Oxford City: Looking Ahead to Preseason

After being relegated to the National League North, and under new management, City will be looking towards a strong preseason to prepare themselves for a campaign in which they will hope promotion will be back on the cards.

With no management confirmed to replace Ross Jenkins as of yet, it is somewhat unclear exactly how preseason will look for the Hoops, but with friendlies making their way into the diary, a plan is beginning to take shape.

City will first travel to Loop Meadow on the 9th of July. The 7:30 kick-off will see the Hoops take on Didcot Town, a team which, like City, were playing at the highest level in their history last campaign. 

They have, however, been relegated from the Southern League Premier South after a bottom-placed finish, much like City’s relegation from the National League. 28 points was a long way off from securing their safety, but there’s no doubt that they will have a desire to prove themselves next season. 

City will then take on Woking at home, a club that City faced in the Vanarama National League last season, on the 20th of July, with kick-off set to be at 3pm.

Unlike City, Woking secured National League safety this season with their 17th-placed finish, having won 15 games and securing a total of 55 points. 

In their two encounters last campaign, City won at home and then lost on the road later on in the season. 

In November, goals from McEachran (13th minute), Sanderson (29th minute) and Parker (90th minute) secured City all three points in a thrilling 3-2 victory for the Hoops. 

They could not replicate this, however, in the reverse fixture in Surrey in early February. A first-half wonder goal and a second-half penalty from Woking saw City suffer defeat at the Laithwaite Community Stadium, in a fixture where they struggled to find their rhythm. 

It is clear that, especially with the last campaign’s earlier fixture, this preseason friendly has the potential to be a highly competitive game, benefiting both sides before they go back to their respective leagues. 

City will not only go into these games under new management, but the club has also appointed a new chairman following the passing of Brian Cox. 

Andy Sinnott will take on the role and is already a widely respected figure within Oxfordshire football having been in various roles at various clubs over the years, including Kidlington, Brackley Town, Thame United, and many more. 

He has also coached a large number of aspiring footballers as part of the Velocity Programme at Court Place Farm. 

As Sinnott looks to continue the work of Cox, and the Hoops look to prepare themselves for their next campaign, it is clear that the 2024/25 campaign is one to anticipate.