Conference club Exeter City visit the KasStad tomorrow for the first round of the prestigious LDV Vans Trophy. Exeter are a team that are traditionally one division below United, but they also tend to inflict defeats upon the Us; Oxford have won only four of the clubs’ 26 meetings. Despite claims from Graham Rix that he is taking the tournament seriously, it is widely expected that he will use this match as an opportunity to give those players who need it an opportunity to get match fit, so expect to see Simon Cox in goal, Lee Molyneaux and Terry Parker in defence, Chris Hackett, Paul Wanless, Mark E’Beyer and Mark Rawle in midfield, and possibly Craig Davis up front (alongside someone else, we trust, possibly Julian Alsop).

Exeter are just starting to get used to life without a manager, as Eamonn Dolan has just joined Reading to become their Youth Academy manager. They have managed to retain the services of some of their players from when they were a league club, most notably Sean Devine, Kwame Ampadu and Scott Hiley. They still have Steve Flack too, so nobody’s perfect. Rage Online can’t be bothered making a prediction for this match, although we will confidently predict that the attendance will be lower than the 2,910 who witnessed United’s 2-0 win in March 1980.

Forest Green Rovers, propping up the Conference, now boast three former United players, with Adam Garner joining Jefferson Louis and Jon Richardson at the relegation-bound club. Paul Powell has rejoined Didcot after failing to settle at Brackley Town. Redditch United have signed Norman Sylla for ?3,000 from Tamworth. Ben Abbey has left Gravesend to join St Albans City.