Oxford United 0 v 1 Aldershot Town

‘He was like a cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow’ - (George Eliot)

Jan Ludvik Hoch was born in the small town of Slatinske Doly in the Carpathian Mountains of Czechoslovakia in 1923.

He died Ian Robert Maxwell on November 5th 1991.

He fell overboard from his luxury yacht, Lady Ghislaine and his body was found floating in the Atlantic Ocean off the Canary Islands.

And Oxford United was, until 1960, Headington United. A club founded in 1893. The name change no more than a matter of profile, driven by the desire to gain entry to the Football League….

And in 1962 their wish came true, when they were elected to join the League following the demise of Accrington Stanley.

Early success was followed by a period of mediocrity…..and then along came Robert Maxwell. A man whose business empire was built on heavy indebtedness and dishonest practices. His arrogance was such that he ‘borrowed’ millions of pounds from his companies’ pension funds to prop up his group of companies.

Yes, in 1982 Cap’n Bob the man lampooned by the satirical magazine Private Eye as the ‘bouncing Czech’ , took over Oxford United. His ‘money’ took Oxford into the top flight and subsequently they experienced success at Wembley, a 3v0 win over Queens Park Rangers in the Milk Cup Final of 1986.

Then Bob was off to Derby and the Club started to slide…..finally losing their League status when Accrington Stanley achieved promotion from the ‘Conference’.

So it is somewhat ‘reassuring’ to find the ‘bouncing Czech’s’ arrogance still pervading the club……it makes the 1v0 win last Saturday, courtesy of a brilliant Marvin Morgan goal, so much the sweeter.