Oxford united FC
Oxford United celebrate their 2026 End of Season awards
The ceremony, sponsored by DA Building & Roofing, took place at Oxford Town Hall in front of around 300 guests.
Stan Mills and Grace Palmer won the Players’ Player of the Year Award, with Stan also winning the Supporters’ Player of the Year Award alongside Holly Manders.
A total of 10 awards were presented during the event which was hosted by TNT Sports’ Liam MacDevitt, who was joined by former England manager Steve McClaren.
The first award, the Jack Casley Men’s Young Player of the Year Award, sponsored by Smiths Bletchington, was awarded to Will Lankshear for his incredible year in front of goal, hitting double figures in the league.
A new honour, the Women’s Young Player of the Year Award, was introduced this year and presented to the family of Amelia Aplin, who tragically passed away during an Academy game.
It was also announced that the award will be permanently named the Amelia Aplin Women’s Young Player of the Year Award in her memory.
The Golden Boot Awards, sponsored by Grundon Waste Management, were won by Will Lankshear and Emma Thompson for the men and women.
Will Vaulks was honoured with the Community Player of the Year award, sponsored by Bradford Decorating, for his work in developing a suicide prevention campaign within the club.
The Mickey Lewis Club Person of the Year, sponsored by Wenn Townsend, was awarded to safeguarding lead, Jack Nield.
The Joey Beauchamp Goals of the Season awards, sponsored by Oxair, were voted for on the night by the guests.
The awards went to Cameron Brannagan for his critical strike against Millwall, and Shaunna Jenkins, for her incredible volley against Hashtag United.
It was then time for the night’s most prestigious awards, the Men’s and Women’s Players’ Player of the Year, sponsored by Textures Flooring, claimed by Stan Mills, and Grace Palmer.
The Supporter’s Player of the Year award, sponsored by Gregory Surveyors, was handed to Holly Manders for the women.
Meanwhile, the Andrew Knapton Men’s Supporters’ Player of the Year, sponsored by DA Building & Roofing, saw Stan Mills celebrating his second award of the night as he was honoured by the fans.
Guests enjoyed a three-course dinner provided by Elegant Cuisine with a host of speakers entertaining the crowd, including men’s and women’s team head coaches, Matt Bloomfield and Liam Gilbert, reflecting on the year across the club.
The club thanked DA Roofing & Building for sponsoring the evening, along with other supporters and guests.
League One club Oxford had a bid rejected for the 22-year-old last month, according to Pete O’Rourke , with the Baggies and newly-promoted Championship side Lincoln City also seeing offers denied.
West Brom have since progressed in their talks for the centre forward and have reportedly reached an agreement to secure Stewart’s services.
The former Queens Park Rangers trainee scored 10 goals in 21 appearances for Falkirk in the second half of last season, with the Bairns finishing sixth in the Scottish top tier.
READ MORE: Ex-Oxford United star Andy Whing opens up on Banbury exit
READ MORE: League One transfer news round-up including EFL rivals
He has visited Birmingham and accepted the opportunity to play for James Morrison’s side, according to @talkwba , with Stewart wanting the move.
Contract details are still to be finalised with the signing announcement to follow.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Agreement reached for Barney Stewart to Join West Bromwich Albion. 22yo visited Birmingham recently & accepted opportunity; contract set to be finalised – announcement to follow. Primary target throughout + wanted #wba move. W/ @EyaWeGew @WestBromXtra pic.twitter.com/6DJJUozR6I
— westbrom.fc (@talkwba) June 15, 2026
The SFWA Young Player of the Year had addressed transfer links previously, saying: “It is insane.
“If it was to happen it would be a massive step and a quick rise if it does happen and one I would have to take in my stride.”
Oxford currently have strikers Nik Prelec and Mark Harris on their books but supporters are keen to see the club add a more prolific goal scorer to the ranks.
Martin has agreed a deal with the Foxes, who are the early bookmakers’ favourites to be promoted, to take over as head coach in League One after the club was relegated from the Championship last season.
