Monday this week marked 40 years since the U’s beat Queens Park Rangers 3-0 in the Milk Cup final, with Mr Phillips starring in midfield.

When his playing career came to an end, Mr Phillips trained as a greenkeeper at golf courses across Oxfordshire and he has been at Cokethorpe School, near Witney, for the last nine years.

READ MORE: Memories of the U’s Milk Cup win

The school was awarded the Grounds Team of the Year 2026 by the Independent Schools Football Association, an accolade which recognises the work required to maintain the 150-acre site including nine grass rugby and football pitches, three cricket squares, six golf greens, two artificial sports pitches, and tennis courts.

Working alongside head groundsman Simon Hole, Mr Phillips makes up the two-person groundskeeping team at Cokethorpe, with a replacement deputy head groundsperson being sought.

Les Phillips, front row second left in the Milk Cup winning team (Image: Contributed)

Mr Phillips said: “We work hard and Simon is very good at his job. We know what we’ve got to do and we get it done. We’ve got a great team at Cokethorpe, and we all get on really well.

“I take pride in maintaining the pitches and helping inspire the youngsters to get involved and play a variety of sports.”

The school’s demanding sporting calendar requires constant adaptability. From rugby and hockey in the autumn term to football in the spring, followed by cricket and athletics in the summer, the grounds are in near continuous use.

Almost 40 community teams across Oxfordshire also use the pitches.

Since moving to the county to join the Yellows from Birmingham City, London-born Mr Phillips added: “I came to Oxfordshire when I was 21 and I’ve been here ever since. I’m 63 now. It’s a lovely place to live and work.”

Les Phillips before the Milk Cup final (Image: Fortitude Communications)

The career highlight of Mr Phillips’ playing days is undoubtedly the Milk Cup triumph, and United will be marking the victory during their home match against Wrexham tonight.

The former player, who scored in the second leg of the semi-final victory against Aston Villa, said: “It’s a day I’ll never forget. Walking out at Wembley in our suits before the game, we just wanted to get on the pitch and get started.

“It was a great result and a great performance. I still speak to Kevin Brock and Jeremy Charles as they live locally, but it’s been a while for some of the others, so it’ll be good to see old faces. And they will be old faces too.”

Les Phillips at Cokethorpe School near Witney (Image: Fortitude Communications)

Mr Phillips is going to be joined by a new teammate at Cokethorpe, with the school near Witney seeking to appoint a deputy head groundsperson.

The deadline for applications is noon on Thursday, April 30, with early applications encouraged.

Interviews will take place the week commencing Monday, May 4 but may be earlier for suitable candidates. Cokethorpe is looking to appoint as soon as possible.

Cokethorpe is an independent, co-educational day for children aged four to 18, at a 150-acre parkland site near Witney.

The 37‑year‑old is best known for his stand‑up, Channel 4 sitcom Fresh Meat and BBC Three’s Bad Education, as well as Netflix and Amazon travel series Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father.

He married model and actress Roxy Horner, with whom he shares baby daughter Elsie, at the lavish countryside estate Euridge Manor.

The spot features terraces, lakes and Italian‑style gardens and is frequently used as a high‑end wedding venue.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson teases new filming with Top Gear and Grand Tour twist

According to the Daily Mail, which first reported details of the day, the couple’s star‑studded celebration cost around £250,000 and was attended by celebrity friends from the worlds of comedy and entertainment.

The paper says Mr Whitehall was “subjected to an X‑rated heckle” from mates as he took to the water during part of the festivities, with friends allegedly shouting a cheeky comment in his direction while he was on a boat.

Despite the interruption, the tone of the event was described as light‑hearted, with guests pictured laughing and enjoying the moment.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire to be hotter than Venice this week according to Met Office

The Daily Mail report describes how Euridge Manor was dressed for the occasion with flowers and fairy lights.

The newlyweds were seen kissing and posing for photos against the backdrop of the manor’s ornate stonework and lakeside setting.

Mr Whitehall’s 32-year-old bride is a British model who has fronted campaigns for major fashion brands and spoken publicly about living with type 1 diabetes

The couple, who began dating in 2020 and welcomed their daughter in 2023, are understood to have spent months planning the countryside wedding after previously talking about wanting a big family celebration.

We’ve all spent countless hours by the kitchen sink scrubbing our oven trays to scrape away pesky grease and grime that won’t budge.

But one home cleaning expert has shared an ingenious way of removing rust from tins in half the time, using a potato.

Home cleaning Instagram page ‘honestthomee’ claims the humble spud can clean used trays better than a sponge.

In a video shared online, the influencer soaks her grime-ridden tray in boiling water before grabbing a chopped potato, which she covers in salt.

She then rubs the salted potato all over the tray before adding another layer of salt onto the tray and washing it clean.

After being submerged in water, the tray appears to be restored to its sparkly state and ready to be reused.

Why does a potato work so well?

This simple trick works because potatoes are high in oxalic acid, which is sometimes sold in its pure form as a rust remover.

When this comes into contact with rust, it creates a substance called iron oxalate, which can easily be washed away with water and soap.

Honestthomee said: “The reveal is finally here!  Who knew a simple potato could clean better than a sponge?

“I stopped scrubbing for hours and tried this trick instead. The result is honestly shocking!”

Potatoes make excellent natural scrubbers, particularly for cleaning stubborn stains on surfaces like cutting boards and pans.

Cut a potato in half, sprinkle some salt or baking soda on the cut side, and scrub away.

The potato’s texture, combined with the abrasiveness of the salt or baking soda, helps lift grime without damaging surfaces.

What’s your best cleaning hack? Let us know in the comments