Manager/Coach Horton out !!..............

Looking at the bigger picture, he did a fine job here on limited resources, and avoided relegation many times in what is now the championship. I don’t think he gets as much credit as he deserves.

I remember being in Cornwall when I heard he was being snapped up by Francis Lee at Man City, and I was stunned to be honest.

Always remember seeing the banner Horton out in the beech road terrace from the Left side of London road.
 
I was on a cruise around the Med, there was a daily news summary printed, and the lead story was the move to Man City
 
In retrospect, a much maligned coach. Look at the players from the era - Melville, Simpson, Ceri Evans, Magilton, Durnin, etc and debuts for Joey, Chris Allen and Bobby Ford, as well as giving McLaren his first management job. I appreciate it was in the wake of the 'glory' years but in the circumstances, with the Maxwell's still hovering, he did some job.
 
Horton was before my time as a fan. I always got the impression that fans never really took to him because he wasn’t able to get us back into Division 1 again. With Maxwell ‘money’ still there from 1988-late ‘91, maybe there was an expectation that Oxford should be challenging for the promotion places when in actuality the cloth was being cut more accordingly. He did his best with what he had and acquired some generally good players for his budget.

Horton’s record a giant Swindon is pants, mind, although a fine 5-3 win remains a highlight.
 
unification said:
Horton was before my time as a fan. I always got the impression that fans never really took to him because he wasn’t able to get us back into Division 1 again. With Maxwell ‘money’ still there from 1988-late ‘91, maybe there was an expectation that Oxford should be challenging for the promotion places when in actuality the cloth was being cut more accordingly. He did his best with what he had and acquired some generally good players for his budget.

Horton’s record a giant Swindon is pants, mind, although a fine 5-3 win remains a highlight.
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There was no way we were getting back up! I don't think any serious people expected that. His team played good football and did well at home but were hopeless away, which probably meant that the hardcore support were more critical than the home-only majority.
 
Sarge said:
Didnt Horton step up to take the managers job from being assistant manager after Lawreson resigned when Maxwell senior took Saunders to Derby from Maxwell jnr (£1m) & off us , without Lawreson knowing anything about it? ....or am i mis remembering , again?
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I think that is right Sarge, but my memory isn't great either
 
Peterdev said:
The 5-3 win against Swindon was one of the best games I went to. i took a friend from London down with me and he gloated when we went down 0-1 within a couple of minutes.
I liked our football under Horton. I think we also beat Sheffield United 3-0 who were top on New Years Day
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Mark Stein wouldn't agree. I remember reading scathing quotes about the style of play Horton demanded - long balls aimed at a fast, but short and skillful forward... Mark Stein said that the players were capable of playing a more technical game, with the ball on the ground.

I remember seeing Stein stand still, facing his own goal, and glance a long ball off the top of his head to the opposing goalkeeper. Lots of head tennis occurred from memory.

Oxford had some very good players in the decade after being in the top flight.
 
Horton was the manager when I first started going up the Manor at 11, being on the London Road for the first few games one of the only songs I can really remember is “Brian Hortons yellow and blue army” so he had some support for a while, later on I remember the “Horton out” chants starting and as said above our terrible away form seemed to turn fans against him and it did stop us building any momentum.

Still have fond memories of him as my first proper Oxford manager, back then I thought he was really old like all kids do of adults but he couldn’t of even been much over 40?
 
unification said:
With Maxwell ‘money’ still there from 1988-late ‘91
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There was certainly no Maxwell money around in those years, he had "jumped ship" to Derby County by '88, and as mentioned contrived to take our star player there early in 88/89 which scuppered any chance of a return. No parachute payments back then of course.
 
Leysboy said:
Was it Horton in charge, when we went to Prenton park needing to win and avoid relagation, and we won 2-1 I’m sure Johnny Lager scored.
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Yes, one of the great away games.
Won 2 1 (Joey scored our other and John Aldridge their goal)
Paul Kee had a really good game in goal.
Then we had to spend 10 minutes waiting for other results to come in to see if we stayed up or not
 
Foley said:
Yes, one of the great away games.
Won 2 1 (Joey scored our other and John Aldridge their goal)
Paul Kee had a really good game in goal.
Then we had to spend 10 minutes waiting for other results to come in to see if we stayed up or not
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I was there, remember it well. We needed Blackburn to win, which they made a right effort about. Half time it looked like we were going down. The wait at the end of the game though, christ that was nervy.
 
Brian Horton for me was one of our most under appreciated managers, for me he over achieved for several years keeping us in the what is now the championship in the aftermath of the Maxwell era. His teams played decent attacking football and as a fan who only saw success in the early years of my support his reign really helped me appreciate that football fortunes can change very quickly. Will go down as one of my favourite managers which i know for some will be difficult to understand.
 
nick68 said:
Brian Horton for me was one of our most under appreciated managers, for me he over achieved for several years keeping us in the what is now the championship in the aftermath of the Maxwell era. His teams played decent attacking football and as a fan who only saw success in the early years of my support his reign really helped me appreciate that football fortunes can change very quickly. Will go down as one of my favourite managers which i know for some will be difficult to understand.
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in retrospect he, Brian Horton, wasnt too bad ....hard job for him to follow the glory years of Jim Smith then Maurice Evans in the top flight ... ( then, very briefly Mark Lawrenson)
 
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