IT MIGHT be more than a decade since a ball was kicked at Oxford United’s Manor Ground, but this year will see the final whistle blown on one of the football stadium’s legacies.

Oxfordshire County Council is going to review parking restrictions in Headington streets which were put in place to stop football fans parking there.

At the moment in streets such as Bickerton Road, Brookside and Stapleton Road, drivers are not allowed to park between 2pm and 4pm on a Saturday.

But this quirk could soon be consigned to the history books.

Patrick Coulter, of Headington Action, said: “When the Manor Ground was up here years ago the idea was to stop the fans parking outside people’s houses during matches.

“But it has never been removed and we have had occasions where people have been fined for parking outside their homes on a Saturday.

“We have been talking to the county council about this for a while.

“I think some people are worried that it would encourage people to park here but I don’t think that’s a serious concern.”

The Manor Ground was closed in 2001 when Oxford United moved to the Kassam Stadium in Grenoble Road.

It has since been replaced by housing and a private hospital.

Oxford United played at the ground for 76 years, during which time they were promoted to the old First Division and won the Milk Cup, beating QPR in 1986.

Bickerton Road resident Mike Ratcliffe said: “We arrived in the road eight years ago so we were a bit bemused that people were stopped from parking because of a stadium that had moved years before.

“When family and friends come to visit us over the weekend we have to use a parking permit for two hours, which is just silly.”

Since the stadium moved, the county council has introduced four residents-only parking zones in the Blackbird Leys area which are enforced only on Sundays and match days.

County council spokesman Martin Crabtree said: “A review of the Headington West CPZ was unable to be completed due to lack of funding.

“However, with the planned developments in parts of Headington, funding has become available which will allow us to restart the review, which we hope will begin later this year.

“We would expect that one of the matters covered in the review would be times and days of operation of the restrictions.”

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