Over the last few weeks I've enjoyed researching former players, discussing with the statistical genius David shadbolt and put the idea to paper as this blog we look into a Banbury United Football League XI. As we’ve seen in recent times multiple players going on to the full time game, either through Football League clubs paying transfer fees like Swindon Town did for Morgan Roberts or the fact we have been a club that’s been trusted to provide opportunities for FL clubs hottest properties on loan such as Ben Radcliffe, James Golding and Cody Johnson, all have who has gone onto make their debut in the FL since leaving the club. However, the historical perspective also reveals that Banbury has a legacy of players who have either played in the Football League before or after their time with the Puritans. This led me to ponder what a combined team would look like – a Banbury United Football League XI. So, I assembled a team in a traditional 442 formation, albeit placing some players slightly out of position to encompass a range of talents. The team selection criteria dictate that players must have participated in over 50 Football League matches and at least 30 games for Banbury United. Furthermore, the criteria we have formed doesn’t matter if they ended their career at the Spencer Stadium after an illustrious career in the Football League or played for Banbury without any league experience but since leaving the Puritans have gone onto feature heavily in the English pro leagues.
Due to this criterion, we seen noteworthy names in recent times such as Manny Duku miss out despite his spell at Cheltenham as he only made 11 appearances at the Robins before piling his trade north of the boarder in Scotland. Secondly, we seen Oxford United 2nd all time top goal scorer James Constable be omitted from the XI due to only making 5 appearances for the club in a covid hit season which also saw him as an assistant manager to Andy Whing. Lastly, local hero and league winning captain Giorgio Rasulo does not meet the criteria as during the early spell of his career at Mk Dons he only made 17 Football league appearances before making the move to non-league to join his local side.
So, Without further ado, let’s delve into the team I have selected.
Goalkeeper: Alan judge – 42 Appearances
First up is the seventh oldest player to grace the football league at 44 years and 176 days old. Despite playing over 285 football league games this was not the end of Judge’s career as he still went on to play in non-league at various of clubs including a a short 5 game spell with the Puritans in 1999/00 season before returning back to Banbury in the 2006-07 as his final destination in his playing career. Judge appeared in 37 games for the club that season before hanging up the gloves as a 46-year-old. On the contrary, the 1986 Milk Cup winner proved to possess more than experience in his mid-forties as Judge was hailed a hero in the Oxford Mail in November 2006 due to his superb display and lighting quick reaction saves helping Banbury to a 2-0 win over Marlow in the FA trophy. Overall, a goalkeeper so rich in the Football league history books was destined to be in the Puritans football league XI.
Defender - Cyril Beavon – 114 Appearances, 7 goals
The fullback started his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers before joining Oxford United in 1959 who was known as Headington United back then. He featured over 450 times for the Yellows including 273 football league appearances. After being one of the clubs’ greatest servants Cyril joined Banbury United prior to the start of the 1969/70 season and would also stay with the club for the subsequent season. He made over 100 appearances for the Puritans, skippering the side and was part of the team that famously forced a replay against non-league giants Hereford United in the final 16 of the FA Trophy in 1970/71. Furthermore, Cyril scored seven goals for the club, three of which coming from the penalty spot. A player who is held in high regard in Oxfordshire for his football and service to two of the biggest clubs in the county finds himself in at right back.
Defender - Kelvin Langmead – 78 Appearances, 12 Goals
The most recent player in our history to wear the famous red to make the football league XI is 38-year-old Kelvin Langmead. The centre back joined in 2020 and went on to be instrumental in our league winning season at step 3 alongside aiding the club to two consecutive first round appearances. Langmead has not only produced fine defensive displays by being a big contributor in having the league’s best defence in the 21/22 season but also was a big contributor in front of goal throughout his time at OX16 such as helping us come from behind to win the games with a brace v Leiston and Hereford alongside scoring the goal against Bath to put our name in the FA cup hat in 2021. Prior to signing for Banbury Kelvin had illustrious career in the football league, becoming a fans favourite at Northampton Town and Shrewsbury respectively and has racked up over 373 appearances scoring 35 goals across 6 different clubs. Despite his departure in the summer, Kelvin will forever be a club legend and this football League XI also JUST CAN’T SEEM TO GET ENOUGH OFF….
