Forty years on from Milk Cup glory at Wembley
Former players and the match commentator share memories of an unforgettable day
The Milk Cup remains Oxford United's only major silverware [Mark Leech/Offside via Getty Images] 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". Trevor Hebberd scored the first goal in the Milk Cup Final against QPR [David Cannon/Allsport] 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".