MICHAEL Appleton admitted it had been a chaotic last few days after guiding Oxford United to automatic promotion.

The party which began after the 3-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday was followed by the end-of-season awards 24 hours later and stretched into last night’s open-top bus parade.

United’s head coach looked to take some time to reflect on the campaign over the weekend, but finding a quiet five minutes had proved difficult.

Appleton said: “It hasn’t stopped since the final whistle – I’ve been constantly on the phone or in meetings since Saturday.

“The players have had a good time for a couple of days, but I wanted it to sink in on Saturday and have a grasp of what we’ve achieved.

“I’ve been enjoying the moment after 59 games.”

The U’s boss was pleased to see so many supporters brave the weather in the city centre for the civic reception, although the turnout did not come as a shock.

He said: “We got absolutely soaked, but they were wetter than us because they had to wait for us.

“The fact it was last-minute as well just goes to show how passionate they are.

“It didn’t surprise me because of what I’ve seen at Wembley, on Saturday and at various away games this season.

“I know the potential of this club and I just hope we have the opportunity to fulfil that.”

Winger Alex MacDonald said: “We only managed to cram 11,000-odd in on Saturday, but we’ve had a chance to thank the people who came and also the city itself.

“We’ve received great support through the season and this is a way of acknowledging that.”

The players and staff will head off on a short post-season break abroad tomorrow, before Appleton sits down with them to discuss contracts early next week.