By Mark Edwards JOHN Aldridge, regarded by many as Oxford United's greatest player of all time, has revealed he slapped in a transfer request after being left stranded by manager Maurice Evans after a match at QPR.

The incident happened in the 1986-87 season and Aldridge gives a full account of it in the book 'John Aldridge, My Story' which has just been released.

Aldo was incensed when the team coach drove off without him and three other teammates at Loftus Road - so much so that he asked for a transfer and tried to sell his story to the Sun newspaper.

But he was ordered to withdraw his request by United chairman Robert Maxwell, who threatened to demote him to the reserves for giving the story to The Sun rather than to the Daily Mirror, where Maxwell was in charge.

United were denied victory at QPR by a late John Byrne goal and an angry Evans told the players to be on the coach no later than 5.30pm. Aldridge turned up with Jeremy Charles, Les Phillips and Peter Rhoades-Brown three or four minutes late - to find that the coach had already left.

Aldridge, now manager of Tranmere Rovers, was forced to get a lift home with some United supporters.

But according to Rhoades-Brown, football cummunity officer at the Manor, it was even worse than that.

"We got back and were standing by the coach signing autographs when all of a sudden, the doors shut behind us and it drove off!"

Later in the book, Aldridge admits he didn't even know where Oxford was when they made an offer to sign him from Newport, and also reveals the time when Evans, known for his quiet nature, went berserk after a match with Everton. "We should have had a penalty with a chance to make it 2-2; instead we lost 3-1. Maurice Evans was going berserk, kicking buckets of water around and swearing at the referee. I've never seen him so upset before."

Evans left his post as chief scout at United last month to take up a similar role at Reading.

'John Aldridge, My Story' (Coronet, £6.99 paperback).

Story date: Thursday 23 December

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