Oxford united FC
Oxford United GM praises tributes for Amelia Aplin
The 15-year-old collapsed during a Junior Premier League fixture against Fulham 10 days ago and sadly passed away, leaving the football community shaken.
Tributes were held before and during Oxford men’s first team’s 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers last week, including a minute’s silence and a minute’s applause.
Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, Sims said: “It’s obviously been devastating for everyone at the club. First of all, it was shock. Everyone was in shock and the staff and the players that were present on the day are finding it tough. Something like this hits the whole the club.
“It’s been a very tough ten days, but everyone has been fantastic in terms of supporting each other which I think is what we’re going to need going forward for quite a while now.
“To lose one of our players is obviously devastating, but for it to happen here at the training ground is going to cut deeper for everybody because it does bring back memories for a very long time.
“Her teammates who played here regularly with Amelia, it makes it extra tough to be here. But, in a very nice way, Amelia was playing football with her friends and hopefully in time it will become a nice memory, something somewhere that they can come and remember Amelia.”
Further tributes were held this past weekend across the community, from the Women’s Super League and EFL Championship down to grassroots level.
.@OfficialOUWFC General Manager Gemma Sims on grief following the death of Amelia Aplin. Hear in full https://t.co/3vpsH9V7DZ pic.twitter.com/bFHkHqj8Hv
— BBC Oxford Sport (@bbcoxfordsport) March 18, 2026
“The tributes and the moments of silence for Amelia across the whole community really brought everyone together.
“Wednesday night was difficult, but also really nice, just the way it was handled.
Peter Rhoades-Brown did fantastically with his speech before the minute’s silence and the 15th -minute applause kind of ended up perfectly timed.
READ MORE: Matt Bloomfield dedicates Oxford United win to Amelia Aplin
“It’s been fantastic to see everybody coming together to support everybody in a horrible moment.
“To have the clubs in the WSL acknowledge it as well. Amelia was a massive Watford fan as well, so I know they did something at their game last night to honour Amelia.
READ MORE: Amelia Aplin – Fans and players across the country pay tribute
“The club has been fantastic and there will be lots of support for everybody. It’s longer term as well like the teammates, the parents, it’s going to take a long time.
“People will grieve differently at different times so, for us, it’s just important that we take things slowly.
“The girls returning to training will be as and when they are ready. We will support them as much as we can.
“The staff as well, obviously they are devastated, so it’s trying to look after everybody we can.”
The 35-year-old was appointed into his first head coach role in June, taking over at United from Matt Bloomfield after retiring from professional football in April.
Ramsey has enjoyed a successful start to his tenure in OX4 so far, securing four wins from four pre-season fixtures, including a 2-0 victory over Premier League side Ipswich Town.
The former Gunners midfielder has also had to manage the squad amidst a temporary transfer ban which sees Oxford unable to register any new player until they prove compliance with the EFL’s Squad Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) regulations.
The ex-Wales international played under some world-renowned managers during his successful playing career in the likes of Wenger, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
“Arsene was a huge part of the success that I had as a player,” the Yellows head coach detailed after the pre-season win over Ipswich.
“And obviously, I took so much from him as well, from the manager side of things.
“But I’ve been very lucky and blessed to have played for some really good managers over the years, which I’ve taken little bits from as well.
“So, yes, I wouldn’t just say it’s all him, but definitely he’s formed part of that.”
Similarly to Wenger, Ramsey possesses a calm demeanour on the touchline, more often than not on the edge of his technical area with the occasional instruction directed at a player or the team as a whole.
READ MORE: Will Vaulks leaves Oxford United to join Tranmere Rovers
READ MORE: Aaron Ramsey emphasises importance of Oxford United’s Stan Mills
He is visibly calm and contemplative, something which he himself acknowledges.
“I think that’s me as a player, though. I’ve always been quite calm and comfortable in situations. So for me, that’s the way that I am.
“And I want my players to feel that and to feel like they can go out there and express themselves.
“So, yes, when they play like that [against Ipswich], it does make it a lot easier for me on the side lines.
“I think we need to be confident in what we’re trying to do for us to be able to really showcase exactly what we can do.
“It’s that confidence which is important without stepping over the line, but we need to embrace that.”
The U’s begin their campaign this Saturday with a Carabao Cup clash with League One rivals Leyton Orient.
Ramsey will be hoping his side can take the confidence and impressive performances from pre-season into the competitive campaign.
League action begins a week later, with the Yellows hosting newly-promoted MK Dons at the Kassam on the opening day.
The U’s return to the third tier after a two-year stay in the Championship, suffering relegation last term with a 22nd-placed finish under Matt Bloomfield.
The club revealed their new home strip last month and have worn it twice during pre-season when they beat Crawley Town 3-1 and Ipswich Town 2-0 at the Kassam Stadium.
Oxford’s away kit was released with a video on social media titled ‘Performance Inspires’, the shirt being inspired by Oxford’s performing arts, with a ballet performance filmed at Oxford New Theatre.
The video is soundtracked by a reimagined take on Oxford band Foals’ song ‘What Went Down’.
The shirt is available to buy online and in-store.
The 32-year-old midfielder joined United in 2024 and played 88 games for the club, scoring two goals.
His last goal for the club came in the final home game of last season, a 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
On 14 January 2025, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 league draw away against Plymouth Argyle.
He will now join Tranmere who are in League Two.
The Wales international did not make any senior appearances for Tranmere in his first spell but has signed a two-year deal with the club.
The U’s are in the midst of a temporary transfer embargo and will not currently be able to replace the midfielder.
As well as his contributions on the pitch, Vaulks was also a pioneer in the Oxfordshire community, using his personal story to establish the award-winning Can We Talk? suicide prevention campaign.
READ MORE: Jack Currie hails Oxford United versatility under Aaron Ramsey
READ MORE: Aaron Ramsey emphasises importance of Oxford United’s Stan Mills
He introduced a suicide prevention check-in app for staff, delivered training to employees and supporters, and led workshops across the county, including at RAF Brize Norton.
He was nationally and internationally recognised for his campaigning, winning awards including the FIFPRO Player Voice and was recently named PFA Community Player of the Year.
Vaulks made seven appearances for Wales, his most recent coming in a 1-1 draw with Czechia in 2022.
Oxford United begin their League One campaign next week with a home clash against MK Dons after suffering relegation from the second tier last season.
-
Business & Technology3 weeks agoHSBC UK & Visa test AI shopping with live payments
-
Business & Technology3 weeks agoValarian lands USD $50 million backing for sovereign AI
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoMouser warns against viral hacks to cool overheating phones
-
Oxford News4 weeks agoNew romantasy bookshop attracts queues of customers
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoSNP & Palantir launch AI tools for SAP transformations
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoKane tops England influencer rankings after Mexico win
-
Traffic & Transport4 weeks ago‘I felt my spine and body split’: the woman who was hit by a child on a Lime bike – and denied compensation | Ebikes
-
Oxford News4 weeks agoDWP now checking bank accounts for Universal Credit and Pension Credit