Oxford united FC
Oxford United legend John Aldridge on Milk Cup Wembley win
The U’s and Liverpool legend, known as ‘Aldo’, was top scorer in the competition that season with five goals and bagged a whopping 31 across the season as a whole.
With a brace in the semi-final first leg against Aston Villa, Aldridge was a key man for the historic United team which went on to beat Queens Park Rangers 3-0 in the final.
Trevor Hebberd, Ray Houghton, and Jeremy Charles scored the goals to see the Yellows, who were underdogs ahead of kick-off, to their first and only ever major trophy triumph.
In the comfort of his living room, Aldridge sat forward, remembering the year that lives so fondly in the memories of U’s fans.
“Did we expect to win it? No,” the 67-year-old declared with honesty.
“But in the early rounds, we fancied ourselves for a run.”
“I think one of the games I was injured, I think it was Newcastle, I didn’t play and the lads done really well and got past [the third] round.
“Then we moved into the semis against Aston Villa, which, you know, we weren’t too sure about, but to get them past them and get in the final and then everyone just basically said we’ve got no chance against QPR, we’re the total underdogs.
“Like Wimbledon were when I played for Liverpool; very, very similar. But the performance we put in, we absolutely smashed them. They couldn’t deal with us. It was just a fantastic day. To see 40,000 Oxford fans, that was special as well.
“We deserved to win 3-0, you know, and even [the QPR players] were very humble at the end of the game. I knew quite a lot of lads playing and they said, ‘look, you just battered us’.
“It’s massive for a relatively small club to do what we did. We knew we had a good team, some really good players.”
Clearly still enthusiastic about the victory, Aldridge still does not forget how the game played out, with one big regret still weighing on his mind.
“You know what, I missed a f****** sitter by the way,” the former Republic of Ireland international recalled.
“Little Les Phillips, who’s my mate, he should have scored and he’s crossed it to me. I was a little bit surprised and [it was an open] goal and I put it wide.
“I think that was to make it 4-0. So I was a little bit gutted I didn’t score at Wembley.”
The centre forward played 141 times for Oxford, scoring 90 goals before his move to Liverpool where he went on to become a First Division and FA Cup winner.
The 1986 Milk Cup was his first accolade, however, which Aldridge holds in very high regard, continuing to look back fondly on the day.
“You’re a little bit in euphoria, aren’t you?” he continued.
“You just tend to forget the moments. I was a bit gutted when Trevor [Hebberd] scored the first goal, because I wanted him to pass to me, but he scored.
“But I think picking up the trophy, when you’re a kid, everyone wants to play at Wembley and win the FA Cup. This is obviously secondary, but it’s not at the time.
“When you pick up the cup, it’s something that you relive, because you’ve seen so many great captains over the years and great players do the same.
“The day and the night that unfolded was…really special. Then having done that, we needed to stay up, which we did.
“That was a bit eerie, you know, the later on stages. But it was something that I’ll never ever forget and that’s the only time I won the League Cup.
“I’ll never forget that.”
Aldridge and co. beat Arsenal 3-0 on the final day of that season to stay in the First Division on the final day.
Oxford would have qualified for Europe with the cup victory if it were not for the ban imposed on English clubs from entering European competition due to the Heysel Stadium disaster which occurred the season before.
The Milk Cup final remains the greatest day in the U’s history, which former striker Aldridge is proud to have been a part of.
Exclusive quotes from an interview with the Oxford Mail, courtesy of BetBrain.
The U’s were defeated at Derby on Saturday, the Rams securing a 1-0 win thanks to Jaydon Banel’s first-half goal.
Oxford missed some golden opportunities to draw level, Mark Harris spurning a late chance wide whilst Yunus Konak and Myles Peart-Harris both squandered earlier efforts.
“Obviously relieved,” Eustace replied when asked how he felt when Harris missed the chance at the death.
“They’ve had a couple of chances from our own doing, really. Not being good enough on the ball and making mistakes.
“That was disappointing. You give teams chances, there’s always an opportunity for them. Fortunately, they’ve never taken it.
“I think when you look at the team that [Oxford] have put out at the moment, obviously a lot of draws, only two defeats in ten.
“I think it is always very difficult to play against and in those kind of games you need that bit of magic.
The former Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City boss also praised the work of the U’s boss since his January arrival.
“I think over the course of the time he’s been here, being at Oxford, the team have really grew and been very difficult to play against. They’ve had some great results. I think he’s the right man to keep them up for sure.
“I wish him all the best.”
The U’s were beaten 1-0 at Pride Park after Jaydon Banel’s first-half strike, with Bloomfield’s men missing some big chances to get something from the game.
Yunus Konak and Mark Harris wasted the biggest two, the former shooting over with Jeon Jin-woo in space on his left and Welsh striker Harris putting Aidomo Emakhu’s cross wide in the final minute.
Myles Peart-Harris also missed a big opportunity in the Rams’ box after being played forward by Jamie Donley on the counter attack.
The defeat is a huge blow to Oxford’s Championship survival hopes with only three matches left to save their season as they remain in the relegation zone.
“I’ve got a mixture of emotions,” announced Bloomfield after the game.
“I’ve got disappointment at our performance [in the] first half and I’ve got frustration that we haven’t walked away with something at the end of the game.
“We’ve created two, if not three, really good opportunities against a really good team who are pushing for a play-off position. So today was always going to be a tough game for us. But we’ve created three really good chances and I’m really frustrated that we haven’t gone and taken one and taken something from the game.
“Of course,” the 42-year-old replied when asked if these chances could be the difference between relegation and survival.
“When you get opportunities you need to score from them. No team in our position is going to create loads and loads that you can’t miss.
“When they come around you’ve got to take them. In recent games we’ve been taking them, getting the results and today, unfortunately for us, disappointingly so, we didn’t take one. We’ve had some real clear-cut chances there today and we should take one.
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“You’re coming away against a really good team who have won five in a row [at home]. There are probably more chances than what you’re expecting, clear-cut chances than what you’re expecting to make. So for us not to take one is obviously disappointing.
“They left everything out there second half and we took a very good team to the wire and created some good opportunities. So, fair play to the lads for the way they reacted after half-time.
“We needed to get the points on the board. It hasn’t happened today, but we have to keep fighting.
“We haven’t done all this work over three months to fall away at this moment. We have to fight and fight and fight and we’ll be back on Tuesday night.”
The Baggies won 2-0 away at Preston thanks to goals from Josh Maja and Daryl Dike to lift themselves five points clear of Oxford United and the relegation zone.
The result came just hours after the U’s lost 1-0 at Derby County in a frustrating affair which saw Matt Bloomfield’s side squander a number of good chances to salvage something at Pride Park.
Relegation rivals West Brom picked up their win in the midst of a potential points deduction after they were accused of breaching the EFL’s profit and sustainability regulations.
It is yet to be confirmed whether the West Midlands club will receive a punishment for their breach, leaving question marks over the state of the Championship table with just three matches remaining for most teams.
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After the most recent set of results, a points deduction could hand the Yellows a lifeline, potentially putting them back within touching distance of James Morrison’s Baggies.
In one of the other early kick-offs, Portsmouth beat a dour Leicester City who look all but doomed, Pompey now seven points clear of the drop.
With Oxford in 22nd, West Brom are two places ahead with Blackburn Rovers in between having played one game more.
Rovers are level with the Baggies on 49 points, the U’s currently on 44.
Bloomfield’s side face Wrexham at the Kassam Stadium next on Tuesday night.
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