OXFORD United fan Dale Penfold has the chance to win £10,000 in front of thousands of fans at Wembley tomorrow.
He is competing in the Blue Square ‘keepie uppie’ challenge during half-time of the Blue Square Premier play-off final between Cambridge and Torquay.
And the club’s football in the community officer Peter Rhoades-Brown is also at Wembley after making it to the final of the “Chip it In” competition.
United fans competed at half-time in home matches thro-ughout the season, with Penfold, 22, the highest scorer.
The ‘keepie uppies’ are done with a blue, square football – making it even more difficult.
After being chosen to represent Oxford, Penfold had to travel to Hampton & Richmond last week, where he made it through to the final.
He now has three attempts to win the cash and help ease the heartache of the U’s failing to make it to the play-offs.
Penfold, who will be up against a fan from Southport, Havant & Waterlooville and Basingstoke, said: “I’m very excited about it, but I’m getting a bit nervous.
“I’ve been practising every spare bit of time I have had. Rosie lent me a ball and I managed to do 76 on Thursday.
“It would have been nice if we had got to the play-off final and I could have done the challenge in front of the Oxford fans. But it will be good to have someone wearing an Oxford kit on the pitch at Wembley.
“That hasn’t happened since 1986 when they won the Milk Cup – the year I was born.”
Rhoades-Brown, who will be up against Crawley Town director Phil Jarman and Eastbourne Borough player Neil Jenkins, made the final after chipping eight balls out of 20 from the centre circle into the Blue Square box on the centre spot before the home match against Cambridge.
“I was top of the tree for most of the season and then Jenkins got nine,” he said.
“It’s very difficult to chip the ball from there – it’s a lot harder than you think.
“It’s a shame that Oxford aren’t there, which takes the gloss off it a bit.”
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