Defender - Les Robinson – 49 Appearances, 0 Goals
Leslie ‘Les’ Robinson played for Chesterfield, Mansfield Town, Stockport County, Doncaster Rovers, Banbury United and spent ten years at Oxford United where he is sixth in the list of players with the most appearances. Les came through the youth ranks at Chesterfield before turning professional at Mansfield Town prior to Oxford signing the defender for £150,000 in 1990 from Doncaster Rovers which has proved to be one of the best pieces of business the Yellows have engineered according to his former Manager Brian Horton. Les went full circle after his departure from Oxford and joined Mansfield Town as his last club as a professional before moving back to Oxfordshire but this time as a Semi-pro at the Puritans. Les spent two seasons in the backline at the club from 2007-2009 helping the club to a 9th place finish in his first season. In 2009 Robinson retired from Football but has stayed local to the Banbury area as he is now an Assistant Head Teacher at Swalcliffe Park School, a school catering for boys with autism. With holding a £150,000 price tag and etched into Oxfordshire folklore, Les slots into the team as Mr dependable.
Defender - Roy Proverbs - 59 Appearances, 0 Goals
Roy signed for 3rd division outfit Coventry City from Stratford Town as a 23-year-old. With limited game time at the Sky Blues he moved to the Bournemouth FC but Proverbs again was on the end of no game time. This led Proverbs moving to Kent to sign for Gillingham where he made his name for himself in the FL in addition to making a name for himself with the fans as “chopper” due to his no-nonsense playing style. After making over 140 appearances at the Gills he moved to a various of non-league clubs until he settled at Kings Lynn for 3 seasons, before signing for Banbury United in 1965. Roy played for the club in a time the history books were constantly writing themselves. The defenders first season at the club was the clubs last in the West Midlands league as Banbury finished 3rd which was enough to be elected to the Southern League for the first time in our history. Roy played the first 10 games in the new era for Banbury however called time on his playing days after the game against Crawley Town on October 8th 1966. Roy’s involvement in our last season in the West Midlands and being a member of the squad contributing to our debut season in the Southern League alongside his no-nonsense playing style and experiance puts Roy in the team.
Right Midfielder - Jordan Green 32 Appearances, 6 Goals
Green featured for Banbury during the 14/15 season as an unknown quantity but being a bright spark in a very dim year for the club which helped him open new adventures. Immediately after leaving the Puritans, Green joined Premier league Bournemouth where he featured heavily in their u23s before making his mark in the Football League. Spells at Newport County, Yeovil, Barnsley, and Gillingham have helped him accumulate over 100 appearances in the Football League scoring 10 goals. Combined with his time at Yeovil not only did Green enjoy playing in the full-time game he also had the opportunity to test himself against seasoned internationals such as Rashford, Juan Mata and Alexis Sanchez as Jordan Greens’ Yeovil welcomed Man United to Huish Park in the FA cup 3rd round. This highlights despite suffering relegation with a step 3 club, making a name for yourself in non-league can help make the grass greener as it can propel themselves back into the Football League set up. With the winger playing as high as the Championship it is hard to overlook Jordan in our Football League XI who will add flair and chip in with a couple of goals.
Midfielder - Les Phillips – 101 Appearances, 5 Goals
Leslie ‘les’ Phillips commenced his professional journey as an apprentice with Birmingham City in 1979. His talent earned him a call-up to represent England at youth level in conjunction with making his debut for Birmingham in a 2–2 draw against West Ham United in February 1982. In total, he contributed to 44 league games for Birmingham, finding the net 3 times, before his transfer to Oxford United in March 1984.Phillips had a prolonged tenure at Oxford, remaining with the club until 1993, during which he participated in a historic achievement – Oxford's sole major triumph, the 1986 Football League Cup Final in which he played alongside fellow Football League Player Alan Judge. His final league campaign unfolded with Northampton Town during the 1993-94 season before moving into non-league appearing for Marlow prior to reaching his final destination of his career - Banbury United. Possessing the same name as ‘CARRY ON STAR’ Host, Les retired in 2001 and but he still carried on in football as he went back to Oxford in the scouting department to find the next star.
Midfielder - Roy Warhurst 74 Appearances, 8 goals
Roy was one of the most venerable footballers Banbury has seen in the club’s history. Warhurst started his career during World War 2 with Huddersfield Town before signing for Sheffield United in 1944 as a professional. He made his Football league debut away at Wolverhampton Wanderers in front of a crowd of 43,841 on November 16th, 1946, and went on to make 17 league appearances in 4 years. Birmingham City saw potential in Roy by purchasing the ‘half back’ for £8000 which inevitably proved a shrewd piece of business as Birmingham endured success. Firstly, City secured promotion to the first division and the subsequent season reached the FA cup final which Warhurst unfortunately had to miss due to a thigh injury sustained the Quarter Final of the competition. After captaining the Blues and starred in 213 football league appearance’s created Warhurst to be a sought-after talent. Manchester City paid £10,000 for Roy Warhurst services as he went on to perform in 40 league games for the citizens prior to embarking small stints at Crewe and Oldham.
Roy’s final chapter of his career was signing for Banbury Spencer in 1961 where he became a monumental figure for the Puritans as his experience, ability and his ever presence bar 1 game due to fog led him to be the lynchpin of the side. During his time at Banbury, Warhurst clocked up 74 appearances across two seasons before retiring from a knee injury. A player with a wealth of football league experience and was adaptable between positions means he is a fitting addition in centre midfield for this Football League XI.
Left midfielder - Kevin Wilson 61 Appearances, 18 Goals
I know he's not a wide midfielder but his renowned pace as a youngster creates him to be the most suitable forward to play in the wide position over the two forwards selected in combination with it also helps accommodates other players so we can stick to the traditional 442 rather than go FIFA style and go all out attack.
Banbury born and bred Kevin Wilson was guaranteed to be first name on the team sheet due to his eminent career with Derby, Chelsea, Ipswich and representing Northern Ireland. Kevin’s record transfer of £20,000 in 1979 remains the record transfer fee Banbury have commanded for a sale of one their players. To put this into the reams of reality and a modern-day perspective this is equivalent to £84,000 in today’s money highlighting the substantial investment County made to purchase the young forward. Kevin’s spell at Banbury saw him make his debut at the age of 17, and he or the club never looked back as he totalled 61 appearance’s and 18 goals for the Puritans before his move to the Football League. After 6 years at the Rams accumulating 124 league appearances and 30 goals, Kevin secured a move to the 8-year previous UEFA Cup champions Ipswich Town. During his time in East Angelia Wilson racked up 98 league games with 34 goals which facilitated a move to Chelsea for a transfer fee of 335k as he flourished in West London featuring 152 times and netting 42 goals for the Blues. Since leaving London, Wilson had spells at Notts County, Walsall, and Northampton Town before retiring in 2001. Not only was the Banbury born man a success in the Football league, but he also had international recognition by being capped 42 times for Northern Ireland. With arguably the player who’s had the most decorated career of any Banbury United player meant he was a shoo-in for this Football League XI.
Forward - Howard Forinton 162 Appearances, 52 Goals.
Howard began his career at Oxford United, later playing for Abingdon Town and Oxford City. In 1996/97, he made a £17,500 move to Yeovil Town, scoring 26 goals in 24 games and helping them win the Isthmian League Premier Division Championship. He was named Non-League Player of the Year. In 1997, he transferred to Birmingham City for £75,000, making 5 league appearances before moving to Peterborough United in 1999 for £250,000. Howard spent three years at Peterborough, making 50 league appearances and scoring 10 goals.
He then briefly played for Torquay United in 2002/03 before returning to non-league football with Yeovil Town. Later, he played for Stevenage Borough, Oxford City, and Farnborough Town, and joined Banbury United in the summer of 2004. He left the Spencer Stadium for Halesowen after one season but returned in the summer of 2006. Season 2007/08, and the start of the following season, was spent at Redditch United but he was back at Banbury for a third spell in October 2008. He eventually signed for a fourth time at the red and gold army in 2012 before leaving again after two months due to budget cuts. With a £250,000 transfer fee to his name and boomerangs back to Banbury 4th times leads Howard to Boomerang back one last time into our Football League XI
Forward- Andy Baird 130 Appearances, 47 Goals
ANDY BAIRD, ANDY BAIRD, ANDY ANDY BAIRD, HE GETS THE BALL HE SCORES A GOAL ANDY ANDY BAIRD. Born in Scotland, Baird moved down to Buckinghamshire to feature as a trainee for Wycombe Wanderers. He made his debut on 25th April 1998 for the Chairboy’s at 19 in a 1-1 draw versus Chesterfield which helped him earn him a professional deal in the close season. This led Andy Baird to establish himself as a regular at Adams Park where he featured 79 times in the Football League scoring 13 times before his release due to picking up too many injuries. This led Baird into Non-league and after playing for the club up the road, Andy finally found himself at Banbury United in 2005. Baird soon became an integral member of the side where his versatility of playing Centre Forward or Centre Back made a lasting impression on the team and the fans who endeared their love towards the cult hero over his 3-year spell at Banbury meaning he slots into our forward line in the Football League XI.
