Crime & Safety
Football legend part of UK private school’s award-winning team
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.
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.”
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.”
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 TV presenter lives in Oxfordshire on a 1,000‑acre farm near Chipping Norton, having bought the land in 2008.
Known as Diddly Squat Farm, the spot sits in the countryside near Chadlington and is known worldwide through his Prime Video series, Clarkson’s Farm.
Similarly, music mogul Mr Cowell also lives in the Cotswolds area nearby with his fiancée, Lauren Silverman, as well as his 12-year-old son, Eric.
READ MORE: Clarkson’s Farm series five release date officially confirmed
The couple first met in 2004 in Barbados, where they got engaged years later on Christmas Eve of 2021.
Mr Cowell is known for his TV appearances as a talent show judge, starring on The X-Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and American Idol over the years.
Now, Mr Clarkson has made a cheeky dig at his famous neighbour during his latest column for The Sunday Times about his trip to Miami, which was published last weekend.
“While Britain still has a dribble of jet fuel, I thought I’d pop to Miami to have a look for myself,” he wrote.
READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson teases new filming with Top Gear and Grand Tour twist
“It’s been a minute since I was last there, and holy cow. Not even Simon Cowell has changed this much this quickly.”
The 66-year-old will return to screens this summer with the fifth series of Clarkson’s Farm, which is set for an initial release on Wednesday, June 3.
It is expected there will be a total of eight new episodes, which will release across several weeks.
The White Horse in Ock Street closed its doors to patrons on April 4 for a full refurbishment and management change.
It has now been announced the watering hole will reopen on Thursday, May 7, from noon.
READ MORE: Kidlington shocked as man ‘stabbed’ several times’
Kitty and Sean, the new managers, said they ‘can’t wait’ to welcome patrons to the White Horse.
The landlords said in a joint statement: “We’re really looking forward to becoming part of this amazing community, getting to know you all, and making the pub a warm, welcoming place for everyone to enjoy.
“Please do pop in after the refurb, say hello, and join us for a drink—we can’t wait to meet you.”
Sneak peaks of the renovation of the venue show a comprehensive remodelling, including a colour touch up ‘all over’ the pub, a newly decorated back bar, a ‘face-lift’ for the toilets, a new darts and bar area and a refresh for the beer garden.
READ MORE: Bicester road to close to install traffic light cameras
Greene King, which owns the venue, revealed in an advert late last year it was looking for new tenants as the pub would be come a Hive Franchise establishment.
It said the chance would give the new landlords ‘the chance to be your own boss’ with more ‘operational independence’.
The previous management team released a statement when they left, which said: “We’ll miss you. From Doreen and the team at The White Horse, we would like to say a big thank you for everything over the last three years.”
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.
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