JAMES WALL was one of more than 10,000 Oxford United fans who let themselves go as the final whistle sounded against Millwall and their team reached Wembley.

But the lifelong U’s fan could barely believe his eyes when he woke up the next morning to find his photograph on the front page of the Oxford Mail.

The Upper Arncott man says he has taken his fair share of stick from friends over the picture, which showed his ecstasy at full-time in last Tuesday’s game.

Mr Wall has already put plans in place for a trip to the national stadium with his pregnant wife Emma and up to 40 other friends.

He said: “On Wednesday morning I turned my phone on and everybody was messaging me about the front page.

“I could not believe it was my face on the front.

“I went straight to the shop to buy a paper and I was quite embarrassed because I had the same scarf on.

“The people in the shop probably knew it was me but I did not care.

“There have been a few jokes and people taking the mick.”

The 31-year-old said he made eye contact with Oxford Mail photographer Damian Halliwell as the players paraded around the pitch following their 2-1 aggregate win over Millwall but did not realise he was the main focus of the picture.

He said: “I did not think I would be able to enjoy the game but once we got into it and the more confident we became I started really enjoying it.

“I was just caught in the moment and the euphoria as the players came around with the Wembley banner. I am overjoyed.”

Mr Wall, who works at cherry picker hire company 2 Cousins Powered Access in Garsington Road, Oxford, was at the game with his dad Andrew, who started taking him to the Manor Ground in the 1980s.

The pair go to games with a group of up to 40 friends who style themselves as ‘The Herd’.

Mr Wall said he was relishing the chance to take a second trip to Wembley following the 2010 Conference play-off final victory there over York City.

Wife Emma is expecting the couple’s first child on June 6 but is planning to travel with her husband and the rest of The Herd.

Mr Wall said: “I did not enjoy 2010 – when Alfie Potter scored the emotion was sheer relief.

“The group of friends I went with had a drink but the nerves did not allow me to.

“I am pleased it is Barnsley in the final rather than Fleetwood because they will bring more fans.

“If we could take 35,000 and Barnsley can get something similar we can make it a big occasion and a good representation of our style of football.

“If you are an Oxford fan and you are maybe 25 years old, all you have ever known is relegation, possible administration and stories about the good old days.

“Now we are back at Wembley again, these are really exciting times.”