". ▁Before ▁Oxford ' s ▁match ▁against ▁W igan ▁Athlet ic ▁at ▁the ▁Man or ▁Gr ound ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁about ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁fans ▁conducted ▁a ▁sit - in ▁in ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁pitch , ▁delay ing ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁game ▁by ▁half ▁an ▁hour . ▁Max well , ▁in ▁the ▁direct ors ' ▁box , ▁was ▁je ered ▁by ▁supp or ters , ▁some ▁of ▁whom ▁sp at ▁at ▁him , ▁and ▁was ▁confront ed ▁by ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁b ann ers ▁around ▁the ▁stad ium ▁reading ▁" J ud as ". ▁After ▁the ▁match ▁( which ▁Oxford ▁won ▁ 2 – 0 ), ▁Max well ▁called ▁the ▁demonstr ation ▁a ▁" blo ody ▁dis gra ce ". ▁He ▁re aff ir med ▁his ▁commit ment ▁to ▁the ▁Th ames ▁Valley ▁Roy als ▁project ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁later ▁through ▁a ▁phone - in ▁on ▁BBC ▁Radio ▁Oxford . ▁" If ▁they ▁want ▁to ▁become ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁someone ▁else , ▁they ' re ▁entirely ▁welcome ," ▁he ▁said . ▁" If ▁the ▁deal ▁does ▁not ▁go ▁through , ▁both ▁Reading ▁and ▁Oxford ▁will ▁be ▁dead ▁before ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁next ▁season . ▁Nothing ▁short ▁of ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Earth ▁will ▁prevent ▁this ▁from ▁going ▁through ." ▁Steve ▁Daniel s , ▁an ▁Oxford ▁fan ▁opposed ▁to ▁a ▁mer ger , ▁called ▁in ▁and ▁claimed ▁that ▁Max well ' s ▁am alg am ation ▁proposal ▁was ▁a ▁p