▁imp ending ▁mer ger ▁and ▁the ▁new ▁name ▁from ▁Smith ▁in ▁the ▁dress ing ▁room ▁at ▁Belle ▁Vue ▁just ▁before ▁the ▁match ▁against ▁Don c aster ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁April . ▁Mark ▁Jones , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Oxford ▁mid field ers , ▁re called ▁that ▁the ▁room ▁" w ent ▁totally ▁quiet ", ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁first ▁thought ▁was ▁that ▁it ▁might ▁be ▁hard ▁to ▁him ▁to ▁keep ▁his ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁team ▁with ▁Reading ' s ▁players ▁also ▁on ▁the ▁books . ▁According ▁to ▁Jones , ▁Smith ▁attempted ▁to ▁ass u age ▁the ▁Oxford ▁players ' ▁fear s ▁by ▁telling ▁them ▁that ▁" we ' re ▁only ▁doing ▁it ▁so ▁we ▁can ▁buy ▁Ker ry ▁D ixon . ▁All ▁your ▁places ▁are ▁safe ". ▁Alan ▁Judge , ▁the ▁Reading ▁goal keeper , ▁reported ▁his ▁team ▁react ing ▁in ▁a ▁similar ▁way — inde ed , ▁he ▁described ▁the ▁Reading ▁players ▁as ▁even ▁more ▁wor ried ▁as ▁Oxford ▁had ▁far ▁out per formed ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁League ▁that ▁season . ▁Ley , ▁who ▁accompanied ▁the ▁Oxford ▁team ▁on ▁the ▁bus ▁ride ▁home ▁after ▁the ▁game , ▁re called ▁that ▁the ▁players ▁were ▁almost ▁silent , ▁their ▁victory ▁over ▁Don c aster ▁over shadow ed ▁by ▁" a ▁feeling ▁of ▁incred ul ity , ▁confusion , ▁worry ▁and ▁fear ". ▁ ▁Oxford ▁United ' s ▁board ▁of ▁direct ors ▁un anim ously ▁supported ▁Max well ' s ▁proposed ▁am alg am ation ▁at ▁a ▁board ▁meeting ▁held ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁April