The RAW Charging Stadium
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- Ground Layout
Last Update:
July 26, 2024
Opened in 1993, the Court Place Farm Football Ground (now known as the RAW Charging Stadium) is quite an open one.
On one side is the Main Stand. This covered all seated stand runs for just over half the length of the pitch. It contains four rows of seating and has windshields to either side. The main disappointment is there a large number of supporting pillars running across the front of it.
Opposite is a small covered terrace that is around the same size of the Main Stand in length, straddling the half way line. Unusually for a terrace, it has windshields to either side, although it does have some supporting pillars. It has the team dug outs located in front of it, whereas normally you would expect them to be located in front of the Main Stand.
A new seated stand was erected in 2016/17 and positioned towards the North West end of the ground on this side. It has four rows of seats, with 158 in total.
The Marsh Lane End itself is dominated by the clubhouse and Club offices which sits directly behind. Although its green colour may have been intended to help it blend in with the environment, it seems to me to do quite the contrary. It does though feature the entrance gates to the Club’s former nostalgic White House ground. There is a flat standing area for spectators in front of it.
At the other end is a small covered terrace, that runs for around half the length of the pitch and is situated directly behind the goal. Again there are a number of supporting pillars running across the front. The stadium is completed by a set of four modern floodlight pylons.
In 2018 a new artificial 3G pitch was installed at the stadium.
The Club are expected at some stage to install an artificial surface at the Marsh Lane ground, possibly in time for the start of the 2016/17 season.
Normally a relaxed and friendly day out with no segregation. On the rare occurrence that segregation is enforced, visiting supporters are housed in the East Terrace at one end of the ground. This small covered terrace has a capacity of around 400. It is only a few steps high and has a number of supporting pillars running across the front of it that could impede your view.
Food on offer inside the ground includes burgers, hot dogs, bacon rolls, chips and pies.
There is a large club house inside the stadium that is available to away fans. Alternatively, there are plenty of pubs in the centre of Oxford that are worth a visit. These include:
- The Oxford Retreat – 1-2 Hythe Bridge St, Oxford OX1 2EW
- The Grapes – 7 George St, Oxford OX1 2AT
- O’Neill’s – 37 George St, Oxford OX1 2AY
From the North:
Leave the M40 at Junction 9 and take the A34 towards Oxford. Follow the A34 for seven miles until you reach the A44/A40 turn off. Leave the A34 and at the roundabout take the ring road towards London (A40)/Oxford. At the next roundabout take the second exit continuing along the ring road, which is now the A40 in the direction of London. Proceed along the A40 for two miles and then and then leave and take the slip road signposted Marston and Hospital. Follow the slip road aroung and over the A40 and this brings you onto Marsh Lane. The entrance to the stadium is just down on the left.
From the South:
Leave the M40 at Junction 8 and take the A40 towards Oxford. Follow the A40 for seven miles and then leave and take the slip road signposted Marston and Hospital. At the top of the slip raod turn left towards City Centre and Marston. You are now on Marsh Lane, the entrance to the stadium is just down on the left.
Car parking:
There is a fair-sized car park at the ground which is free.
Oxford Railway Station is over three miles away from the stadium, so it is really too far to walk. So best to jump in a taxi up to the ground. Alternatively, you can catch the number 14A bus directly from the station to the ground.
Record Attendance
At Court Place Farm:
2,276 v Oxford United
Friendly Match, 8th July 2018
At the White House Ground:
9,500 v Leytonstone
FA Amateur Cup 1950
Average Attendance
2022-2023: 437 (National League South)
2021-2022: 619 (National League South)
2020-2021: N/A (Covid)
2019-2020: 368 (National League South)
2018-2019: 353Â (National League South)
2017-2018: 319Â (National League South)
2016-2017: 302Â (National League South)
If you require hotel accommodation in Oxford then first try a hotel booking service provided by Booking.com. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use. Just input the dates below that you wish to stay and then select from the map the hotel of interest to get more information. The map is centered to the football ground. However, you can drag the map around or click on +/- to reveal more hotels in the city centre or further afield.
Oxford City ticket prices 2023/24:
- Adults: £17
- Over 65s: £12
- Blue light workers: £12
- Students/Under 17s: £5
- Under 4s: £0
Official Matchday Programme £3.
Oxford United and Banbury United.
Official Web Site: www.oxfordcityfc.co.uk
If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail me at: [email protected] and I’ll update the guide.
