General OUFC rivals

[bashamwonderland]

The fact they always beat us at home drives me insane. There's a couple of players in the teams at the moment who've got a bit of bad blood with the other side - Sercombe for example, or Matty Taylor (I loved Sercombe when he was here, but him going to Rovers did diminish my opinion of him). We've played them a lot and they're a bit of a benchmark I personally compare us to - how are Rovers doing? Add to that the fact that there seems to be increasing amounts of trouble (or at least attempted trouble) at games. I was at the home game against them last year and if there hadn't been a heavy police presence there could have been serious violence (although having lots of police is perhaps a self fulfilling prophecy leading to violence). Plus they're reasonably geographically close. Basically I genuinely dislike their club, which isn't usual for me at all, except the Scum (I was too young for the Reading games in the 80's).

That's fair enough - I also use a few teams as benchmarks (Rovers, Luton, Gillingham) but I've gone the other way with Rovers. Good stadium, solid crowds, proper football.

Always thought if I had my time again it might have been Rovers or Exeter.

(Or Chelsea)

 

[Leysboy]

1) Scum
2) Reading

That’s it!

 

[Pompeyyellows]

They might have wanted to fight back but rarely put up an opposition. Even when their RYF was on the go, the best they could do was to kick open a gate door at the front of the away end fencing, then did nothing.

They got chased everywhere, even at reading. just don't mention dual carriageways to the brothers.

Brighton hold a grudge still, after the Plasterers Arms incident, Battle of Hove Park in 1982 (I think) et al.

Was that 1982. I do remember there being a big rucus on the park land behind the away terrace at the Goldstone ground. Boy doesn't time fly

 

[m]

Was that 1982. I do remember there being a big rucus on the park land behind the away terrace at the Goldstone ground. Boy doesn't time fly

Remember it in '85, wasn't there in '82.

 

[Pompeyyellows]

1985 sounds more like it, Remember it was really sunny when we arrived on the LR coach and by half time it was bloody freezing. Warmed up after the game though

 

[Essexyellows]

Was that 1982. I do remember there being a big rucus on the park land behind the away terrace at the Goldstone ground. Boy doesn't time fly

It was 1982, after we spanked them 3-0 in the FA Cup round 4 in mid/late Jan.

IIRC the Plasterers "Incident" was 1984 .....

 

[windmill]

Was that 1982. I do remember there being a big rucus on the park land behind the away terrace at the Goldstone ground. Boy doesn't time fly

Observing from afar, it could have been an Agincourt re-enactment............or was it Crecy?

 

[Concretebob]

Only consider the Pig Fiddlers as rivals

Wycombe are hilarious but irritating. Reading have been in false position for years so I guess that potential game has mellowed.

 

[Fistfullofdollars]

It was 1982, after we spanked them 3-0 in the FA Cup round 4 in mid/late Jan.

IIRC the Plasterers "Incident" was 1984 .....

Plasterers was late 90's

 

[willgreen]

Agree with all the people saying the only real rivals are Scum and Reading - yes - but people have their own individual hates (or indeed soft spots) for other clubs for whatever reason. Possibly should have named the thread something else because, yes, Scum and Reading are undeniably our main rivals - 'OUFC hate' sounds a bit aggressive though!

 

[Pompeyyellows]

Hate is exactly the right word where Swine and the plastics are concerned, and no, no soft spots for anyone else OUFC all the way

 

[SteMerritt]

1985 sounds more like it, Remember it was really sunny when we arrived on the LR coach and by half time it was bloody freezing. Warmed up after the game though

85 at Brighton was certainly bloody warm to start with, then cooled off. I remember that game more for one of our lot being passed out on the terrace. St John's ambulance pair came up to him and tried to help, but the fella half came around, thought they were coppers trying to nick him and started trying to fight them... Odd day. Think we drew 0-0 and had Dave Langan sent off.

 

[Archieyellow]

Yes apart from the usual I would definitely put Liverpool in that as we would of been in Europe in 86/87

 

[WALLY OX]

This discussion comes up from time to time and of course everybody has their opinion. That opinion is probably influenced by age and where you live.

Growing up in deepest darkest South Oxon, it was always Reading that were the biggest rivals. I remember the league cup in 1990 (Simmo scored) was the first time I experienced the rivarly both in and out of Elm Park. (Simod cup in 1988 did not have the same atmosphere).
As others have said, if we start playing them again, I think others will appreciate the level of animosity. They still sings about how much they hate Oxford!
For me:
1) Reading
2) Swindon
Hate Orient for obvious reasons but not the same hatred as the two above. Could be a great rivalary season of reading come down, Swindon go up and we stay in league 1. Can’t remember the last time we were all in the same league!?
(Please note ....I want us to go up!)

 

[BigCrompy]

Real: Scum, plastics, Orient

Special mentions to Bristol Rovers, Liverpool and Wycombe

Who on earth are the “plastics” if not Liverpool..?

 

[Sarge]

Who on earth are the “plastics” if not Liverpool..?

risking a Woosh .... Reading

 

[BigCrompy]

risking a Woosh .... Reading

No, no wooosh intended and you’re obviously right, but...how? How can ANY club be more plastic than Liverpool?

 

[Oslerroadsouth]

No, no wooosh intended and you’re obviously right, but...how? How can ANY club be more plastic than Liverpool?

Plastic cockneys

 

[Lincoln.yellow1]

Odd isolated incidents do not make a rivalry, we have had rucks with most clubs in all 4 divisions and including our non league days, however the Oxford - Swindon rivalry is number one and always will be as the rivalry stems back years and years, yes the two locations are only separated by 27 miles with Farringdon halfway, Wantage similar distances from both places and 100‘s of villages scattered around between the two places and realistically no real dominance in terms supporters to either club in these areas and this is where I believe the whole rivalry started as I was brought up in one of these villages (East Hanney) where at the time of my teens there seemed more Swindon fans than Oxford fans, it actually turned out that this wasn’t the case at all, it was just the Oxford supporters supported their club and went about their business while the Swindon supporters boasted about kicking someone’s head in here and kicking some head in there and of course stories escalate from “we took 500 supporters to a certain game, then around a 1000 and before you knew it there was talk of a couple of 1000‘s and back then you had to take it on face value, Swindon big themselves up, Oxford make things happen, they don’t like it, they have to live with it, Oxford fans in the “Town End”, plenty of times, Swindon fans in the London Road, Never..
I actually believe the new generation Swindon fan has not got a clue, however come old, middle age or young Oxford United supporters the rivalry with Swindon is here to stay........!

 

[ChamonixOx]

Only ever has been Swindon and Reading. Swindon probably edging the two even in the 80’s. Off the pitch we used to dominate both. You would never see them in the London Road but we would regularly pop up in the South Bank (best one had to be the ambush), Town End and Cuckoo Lane end. Reading always a little more tasty than scum but most resistance was ‘locals’ rather than fans. They had a few of the latter, but never the numbers or the quality that we had as a lot of their ‘lads’ used to go to the Bridge back then.