Back Row (Left to Right); Andy Glass, Richard Ell, John Hawkes, Aidan Kearns, Steve Slaughter, Alan Hyatt, Richard Jarvis, Mark Boyland, Steve Knox, Harry Smillie (Trainer).

Front Row (Left to Right): David Woodland, Terry Falkner, Kevin Wilson, Phil Lines, Derek Evans, Dave Matthews, Martin Allen.
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Defenders Andy Glass and Martin Allen, along with striker Mark Boyland had all joined United from Oxford City during the summer.

The season began with a home game against Wellingborough Town on Saturday 25th August and it was a fine start for Brian Stone’s boys as they beat the Northamptonshire side 3-1 with two goals from Steve Slaughter and one from Kevin Wilson.

Banbury United line up against Wellingborough: Alan Hyatt, Martin Allen, Andy Glass, Derek Evans, Dave Matthews, Steve Knox, Richard Jarvis, Phil Lines, Mark Boyland, Steve Slaughter, Kevin Wilson.

The Monday after the game, Brian Stone added to his squad by signing former Scottish international striker Hugh Curran. Hugh had left Oxford United at the end of the previous season but was also sought after by Witney Town. However, much to the delight of the Puritan faithful, he chose to join United in preference to their fierce local Oxfordshire rivals. Hugh would make his debut for Banbury on Tuesday 28th August away to Corby Town, coming on as a substitute and scoring United’s second goal in a 2-0 win, Mark Boyland scoring the first goal.

An article from the local press about Hugh joining Banbury appears below:
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Banbury’s fine start to the season would continue and after eight league games they were unbeaten, winning six of them and topping the table. However, at this point manager Brian Stone on Wednesday 17th October handed in his resignation commenting “I am packing it in. I just don’t enjoy it any longer. Though we have lost in several cup matches, Banbury United are top of the league and I feel it is the right time to go.”

The club immediately appointed Hugh Curran as manager, initially in a caretaker role.

Below is a photo of outgoing manager Brian Stone (on right) wishing Hugh Curran the best of luck prior to United’s game against Cambridge City on Saturday 29th October 1979.
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Banbury beat Cambridge City 2-0, then gained a point away to Witney Town and though losing their next two league games away to Trowbridge Town and Merthyr Tydfil, they bounced back with a four-match unbeaten league run, winning three of those games. The last of those four games was a 3-0 home win over Witney Town on Saturday 8th December, Hugh Curran being confirmed as permanent manager earlier that week. Kevin Wilson scored one of the goals against Witney in what was his last game for the club before he joined Derby County.

United went into their next league game, a home match against Bridgend Town on Saturday 22nd December, in second place in the table, behind leaders Bedford Town only on goal difference. However, from this point on it all went wrong for United. Having won 10 of their first 16 league matches, they failed to win any of their next 13 and only three of the 13 after that up to the end of the season. They quickly slipped out of contention for promotion, finishing 13th of 22 teams, a disappointing position after the promising first half of the campaign.

At the end of the season Hugh Curran quit, citing the pressure of running a public house in Marston combined with being manager of Banbury United Football Club as being too much. Hugh returned to his native Carstairs and ran his own hotel and pub and later spent periods running shops and a hotel with his brother in Lanarkshire. After moving back to Oxfordshire, he ran pubs in Horton-cum-Studley and Islip and after that, bored with retirement, worked as a supervisor at the park and ride service in Thornhill, Oxford.
The final photo below shows (left to right): Hugh Curran with other former Oxford United players Roy Burton and Dave Roberts at the funeral of Oxford United legend John Shuker in January 2020.
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