To mark Oxford United’s 125th season, we are looking back at what made the news this week in three of the club's promotion-winning campaigns

1965

PLAYING like men inspired, Oxford United tore into Bradford Park Avenue with fury at the Manor Ground.

They more than deserved the 3-0 win which rekindled their promotion spark.

It was a team effort, but nonetheless it was a personal triumph for transfer-listed John Fahy, who scored all three goals after four months on the sidelines.

The Fourth Division promotion race was wide open again and the win took United back into fifth place.

Also read: ARCHIVE – John Aldridge scores twice for Oxford United to down leaders Manchester City

1985

OXFORD United moved to within two points of Division 2 leaders Manchester City with a 1-0 win over Grimsby Town.

Boss Jim Smith said: “If we don’t go up now, we never will. I was worried at half-time because we should have had four goals, but Grimsby looked like they could nick it.”

The slim victory came from a last-gasp winner by Peter Rhoades-Brown, but the U’s picked up a string of casualties.

Jeremy Charles, forced to play at right back in the place of suspended Dave Langan, collected a shin wound, while Brian McDermott gashed his leg as he crossed for the goal.

1996

PAUL Moody’s reward for a stunning 13-minute hat-trick was another place on the substitutes’ bench.

Super-sub Moody drove Oxford United to their biggest league win for 11 seasons – a 5-0 demolition of Burnley.

But manager Denis Smith was happy to keep his 17-goal leading scorer up his sleeve and ready to come on fresh to terrorise defences.

He said: “He’s looking better when he comes on as a sub.”

It was Moody’s fifth hat-trick in under two seasons for the U’s and he admitted he was going to have to find somewhere new to put the match balls.

He said: “At the moment they’re on top of a cupboard in the kitchen gathering dust.”