Is Oxford United's Kassam Stadium still cursed by a gypsy?

While there have been many highs and lows for fans over the past two decades our archives show the team got off to an extraordinary start, with a little help from the Bishop of Oxford.

The first game, on August 4, 2001, a friendly against Crystal Palace, went smoothly enough, ending in a 1-1 draw which the U's won on penalties.

But after a run of lost fixtures at the new stadium some believed Mark Wright's team could be battling more than just the opposing team - fears emerged that the ground was cursed.

The Oxford Mail reported that the then Bishop of Oxford, Rt Rev Richard Harries, was called in to 'lift a gypsy curse' and that he performed 'an exorcism' commanding the curse to go.

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It emerged that Oxford United's chaplain, the Rev Michael Chantry, had asked the Bishop to 'cast out the curse' while he blessed the pitch so weddings and other religious ceremonies could take place at the stadium.

Mr Chantry said at the time the farmer who originally owned the land allowed gipsies to stay, in return for helping him with harvesting and hay making.

When the field was sold to Oxford United, the gipsies were banned from using it and cast the curse, according to the chaplain.

Mr Chantry said in 2001: "I do know that sometimes, as written in the scriptures, people put curses on other people and this has to be taken seriously.

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"You could just regard it as an old wives' tale, or you could take it seriously, but Oxford United's history of bad luck speaks for itself.

Former Bishop of Oxford Rt Rev Richard Harries

"There's nothing lost by having an exorcism and it's better to be safe than sorry. I am not saying all gipsies have malicious intentions, but it was best to bring in someone to lift the curse."

After it was announced Minchery Farm would be developed as a football ground, Oxford United had a catalogue of misfortune.

The land lay idle for three years, the club's owner Firoz Kassam experienced problems with landowners in the area, and that first season at the new ground the team lost many of its games, despite being the stronger side.

Firoz Kassam and Mark Wright

Mr Chantry added: "The bishop sprinkled holy water on part of the pitch where we were. He said a prayer of exorcism and blessed the new stadium.

"It is already licensed for weddings and we've had funerals with the scattering of ashes on the pitch.

"I think gipsies can put a curse on people or places, so I felt this exorcism was well worth doing. It was part of the bishop's pastoral duties. He is an enthusiastic supporter anyway."

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The then Oxford United chairman Firoz Kassam even referred to 'the curse' at the time.

Mr Kassam, who invested £15m in developing the new 12,500-seat ground, said: "It was always the excuse that people used, that the place had a gipsy curse on it, so we thought we would get the Bishop in.

"Now that the curse has been lifted, it's no longer an excuse that can be used."

While the Bishop of Oxford acknowledged that he had blessed the ground in a ceremony, he did not want it to be portrayed as an exorcism.

Former U's manager Mark Wright

The bishop's spokesman at the time, Richard Thomas, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the "curse" was not the reason for the visit.

He said: "What the bishop did was what many clergy do, which is bless the ground.

"He used a prayer which said 'Bless this place and protect it from evil.'"