End of Oxford's tour of discovery

BBC News

15-07-2025

Both of Oxford's matches in Indonesia were interrupted – the first by floodlight failure and the second by monsoon rain of epic proportions. The weather in the final against Thai side Port FC undoubtedly contributed to the outcome – Port's winner came during the deluge. Had it been Elliott Moore lifting the trophy, not his beaming counterpart, the initial assessment of the trip would, I am sure, be largely positive. Even when results don't really matter, they kind of do.United have done a lot right out here, even making kids in an orphanage smile with a mass kick-about. Those who think footballers are all cynical should have seen this group of players there. They won't forget those children and I applaud their private actions after the visit. If you drew up a list of EFL football managers past and present that you might expect to see being paraded on an imitation lion carried by four men as part of a local custom…Gary Rowett would be a long way down it. He was respectful and didn't refuse when invited to climb aboard at a news conference. He styled it out and by doing so he has gone up in most people's expectations.The team will have got over the defeat by Port almost before they had dried out. More minutes in the legs, some game-time for youth team products. Mark Harris will be pleased with his golden boot for being tournament top scorer.Oxford's rise to the Championship – and staying there - has been in no small part because of the funding from Erick Thohir and others in South East Asia. The latest growing pains are maybe being felt by the team and coaching staff more than the supporters. A 7,000-mile trip in pre-season is probably not the absolutely ideal preparation for the new season, but there is a reason big clubs make these trips, even though they're often derided.This was a tour of discovery for those who travelled at relatively short notice to support the team, but it was too for Oxford United itself - a tentative exploration of a potentially massive market, where no particular European team appears to have a stranglehold. But the gap between the richest and poorest is a chasm, and monetarising Oxford's new found popularity will be a challenge in Indonesia. They missed out on £250,000 of prize money when they lost the final, too.Will the injuries picked up prove debilitating as the Championship season opens? Has United's reputation been significantly enhanced? Will they be able to tap into this emerging economy? We only know the true value – or cost - of the trip further down the line.United invested a lot in this trip – not financially, the first class travel and accommodation was all laid on - but in terms of energy and emotion. I am sure there will be a fierce internal debate about whether it should 'one and done' for such a tour, or whether it would be folly not to try and learn from - and build on - what has been achieved here this time…. and, as they say in football, 'go again'.You can find part one of Jerome Sale's tour recap below.