Historical Football Kits

 

Oxford United

Formed 1893

Elected to Division Four 1962. Relegated to the Conference 2006.

Kit History

1893 r

1897-1899 o

1913 l r

1921-1922 r

1924-1925 o

1930-1935 o r

1935-1936 o r

1938-1949 b o

1949-1950 o r

1950-1951 o r

1952-1953 o r

1953-1954 r

1957-1958 o r

1960-1963 o r

1963-1968 c d o r

1968-1970 n o r

1970-1972 e f o

1972-1973 o

1973-1975 j n o r

Umbro

1975-1977 j n o r

Admiral

1977-1978 q r

Admiral

1978-1980 h m o q r

Adidas

1980-1982 m r

Spall

1982-1984 n q r

Spall

1984-1985 c e r

Umbro

1985-1986 c e r

Umbro

1986-1987 e r

Umbro

1987-1989 j o r

Scoreline

1989-1991 j r

Matchwinner

1991-1993 e i o p r

Matchwinner

1993-1994 c p r

Manor Leisure

1994-1995 c p r

Manor Leisure

1995-1996 c p r

Own Brand

1996-1998 c r

New Balance

1998-2000 c r

New Balance

2000-2001 c p r

TFG Sports

2001-2003 c p

TFG Sports

2003-2005 c k p

TFG Sports

2005-2006 a p

Carlotti

2006-2007 m

Carlotti

2007-2008 m

 

Background

Oxford United began their existence as Headington United, an amateur village side founded in 1893. Wearing dark blue and orange the club competed in local leagues until they joined the amateur Spartan League.

After the Second World War the club adopted a more ambitious attitude. They joined the Southern League in 1949, turned professional and adopted gold and black. A year later they installed floodlights, long before most Football League clubs, and in 1953, they won the Southern League title. In 1954 they reached the FA Cup fourth round proper, disposing of Millwall and Stockport County before losing to Bolton Wanderers, then in the First Division. With their sights set firmly on joining the Football League, Headington invested heavily in ground improvements.

The appointment of former Birmingham City manager, Arthur Turner in 1959 proved to be the key to success. In 1960, in an effort to gain wider recognition, Headington became Oxford United and went on to win two more Southern League championships.

In March 1962, Accrington Stanley resigned from the League. With only the last three Fourth Division clubs required to apply for re-election, there was a guaranteed place for a non-league side available when the League AGM convened in June. No fewer than 26 clubs applied: Oxford were overwhelmingly elected with 39 votes, 24 votes ahead of their nearest rivals who got a mere 5 votes.

After two years consolidating in Division Four, United were promoted and in 1968 they won the Third Division title. After eight seasons in Division Two United, now wearing blue and gold once again, were relegated in 1976. After five years languishing in the lower reaches of the Third Division and with financial problems crippling the club, millionaire publisher, Robert Maxwell bought Oxford United in January 1982 and saved them from bankruptcy.

Two consecutive championships in 1984 and 1985 took Oxford into the First Division for the first time in their history. For three seasons, Oxford managed to stave off relegation and in the process, they won the League Cup in April 1986. Meanwhile, Maxwell was floating the idea of merging United with Reading FC to form a new club to be known as Thames Valley Royals. Naturally the proposals met with hostility from both sets of supporters and were eventually dropped. In 1991 Maxwell was lost at sea, presumed to have fallen from his yacht and drowned. Without his money, United were forced to sell off players and trim their costs. Inevitably they dropped into what was now called Division Two (the old Third Division) in 1994.

In 1995-96 the club was granted permission to build a new stadium to the south of Oxford and they won promotion. Unable to sustain themselves at this level, United were twice relegated in 1999 and 2001 and wound up in League Two, the old Fourth Division. Disaster struck in 2006 when they were relegated to the Conference on the last day of the season. By a cruel irony, one of the clubs promoted was the revived Accrington Stanley, whom United had replaced in 1962.

Sources