycombe Academy 1 July 2022 Trainee 30 June 2027 34 George Franklin DM Academy 1 July 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 44 Zaide Took-Oxley CM Academy 9 August 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 Forwards 9 Mark Harris CF Swansea Cardiff City 11 July 2023 Free 30 June 2026 10 Billy Bodin CF Swindon Preston North End 30 June 2021 Free 30 June 2024 11 Marcus Browne CF Tower Hamlets Middlesbrough 31 January 2022 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 16 Tyler Burey FW Hillingdon Odense Boldklub 10 January 2024 Loan 30 June 2024 20 Rúben Rodrigues CF Oliveira de Azeméis Notts County 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2026 23 Josh Murphy LW Wembley Cardiff City 26 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 25 Will Goodwin CF Tarporley Cheltenham Town 19 January 2024 Undisclosed 30 June 2026 27 Max Woltman CF Wirral Liverpool 3 August 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2026 30 Owen Dale RW Warrington Blackpool 1 February 2024 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 39 Gatlin O'Donkor CF Oxford Academy 1 July 2022 Trainee 30 June 2026 47 Aidan Elliott-Wheeler CF Oxford Academy 1 July 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 48 Leo Snowden CF Academy 6 November 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 50 Louis Griffiths LW Academy 5 September 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 59 Kasway Burton CF Academy 5 September 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 — Kyle Edwards LW Dudley Ipswich Town 16 January 2024 Free 30 June 2024 Out on Loan 4 Stuart Findlay CB Carmyle Philadelphia Union 19 July 2022 Undisclosed 30 June 2026 42 Steve Seddon LB Reading Birmingham City 22 July 2021 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 43 Richard McIntyre LB Academy 9 January 2024 Trainee 30 June 2024
Transfers In DatePosPlayerTransferred fromFee 1 July 2023 CM Free transfer 1 July 2023 CF Free transfer 1 July 2023 CB Free transfer 11 July 2023 CF Free transfer 3 August 2023 CF Undisclosed 24 August 2023 LB Undisclosed 10 October 2023 CF Free agent 20 October 2023 DM Free agent 30 November 2023 LB Free agent 16 January 2024 LW Free agent 19 January 2024 CF Undisclosed 1 February 2024 RW Undisclosed 24 June 2024 RB Undisclosed 27 June 2024 GK Undisclosed
Out DatePosPlayerTransferred toFee 30 June 2023 RB Free agent Released 30 June 2023 AM Released 30 June 2023 RW Released 30 June 2023 LW Free agent Released 30 June 2023 GK Released 30 June 2023 RB Free agent Released 30 June 2023 CF Released 30 June 2023 GK Free transfer 30 June 2023 CF Released 5 July 2023 DF Undisclosed 18 August 2023 LW Mutual consent 5 September 2023 GK Undisclosed 14 September 2023 CF Retired 21 December 2023 DF Free agent Released 12 January 2024 DM Undisclosed 14 June 2024 MF Undisclosed 27 June 2024 CF Undisclosed
Loaned in DatePosPlayerLoaned fromDate until 1 July 2023 GK 8 January 2024 1 July 2023 RB End of season 27 July 2023 RW 8 January 2024 25 August 2023 CF 2 January 2024 1 September 2023 LW 8 January 2024 10 January 2024 FW End of season 11 January 2024 GK End of season 1 February 2024 CM 27 March 2024
Loaned out DatePosPlayerLoaned toDate until 14 July 2023 CB End of season 14 July 2023 LB End of season 31 July 2023 GK 1 January 2024 11 August 2023 RB 8 September 2023 6 October 2023 CM 4 November 2023 12 January 2023 CM 20 February 2024 12 January 2023 RB End of season 24 January 2024 GK End of season
Pre-season and friendlies On May 11, The U's announced their first pre-season friendly, against Swansea City at home. A week later, a second fixture was confirmed, against Bristol City. A third pre-season match was announced on 23 May, against Eastleigh. A day later, a fourth friendly was confirmed by the club, against Queens Park Rangers.
Competitions Overall record
League One
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Matches On 22 June, the EFL League One fixtures were released.
Play-offs
Oxford United finished 5th in the regular 2023–24 EFL League One season, so were drawn against 4th-placed Peterborough United in the play-off semi final. As the side which finished lower in the league, Oxford hosted the first round at their home ground, the Kassam Stadium, with the second round held at Peterborough's home ground, the London Road Stadium.
FA Cup
The U's were drawn at home to Maidenhead United in the first round and away to Coventry City in the third round.
EFL Cup
Oxford were drawn away to Bristol City in the first round.
EFL Trophy
The Group stage draw was finalised on 22 June 2023. After coming second in the group, Oxford were drawn away to Forest Green Rovers in the second round and to either Portsmouth or AFC Wimbledon in the third round.
Top scorers
PlacePositionNationNumberNameLeague OneFA CupLeague CupFL TrophyTotal1FW 9 Mark Harris 15 1 0 3 192MF 8 Cameron Brannagan 13 0 0 0 133MF 19 Tyler Goodrham 8 1 0 1 10MF 23 Josh Murphy 8 0 0 2 104FW 10 Billy Bodin 5 3 1 0 95FW 20 Rúben Rodrigues 8 0 0 0 87DF 22 Greg Leigh 6 0 0 0 68DF 3 Ciaron Brown 4 0 0 0 49FW 29 Kyle Edwards 1 0 0 1 2MF 18 Marcus McGuane 1 1 0 0 2MF 17 James Henry 2 0 0 0 2DF 5 Elliott Moore 2 0 0 0 212FW 7 Stanley Mills 1 0 0 0 1DF 15 Fin Stevens 1 0 0 0 1DF 2 Sam Long 1 0 0 0 1DF 4 Jordan Thorniley 0 0 0 1 1FW 16 Sonny Perkins 0 0 0 1 1MF 14 Oisin Smyth 1 0 0 0 1FW 25 Will Goodwin 1 0 0 0 1FW 30 Owen Dale 1 0 0 0 1TOTALS7061995
References