May 16, 2010, was one of joy and jubilation for Oxford United fans. Four years earlier, the U’s had dropped out of the Football League for the first time in, their then, 44-year tenure.
Oxford finished 2nd in their debut season in the Conference but bowed out in the playoff semi-final. A 9th and a 7th placed followed before Chris Wilder guided them back to the top where they finished 3rd, two points behind Luton Town. The U’s made it to to the play-off final where they faced York City. Matt Green gave the U’s the lead before James Constable doubled the advantage moments later. York did reduce the deficit before the break as goalkeeper Ryan Clarke fumbled the ball into his own net but in second-half stoppage time, Oxford countered through Sam Deering and Alfie Potter before the latter slotted home the critical goal.
In the second part of this series, we take a look at that starting line up and ask; Where are they now?
Ryan Clarke
27-year-old goalkeeper Ryan Clarke had a standout season for the U’s in 2009/10, making 50 appearances in all competitions. Having started his career at Bristol Rovers, Clarke spent time at Forest Green Rovers, Salisbury City and Northwich Victoria before a move to the U’s.
The goalkeeper would go on to make 267 appearances for Oxford but left to team up with former U’s boss Chris Wilder at Northampton Town, before switching to AFC Wimbledon. Game time was limited so Clarke dropped back into non-league with Eastleigh, followed by Torquay United, with the shot-stopper now between the sticks at Conference South side, Bath City.
Damian Batt
It’s probably fair to say that the best part of Damian Batt’s career was spent at Oxford. The right-back, who turned out for Barnet, St Albans City and Grays Athletic before joining the U’s spent four years at the club and amassed 180 appearances, scoring three goals.
Batt spent one season at Eastleigh and Dagenham and Redbridge before hanging up his boots. After retirement, he supposedly set up a childrens charity, which has since seen little money actually donated.
Mark Creighton
Centre back Mark Creighton may have only spent two seasons at Oxford United, but he was a fan favourite. Arriving from a three-year spell at Kidderminster Harriers, in which he became captain and made well over 100 appearances, he made 38 appearances for the U’s as they won promotion back to the Football League.
Unfortunately, he was edged out when back in League Two and was loaned out to Wrexham. It was at the Welsh club where he would retire just three years later.
Since retiring, Creighton became assistant manager at Kidderminster then Southport, while also working as a pundit for BT Sport and running a tattoo studio. He now works in Employment Law, HR and Health & Safety Consultant for Peninsula UK.
Jake Wright
Jake Wright joined the club on loan from Brighton and helped the club to achieve promotion. The centre back had earned a move to the south coast club after impressing at Halifax Town and Crawley Town, but Chris Wilder managed to sign the 23-year-old on a permanent basis.
He would spend a further six years at Grenoble Road, where he would become captain in 2011 and win another promotion in 2016 under Michael Appleton.
But he never played for the U’s in League One, instead ending his tenure after 281 games to rejoin Chris Wilder at Sheffield United. He made the step up to League One, and subsequently the Championship, with the Blades, but spent time on loan at Bolton Wanderers earlier this season. The 34-year-old is now currently without a club.
Anthony Tonkin
29-year-old left-back Anthony Tonkin was a summer signing that season but only spent two seasons with the U’s.
Tonkin turned out for Yeovil Town, Stockport County, Crewe Alexandra, Forest Green Rovers and Cambridge United before joining the U’s, where he made over 70 appearances. He left in 2012 to join Aldershot Town before joining non-league Frome Town in 2015.
Since his retirement, Tonkin has worked as a property developer, a financial advisor and is now Quantity Surveyor at Inland Homes.
Dannie Bulman
Surprisingly, at the age of 41, midfielder Danny Bulman is still playing professional football. He was 30-years-old when he won promotion with the U’s in 2010, where he made 48 appearances.
Bulman only spent two seasons at Oxford, having made well over 400 appearances for Wycombe Wanderers, Stevenage Borough and Crawley Town before his move to the U’s. With Oxford back in League Two, he struggled for game time as was loaned back to the Red Devils, where he would go on to make a further 150 appearances.
In 2014, Bulman joined AFC Wimbledon, before returning back to Crawley in 2017 where is remains.