Manager – Kevin Brock 52 Appearances, 2 goals
To manage the team, I thought it would be fitting to have a person who has met this criterion on the playing aspect alongside also having success in the dugout at Banbury United. This meant Brock was a standout candidate as he featured in 52 games for the Puritans alongside 196 first division appearance’s spanning across 3 different clubs including Oxford United, Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers. Brock started his career at the Yellows under the stewardship of Jim Smith who left to the Manage ‘The R’s’ in the capital which led to Kevin Brock following his manager to QPR. A year later Jim Smith secured the Newcastle role and like Harry Redknapp and Niko Kranjcar’s love affair where Redknapp signed Niko 3 times, Smith made his own love affair by sealing a hattrick of signatures from Kevin Brock as the pair became Magpies. With two new magpies it was meant to create "two for joy" as the rhym goes but during his first season in the toon, Brock and Smith had no joy as the Geordies saw relegation ( I suppose they came as a one so one for sorrow was more fitting in the rhyme).
Overall, Brocks' time at the club was seen as a success accumulating 163 appearances in which saw him narrowly missing out a promotion at the first attempt after relegation, being in goal in a 3-2 win over Birmingham City, scoring 16 goals and lastly being managed by two greats of the game Ozzy Ardiles’ and Kevin Keegan.
After Stints with Stockport, Stevenage, Yeovil, and Oxford City, the Bicester born man found his way to the Hellenic league to play for Banbury United briefly for 8 games before leaving and then returning as Player Manager. In his first season, he led the team to the Hellenic League Premier Division championship followed by promotion to the Southern Football League Premier Division four years later. After three seasons at that level, Brock resigned because of budget cuts. Kevin spell as manager saw him feature heavily in our league winning season in 1999/00 as he played 32 games, with intermittent appearances in the subsequent seasons. Overall, with two promotions guiding us to Step 3 from the dark days of Step 5; Brock is the man to lead us in the dugout and can be a handy sub to possess in this Football League XI.
Conclusion
Overall, this line up provides a blend of experience, talent, alongside a many becoming BUFC Cult Heroes and legends due to their impact at the Spencer Stadium. This side has experienced game time in non-league and the Football League in abundance as the 11 players and player-manager Kevin Brock has combined 954 appearances for Banbury United in addition to an astonishing 3,419 Football League appearances. Even more impressive despite many of these players not playing in the modern era where the influx of money has transformed clubs transfer spending, this Banbury United Football League XI has still commanded collectively a total off £1.82million in transfer fees notably from Kevin Brock who accumulated 635k in total transfers and Kevin Wilson totalling 505 across his 3 transfer fees from Derby, Ipswich, and Chelsea. In conclusion, this team spans across many different era’s as we’ve seen Roy Warhurst feature for Banbury Spencer all the way up until the modern era where we saw a Kelvin Langmead play a pivotal role in the back line of our defence. This highlights despite seeing constant success in the modern era with an array of talented loan signings who have gone onto gain FL experience, we also saw a range of experience heads end their career at the Spencer stadium as they seeked one last adventure in the non-league scene. Overall, Banbury has always been a club littered with experience from the top leagues and still to this day are following on with this trend as we have now Lawson D'Ath and Tope Obadeyi in our ranks providing a wealth of FL experiance.
With a 92 years of history there is potential of notable admissions so if you can think of a player please do mention it. But thank you for reading and please like, Rt and share your thoughts.
I would like to thank David Shadbolt for the assistance of helping us find out players Appearance and goals records, his wealth of knowledge and data he has in stats is untouched. I would also again like to express my thanks to all you fans who read my blogs and interact, it does mean a lot.
UTP
SPENCER REDS 🔴🟡