This is Liam Manning's latest column written exclusively for the Oxford Mail.

Autumn is here then and the weather has closed in. Proper football weather!

Rain or shine we know the fans will come and watch us and we are hoping for another big crowd today when we welcome Blackpool to the Kassam Stadium. It’s the club’s family day and there are loads of activities planned around the ground before kick-off, things like freestylers, padel and face painting plus our community team offering coaching and advice.

That should all add to the occasion and it just highlights some of the things we do as a football club to bring families together. We talk a lot about the core values that make the club special and I think putting families first is a really strong one.

Before the season we held an event at the training ground where staff and players all brought their families along to see where we work every day. The club put on some food, we had a couple of drinks and it helped everyone feel part of things. During a long season we are away from our homes a lot: most away games we are in a hotel the night before and it’s a rare thing for anyone in football to spend Christmas Day at home. I think we all appreciate the sacrifices that our families make to allow us to give total commitment to our profession.

Today is a chance for fans to bring their family along and spend some quality time together. Hopefully, you get to see a really entertaining game of football. Blackpool were a Championship side just a few months ago and have settled into League 1 quickly. They have quality players and will be one of the biggest tests we face this season, but we will be ready for them.

We have had a couple of weeks to get ready and a blank weekend has left us fresh and ready to go. It’s funny how it works: you talk about recharging the batteries and then we had a little bit of illness among the squad this week. It just goes to show that you can never fully plan for anything. But we have already shown this season that we are flexible and adaptable and we have strength in depth to cope with whatever challenge comes our way.

We’ll be ready. Grab your yellow scarves, get your family together and we’ll see you this afternoon

I mentioned the other week that I am taking part in Prostate United where the challenge is to run or walk 5km every day in October. 21 days in and it has been a good test of my resolve at times but I have got this far and am determined to finish it.

If I needed further inspiration it came this week with the news that Brian Horton, a former Manager at Oxford, was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer after a routine check. Brian is hugely respected within football and we wish him well but it looks as though by catching it early he will make a full recovery. That’s great news but also a great advert for why men should go and get themselves checked.

You can find out more about Liam’s Prostate United Challenge here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/prostate-united-2023-51124