The Kassam Stadium, Oxford
Oxford United FC vs. Millwall FC
Carabao Cup 2d Round
One of the most hitting features of Oxford United's terminally incomplete Kassam Stadium is that it'sec withal a three sided stadium. It looks similar a throwback to the mail-Taylor Report era of the early nineties where it was all besides mutual to run into teams playing in front of half built stadiums. The solely deviation here existence that they actually bothered to consummate the edifice run.
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| A heavy police presence for the arrival of Millwall. |
Mess amongst the angles a picayune more than as well as Oxford could have had the distinction of existence the start sports team inwards the world alongside an isoceles stadium. Of course the sight lines for spectators would take been horrible too teams attacking the west end of the earth would accept establish it incredibly difficult to play amongst whatsoever width, but that'second their job to figure out.
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| If Oxford had a latin motto on their badge I'one thousand sure it'd translate equally 'tearing too good endowed'. |
Anyway, what is the near striking characteristic of The Kassam Stadium, is the unnervingly anatomically correct statue of an ox. For some argue inwards March 2008, with the guild en road to finish a spectacular 9th in The National League, the board decided that time to live perfect to erect a bronze statue of an ox outside the stadium, instead of, y'all know, signing a few more than players who could assist you lot complete higher than 9th.
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| See? Look at that affair. Won't mortal delight mean of the children? |
I become it, at that place'second an 'ox' inwards Oxford, as well as an ox on the logo. Good 1 guys. But sure enough you'd accept been ameliorate off creating something to commend a order legend, similar the Atkinson brothers, Jim Smith, or Robert Maxwell (unless I've got it all wrong together with it's meant to be a caricature of how Joey Beauchamp in all probability looked during the 1 season in his career where he didn't play for Oxford).
It was clearly a huge occasion for the club, since the unveiling was not publicised because of apparent health in addition to safety concerns if the unveiling took home on a match day. When the average attendance that twelvemonth was iv,728, the lowest since 1981, I don't mean people crowding round the statue of an ox would be that concerning. I tin can entirely assume they were worried people might take their eyes poked out by the statue's rather graphic sculpting of a penis.
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| Nice Vue. |
Wikipedia states that an ox is a usually castrated adult male person cattle. Castration makes the animals easier to command, apparently (might be worth a endeavor alongside roughly humans). By taking the conclusion to make this sculpture, balls too all, Oxford accept managed to make a statue of a bull, which has fifty-fifty less relevance to the guild than Michael Jackson had to Fulham. Was it actually that difficult to discover someone willing to sculpt John Aldridge instead?
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| Nothing captures enthusiasm inward a city similar a Tuesday dark EFL Cup necktie. |
I approximate it's exclusively plumbing fixtures to utter nigh a sculpture that captures much of the same pent upward aggression as a stereotypical Millwall fan. Thanks to their spotless reputation inwards the globe of football, it was a pleasure to find, upon arrival at the stadium, that nosotros might not be allowed inwards because entirely people who were on the Oxford United database could buy tickets at the ground. It'second a Carabao Cup tie away to Oxford, it'sec hardly West Ham in the Champions League World Cup terminal.
Fun fact: Oxford have a steward who used to live a fellow member of the ICF, which I assume meant West Ham's Inter City Firm too not the International Curling Federation. Less fun fact: He wasn't allowed to steward the away cease.
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| Apparently the best home to position Millwall fans is as far away from everyone else equally you possibly can. |
Fortunately the guild weren't stupid enough to turn downward paying customers, or hazard disappointing a puppy dog eyed Swiss tourist inward my society. This also meant taking a trip to the club store. And I say taking a trip because dissimilar every other sports stadium inward the history of fourth dimension, Oxford decide to attach their club store to the neighbouring retail common, instead of the stadium.
Why get in accessible to everyone when yous tin can but enshroud it circular the corner of a cinema? You tin't even run across it from the stadium, or anywhere. I tin entirely assume they're ashamed of the reach of trade on sale, although the away kit is rather fetching.
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| James Henry strokes dwelling a stoppage time penalization amongst the precision of individual who extracts bull semen for a living. |
It was dainty to see both squads full of Reading alumni, capturing the spirit of the Thames Valley Royals. Amongst them were Jamie Mackie, who plays football like he'sec constantly on the function from person trying to murder his family unit, led the occupation for Oxford, Jón Daði Böðvarsson (try writing that on an English keyboard), who scored twice for Millwall, in addition to James Henry, who took the game into a penalty shootout with a stoppage time penalty that should never have been awarded anywhere.
Still, the Oxford fans who had been complaining nearly how biased the referee was towards Millwall for the whole game were suspiciously placidity afterward that. But perchance they left when Oxford pulled it dorsum to i-two, like many people around me. Weird.
Useless information nigh The Kassam Stadium
Address: Grenoble Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 4XP
Capacity: 12,400
Pitch Type: Grass
Ticket Price: £12 (East Stand)
Programme: £2, xvi pages
