City 0 North Leigh 5

[Rijs]

The books will record the thrashing, but this was a hollow victory for a decent North Leigh outfit against a team of juniors--just as their crushing of Oxford United's youth team was earlier this year. It really does make this competition pretty meaningless.

I don't blame Mike Ford for putting out boys against men. His hands were tied by the rules, particularly that this tie had to be played tonight. But given that he did not intend to use most of his first team squad in this final, why couldn't we have asked the Evostik Southern League to let us play the Hemel game tonight as well, so that at least our players might have had a chance to recover before playing their biggest home league match of the season?

It now seems a real possibility that a team which should have won this match and gained an advantageous place in the play-offs, will end the season with nothing because of the inflexibility of the footballing authorities.

Still, our money wasn't totally wasted at the Kassam tonight--we did get the chance to see a few promising youngsters who might be challenging for a first team place in a few years' time--especially the no.4--who was that? Number 6 did a good job too.

Let's hope our fans get behind the team on Saturday as the North Leigh fans did for their team tonight.

[boyd]

On a first glance at the programme you'd have thought City got their dates wrong--the U16 final is tonight at CPF, not last night at the Kassam!

Seriously though, you can't blame the North leigh boys for poking fun at us as City made a mockery of the competition last night. When United do that it's different. Everyone knows they would win it every year if they treated it like the FA Cup. But for non-league teams, if you aren't going to take it seriously, don't enter, and don't get people to a match under false pretences.

That said, I agree Fordy was not given much room to manouevre by the stupid rules, so maybe it was a rude gesture to the Oxfordshire FA for ruining our end of season?

[exile]

I don't think the local press knew what to make of it, as there is no report on their website as yet!
Full steam ahead for league points now: come on you Hoops!

[Outsider]

Fair play giving youth a chance, but were any of the veterans not eligible to play?
They did a good job last season when called upon.
Their legs might not last but experienced heads would have helped.

[Rijs]

The youth team legs didn't last either!

Responding to what Boyd wrote, I don't think Mike Ford was making a gesture, rude or otherwise--he was just trying to keep his squad from getting too tired, injured, or suspended. But that is very likely to happen anyway in the next six days and three matches. As for not entering, the team that should not be enteredin future is the Nomads. If we could have put them out last night, it would have been a worthwhile and interesting final, and a good opportunity to assess which players are ready for Southern league football.

[Observer]

Firstly, nomads were knocked out earlier , hence why none played ( all cup tied ) secondly the first were also knocked out by Banbury , but due to a clerickal erra they were kicked out , and city put back in ! So all in all did it really matter , tin pot cup due to the stupid rules only ofa to blame IMO , and city and nomads success .

[Rijs]

Yes, I think most people realised the Nomads were cup tied (including some of the youth team, too)--that's exactly my point--the Nomads should never have been entered in the competition if the first team were going to be, then Mike Ford could have taken his pick of their squad for this match. I wonder how many City fans regard this as a tinpot cup? Presumably the committe and management don't, or they wouldn't keep entering it. It always ends with a potential showpiece on a perfect pitch at a nice league ground, and winners list the fact in their programmes and roll of honour. I suppose I just think if it's worth entering, it's worth trying to win. And if, ironically, the Hemel game is called off on Thursday (quite possible!) Fordy will be wishing he had sent out his men last night!

[city fan]

I think you'll find that the Nomads are a seperate club with ties to Oxford City

[Rijs]

In that case, how can players play up without re-registering?
Even if that is so, the club could still decide not to enter Nomads in the Oxfordshire Cup.

[ChrisB]

Isn't it the case that clubs affiliated to the OFA 'have to' enter at the appropriate level and are fined if they withdraw?

[Padz]

thats correct i think, read somewhere thats theres a pretty high price to pay to not enter your affiliated Fa competition as Villa and Coventry both pay to not enter the Birmingham Senior Cup

[Ash]

That's correct. You are automatically put in to the hat for the County Cup and can opt out at a cost. I'm not 100% sure but I think I heard once it was 4 figures to opt out.

Ultimately had the first team not had such a decent season and be sat in the playoffs then we'd not be having this conversation as the league games wouldn't have been so crucial. Likewise had we been in a relegation fight we would also have put the same team out.

Realistically I would say the timing of the County Cups are poor and personally I think should be after the season has ended. This way the finalists would be in a much better position to put out the team the fans expect.

[Rijs]

I didn't know this rule--thanks to you all for making it clear. I agree with Ash about the poor timing and would hope that someone at OCFC could put this view to the OFA before next season--it could easily happen again to a team in a relegation scrap or promotion battle.

In view of the Hemel postponement, Tuesday's fiasco need never have happened!

[united fan]

I can remember this happening back in the mid seventies united v City final at the manor
United had a backlog but were told to field a side on said date or get fined.City won against a Reserve and youth mix. It seems Little has Changed at OFA in 40 years!

[interested]

If the Nomads have to enter then why not play the youth team in their place and free the Nomads for the 1st team if neeed.

[Rijs]

On another thread the youth team coach said some of his players had already played in the competition, so presumably for the Nomads-- which is why Fordy had to use 14 year olds in some positions (well, two of them looked no more than 14) and play people out of position. But in schools, staff v. pupil fixtures were banned years ago on health and safety grounds, so why is it allowed to play men v boys in a club match?

[hedges]

Its funny you should say that rijs. I go to my local post office everyday as part of work and the girl behind the counter is a big spurs fan but always asks me how city gets on. On Wednesday when I went in I said to her the cup game was a fiasco and exsplained the situation. She was acturally shocked that we fielded a youth team on the grounds of H&S and pitted boys against men.

My reply was something like can we therefore assume Everton were not fielding Rooney as a 15/16 year old as a reserve player, long before he made his first team debut. Or even southhampton fielding Bale or Wolcott as 16 year olds in reserve games against league 1/2 opposition or equivilent.

Ok,so Rooney and Bale are different class but the principle remains the same regardless of what level of football any particular team plays......if you were to ban youth playing against men, then you would need to make it an across the board thing, which would fundamentally effect the way the game is taught and played in this country.

To be fair to North leigh they knew very early on they were not playing a regular Oxford City team and were pretty light in the challanges and when all said and done none of the lads have picked up any injuries, just afew very sore legs at school the next day.

[david newman]

hi. no u16s were in the side on tuesday. i know a couple look very young but are actually 17yrs old. clearly we need to think about learning to shave on the youth training programme. seriously though yes some of the more experienced players if that means anything in youth football had already been involved in the competition playing indeed for the nomads. the youth lads won the county cup last night getting their second medal in 48hrs. give us a nudge at brackley game and we will have beer or coffee. thanks for your support. david

[david newman]

sorry hedges. we did pick up an injury. harry beer centre back has a problem with his quad and did not play last but sat with us on the bench. i am sure he would not swap tues on the kassam for thurs at carterton. no disrespect to carterton. regards

[hedges]

Best wishes to Harry for a speedy recovery and congrats to you and the rest of the lads in there cup final victory david.

[Rijs]

Thanks to David for pointing out the ages of the youth players, and Hedges for comments on the young greats of the past--of course, George Best was not the only one to be playing men (and beating them) at 17. I thought the youngsters did very well on Tuesday and am glad it was a positive experience for them despite the defeat. But on the same night Brackley were winning their County Cup and getting in confident mood for tomorrow; they are likely to do a great double this season. Had it not been for this fixture mess and outdated rules, City might have been cup winners and real challengers in the league too. But I think we are now more likely to be struggling to make the play-offs. Chippenham fitted in lots of matches, but didn't win the play-offs, and even if we do get there it will take a mighty effort to win two more matches after next week. I just think the play-offs should be a week later, teams with backlogs should be allowed a week's grace, and County Cups should be played when the league season is over.