Happy memories of Joey Beauchamp and promotion for U’s

The team finished the 1995/96 season very strongly to ensure they would go up.

Chris Allen’s goal beat Chesterfield at home on the opening day, but just three wins from the next 14 games saw United end October going nowhere fast in 14th place.

Former Oxford Mail sports writer Dave Pritchard took a detailed look at the U’s successful season.

It took until January for a first away victory, courtesy of Allen and Stuart Massey in a 2-0 success at Burnley.

The turning point for Denis Smith’s side came in Cumbria on February 24.

Matt Elliott’s 40-yard thunderbolt was followed by a last-gasp effort from Martin Aldridge to claim a 2-1 win against Carlisle United.

Suddenly, everything clicked. Another six wins and a draw followed in the next seven games, including a 3-0 drubbing of Swindon Town at the Manor, where Joey Beauchamp scored against his former side.

U’s manager Denis Smith celebrates promotion with the fans (Image: Oxford Mail)

A 4-2 defeat at Stockport County was United’s only setback in the final 17 games, but they quickly hit back over a very happy Easter.

Leaders Blackpool were downed by a special Beauchamp strike, before two days later a 3-0 win at Wycombe Wanderers saw the iconic image of Stuart Massey hanging on the Adams Park crossbar while Paul Moody cartwheeled in celebration.

Even at that point automatic promotion looked a long shot. They had a game in hand but still trailed Blackpool by seven points.

However, while Sam Allardyce’s side hit the buffers, United were remorseless.

Shrewsbury Town were shredded 6-0, with all of the goals coming from headers, while a 2-1 victory at Crewe Alexandra in the season’s penultimate game saw them finally leapfrog the Tangerines.

U’s fans celebrate promotion in 1996 (Image: Oxford Mail)

It meant a win at home to a mediocre Peterborough United side on the final day would secure automatic promotion.

A packed Manor Ground saw a tense, goalless first half, but Giuliano Grazioli’s own goal early in the second half got the promotion party started.

Headers from Moody and Elliott followed, before David Rush completed the scoring, holding his shirt aloft with a corner flag.

They had finished just ahead of Blackpool, having collected a remarkable 12 more points than their rivals in the final nine games.

“We’ve done it by rights,” Massey said. “No-one can take this away from us, we deserve this and we’re going to enjoy it.”

Goal celebrations for Oxford United in their promotion winning season in 19995/96 (Image: Oxford Mail)

Smith, who wore a ginger wig in the celebrations, said: “It’s been a long time in the wilderness for me – since I left Sunderland, where people were talking about me being England manager to achieving something again.

“It’s very pleasing. I have never lost faith in my ability.

“It’s the first step back on the ladder. Hopefully next season we will go and achieve something in the First Division, because we’re not going there to make up the numbers.”