Saunders to Greaves: Two promotions, tragedy, embarrassment and revival

United soon made an impact, becoming the first Fourth Division club to reach the FA Cup fourth round (1963-64) and winning promotion in 1965.

Their first match in the (old) Third Division was a goalless draw against their keenest rivals Swindon before a crowd of 20,409 at the County Ground. United won the (old) Third Division championship in 1967-68 and were saved from immediate relegation after Turner had been replaced by Ron Saunders. Saunders moved to Norwich at the end of the season and was replaced by Gerry Summers.

About-turn: Ian Greaves

United knocked League Cup holders Swindon out of the competition in 1969-70 thanks to a David Sloan goal at the Manor. Crowds were averaging around 11,000 at this time and the arrival of Hugh Curran saw Oxford end in eighth place in 1972-73. Another top-half finish came in 1974-75 when the highlight was a league victory over Manchester United.

The following season, Oxford's young side saw the club's first relegation in well over 50 years. United had lasted eight seasons in the (old) Second Division and Summers had been replaced by Mick Brown. Peter Houseman, his wife and two of their best friends were killed in a local car crash in March 1977. This tragedy followed the much less important blow of yet another FA Cup defeat to non-leaguers.

United had lost to Bedford and Chelmsford in 1966-67 and 1967-68, ever since when they had been exempt from the first and second rounds. Returning to the early rounds, United lost to Kettering and, with defeats in their next two FA Cup meetings with non-leaguers Nuneaton (1977) and Barking (1979), have a likely-to-be unequalled record of losing to non-league opposition on five successive occasions. In 1978, they lost to Colchester in the first round and did not win an FA Cup match between January 1973 and November 1980.

Bill Asprey took over from Brown in the summer of 1979. United struggled under him and with the club floundering at the start of 1980-81, a record low Manor League crowd of 2,526 attended the win over Chester.

With United looking certainties for relegation, Asprey was dismissed at Christmas 1980. An amazing about-turn occurred under new manager Ian Greaves. It started in Greaves' first match, the Boxing Day clash with a Charlton side which had dropped just one point in their last 14 matches. United won one nil and lost only three of their last 21 league games to end with ten clubs below them.

United started the following season in magnificent form and had great runs in both cup competitions as well as losing just seven of their first 27 League matches. Despite this, the club was in dire financial difficulties and Robert Maxwell became chairman in December 1981. Soon afterwards Greaves joined Wolves.

History compiled by Andy Howland