This match against QPR in the whatever cup it is called now brings back a few memories of 86 but not attending it or even watching it on the day. I will explain. In the 80s I was part of the Royal Green Jackets Parachute Display Team, not a display jumper though I did quite a few non display jumps but amongst my other roles I was the commentator. We had been asked by the Milk Marketing Board in 1984 to jump into Wembley for the final, Liverpool V Everton? and although in another role I persuaded the CAA and the Heathrow ATC to led us do it the weather stopped the actual display going ahead. In 1985 we were doing a job in Germany therefore the MMB instead invited another team who will remain nameless to do it instead. The Red Devils (oh I named them) made a right mess of it, jumped in poor conditions and put someone on the roof of the stadium and another broke his leg. Something like that anyway. 1986 the MMB asked us to do it again and as Oxford got closer to the final I got more excited about the whole thing. I could be walking out in front of all our supporters to do a comentary on a display being performed by what was in effect our counties own regiment (pre RGJ the Ox and Bucks LI and of course the KRRC and RB). Unfortunately at almost the last minute the CAA and Wembley authorities stepped in and banned all future parachute diaplays.
On the day and having the day off I went to my local in Winchester for a small lunchtime drink then back to my place to watch the match having been unable to get a ticket due to other work commitments. I fell asleep and missed the entire thing!!
Fast forward to 1994 and back in Oxford I moved into a house where the previous tenant had left all his VHS cassettes, amongst those was a copy of the match!! I tucked it away to watch later only to find when I went to watch it that someone had recorded Eastenders over it. I finally did watch the match when OUFC released in on DVD some years later.
I never did do a commenatry in front of all our fans although I did do WBA, Norwich and a couple of others I have forgotten now.
So tonight I shall be sat in front of the radio after work determined to listen to this one live and hoping Rob Dickie doesn't score although of course he will. 2 - 1 to us then.....
