Plans afoot for fans' old chippy (From Oxford Mail)

Plans afoot for fans' old chippy

5:54pm Tuesday 20th January 2009

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Flats and a café are set to be built on the site of a former fish and chip shop frequented by generations of Oxford United fans.

The former Smarts chippy in London Road, Headington, was demolished at the end of last year to make way for a new four-storey development.

Three flats and a café are set to go up in place of the former takeaway, which is sandwiched between two charity shops and a stone’s throw from United’s old Manor Ground.

According to local historian Stephanie Jenkins, 81a London Road was originally occupied by men’s outfitter Thomas Jarvis in the 1930s.

Its change to a chip shop came in the 1980s, as Oxford United charged up the divisions just a few hundred yards away.

It had operated under the Smarts brand since at least the early 1990s and queues of hungry supporters were known to snake outside the shop on matchdays until the U’s moved away from their Headington home in 2001.

The takeaway carried on for another six years, but the outlet finally had its chips in 2007.

The tatty takeaway was seen as one of the crowns in Headington’s jewels, an independent shop with character as opposed to the faceless chains that dominate today’s high streets.

On the Oxford Mail’s fans’ forum, the chippy’s disappearance brought back happy memories for many fans.

Grenoble Road Bandit wrote: “Tragic news. That place reminded me of when I enjoyed going to football.”

Watlyyellow said: “Aaaahhh, good old Smarts, used to get my sausage and chips before the game around midday, then make my way to the Brit [nearby Britannia pub] to wash it down with a few pints of amber nectar. Oh happy days.”

Harry Monk added: “Gutted, many a pie and chips from there on my walk back to the car.”

SteMerritt said: “I once queued behind Kenny Dalglish at Smarts before a game between England kids and Denmark kids on one of the coldest nights I can remember at The Manor.

“For the record, he bought about six lots of large cod and chips.”

Trevor Lambert, chairman of supporters’ trust Ox Vox, said: “I live in Headington so I used to walk past it on my way to games.

“My main recollection of it was seeing lots and lots of fans in there before every match, which I guess was its main source of revenue.”

The revamp of the site is being overseen by Hinksey Hill-based John Phillips Planning Consultancy, although no-one from the firm was available for comment last night.

The new building has been designed by Wheatley-based architects the Anderson Orr Partnership.

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