Oxford United welcome Norwich City this weekend in what will be their first game in the second tier of English football for more than 25 years.
The U’s haven’t played the Canaries since that 1998/99 season, with United losing 4-2 in their penultimate home game of the campaign in the last clash between the two sides.
A number of players have represented both teams over the years, and we picked out seven to have done so.
Ashley Barnes
The 34-year-old striker, who currently plays for the Canaries, had a brief loan spell with the U’s during the 2007/08 campaign.
He featured four times on loan from Plymouth Argyle, and would go on to have permanent stints at Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley.
Barnes joined Norwich on a free transfer last May, and scored seven goals in 41 games last season.
Nigel Cassidy
Signed from Scunthorpe United for a club record £20,000 in November 1970, Cassidy scored 34 goals in 135 matches during his time at the Manor Ground.
He had subsequent spells with Cambridge United and Denver Dynamos, and later managed Bicester Town and Banbury United.
Cassidy, who played for Norwich briefly at the beginning his career, died in May 2008 after a short illness.
Sammy Chung
Born in Abingdon, Chung became the second Anglo-Chinese professional footballer in the UK, and netted 11 goals in 20 games for Headington United.
He then joined Reading and the Canaries, but it was with Watford and then as a manager at Wolverhampton Wanderers he is strongly remembered.
In August 2022, Chung died aged 90.
James Henry
The 35-year-old midfielder was released by the U’s in the summer after seven years with the club.
Henry’s exploits for United wrote himself into modern U’s folklore, with his 58 goals ensuring only 10 players have scored more than him in the club’s history.
He had a brief loan stint with the Canaries during the 2007/08 season, and signed for Vanarama National League side Aldershot Town earlier this month.
The 28-year-old winger starred for United in their promotion last season, but it was at Norwich where he emerged through the academy.
Murphy bagged 20 goals in 108 matches, before being sold to Cardiff City for a reported £11 million in June 2018.
He joined the U’s in July 2022, and netted 10 times in 62 games, before joining Portsmouth on a free transfer in June.
David Smith
Another to come through the Norwich academy system was midfielder Smith, who left the Canaries for United in 1994.
He scored three times in 239 games, before going on to play for Stockport County, Drogheda United and Macclesfield Town.
Yanic Wildschut
Signed from Wigan Athletic in January 2017, Wildschut played 29 times for the Canaries, and joined Maccabi Haifa in July 2019.
Via a spell with CSKA Sofia, Wildschut arrived at the U’s in July 2022, and scored once in 24 games.
Przemyslaw Placheta
Yet to make his competitive debut for United, it would’ve been rude not to include summer signing Placheta.
He joined Norwich for a reported £2.5m from Slask Wroclaw in July 2020, and played 61 times for the club, including 12 appearances in the Premier League.
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