Oxford News
Oxford United fan walks five marathons to final Championship game
Neil McManus, from Drayton, was diagnosed with bladder cancer at the end of 2024.
Since turning cancer-free, the 47-year-old chose to take on the mammoth task of walking from Oxford’s Kassam Stadium to Millwall’s The Den in London.
This has been a 125-mile walk in just five days along the Thames Path, which is the equivalent of five consecutive marathons.
DONATE HERE: Neil McManus walks five marathons for charity
5 marathons. 5 days.đ¶
One of our own, Neil McManus, is walking from the Kassam Stadium to Millwall for our final game, raising funds for Fight Bladder Cancer!
Donate now. —ïž
â Oxford United (@OUFCOfficial) April 28, 2026
Neil said: “On 23 December 2024, I received news that stopped me in my tracks: I had been diagnosed with bladder cancer.
“It came as a huge shock. Like many people, Iâd never really thought about bladder cancer or recognised the symptoms for what they were.
“Thankfully, it was caught early, and after successful treatment, I received a clean bill of health at my oneâyear cystoscopy in January this year.
“With a bit of luck, I wonât need to see my consultant again for another 12 months.
“As I step into 2026, I want to turn that experience into something positive.
READ MORE: When Brazil legend and World Cup winner Pele held an Oxford United shirt
“Iâm raising awareness and funds for Fight Bladder Cancerâan incredible charity that supports those living with the disease and works tirelessly to educate people about the signs and symptoms, so more cancers can be caught early, just like mine was.”
The Chinnor-based charity Fight Bladder Cancer provides help for patients and their loved ones, works to increase public awareness of the disease and lobbies for better research.
“[They] reached out to me when I was diagnosed,” Neil told the BBC.
“I wanted to do something for them to coincide with the end of the season. Last year, Oxford United were at Swansea, though, and I wasn’t sure if I could walk quite that far.”
Completing the walk today, Neil has managed to raise a whopping ÂŁ7,769 so far from 191 donors.
The Yellows head over to the capital already relegated following results last weekend, despite a thumping 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday last time out.
Oxford News
eBay: Rare Queen Elizabeth 50p coin selling for over ÂŁ65,000
The item is listed on the online marketplace for over 130,000 times its face value and features the Battle of Hastings on one side.
With Queen Elizabeth II on the back, the coin dates back to 2016.
The description of the item reads: âThis rare Battle of Hastings 1066 50p coin is a highly sought-after item for collectors.
READ MORE: Award-winning Cotswolds pub to open new deli shop this year
The coin. (Image: eBay)
“With its unique design and historical significance, it is a valuable addition to any collection.
“Minted in 2016 in the United Kingdom, this coin features Queen Elizabeth II and commemorates the 950th anniversary of the famous battle.
“The denomination of this coin is 50p and it is part of the Decimal Coinage era. It is a British coin and has the country of origin as Great Britain.
“Don’t miss your chance to own this special piece of history.”
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It is listed for ÂŁ65,086.70 or the best offer, while delivery is priced at ÂŁ6.85 for the coveted item.
The item is located in Swansea, with other similar listings made in Oxfordshire over the past year.
Similar rare 50p coins are listed on eBay for whopping profits.
Oxford News
Didcot: ‘global problems’ could see ÂŁ400M spend on crossing
Council place and environment boss, Cllr Judy Roberts, confirmed that the local authority will apply to Homes England’s ÂŁ79.6 million discretionary fund for the Didcot to Culham river crossing, which already has ÂŁ332.538 million secured.
The new dual-carriageway bridge will connect the A4130 at Didcot with the A415 at Culham and includes a bridge over the Thames, over a rail siding and connections to Appleford and Sutton Courtney villages via the B4106 with segregated walking and cycling facilities.
This is one of three “major infrastructure projects” in the Didcot Garden Town Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF1) programme.
It aims to “relieve congestion, and support the delivery of over 12,655 new homes and significant employment growth across the Science Vale”.
At a meeting on Friday (May 1), Mrs Roberts explained: “They will give us this money, but we would have to apply for it to justify it.
“I think, given the global problems at the moment, that that is quite a good justification.”
She added: “We have had informal words that they are probably happy to do that. ”
(Image: Oxfordshire County Council)
(Image: Oxfordsshire County Council)
At that meeting, she also greenlit the awarding of a construction contract for the building of the crossing’s “central span”, which has an estimated cost of around ÂŁ151 million.
The final decision on the contract lies with the council’s director of environment and highways.
The meeting heard concerns from an Appleford-on-Thames parish councillor, Greg O’Broin, who had predicted costs could rise above ÂŁ400 million in August 2025.
The council previously campaigned against the HIF1 programme, but now accepts that planning permission has been given and Mr O’Broin attended to “register concerns” of the “community most affected by this scheme”.
He has described the crossing as a “fly-over” for the village, “with loss of trees, landscape damage, traffic noise and now significant disruption to the lives of persons during construction.”
Cllr Greg OâBroin, Appleford-on-Thames Parish Council (Image: Greg O’Broin)
He called the risk of overrun with the project “real”, which was a concern due to the Homes England funding ending in March 2028.
The parish council has called for greater transparency on costs, a rethink on an “unacceptable” eight-month road closure, and for traffic light infrastructure to combat “danger at a junction” of the B4016 with the crossing to help protect village children.
He said: “The council must reduce the closure period”
At the meeting, council officers agreed to share more information on estimated costs.
Mrs Roberts agreed to look into potential traffic lights in the scheme’s design and said she believes that the crossing will provide traffic relief for villages and “ancient” bridges in the area.
She also hopes that the project will run under budget.
Oxford News
Oxford rapist who fled to Iraq is jailed for 13 years
Salam Karis, 35, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Friday after an incident at a towpath near Hythe Bridge Street on January 19, 2014.
The court heard he fled the country after being granted bail, and only returned to the UK in a small boat from Iraq in July last year.
He was convicted by a jury of three counts of rape at a trial earlier this year of raping the woman after they had been at The Bridge Nightclub and Anuba which was part of the same set-up.
The court heard the woman had been visiting a friend in Oxford at the time of the incident after travelling up from Brighton.
The woman told the jury that her friend had just turned 18 and they were planning to go out.
READ MORE: Oxford Big Issue seller remembered for his ‘kindness’
After being given drinks at the club by Karis and others, she was led away from the club towards the canal towpath and a wooded area and raped.
The victim, now 32, read out an impact statement in court. She said: “I was driven two hours in a police car to a rape crisis centre in Milton Keynes.
“The examination was deeply humiliating. I felt like a lab rat. I’m haunted by the memory of the forensic examination.
“I could not have imagined justice would take this long. After the incident I was emotionally derailed and emotionally unstable.
“I’ve always been a very strong woman. Despite this, I have suffered with vulnerability.
Salam Karis (Image: TVP)
“For years, I have experienced random panic attacks. The defendant skipped bail and fled the country illegally.
“Bail should never have been given in the first place, the justice system failed me. I have spent 12 years trying to heal from something that should never have happened.
“I hope justice will prevail.”
The court heard that Karis initially came to the UK when he was 17 in 2008 from war-torn Iraq. Also that he has no previous convictions.
In mitigation, that court heard that Karis continues to deny that the offences were committed by him, but was sorry for the impact on the victim.
The Bridge (Image: Google Street View)
Judge Maria Lamb said: “12 years ago, in the dark and in the rain on a towpath by the canal, you raped the victim.
“You were convicted unanimously of your crimes. She was able to say ‘no’ and she said it more than once and you ignored her.
“It’s clear the impact on her has been devastating. You ran away to escape the consequences of your crimes.
“She has suffered from severe psychological harm.”
Karis was jailed for 13 years and given an indefinite restraining order to not contact the victim.
He was also put on the sex offenders’ register for life.
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