And so to an autumnal and cold November Tuesday evening and the LNER York Community Stadium for a National League encounter between York City and Oxford City.
The Minstermen, originally nicknamed the Robins, were founded with the formation of the York City Association Football and Athletic Club Limited in May 1922, initially playing at Fulfordgate, and subsequently was admitted to the Midland League. York played in the Midland League for seven seasons, achieving a highest finish of sixth before making its first serious attempt, in vain, for election to the Football League in May 1927.
However, the club was successful two years later, elected to the Football League in June 1929, replacing Ashington in the Third Division North and winning their first League match 2-0 against Wigan Borough. City moved to Bootham Crescent in 1932 where they remained for 88 years, then moving to the much awaited and much delayed Community Stadium in January 2021.
The club was forced to apply for re-election for the first time, successfully, after finishing bottom of the Third Division North in 1949-50. After a 13th place finish in 1957-1958, York became a founder member of the new Fourth Division, with clubs finishing in the top half of the North and South sections forming the new Third Division.
York just missed out on the runners-up spot in 1958-59 on goal average, but they achieved promotion for the first time in third place - with relegation following the season after. Thereafter a series of applications for re-election (1964, 1967, 1968 and 1969) was interrupted by promotion in 1964-65 - for one season only before relegation inevitably followed.
York's record of earning promotion every six years was maintained in 1970-71 with a fourth-place finish in the Fourth Division. After surviving demotion twice on goal average, the Minstermen hit form in 1973-74, ascending to the Second Division - but only for two campaigns. City dropped further still, relegated in 1976-77, and was forced to apply for re-election yet again in 1978 and 1981.
York won the Fourth Division championship with 101 points in 1983-84, becoming the first Football League team to achieve a three-figure points total in a season.
Then in January 1985, City recorded a 1–0 home victory over First Division Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup, courtesy of an 89th-minute penalty scored by Keith Houchen. The following month City proceeded to draw 1–1 at home with European Cup holders Liverpool, but lost 7–0 in the replay at Anfield.
After relegation in 1988 York ended a five-year spell in the Third Division by gaining promotion to the Second Division via the play offs, beating Crewe Alexandra on penalties at Wembley. The Minstermen reached the Second Division play offs at their first attempt, but lost 1-0 on aggregate to Stockport County. Memorable League Cup victories over Manchester United and Everton followed in the ensuing seasons, but City received more media coverage from the death of player David Longhurst from a cardiac arrest on the pitch on 8 September 1990 against Lincoln City - a stand at Bootham Crescent was later named in his memory.
City suffered relegation in 1999 and during December 2001, long-serving chairman Douglas Craig put the club and its Bootham Crescent ground up for sale for £4.5 million, announcing that the club would resign from the Football League if a buyer was not found. Motor racing driver John Batchelor took over the club in March 2002, allegedly diverted almost all of a £400,000 sponsorship deal from Persimmon to his racing team, and by December York City FC was in administration.
The newly formed Supporters' Trust bought the club in March 2003 after their initial offer of £100,000 as payment for £160,000 owed in tax was accepted by HMRC. But after failing to win any of their final 20 league fixtures in 2003-04 York finished bottom of the Third Division, and was relegated to the Football Conference after 75 years of Football League membership.
Flirting with the extremes of further relegation and the play offs, City reached the FA Trophy Final in 2009, losing 2-0 to Stevenage Borough at Wembley. But Trophy success followed three years later, beating Newport County 2-0, and, a week after, the Minstermen earned promotion back to the Football League and League Two, beating Luton Town 2-1 in the 2012 Conference Premier play off final, again at Wembley, after an eight-year absence.
They made the League Two play-offs the following season, beaten by Fleetwood Town. However City was relegated to the National League four years after returning to the Football League, with a bottom place finish in League Two in 2015-2016. The Minstermen were further demoted to National League North for the first time ever in 2016-17, but they ended the season with a 3–2 win over Macclesfield Town at Wembley in the 2017 Trophy Final.
The club was promoted back to the National League at the end of the 2021-22 season via the play-offs, with a 2–0 victory over Boston United in the final. The Supporters' Trust purchased JM Packaging's 75% share of the club in July 2022 to regain its 100% shareholding, before transferring 51% of those shares to businessman Glen Henderson, who took over as club chairman. 19th last time, the Minstermen have reached the FA Cup Second Round, facing Wigan Athletic next Friday, and currently sit in the final relegation slot at 21st after Saturday's 'flat' 3-1 home defeat to Hartlepool.
Oxford City FC, the Hoops, based in Marsh Lane, Marston in Oxford played their first recorded match on 15 March 1884. Fixtures were irregular over the next decade, but the club was reorganised and reconstituted in 1897 and won the FA Amateur Cup in 1906, beating Bishop Auckland 3-0, before joining the Isthmian League the following year.
