Oxford United hero Ray Houghton details QPR transfer close-call

United beat QPR 3-0 to win the League Cup 40 years ago, with Houghton scoring the second goal at Wembley.

The 1986 victory remains the only the major trophy that the Yellows have won, with former Liverpool and Aston Villa man Houghton a crucial member of that famous cup-winning side.

The trophy win with Oxford was the first of the former midfielder’s career with the legend going on to win another League Cup with Villa, as well as two First Division titles and two FA Cup titles with Liverpool.

His career could have began a lot differently, however, with ex-U’s boss Jim Smith almost taking Houghton to cup final opponents QPR a year earlier.

“Jim had told me over the summer that he wanted to sign me for QPR, so I waited and waited,” Houghton told the Oxford Mail, courtesy of Casino Groups.

“No call came, so eventually I rung Jim up and asked what was going on, and he told me it was the chairman at QPR didn’t want to pay the money for me, so the deal wasn’t going to go through.

“I was in a bit of limbo, to be honest.”

West Bromwich Albion then held talks with Houghton, but the 64-year-old was not convinced, before fate arrived in the United hero’s lap via a phone call from manager Maurice Evans.

“It was completely out of the blue, and I jumped at the chance,” Houghton continued.

“I went back, spoke to Maurice, and everything was done quite quickly.

“What a first season; it was brilliant.

“The team had just got back-to-back promotions, wasn’t it? I knew they were in good form.

“I think I was the only real new addition, so when you looked at the squad, there were not many new players coming in, but I did.

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“Maurice seemed fit from day one. He put me on the team, and I had an absolute ball of a time there.

“To get to the Milk Cup final was just unbelievable. For a club like Oxford, with all due respect, you’ve had back-to-back promotions and then you get to the final of a major domestic competition, which was unbelievable.

“Playing against your old manager, all the lads knew Jim going into the game, and he tried to sign me, which was the strange part of it as well.

“But to go and do what we did in the final and play the way that we did, and then to stay up that season was absolutely amazing.

“It just turned into a very huge part of my footballing career, and a huge part of Oxford’s history and what they achieved.”