Ex-U’s head coach Rowett took Leicester down in 23rd place after being sacked by Oxford back in December.
Rowett had taken over from Marti Cifuentes who was sacked in January following a 2-1 defeat to Matt Bloomfield’s Yellows.
READ MORE: League One transfer news round-up including EFL rivals
READ MORE: Cult hero Andy Whing relives chaotic life at Oxford United
Former Queens Park Rangers boss Cifuentes had Leicester in 14th at the time and six points away from the play-off places but the club were then hit with a six-point deduction in February for breaching EFL financial rules.
Leicester’s new man charge has been out of work since being sacked by Scottish giants Rangers in October after a poor start to the Scottish Premiership season.
Martin previously took Southampton to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs in 2023/24.
He began his managerial career with MK Dons after retiring with the club before moving to Swansea City in 2021 where he spent two years.
The 40-year-old was a defender in his playing days, appearing in 586 matches across his career, 309 of which were for Norwich City.
Whing, who was a key figure at Oxford United under Chris Wilder and Michael Appleton and went on to coach the youth team, led the Puritans to promotion to the National League North for the first time in their history, winning the Southern League Premier Division Central title.
After keeping Banbury in the sixth tier in their first season, the former boss resigned in May 2023.
Whing went on to become to manager of his local club Solihull Moors, guiding them to the National League play-off final before joining Barrow in League Two.
After being sacked by the Bluebirds in December, the 41-year-old is now boss of National League North outfit Brackley Town.
“I’d been there for two-and-a-half or three years, and the rise of the club was unbelievable,” the ex-Coventry City and Brighton & Hove Albion defender exclusively told the Oxford Mail.
“A new stand, went from 300 or 400 fans to 1500 or 1600, 2500 at FA Cup games. It went through the roof and I wanted to keep that going and I just felt they couldn’t, or they wanted to slow down. I thought, if we slow down, we’ll go back down to where we’ve just come from, we need to keep going.
“They were too slow with certain things and I just knew that we were going to struggle next season, going to get relegated.
“One thing was how that would look personally on me and I didn’t want that to happen to the club so I just felt it was the right time for me to go. It was a big gamble because I didn’t have anything lined up.”
READ MORE: League One transfer news round-up including EFL rivals
READ MORE: Cult hero Andy Whing relives chaotic life at Oxford United
READ MORE: Three Oxford United stars set for breakout League One season
The Banbury job was Whing’s first as manager of a club.
“When I was a youth team manager [at Oxford], we’d sent a few youth team lads out on loan to Banbury so I kind of knew of the club.
READ MORE: Cult hero Andy Whing relives chaotic life at Oxford United
“It happened out the blue really. I’d left Oxford, I had a stint at Kidderminster, a stint at Coventry Under-18s, a stint at Hereford. None of them really worked out.
“I was just working with my mates at a sofa warehouse, didn’t know where to go next, didn’t have a clue.
“I got phone call out of the blue asking if I wanted the Banbury job. And I just thought, it’s a great opportunity, it’s in Oxfordshire and I’ve got contacts in Oxfordshire. I’ve got the football club down the road who I can rely on to send me loan players, which they did do…anything I needed I could always get from them.
“I thought it was a perfect fit [and] luckily I got the job. In the end, it was an absolute perfect fit.”
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoWhat happens to Halifax customers if Lloyds makes changes?
-
Oxford News4 weeks agoActor steps down from major role in new Harry Potter series
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoOxfordshire bridge closure comes as management ‘weaknesses’ found
-
UK News4 weeks agoBurnham seeks to calm markets by committing to fiscal rules
-
UK News4 weeks agoGlass deposit scheme 'risks major problems' for retail industry
-
UK News4 weeks agoEx-minister Shapps quits aerospace firm over rule concerns
-
Student Life4 weeks agoTommy Robinson Union invite sparks controversy across University
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoRyan Bridge speaks of London arrest after Oxford incident