Adam Chapman
Oxford United signed a young Adam Chapman from Sheffield United, having failed to make a breakthrough at the club he spent his youth at.
Initially, Chapman joined on loan, but Chris Wilder signed the 19-year-old Northern Irishman on a permanent basis. During his time at Oxford, he was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving but rejoined the U’s on his release.
He spent time on loan at Newport County and Mansfield Town, before joining the Welsh side permanently in 2013. He spent two seasons there before rejoining The Stags, where he played a further two seasons.
Now at non-league Sheffield FC, Chapman had previously turned out at Gainsborough Trinity and Boston United, but the 30-year-old’s career certainly hasn’t panned out as expected.
Simon Clist
Midfielder Simon Clist was one of those players that gave maximum effort every time he stepped onto the pitch. During the U’s promotion-winning season, he made 49 appearances and scored six goals.
His first professional club was Bristol City, where he would make over 70 appearances in five years. But, Clist was loaned out to Torquay United, before making permanent moves to Barnet, followed by Forest Green Rovers. In 2009, he joined the U’s and made just over 80 appearances, but was loaned out to Hereford United in 2011, where he eventually stayed and ended his career.
Matt Green (Alfie Potter 68)
Striker Matt Green has played for a number of clubs in his career, but you could argue that he was made during his time at Oxford.
Green spent two years at Newport County before a move to Cardiff City. The striker then had a short loan at Darlington before a loan spell at Oxford, where he scored ten goals in 20 games. A move from Cardiff to Torquay United followed, before Green returned to Oxford, again on loan, where he scored 14 goals as the U’s won promotion to League Two.
Green scored the opener in the playoff final and, as a result, was rewarded with a permanent deal with Oxford. However, the goals dried up and was subsequently loaned out to Cheltenham Town then Mansfield Town respectively. At Mansfield, he scored 15 from 27 games and then joined the Stags permanently, where he added 40 goals from 70 games.
As a result, a move to Birmingham City followed but again, the goals dried up. He returned to Mansfield, where the goals also returned, before moving to Lincoln City, Salford City and now, Grimsby Town, respectively.
Alfie Potter, who replaced Green with 22 minutes of the final remaining, spent six seasons with Oxford where head just under 200 appearances. He scored Oxford’s third goal, which was an iconic moment, as the U’s secured promotion.
Potter spent time on loan in non-league before his U’s switch and following his Oxford exit, he turned out for AFC Wimbledon, Chris Wilder’s Northampton and Mansfield Town. The winger now plays for Jamie O’Hara’s Billericay Town.
Jack Midson (Sam Deering 79)
Despite only being 25-years-old, Jack Midson arrived at Oxford as a journeyman striker. The forward had turned out for numerous non-league clubs at various levels and scored numerous goals before securing a move to Oxford in 2009.
The striker scored eight goals in 23 appearances as the U’s secured promotion but following promotion and competition for places, Midson was sent out on loan.
Midson rediscovered his goalscoring form at AFC Wimbledon, and that continued at Eastleigh. The striker then went down the divisions before taking up player and assistant manager roles at
Leatherhead, Concord Rangers and now, Hemel Hempstead Town.
Sam Deering replaced Midson with just over ten minutes to go in the game. The 18-year-old scored twice in 16 appearances for the U’s, but crucially and calmly assisted Potters clinching goal in the final.
Having come up through the youth team, Deering spent three seasons at Oxford, but had loan spells at Newport County and Barnet, the latter of which he later signed dor. He made 65 appearances for the U’s, and now plays at Dagenham & Redbridge.
James Constable
James Constable scored the U’s second goal of the afternoon – just one of the 106 he scored during his six-year stay with the club.
He joined on loan from Shrewsbury Town in 2008/09 and scored an impressive 26 goals in 49 appearances. As a result, he joined the U’s permanently and netted another 26 as Oxford won promotion to League Two.
‘Beano’ would score 17, 11, 14 and 12 in his next four seasons, finishing just one goal shy of equaling the all-time club record of 107 goals, set by
Constable dropped back down to the Conference to turn out for Eastleigh, where he spent five move seasons, before spending time at Poole Town and Hungerford Town.
