BRIAN Hatton has fond memories of his time as a member of staff at Oxford United‘s Manor Ground.

He was officially described as ‘caterer’ in our picture of players and officials with the Southern League Premier Division championship shield in May 1961 (Memory Lane, August 2).

As he admits, it was “a very posh title for a 16-year-old who served in the tea shop under the Beech Road stand”.

He recalls: “I think I helped there for four or five years, at all the matches played at the Manor – first team and reserves.

“Before that, I used to go all round the ground after matches collecting the empty pop bottles.

“It was before the days when customers had to pay a deposit on the bottles.

“I also carried the board around the ground at half time with the lucky programme number on, for the princely sum of one shilling.”

Oxford United and its predecessor, Headington United, were a big part of his family.

His sister, Pat (Trish), also served in the Beech Road tea hut for several years, but before the Beech Road stand was built.

Mr Hatton writes: “Our father was Gilbert Hatton who was, at different times, treasurer and assistant secretary of Headington United Supporters’ Club.

“My uncle, Fred Jones, who was a director, is also in the photograph.

“I moved away from Oxford when I was 21 and followed the U’s from afar.

“I now live in Box, Wiltshire, and take my sister, who lives in Kidlington, to the Kassam as often as I can. Come on you Yellows!”

In the picture we published, 78 players and officials gathered on the Manor pitch with the shield to mark their success. As we recalled, the following year, United won the title again and were finally elected to the Football League Fourth Division.