A GREAT-grandmother saw her lifelong support of Oxford United repaid with a win as she celebrated her 95th birthday by attending what was likely to be her last ever game.

Bett Brackley started following the U’s in the 1950s when they were known as Headington United and played in the Southern football league.

She travelled to the Kassam Stadium today for the 2-1 win against Peterborough United alongside other residents and staff of Longlands Care Home in Blackbird Leys, where she has lived for the last two years.

A stalwart fan throughout the ups and downs of the last six decades, the former Pressed Steel employee used to live in the Northway estate, Barton.

She remembers seeing the greats like Ron Atkinson and John Shuker and going to the 1986 Milk Cup final at Wembley.

Daughter Marilyn Oakey, 68, describes watching her mother walking up through Old Headington and Osler Road on the way to a game at The Manor.

She said: “She was an ordinary housewife who had this real love of football.

“It was quite unusual for her day. She used to take us along when we were younger but would often go on her own as well.

“You would see her marching off with her blue and yellow scarf around her neck so all the neighbours would know exactly where she was going, even through the 70s when football had a bad reputation.

“She has always been an avid fan and would go whenever she could afford to, she has followed United for ever."

Born in London, Mrs Brackley grew up in a children's home before being adopted and moving in with her new family in Sandford-on-Thames when she was 10.

She has three children - two sons and a daughter - three grand children and three great grandchildren.

Her husband Jim, who died in 2008, worked for 40 years as a panel beater for Pressed Steel but was more of a fan of speedway than football so it was Mrs Brackley who took the children to games.

In more recent years she hasn't been able to attend matches as she has got older but family and friends have bought her programmes from the recent trips to Wembley which she keeps under her cushion.

Mrs Oakey said: “I go through the TV book every week looking for anything football related and mark it up for her to watch.

“Because of her background, we don’t know much about her family or where the love of the game comes from, she just loves it.

"We wanted to give her a present she will remember for her last days - to do something special and make her feel a bit special."