SO, dreams really do come true. To a pampered Chelsea or Manchester United fan, yesterday’s play-off final at Wembley was nothing but a minor sideshow.

But if you’re from Oxford, it was the biggest game of the season. Anywhere on earth.

After four soulless years in non-league obscurity, Oxford United finally clinched a return to the football league in a game they thoroughly deserved to win.

The 3-1 victory over York City not only takes us out of the Blue Square Conference, but also puts the club on a vastly more secure financial footing.

Once the hangovers clear, there is a victory parade through the city to look forward to, a contented summer and the start of a new season as full of optimism as many fans will be able to recall.

For chairman Kelvin Thomas, special plaudits should be reserved. He took charge with the club in turmoil, steadied the ship and quietly laid the foundations for yesterday’s magnificent, ecstatic day at Wembley.

From Thomas came the appointment of an excellent manager – Chris Wilder take a bow – and the construction of a squad that looked a league or two below its true level.

Let’s not forget Jim Smith either. The man who propelled Oxford into the top flight in the 1980s was heartbroken to watch them go down during his second spell as manager.

But he stayed with the club and was there yesterday to see them take their rightful place back in the league.

Last but not least, the club’s long suffering and fiercely passionate fans deserve their day in the sun, after years of near bankruptcy, relegation and incompetent management.

In Thomas and Wilder, they finally have the men they deserve at the helm.

The celebrations will no doubt go on into the weekend and beyond.

So they should. Yesterday was the day that the smiles and the self-respect returned to Oxford United.

It really is a joy to behold.