Oxford United

Image source, Oxford United

Oxford United have agreed new deals with 20-year-old academy products Josh Johnson and James Golding.

Midfielder Johnson ed the club as a scholar and has made seven first team appearances in cup competitions since making his debut at 16, in addition to loan spells with Dartford, Welling, Banbury and Maidenhead.

Former Republic of Ireland under-19 centre-back Golding has featured for the senior side nine times since making his debut in 2021, including three times in League One, and had loan spells at Maidenhead and Southend last season.

Head of football, Ed Waldron, told the club website, external: "It's really important for the club to have a strong core of young, promising players who have been developed within our system.

"Josh and James are two players who have shown real qualities over each age group and have since enjoyed strong loan spells at first-team level across the pyramid.

"We look forward to continuing to work with both as they aim to make an impact on our first team group."

Oxford United's plans for a new stadium will face a crucial planning hearing on 3 July, says the club's development director Jon Clarke.

The U's have agreed a deal to continue playing at the Kassam Stadium for a maximum of three years.

Oxford want to build a new ground at the Triangle site near Kidlington and their planning application will be heard by Cherwell councillors in six weeks time.

"We have a clear plan to deliver (the new stadium) and the next big step is to get that planning decision from the committee," Clarke told BBC Radio Oxford.

You can hear the full interview with Jon Clarke of BBC Radio Oxford's podcast, The Dub.

"It was almost like the season in a microcosm because it was much better than you expected, entertaining to the last, but I think I'd go further than that and talk about how vibrant it was, how the atmosphere was brilliant.

"It was an advert for what you want the Championship to be. The one thing it didn't have was the nail-biting, stomach-crushing pressure of some of the previous weeks."

BBC Radio Oxford's Jerome Sale shares his thoughts on the 3-3 draw at Swansea on the final day.

He s BBC's Robyn Cowen, former U's defender Ben Purkiss and er and podcaster George Elek on the latest episode of The Dub podcast.

They reflect on Oxford's final week of the season, staying in the Championship and what might happen in the summer transfer window.

Listen to the full episode of The Dub podcast on BBC Sounds.

Swansea City and Oxford United are set to enjoy their final game of the season with nothing on the line - bar pride, of course.

The two will meet in Wales on Saturday (12:30 BST), with Swansea six points under the play-offs and Oxford no longer in relegation threat.

The U's secured safety last time out with a 2-0 victory over fourth placed Sunderland.

They go into this game knowing their goal has been achieved but the job is not done for either side, who will want to end their campaign with a bang.

• Swansea City are unbeaten across their last four league games against Oxford United, winning each of their last three in succession (D1).

• Oxford United have failed to win any of their last four away league games against Swansea City (D2 L2), since a 2-1 victory in November 2000.

• When playing at home on the final day of a league campaign, Swansea have lost three of their last four games (W1), including a 1-0 defeat to Millwall last season.

• After winning their last match 2-0 against Sunderland, Oxford will be looking to win successive league games for the first time since January.

• Since Alan Sheehan's first Championship game in charge of Swansea City, only Burnley (29), Leeds (25) and Millwall (24) have won more points than the Swans (P12 W7 D2 L3).

Image source, Getty Images

Oxford United chief executive Tim Williams has doubled down on his stance that the club needs a new ground after retaining their Championship status.

The lease on the Kassam Stadium expires in June 2026 and the club is still awaiting a decision from planners about a proposed new 16,000-seater venue, which is expected this summer.

In April Williams said that without a new stadium, there would be no Oxford United, and that there was "nothing more important".

"Staying up is why we need a new stadium," he told BBC Radio Oxford. "If people had any doubts, then Saturday showed why it is needed.

"Up or down it doesn't matter, Oxfordshire needs a football club with its own stadium in the heart of the county and that is the most important thing. We're a Championship club for the second season and we deserve a Championship stadium.

"We've been through some tough times this season and we made some very difficult decisions on the way.

"But we've done it for the right reasons and they are that we stay in the league for another year. It's an extraordinary and brilliant achievement."

Image source, Rex Features

Oxford United should be ambitious and look beyond just thinking about securing their Championship status, according to midfielder Cameron Brannagan.

The U's beat Sunderland 2-0 on Saturday to guarantee a second campaign in the second tier having been promoted via the League One play-offs last season.

"Ever since I've been here we've been little old Oxford and we don't mind that - keep writing us off," Brannagan told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I said in an interview this year I want to push for the Premier League and I stand by that - we want to regroup and having stayed in the Championship why can't we be ambitious and go as high as possible">