Leicester’s Emirates FA Cup tie against Oxford City has been selected for television, with the clash being streamed live on TNT Sports and HBO Max. This means that the tie will now be played on Friday, November 6th (19:45 kick-off) instead of the original date of Saturday, October 7th.
The venue will be played at The McGroup Stadium, also known as Court Place Farm, with a capacity of 3100, located in Marsh Lane, Marston, Oxford. This is a village in the civil parish of Old Marston about 2 miles (3 km) northeast of the centre of Oxford.
So, who are Oxford City? They are currently at the top of the 6th tier of English football, National League North. The club’s first recorded match was on 15 March 1884 at Thame Grammar School, which they lost 4–2. For over a decade, their fixtures were irregular, with no matches played between 1886 and 1893. However, the club was reorganized in 1897 and quickly became the leading club in Oxfordshire, winning the FA Amateur Cup in 1906, then joining the Isthmian League the following year.
In the latter half of the 20th century, the club went into decline and soon fell behind Headington United (later to become, Oxford United) turned professional in 1949. An attempt was made to return the club to success in 1979 when it became a limited company and later when England World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore was appointed manager with his former West Ham United team-mate Harry Redknapp as his assistant.
The club reached its lowest point in 1988 when they were evicted from their White House Ground by their landlords Brasenose College, who sold it off for housing. Forced to resign from the Isthmian League, the club did not reform and return to senior football until 1990 when based at Cutteslowe Park, they entered the South Midlands League Division One, winning promotion in their first season. They returned to the Isthmian League in 1993 when they also moved to their current ground. The club continued to climb through the divisions of that League during the 1990s and reached the final of the FA Vase in 1995.
The highest level ever reached by Oxford City F.C. in the English football league system is the National League, which is the fifth tier of English football. The club achieved this milestone for the first time in its 141-year history when they won promotion from the National League South via the playoffs in May 2023. They competed at this level during the 2023–24 season before being relegated back down to the sixth tier (National League North), where they currently play.
💥 Let's have a look at Canice Carroll's Cracker!#OCFC pic.twitter.com/krsEfvSuvf
— Oxford City FC (@OxCityFC) October 28, 2026
Oxford City are flying at the moment in the 6th tier, they are top of their league.
One of their players is former Udinese and Genoa midfielder Fernando Foriestieri. The 36-year-old Argentinian, with an Italian passport, has also played for Watford and Sheffield Wednesday and an Italian full international, earning 6 caps from 2010 to 2015. He has in recent years been a star in Malaysian football, winning a number of League and Cup trophies, as well as scoring 30 goals in 32 league games for the club Johor Dahol Ta’zim.
On name that should be familier for Leicester fans is Darnell Johnson. Darnell joined Oxford City in front of last season with a life on the fringes in league football after finally leaving Leicester in 2021. Johnson (28) looked a special man in his youth, playing regularly for England at different ages from U16 to U20. He scored 2 goals in 4 England U20 games, so to see him down at this level at his age is one strange fall.
They also have another proven international, Dillon De Silva, representing Sri Lanka. He started his career at QPR, the 24 year old has 31 caps to his name, scored 5 goals. Another player to recognize is 37 year old Alfie Potter, still going strong at his age and an important player for this team.
Their squad is experienced with most of their players having a path of their journey in EFL football. We should also highlight the names, Tyrone Marsh, Forward Top goalscorer (8 goals), Scott Pollock Midfielder / Attacker 6 goals, 2 assists, Ellis Brown Midfielder / Defender Top assist provider (4 assists), Evan Humphries Midfielder 3 assists,
and not to forget one of the clubs greatest players in history, the midfielder and club veteran Zac McEachran with (368+ appearances).
Oxford City have defeated Dorchester (2-0), Enfield (6-1) and Torquay (1-0) to get to the first round of the FA Cup. This will definately not be a walk in the park for Leicester, playing away against an opponent who will fight hard to try to defeat a previous Premier League and FA Cup winner in recent years.
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