THESE young footballers gained plenty of admirers as they battled to lift a national trophy.

The Oxford Boys’ team in the 1949-50 season may have fallen short of their target in the English Schools’ Trophy competition, but they provided plenty of excitement for their fans.

They reached the last 16 and finally went out by a single goal in the second replay.

The picture, part of a large collection belonging to long-serving Oxford City FC secretary John Shepperd, was taken after the team drew 4-4 with Maidenhead in a friendly on the Morris Motors’ ground at Cowley early in the season.

Memory Lane this week

A sign of their determination to do well in the trophy competition came in their first game when they travelled to Aylesbury and trounced the home team 7-0.

The Oxford Mail’s Saturday evening sports paper, Sports Mail (also known as the ‘Green ‘Un’ as it was printed on green paper), reported: “The Aylesbury boys were outpaced, outmanoeuvred and outplayed at every point and not once did they cause the Oxford boys any anxiety.

“If the winners had scored a dozen goals – and they would have done if their shooting had been better – it would have been no more than they deserved.”

All the Oxford goals were scored by two players – Jacobs got four and Farr three.

Even the Aylesbury newspaper admitted their team were well beaten, unable to handle the “Oxford storm”.

Oxford continued their good form in the third round, travelling to Farnham and beating the home side 3-2 with goals from Jacobs, Farr and Stimpson.

The fourth round was the divisional final, and another away game saw Oxford triumph again, defeating Aldershot and Farnborough Boys 2-1. Farr was again on target, scoring both goals.

That win put Oxford into the fifth round against Kettering and it became a marathon, with the teams needing three games to decide the tie.

The first game, at Corby, ended in a 1-1 draw, Farr equalising after Kettering had taken an early lead.

It was all square again at the end of the first replay, at Headington United’s Manor Road ground. Oxford took a 2-0 lead with goals from Lewis and Jacobs, but Kettering fought back to draw level.

In the third game, again at Corby, Oxford looked sunk when they trailed 3-0 at half time. Farr pulled a goal back early in the second half, and after Kettering scored a fourth, Oxford mounted assault after assault on their opponents’ goal.

Jacobs scored twice in a frenzied late rally, but Oxford finally had to admit defeat, 4-3. It was the end of a great run, which had attracted much interest among football fans in the city.

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