KEY members of the last Oxford United team to clinch promotion have thrown their support behind the current squad ahead of tomorrow’s crunch game against Northwich.

In 1996, manager Denis Smith led his side to automatic promotion from the old Second Division into the First Division, which is now the Championship.

The former Stoke City player, who had two spells as United boss, will be at tomorrow’s game, signing copies of his autobiography before kick-off.

He said: “I’m coming down to watch and, of course, I’ll be thinking about them. I’ve been watching them closely and I think they will be very fortunate if they get the results they need, but they’ve been on a great run since Chris Wilder took over.

“The club need to get out of the division, and the Football League needs Oxford. Any team that can get 10,000-gates are a big club, not a League Two club, not a League Club, but a Championship club.

“The five-point deduction is frustrating to say the least. When you get points that you’ve won on the field taken off for an administration error — whoever’s fault it is — it doesn’t seem right.

“There are only two lots of people who matter in football — the players and the supporters, and they’ve both suffered.”

A win over Northwich, plus a defeat for Torquay at home to Burton and a draw or a defeat for Kidderminster at home to Kettering would open the door for United.

The lynchpin of the Oxford defence during the mid-1990s was Matt Elliott, who went on to play in the Premier League with Leicester after a £1.6m move from the Manor Ground.

Currently assistant manager at Hednesford Town, he said: “Obviously, it’s a bit of a long shot for Oxford but, where there’s a chance, they’ve got to go out there all guns blazing.

“It’s been a difficult season for Oxford with a change of manager halfway through, but they’ve done extremely well to have a chance of the play-offs after a poor start, which makes it that little bit more frustrating.

“There has also been the points deduction, so it’s not been quiet down there.

“I wish the lads and the manager all the best. It’s a club still very close to my heart and I hope they get back in the Football League, and up another two divisions where they belong.

“Despite being in the backwaters to a certain extent of the national football scene, their fans have quite a reputation and the supporters always backed the players and continue to do so, and I’m sure that’s been a factor in their drive towards the play-offs.”

Defender Mike Ford, who made more than 300 appearances for the Us throughout the 1990s and is assistant manager at Oxford City, said: “I look at it and it does mirror what we did in 1995/96. We were mid-table, and although we didn’t change the manager, we went on a fantastic run and I think we got 42 points from 51, which catapulted us from mid-table to an automatic promotion spot.

“To be honest, I’ve been shocked at the crowds they have got in the conference. Quite clearly the fans are desperate for success.

“No doubt they will turn up in their thousands tomorrow and, if they do it, I think they probably become favourites to win it through the play-offs.”