When Oxford City played at the White House ground

The two clubs would regularly welcome teams to battle it out at the Manor Ground at Headington and on the White House ground off Abingdon Road.

Reader David Brown reminded us of those far-off days when he recalled being a regular spectator at City matches (Memory Lane, February 13).

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He also had the privilege of playing on both grounds.

He writes: “My claim to fame was that after a friendly schools’ match at the Manor Ground, I was selected to play in an exhibition game at the White House ground against a Witney under-11 side.

“This side included Vic Mobley who turned professional playing for Sheffield Wednesday and Queen’s Park Rangers.”

Mr Brown, of Jordan Hill, Oxford, recalls how one player particularly impressed him when he joined the crowd at City’s Isthmian League matches in the 1950s.

“I was always excited to see John Mead in goal.

“One Saturday, I managed to collect most of the team’s autographs in my book which, 70 years later, I still have, and John Mead was one of them. In 1968, his daughters were bridesmaids at my wedding.”

As young sports reporter John Chipperfield, I have fond memories of covering Oxford City matches for the Oxford Mail.

In those days, we had to write and file reports as Saturday matches took place for the Sports Mail - or Green Mail as it was often called as it appeared on green paper.

This involved telephoning my report to a typist wearing a headset at Newspaper House in New Inn Hall Street - no mobile phones, laptops, electronic devices in those days!

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Reporting matches at the White House ground was fairly straightforward - we had a telephone plug on the press table in the main stand.

However, at away matches at places like Ilford and Leytonstone, it was not so easy – often with no phone available on the ground, I had to rely on a phone kiosk down the road and hope it was working and was free when I needed it, at half-time and at the final whistle.

I had a few narrow squeaks, but generally I made it in time and met the tight deadlines, much to the sports editor’s relief.

For many years, Oxford City were based at the White House ground, but all that changed in 1988 when they were evicted by their landlords, Brasenose College, who sold the site for housing.

They were forced to leave the Isthmian League, but after a spell of inactivity, they reformed in 1990 and, based at Cutteslowe Park, joined the South Midlands League, winning promotion in their first season.

There was further joy in 1993 when they moved to their current ground, Court Place Farm in Marsh Lane, Marston, returned to the Isthmian League and two years later, reached the final of the FA Vase.

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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF