Dozens of family and friends of Oxford United legend Joey Beauchamp came together to open a new bar in his memory.
The icon died in February aged 50 after a long battle with mental health issues. His death rocked the footballing community both in Oxford and across the country.
The Joey Beauchamp Bar officially opened this afternoon at Oxford Stadium in Sandy Lane.
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Bosses at the stadium chose to name the bar after the left midfielder because he spent many happy hours watching greyhound racing there after Oxford United matches.
The bar was adorned with yellow and blue balloons and ribbons - the colours of the club – as well as photographs of the star from his time with the U’s.
The ribbon was cut by Mr Beauchamp’s dad, brothers and daughters just before 1pm, marking the bar’s official opening to the public.
Mr Beauchamp’s best friend, Paul Woodburn, said the footballer would be “buzzing” to see his name above the bar at the stadium he loved.
He said: “Joey just lived greyhounds, he loved the greyhounds more than he did football to be honest.
“He could not wait to get up here on a Saturday night and see his dogs run, so he would be absolutely delighted.
“It has been a great effort by the stadium, it is brilliant.”
“We will be able to sit here, have a drink and remember Joey.”
Mr Woodburn added that 25 people have come together to form a dog syndicate in Mr Beauchamp’s memory, with the greyhound called Oi Oi Joey.
Mark Beauchamp, Mr Beauchamp’s brother, said the opening of the bar is “brilliant” for Oxford United fans who loved and admired the star.
On Tuesday, Oxford United will host West Bromwich Albion in a pre-season game in which all profits will go Mr Beauchamp’s daughters as part of the club’s ongoing work to help the girls and to raise funds for mental health charities.
Mark Beauchamp said the fundraiser “means a lot” to the family because he too has faced issues with his mental health.
“Me and Joey are very similar in that way and I saw how difficult it was for him this time round,” he explained.
Kevin Boothby, managing director of Oxford Stadium said: “People remember Joey as a fantastic footballer and back in the day he used to come here as a regular.
“People who work for me, who know Oxford really well, mentioned it to me that it would be a great tribute by naming it The Joey Beauchamp Bar.
“He was a very famous footballer and his memories live on here.”
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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.
You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry
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