On the eve of the new Football League season, who better to speak to than Oxford United supporter and EFL expert George Elek to get his thoughts ahead of United's second campaign back in the Championship.

Lifelong fan George will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his first United match this season and tells us his own tale of being known as 'that Oxford United fan' whilst growing up in London, how his career in podcasting and support for the U's have intertwined and where the club still need to strengthen their squad ahead of the new campaign.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's hard to believe it now but back in the late autumn of 1998 Oxford United were on the verge of going into oblivion.

A fire sale of players including Phil Whitehead and Simon Marsh had been unsuccessful in keeping the wolf from the door and the club looked doomed, with United facing a trip to Watford without an away kit and players and staff going unpaid.

Something had to change and thanks to around a dozen ardent supporters the club was saved, bought by a London-based businessman who eventually managed to (nearly) finish off a half-built new stadium....but that would be just half the story.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all know that Oxford United have the best supporters the world has ever seen but few can lay claim to making hundreds of trips to watch their beloved U's from outposts such as the Shetland Islands, the Scottish borders and even the relatively short journey from Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Former youth-team player Gary Silver is such a person, and a recognisable face on the terraces ever since he was released by United on the eve of their first season in the top flight back in July 1985.

Initially from Didcot, there isn't a corner of the UK that Gary hasn't graced and his stories range from the hillarious to the downright unbelievable.

You won't want to miss this - from a glimpse behind the scenes of the heady days of the mid-80s, to a hefty prediction as to how the next Championship season could unfold for the U's.....

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oxford United retained their Championship status with a game to spare and finished 17th following an entertaining 3-3 draw at Swansea City in the last game of the season.

It has been a campaign of thrills and spills from the first to the very last minute.

Dan and James round up the season with the Oxford Mail's chief football writer Liam Rice, who soundly predicted back in August that things would go as swimmingly as they did (in the end!).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fifth full series of Behind The Badge wraps up with a fascinating chat with the former Oxford United striker Peter Foley.

Born and raised in Bicester, Foley went on to represent his boyhood club more than 300 times and scored 90 goals in the process. He played in an era when football was changing and that was certainly true at United, as the club went from a Third Division also-ran to flying up the pyramid.

Peter talked in depth about his time after leaving the Manor, including his spell as manager of non-League Marlow and the infamous FA Cup match against United in 1994!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On many levels, Paul Simpson could be regarded as one of the best players to have pulled on an Oxford United shirt. A shrewd signing from Manchester City after United tumbled out of the First Division in 1988, 'Simmo' found his feet under the stewardship of Brian Horton and David Fogg and quickly became a huge crowd favourite.

Some of his strikes are among United's greatest of all time and he recalled some fantastic stories of a wonderful friendship with Mickey Lewis. After leaving the Manor, Simmo went on to have a stellar career in the Premier League with Derby County, before going into management and international coaching.

A fascinating listen!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behind The Badge had the pleasure of spending well over an hour in the company of the former Oxford United defender Eddie Odhiambo.

Eddie's football journey started in the parks of Oxford with his brothers, before he was 'poached' by Southampton just as he was beginning to make his way through the ranks at United.

Returning to his boyhood club under Jim Smith during the club's tumultuous first season in the Conference was an 'experience' for Eddie, before he enjoyed recalling a roller-coaster spell playing for Graham Westley at Stevenage.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Level with Bud Houghton on 75 goals, only six players have found the net more times for Oxford United than Paul Moody.

A true goalscoring legend, Moods is as much remembered for the different types of goals he scored as the sheer number.

As well as being a crucial part of the 1995-96 promotion winning team, the striker's goals in his second spell probably saved the club from back-to-back relegations during a torrid first season at the Kassam Stadium in 2001-02.

Dan and James spoke to Paul about everything, both on and off the pitch, the majority of it good but some of it not.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the 1980s Oxford United developed some of the greatest homegrown players they have ever produced. Some went on to have fantastic careers at United, others found their feet elsewhere.

Behind The Badge had the pleasure of speaking to former midfielder Robbie Mustoe, who still considers Oxfordshire his home despite spending more than a decade at Middlesbrough, where he won promotions, played in major cup finals and established himself in most supporters' all-time best XIs.

He's now a familiar face to all football fans on the other side of the pond, having covered the Premier League for more than 10 years as a pundit on US sports channel NBC.

Quite simply one of the most fascinating pods that Dan and James have ever done!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a special episode of Behind the Badge, Dan and James speak to Leo Ackerman and Alex Urwin, the authors of Mad Dog: The Mickey Lewis Story.

On the fourth anniversary of Mickey's passing, it was our pleasure to speak to two people with such a strong connection to Mickey and to hear the stories behind their book and a true legend of Oxford United.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.