We chat to Manor Hero Cyril Beavon
There will be divided loyalties in the Beavon family on April 2nd when Oxford United take on Coventry City.
In the yellow corner is United legend Cyril Beavon who played 464 games over a ten-year period at the Manor scoring 11 goals and becoming a United hero. In the sky blue corner is his grandson Stuart, leading the line for Coventry.
“I’ve also seen Oxford a couple of times this season, that’s all” Cyril tells tomorrow night’s matchday programme. “I saw them play Coventry because of Stuart. What I have seen of them I’ve been really impressed. Obviously I want Stuart to play well but my loyalty is not with Coventry, it’s with Oxford and I want Oxford to win. I’ll be well pleased if Stuart scores but Oxford win, that would be ideal.”
Stuart - whose father, also Stuart, played for Spurs and Reading- had two spells with the U’s earlier in his career before playing for Didcot Town in the FA Vase final and earning a move up the leagues.
“He was at Oxford from when he was about eight years old,” Cyril told us. “They let him go when he was ten or so because he wasn’t getting any games and then he went to Swindon but he didn’t like it there. He said he’d rather play with his mates, which he did. Then he went to Didcot from Ardley and from there he went to Weymouth and then he was picked up by Wycombe, then Preston, Burton and now Coventry.”
Cyril has seen the U’s go from strength to strength since he first arrived in January 1959 as Arthur Turner’s first signing.
“When I first came to Oxford I wondered what the hell I’d come to! The Manor was a little tin shack and the dressing rooms were awful but they’ve come a long way since then. In their own little way they’ve been as successful as most of the big clubs, considering where they’ve come from. In such a short time as well; they got to the First Division and they won the League Cup at Wembley.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing them back at Wembley again on April 2nd.”
Read the full interview, including Cyril’s thought on which of the Beavon boys was the best footballer, in tomorrow night’s match programme as United welcome Bolton Wanderers to Grenoble Road.
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