This match was played on May Day Bank Holiday Monday,two days after the scheduled season's final programme of fixtures on Saturday 3rd May. Oxford had lost at home to Nottingham Forest on the Saturday,leaving them two points below the safety line. But they had this final fixture against an out-of-sorts Arsenal still to play,as some teams completed played fixture catch-up following a snow-decimated February,giving them one final chance to stay up following their back-to-back promotions in the previous two years. Meanwhile,Ipswich had played their last fixture on the Saturday,losing 1-0 to high-flying Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. The match reports said that some of the Ipswich players broke down on the pitch in tears at the final whistle,already fearing what was to come. While Captain Bob waddled his lardiness round the pitch milking it from the Oxford fans (three years after they demonstrated for his ousting as he tried to merge their club with arch-foes Reading under the moniker Thames Valley Royals!),this was the sad ending of the dream for Ipswich. In an 18-year stay in the top flight they soared to the heights under (Sir) Bobby Robson,winning the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981 and finishing as league runners-up twice in a row in 1981 and 1982 while becoming the "favourite other team" of many fans of other clubs for their adventurous,positive football and friendly ethos. Their fortunes started to wane after Robson succeeded Ron Greenwood as England manager following the 1982 World Cup and the biggest clubs started to pick off their best players such as Frans Thijssen and Arthur Muhren. Yet their form early in the 1983-84 season,when they were as high as 2nd in the table in the first couple of months,suggested their future remained bright. However,the writing was suddenly on the wall at the mid-point in that season once the goal-handy late former England striker Paul Mariner departed to Arsenal,and by February 1984 they were in sad decline. A feeling of realisation that the glory days were over pervaded but a stirring revival in the closing few weeks,led by the goals and craft of John Wark,pulled them clear of late relegation danger. Wark was subsequently bought by Liverpool having starred in Ipswich's key fightback to draw 2-2 at Anfield that spring. Running low on funds,Ipswich could not afford to replace their star players adequately and were increasingly having throw home grown youngsters into the deep end before they were deemed truly ready. Fortunes continued to decline,ultimately leading to the increasingly inevitable which happened that fateful week in early May 1986.
@@rjjcms1 Not all doom and gloom for Ipswich, they have been back in the top flight since 1986 and have got a good chance of getting back to the Premier League come May 2024.
@@Diddy1970ADTrue,I remember them getting into Europe again the year after gaining promotion at the start of this millennium,and it looks like they're heading back to the big stage at long last.
The size of the crowds is the Manor what a place I hope we can recapture that same atmosphere and crowd numbers.
I like the history games... Please more
Those who've recorded games like these themselves are godsends to our smaller fanbases of the future 💛
The last match before George Graham arrived and transformed Arsenal.
Taking them to league cup success the next year, runners up the year after and league winners in 1989.
My first ever Oxford game, was in the away end with Dad and Grandad!
Great footage
This match was played on May Day Bank Holiday Monday,two days after the scheduled season's final programme of fixtures on Saturday 3rd May. Oxford had lost at home to Nottingham Forest on the Saturday,leaving them two points below the safety line. But they had this final fixture against an out-of-sorts Arsenal still to play,as some teams completed played fixture catch-up following a snow-decimated February,giving them one final chance to stay up following their back-to-back promotions in the previous two years. Meanwhile,Ipswich had played their last fixture on the Saturday,losing 1-0 to high-flying Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. The match reports said that some of the Ipswich players broke down on the pitch in tears at the final whistle,already fearing what was to come. While Captain Bob waddled his lardiness round the pitch milking it from the Oxford fans (three years after they demonstrated for his ousting as he tried to merge their club with arch-foes Reading under the moniker Thames Valley Royals!),this was the sad ending of the dream for Ipswich. In an 18-year stay in the top flight they soared to the heights under (Sir) Bobby Robson,winning the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981 and finishing as league runners-up twice in a row in 1981 and 1982 while becoming the "favourite other team" of many fans of other clubs for their adventurous,positive football and friendly ethos. Their fortunes started to wane after Robson succeeded Ron Greenwood as England manager following the 1982 World Cup and the biggest clubs started to pick off their best players such as Frans Thijssen and Arthur Muhren. Yet their form early in the 1983-84 season,when they were as high as 2nd in the table in the first couple of months,suggested their future remained bright. However,the writing was suddenly on the wall at the mid-point in that season once the goal-handy late former England striker Paul Mariner departed to Arsenal,and by February 1984 they were in sad decline. A feeling of realisation that the glory days were over pervaded but a stirring revival in the closing few weeks,led by the goals and craft of John Wark,pulled them clear of late relegation danger. Wark was subsequently bought by Liverpool having starred in Ipswich's key fightback to draw 2-2 at Anfield that spring. Running low on funds,Ipswich could not afford to replace their star players adequately and were increasingly having throw home grown youngsters into the deep end before they were deemed truly ready. Fortunes continued to decline,ultimately leading to the increasingly inevitable which happened that fateful week in early May 1986.
@@rjjcms1 Not all doom and gloom for Ipswich, they have been back in the top flight since 1986 and have got a good chance of getting back to the Premier League come May 2024.
@@Diddy1970ADTrue,I remember them getting into Europe again the year after gaining promotion at the start of this millennium,and it looks like they're heading back to the big stage at long last.
What a team we had
The Good Old Days. 😃 😆😆😆
I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS 4_2 FOR ABOUT TWENTY YEARS!
Last time they played. Before tonight’s game. Hope Oxford get a draw to go back to the Arsenal
😂😂