MARCH 10 2011 marks the tenth anniversary of when Oxford United last played arch rivals Swindon Town in the league.

And fans and former players who starred in some of the memorable encounters in the past, admit it’s a sporting contest they sorely miss.

Yet it could return later this year.

The clubs met in the 2002 FA Cup, when Jefferson Louis famously bared all after heading the only goal in a 1-0 win for United, but league games have been sadly lacking.

The odds on Oxford winning promotion out of League Two have lengthened after three successive defeats, but Swindon could well join them next season.

The Wiltshire club are bottom of League One and have gone 13 games without a win.

And, of course, the flip side is that should Swindon survive, Oxford could yet still win promotion to join them in League One.

Former U’s winger Joey Beauchamp said: “Being an Oxford lad, I realised more than many of the players just what it meant to the fans. It’s the big one.

“To be able to play against Swindon and score goals in them, and celebrate in front of the Oxford fans, was something very special for me.

“The way things are looking, it could be that Swindon drop into our division next season – as it’s looking less likely that we’ll go up – and I expect a lot of fans are very excited by that prospect. I know I am.”

Oxford and Swindon used to face each other twice a season on a regular basis, and have met 53 times in the past.

But March 10, 2001 was the last time they locked horns in league action.

It was a Division 2 match at the Manor Ground, watched by 7,480, and Swindon won it 2-0.

There were, of course, much happier times for the U’s, though not many at the County Ground, where they have only ever won once.

There was a thumping 5-3 win at the Manor in March 1992, when Beauchamp and John Durnin both bagged doubles, a 3-0 success in 1996, with Martin Aldridge, Matt Elliott and Beauchamp again on the scoresheet, and a 2-0 victory in February 1999, when Dean Windass notched a brace.

There have been other attempts at local derbies – Reading, Wycombe, Cheltenham and even Northampton.

But, nothing beats the real thing.

Long-time U’s fan Simon Bradbury, who is on the board of supporters’ trust OxVox, and who lives in Swindon, said: “This rivalry’s been going on for 40-50 years and it’s the only one that matters.

“The atmosphere at these games is more intense than any other. We’re all looking forward to it happening again.”