IT pays to stand out in the crowd – as one Oxford United supporter found out yesterday.

Stephen Clarke, 40, from Giernalls Road in Witney, won this week’s Oxford Mail Face in the Crowd competition and picked up £75.

The competition is held for every United home game in the league, and winners have 48 hours after the picture is released to claim their prize.

Mr Clarke, a civil engineer, said he was lucky to have seen the picture.

He said: “I got a text from a friend whose brother had seen the picture in Monday’s Oxford Mail.

“I thought it was a wind-up at first, but I’m glad I realised he was being serious.”

Mr Clarke is a lifelong Oxford United supporter and said he was passing on the love to his two sons.

He said: “I have been supporting the team and going to games for 30 years now, and take my sons Sam and Jack whenever I can.”

Mr Clarke said he wasn’t sure what he was going to spend his winnings on, but he was sure it would involve Oxford United.

He said: “I’ve never won anything like this before, but hopefully this is a sign that my luck is changing.”