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out
Oxford City v Havant and Waterlooville
National League South
Saturday 31st August 2019, 3pm
Ian Thomas (Havant & Waterlooville)
Oxford City v Hemel Hempstead Town
National League South
Saturday 24th August 2019, 3pm
Tim Roberts (Neutral)
Oxford City v Tranmere Rovers
FA Cup 1st Round Replay (original tie 3-3)
Tuesday 20th November 2018, 7.45pm
David Airey (Ground Hopper – Newcastle United fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Court Place Farm Stadium?
Having seen the scoreline in the original tie I felt this offered the greatest opportunity of a cup upset. With the added bonus that it would be staged at a ground that I was yet to visit. I was able to secure an e-ticket online before arriving at the ground due to the all-ticket nature but the pricing remained the same as their league fixtures (plus a 10% booking fee).
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
I drove from work directly to Court Place Farm in the hope that I would be early enough to secure a parking space, following my sat-nav straight to the ground (using OX3 0NQ). There weren’t signposts to guide the way if I didn’t have my sat-nav to rely on (even once at the ground it was unclear that I had arrived at a football stadium as the signage is minimal). Due to the anticipated inflated crowd, Oxford City had sold parking spaces at a nearby school (cost unknown) but these had sold out before the day of the match. I parked at the neighbouring leisure centre for free, which you have to pass on your way into the Oxford City FC complex so is easy to identify once you arrive.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc., and were the home fans friendly?
I went from the car park straight into the ground. There was a short queue at the turnstile but I was in after a few minutes. All the home fans I spoke to were friendly, and due to the nature of the tie, there were plenty of other hoppers in attendance, wearing their “usual” clubs colours without issue (most notably Oxford United and Wycombe Wanderers). There are no pubs close to the ground so any that wanted a drink would have to head for the large clubhouse within the stadium.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Court Place Farm Stadium?
Usually, there is no segregation at Court Place Farm but on police advice, there was for last night’s tie. Away fans were located in the East Terrace. The rest of the ground was open for home fans to sit/stand where they desired. In the first half, I sat in the Main Stand, the only hindrance being the supporting pillars that run the length of this stand. The second half I opted to stand in the North Stand close to the half way line where the most vocal Oxford City fans were, but the large Perspex dugouts (plus supporting pillars) meant that the view from here is severely restricted. The seated area on the North side is set back from the side of the pitch and again offers only a restricted view.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
Tranmere scored their first early in the match and then a mistake from the Oxford City defender led to a second shortly afterwards. Once they had their two goal lead, Tranmere looked comfortable and the upset I had come to see was never going to materialise. There was constant drizzle throughout the match and the lack of covered areas meant many fans were soaked by the time they made their way home. The atmosphere was relaxed and both sets of fans were reasonably vocal. Had Oxford City scored first then I believe the atmosphere would have been severely enhanced. I bought a bacon roll (£2.20) at half time and felt this was good value as it tasted good (the lad behind the counter was friendly and polite too). Also had time to use the toilet facilities and these were clean and adequate.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
I left on the full time whistle and was back at the car after a few minutes. Exiting the car park after the match was a breeze and I was on the dual-carriageway home in no time.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Everyone I encountered was friendly and it’s easy to see why they don’t usually have segregation for league matches. Parking isn’t an issue and the £12 admission fee is perfectly acceptable too. Would definitely consider returning for a league match to enable me to compare it to a cup match.
Oxford City v Truro City
National League South
Tuesday 5th December 2017, 7.45pm
Maxwell Meadows (Neutral fan)
Oxford City v Hampton & Richmond Borough
National League South
Saturday 8th April 2017, 3pm
Brian Scott (Groundhopper)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Marsh Lane ground?
As I normally travel by train this was one of the harder grounds to get to due to the longish bus ride. So I planned it on a day when the return journey would be in daylight. I also wanted to see more of Oxford City centre.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
My train journey was very good indeed, going from Stowmarket to London via Cambridge and Kings Cross due to the never ending weekend engineering works on the Great Eastern main line at Shenfield. I then chose to travel to Oxford from London Marylebone. It takes a few minutes longer this way, but the countryside is beautiful. The long train had masses of empty seats in the front carriages.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
As I had plenty of time to spare, I walked into the City centre to admire the architecture of the fine old buildings. There are also modern buildings and a huge new shopping arcade is being built in the area to the east of the castle. I finished my walk in University Parks which was convenient to catch the 14A bus in Banbury Road. Before entering the ground I checked out the siting of where I could catch the number 14 bus to get back to the railway station.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Marsh Lane Stadium?
