Forty years on from Milk Cup glory at Wembley

On 20 April 1986, Wembley Way was a mass of yellow and blue with proud Oxford United fans en route to the greatest match in their club's history.

Almost 40,000 United supporters travelled the 48 miles (77km) to see the U's in their first appearance at Wembley.

They defeated Queens Park Rangers (QPR) 3-0 to lift the Milk Cup - a moment which has lived on in the collective memory of fans and the club ever since.

Then captain Malcolm Shotton, scorer of the third and final goal Jeremy Charles and BBC Radio Oxford's commentator on the day Nick Harris look back at a day they will "never, ever forget".

The 1980s had seen Oxford United win back-to-back promotions to the then First Division, under chairman, the later disgraced newspaper tycoon, Robert Maxwell.

A trip to Wembley was their reward for making it to the final of the Milk Cup - the League Cup sponsored by the Milk Marketing Board.

Shotton still remembers the words of teammate Steve Perryman who told him on the day: "Take it all in because it will be over in the flash".

"It was absolutely fantastic to see. You get on the coach and you've got all the the butterflies inside what it's going to be like when you walk out," he recalled.

Charles described the "excitement" building beneath the surface at the team hotel in Beaconsfield.

"You're always nervous before most games until you get out onto the pitch and you kick off," he said.

He described the prospect of walking out in front of 90,000 people as "quite a thrill".

Meanwhile, Harris and his radio sports producer arrived early at Wembley and were as apprehensive as the team.

"[Oxford United] was still a small club, and to suddenly be thrown into this amazing build-up to a cup final ... was a big thing to take on.

"It was something so new and something I think everybody had only dreamed about," he said.

Following the departure of manager Jim Smith, United's side was then lead by Maurice Evans.

"He was just a fabulous guy who was well respected in the dressing room because of his knowledge and his experience in the game," said Shotton.

When his team took to the Wembley turf for the 14:30 kick off, they were "full of confidence".

BBC Radio Oxford's current sports editor Jerome Sale was with his parents among the sea of fans in yellow and blue behind the goal.

"Before too long, it felt like the whole of Wembley was singing 'We're going to score in a minute', and I'd never heard that at an Oxford United game before," he said.

"When that first goal went in, it was absolute pandemonium.

"It felt like we were right on top of it as Trevor Hebberd cut back and shot to the near post."

Republic of Ireland striker Ray Houghton got Oxford's second goal and Charles added a third when the QPR goalkeeper parried a John Aldridge shot.

"As a striker, you're always looking for those little tap-ins, which are great, if you can get them," he said.

"We went to the side of the pitch, all the lads came around and Mal ran up.

"He just grabbed me and said 'We've done it'."

Shotton remembers the "amazing feeling" of lifting the Milk Cup.

"One I'll never, ever forget as long as I live," he added.

Viewing it all from the commentary box, Harris said the moment had been "so emotional" that only later on he "really realised just what we had witnessed".

"To be commentating on it was amazing."

Charles described it as "the dream that you think will never be fulfilled".

"But when you're actually there and you think back to when you were a kid, it's just an absolutely fantastic feeling."

A special celebration of the anniversary of the Milk Cup win is due to take place on Tuesday, at the home fixture against Wrexham AFC.

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