It's hard to believe it now but back in the late autumn of 1998 Oxford United were on the verge of going into oblivion.

A fire sale of players including Phil Whitehead and Simon Marsh had been unsuccessful in keeping the wolf from the door and the club looked doomed, with United facing a trip to Watford without an away kit and players and staff going unpaid.

Something had to change and thanks to around a dozen ardent supporters the club was saved, bought by a London-based businessman who eventually managed to (nearly) finish off a half-built new stadium....but that would be just half the story.

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We all know that Oxford United have the best supporters the world has ever seen but few can lay claim to making hundreds of trips to watch their beloved U's from outposts such as the Shetland Islands, the Scottish borders and even the relatively short journey from Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Former youth-team player Gary Silver is such a person, and a recognisable face on the terraces ever since he was released by United on the eve of their first season in the top flight back in July 1985.

Initially from Didcot, there isn't a corner of the UK that Gary hasn't graced and his stories range from the hillarious to the downright unbelievable.

You won't want to miss this - from a glimpse behind the scenes of the heady days of the mid-80s, to a hefty prediction as to how the next Championship season could unfold for the U's.....

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Oxford United retained their Championship status with a game to spare and finished 17th following an entertaining 3-3 draw at Swansea City in the last game of the season.

It has been a campaign of thrills and spills from the first to the very last minute.

Dan and James round up the season with the Oxford Mail's chief football writer Liam Rice, who soundly predicted back in August that things would go as swimmingly as they did (in the end!).

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