The first thing that you see is the new looking office and changing room facilities and other sports areas which look impressive. However the stands are nothing to get excited about. There is a very new new stand at the North West end on one side with 158 bright blue seats. I chose not to sit there as it was boiling hot with the sun beating down! Doesn't sound much like football weather does it? I sat at the back of the Main Stand on the other side finding a seat where the many pillars didn't block either goal. There was no public address announcements at all, and some of the rubbish bins were full and overflowing. Obviously not being emptied for several weeks.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
This was a very one sided game with Hampton & Richmond taking the lead in the eight minute with a well worked free kick. About five minutes later it was 0-2, followed by a third and fourth goal before half time. The second half was not quite as one sided with Hampton & Richmond managing to score a fifth. The attendance was only 294 but unsurprisingly it was the away fans who made what little noise that there was. The stewards were very inconspicuous as I only saw a total of three. I managed to chat to one local who was very friendly, but there was none around me in the seats to chat to! In his review Myles Munsey mentions that before his visit in 2015 there had been some postponements due to a waterlogged pitch. Well on my visit the dust was flying every time a player kicked the ball! The pitch needed watering, and no 3g pitch as of yet.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
I left a little before the end as I wanted to get the number 14 bus at 16.53, but I actually caught a number 13 which I found out takes a different route to the railway station. They go every 20 minutes. It was a slightly longer route than the number 14 with lots of pick-ups, but the variety of route was good to see more of Oxford. I left Oxford on an High Speed Train to London Paddington, so having another variety of route back to London.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Another good day out in the lower leagues.
Oxford City v Ebbsfleet United
National League South
Daturday 3rd December 2016, 3pm
Anthony Hanley (Neutral fan)
Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Marsh Lane Ground?
Oxford is the perfect destination for combining a match, a new venue and a bit of sightseeing. In this instance I dropped into the Pitt Rivers Museum (highly recommended – and free) which was fortuitously sited along the walking route I took.
How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?
As I usually do, I walked to the stadium from the rail station. Like many clubs Oxford City do not provide walking directions to their home on the website. Why is this? Given virtually all football clubs are desperate for every penny they can get it wouldn't take much for someone to rectify this. Instead I pulled a route down from Google Maps involving a section of the Marston Cycle Route which enhanced the journey no end. I passed meadows, horses in a field and crossed over a river. Despite being about 2.5 to 2.75 miles I found the route easy to follow.
What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?
Plenty of interesting boozers in the town centre but I didn't see a single one in New Marston where Oxford City's ground is located. As for chippies and takeaways – are you mad?. This is Oxford. Pomme frites and sliced pheasant is the order of the day. Not withstanding I did see a Papa John's pizza close to Marsh Lane but that was it. So it might be wise to drink and eat in the city centre before heading to the ground. As per usual with fixtures at this level fans mixed freely without a hint of animosity.
What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Marsh Lane Ground?
'A tidy ground' would be the slightly condescending phrase I'd use for Marsh Lane. The Main Stand is only four rows deep but ample for this level. There is also another seated stand curiously placed in the opposite corner. Facing the Main Stand and behind one of the goals are sections of covered terracing whilst the remaining end is an open area where the club house is situated. Behind a screen of trees is the busy A40 Northern By-Pass but the noise it generates fades into the background soon enough. Money has plainly been spent to upgrade the roofing, floodlights, concrete terracing and turnstiles.
Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..
The match was a bit 'kick and rush' to be frank but contained two absolutely fantastic goals. Oxford took the lead in the 8th minute when No. 9 James Roberts' superb long, looping shot from the edge of the penalty area crashed into the net. Ebbsfleet equalised just before half-time when Charlie Sheringham (Teddy's son) swivelled and shot from close in. The visitors upped their game second half and took the lead on 73 minutes before sealing the contest three minutes later when returning former goal-scoring hero Bradley Bubb brilliantly volleyed in direct from a corner. The friendly and cosy club house provided the usual football ground diet of hot and cold drinks, pies and snacks. I saw three lads take their pints back with them onto the terracing without any fuss. I was a little disappointed there were no giant TV screens giving half-time scores though! The steward and turnstile lady were both friendly and welcoming on arrival.