In the latter half of the 20th century, the club went into decline and soon fell behind Headington United (now Oxford United), who turned professional in 1949. Attempts were made to restore success when it became a limited company in 1979 and they later appointed Bobby Moore as manager, with Harry Redknapp as his assistant.
The Hoops reached their lowest point in 1988 when they were evicted from their White House Ground by landlords Brasenose College, who sold the land off for housing. Forced to resign from the Isthmian League, City did not reform and return to senior football until 1990 when, based at Cutteslowe Park, they joined the South Midlands League Division One, winning promotion in their first season.
They returned to the Isthmian League in 1993 coinciding with a move to Marsh Lane. The club continued to climb through the divisions during the 1990s and reached the FA Vase Final in 1995, losing 2-1 to Arlesey Town.
Two seasons in the Isthmian League Premier Division prefaced an epic FA Cup run in 1999-2000, culminating in a three-game battle against Wycombe Wanderers in the First Round Proper. City were eventually edged out 1–0 at Oxford United's old home, the Manor Ground. The first replay had been abandoned because of a fire alarm just as the penalty shootout was about to start; this remains the only FA Cup tie to go to a second replay since the FA ruled all ties should be settled after a maximum of two games. This rule change meant that City's other FA Cup record – the six games needed before losing to Alvechurch in 1971-1972 in the qualifying rounds – is unlikely to ever be beaten.
In 2005 the club was relegated back to the Spartan South Midlands League, but achieved promotion at the first time of asking, this time to the Southern League Division One South and West. Further elevation was achieved in 2008, after a 1-0 win over Uxbridge, as the Hoops reached the Southern Premier Division.
In 2011–12 Oxford City finished as runners-up, narrowly missing out on the title, but they won the play-off final against AFC Totton to ascend to the Conference North for the first time in their history. After a successful first season, finishing in 10th place, the following year proved more of a struggle, with the club initially finishing in the relegation zone after a three-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player, but The Hoops were reprieved from relegation after Vauxhall Motors resigned from the Football Conference.
In 2015-16 City was laterally moved from Conference North to South, which was relabelled National League South. Two years on Oxford enjoyed a historic run in the FA Cup, knocking out league opposition for the first time with a 1-0 win at Colchester United, and narrowly defeated in the Second Round from an injury time goal by Notts County.
2020-21 saw another FA Cup scalp beating EFL Northampton Town 2-1. But 14 May 2023 was the historic date that Oxford City was promoted to the National League - after finishing third, play off semi final victory against Worthing (2-0) and a 4-0 drubbing of St Albans City in the final saw The Hoops rise to the fifth tier for the first time ever. They currently lie one place above the Minstermen with 20 points from 20 games, after Saturday's 4-0 away win at Ebbsfleet - their first away victory this season.
The 8,500 capacity ground, with a mix of coloured seating, forms part of the Monks Cross Shopping Park - the all seater stadium supports York City FC, York City Knights RLFC and a Sports Leisure Complex. The LNER Azuma Main East Stand bestrides the Retail Park, the South Stand sits in front of a cinema, the West Stand is flanked by undeveloped fields, and the North (unused tonight) sees an industrial estate behind including a big Kia outlet.
York are in red and blue, whilst Oxford play in their famous blue and white hoops. It's £22 for the main stand (and everywhere else) with a crowd of 3,678 - 58 away supporters.
After Saturday's chastening defeat York start on the front foot and should have taken the lead on 96 seconds after good work from captain Ryan Fallowfield tees up Scott Burgess in acres of spaces but he shoots wildly over. No matter as on 6 minutes Tyler Cordner strides forward and hits a screamer in off the post from 30 yards - not bad for a centre back ! - and the Minstermen lead.
The advantage is doubled on 18 minutes; more good work from Fallowfield and Maz Kouhyar on the right sees the ball crossed for Will Davies to prod past Jack Bycroft. Further chances for Burgess, closer this time, and Dipo Akinyemi come to naught, whilst the Hoops only create one opportunity from Zac McEachran approaching half time.
A comfortable second period is only enlivened when the frustrating Akinyemi, who has two clear openings but elects not to shoot, is injured and substituted. His replacement is the dropped Lenell John-Lewis - 'His Name Is A Shop' - and he proceeds to conjure an overhead effort just wide. Then a near post flick is smothered away by Bycroft and a third shot across goal fails to hit the target.
The Hoops have plenty of possession but little imagination or penetration and it is in the 94th, and final, minute that substitute Claudio Ofosu forces a meaningful George Sykes-Kenworthy save.
So the Minstermen ease to a 2-0 victory, moving to 19th, whilst the Hoops sink into the relegation zone.
