When you have an important message to get across, you can’t do better than recruit a team of heroes to support you.

Firefighters in Oxford were launching Fire Safety Week in 1986 and called in Oxford United players to help.

It wasn’t any Oxford United team – the club had earned national headlines by winning the Milk Cup at Wembley.

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Oxfordshire’s Chief Fire Officer Maurice Johnson is pictured holding aloft the trophy surrounded by footballers and fire crews from the Slade fire station at Headington.

They gathered at the club’s Manor Ground at Headington to publicise the national fire safety campaign which aimed to cut the 50,000 fires each year involving electrical equipment.

The photocall took place just five months after United had carried off the trophy with a magnificent 3-0 win over Queens Park Rangers.

Rangers were the favourites – they had beaten Liverpool in the semi-finals and were led by Jim Smith, architect of United’s back-to-back promotions before leaving to manage the London club.

But as every United fan will recall, their team triumphed with goals from Trevor Hebberd, Ray Houghton and Jeremy Charles.

It was United’s first appearance on at Wembley – and it seemed as if the whole county was there to see them.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.