Comment on getting away from the ground after the game:
I returned along the same walking route I'd taken to the venue however a significant portion of the cycle route had no lighting and given it was now pitch black proved a little dodgy with bikes still going back and forth. It might be wise to bring a small torch or use the light from your phone to guide you back or even better one of those flaming torches the villagers use in Hammer films when going en masse to Dr. Frankenstein's gaff to find out what the hell's been going on up there! Conversely the remaining part of the cycle path was illuminated by charming 'Olde Worlde' lamp posts. It took 47 minutes to get back to Oxford rail station.
Summary of overall thoughts of the day out:
Interesting and pleasant city. Nice walk to the ground. A decent game. Friendly atmosphere. Good day out.
Oxford City Stadium (Marsh Lane)
Oxford City vs Weston-Super-Mare
National Conference League South
Myles Munsey (Ground hopper)
Reasons for visit:
What do you do when you are at a loose end on a Bank holiday Saturday? Go to football of course. But there were other reasons for my visit. The weather was set fair and a visit to a nearby club that has been on my ‘to do’ list for quite some time appealed. Besides Oxford is pretty close and I could get back to my evening dinner appointment in good time.
This was a new venue but not a new club as I have seen Oxford City play at the Whitehouse Ground way back in 1970 (!) in the F.A.Cup against Bournemouth.
I also saw City the following season at United’s Manor Ground in a cup replay against Alvechurch – a tie that went to six (yes six!) games – a record. In the modern era of ‘instant’ results such things are uminamaginaeable nowadays.
Since gaining promotion to level 6 of the pyramid they have been performing pretty well of late so I wanted to see how they would get on.
Getting there:
It’s easy enough getting to Oxford by train, but the ground is a fair slog from the station. I say slog but actually I found a very pleasant walking route from central Oxford which I’m happy to replicate below.
From the Tourist Information Centre in Broad Street turn left into Parks Road then right into South Parks Road. At the point at which the road bends right, you will find a nicely rolled gravel path that leads down through the University Parks and across the river Cherwell. Follow the path all the way along as it turns left and right (passing over two cattle grids – mind the cow) until it comes out in Croft Road in New Marston. Head straight down Croft Road until it meets South Marston Road. Turn left and carry on to the roundabout. Turn left again and at the next roundabout turn right into Marsh Lane. The ground is 10 minutes further along on your right.
First impressions:
The ground is another one in a residential area or at least on the edge of one. Being a modern stadium it is functional but spacious. The ground is bordered on two sides by trees and on the other two by sports pitches and is overlooked by the large hospitals in nearby Headington. The trees not only give welcome greenery but also do a fine job of drowning out the constant drone of traffic from the adjacent M40.
The staff were welcoming and friendly.
Before the game:
I got to the ground at 13.45 so with plenty of time on my hands I engaged in pleasant conversation with the club officials reminiscing about OCFC’s long and interesting history and a discussion on the absurdity of scheduling games on the same Saturday as United are at home at the Kassam Stadium. They are apparently planning to have a 3G pitch in place for next season owing to several postponements of late. Well I suppose it’s called Marsh Lane for a reason!
The long walk on a warm afternoon left me thirsty so coffee was obtained from the catering hut. A selection of prices:
Sausage roll £1.50
Bacon roll £2.20
Beef burger £2.20
Cheeseburger £2.70
Bacon burger £3
Tea, coffee, soup £1.20
Pepsi £1.20
Chocolate bar, crisps £0.70
Entry at £12 gives you free and easy access to all parts of the ground. I sat in the front row of the stand to avoid these annoying pillars and had a great view. I actually sat next to the club’s retired medical official who explained that with a large element of Spanish players in the side it was a little like watching Barcelona.
View of the Main Stand overlooked by the Hospitals in Headington
Before the game got underway, a minute’s silence for the victims of the Shoreham air disaster was properly observed.
The game
Not quite like watching Barcelona, but Oxford City do play a nice passing game that is attractive to watch. At times this was a little over-elaborate and lacked a cutting edge. Despite leaving it very late to turn the screw, the home side gained a comfortable win with goals by Bubb (26), Santiago (87) and Coulson (90). Weston I’m afraid barely created a worthwhile chance.
Getting away
I walked directly back to the station in warm sunshine keeping to the main road back into Carfax via Magdalen Bridge. This took exactly one hour.
Overall thoughts
A thoroughly enjoyable day out and the exercise did me good. One disappointment though. The attendance. A mere 202.