Joey’s in the pouch

As widely anticipate Joey Beauchamp today signed the contract offered him by United. It’s a two year deal and, allegedly, is far lower than an offer put to Joey by Reading. The deciding factor, according to Joey, was that Denis Smith has brought in some new players. This leaves Mark Watson to decide whether to choose Oxford over Canada and Rob Folland and Jamie Cook to mull over their offers. Watson’s agent is reported to have told Smith that the Canadian will sign his contract, but wisely United’s manager isn’t counting his chickens (or centre-halves).

According to Smith Cook is keen to sign, but Cookie may have burned his bridges by prevaricating, as Smith has claimed that he’s started to spend the money earmarked for Jamie’s salary and signing-on fee and he has also been talking to another player who plays in Jamie Cook’s position (which is where, exactly?). Apparently Smith is hoping to have a squad of 22 to 24 players for the start of the season and, as the players resume training this Wednesday, that means a couple more signings are expected soon, including a left-sided central defender.Teamtalk speculates that this is 27-year-old Brighton defender Jamie Campbell, so it probably isn’t, especially as Campbell is also thought to be in talks with AFC Bournemouth.

Manor permissions

Three separate applications for planning permission are being sought on the site of the Manor. One of the applicants is the Acland Hospital, currently located on the Banbury Road, although the Local Plan has the site down for residential, commercial and office use so a hospital, located adjacent to the JR, might not be considered a suitable development. It is not yet known (by Rage Online anyway) who the other two applicants are. This has to be good news as a successful planning permission will undoubtedly raise the value of the site when the club is able to sell, after completion of Minchery Farm. It also means that there is someone out there with some optimism that the club will eventually move!

U’s on the box

As reported yesterday Sky has now confirmed that the away game at Wycombe will be shown live on the Friday evening, 8th September. Hopefully this is good news as over the last two or three seasons Oxford has done well whenever they’ve been shown live on telly (the last televised defeat being 2-1 at Stoke in 1997).

Shotts has a job

Malcolm Shotton is back working in football, replacing Terry Yorath as Assistant Manager at Bradford City. United fans will wish Shotts well and hope that he can put his recent unhappy time at the club down to experience. It is his playing that he will be remembered for in perpetuity at Oxford.

Marco Gabbiadini has finally put weeks of speculation to rest by agreeing a fee with Northampton Town, where he will team up with another new striker: Jamie Forrester.