Help Oxford’s new stadium for better away day experience

[oxfordfan]

Hi, an Oxford United fan here in peace.

Our club is desperately trying to secure a new stadium site, or we’ll be homeless from 2026.

With that in mind, if anyone on here would be happy to fill in a short online questionnaire being run by Oxfordshire County Council, our fans would be massively grateful.

It only takes about five minutes or so to fill in the short online form with positive answers at www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/C8O8VI/ by 23 July 2023.

The benefits to you as away fans will be:
A sustainable stadium right next door to a major railway station in Oxford Parkway (a short train ride from Oxford City Centre) and opposite a large Park&Ride site, which would make it one of the easiest, greenest grounds to get to in the UK. Anyone who has travelled to the Kassam knows how difficult it is to get to, especially from your side of London. It makes having a day out in Oxford nearly impossible.

Proper drinking, food and entertainment options at the ground itself, compared to embarrassing facilities currently on offer at our current ground or nearby.
A modern, well-designed ground which will help to support a proper atmosphere, rather than the soulless, three-side ground we have now.

A few sentences on any of the above for the survey’s final comment box would be really helpful in showing our County Council that the new ground will be sustainable, increase spending in Oxfordshire, and provide excellent facilities for home AND away fans.

We all appreciate the value of a good away day, whether we’re potentially playing you in a league or cup game from 2026 onwards. Taking a few minutes to support a fellow club before it becomes homeless in just a few years would be massively appreciated. Thank you! Best of luck for this season!

[valleyfaithful]

Will complete when I finish work this afternoon.

[smudge7946]

What's the issue with the Kassam stadium?
You only moved there 5 minutes ago.

[oxfordfan]

Jul 3, 2023 16:29:07 GMT smudge7946 said:

What's the issue with the Kassam stadium?
You only moved there 5 minutes ago.

Fair question. In short, the club doesn’t own the stadium. We are only the current tenants. Firoz Kassam bought the club in 1999 and built the stadium, but sold the club in 2006. However he is still the landlord. It’s a very long story but the club, under different ownership, have been trying to buy the stadium since Kassam sold the club. Unfortunately he is intent on knocking the stadium down and building houses/flats, which is going to make him a fortune.

The lease was set at 25 years in 2001. Unfortunately due to the financial state of the club at the time, we weren’t able to properly sort this out. Which is something we’ve been paying for ever since and the reason Kassam can openly neglect the facilities (why we only have three stands etc).

[oxfordfan]

Jul 3, 2023 13:51:52 GMT valleyfaithful said:

Will complete when I finish work this afternoon.

Thank you mate. Any support is really appreciated.

[lewisham]

Jul 3, 2023 17:06:36 GMT oxfordfan said:

Jul 3, 2023 16:29:07 GMT smudge7946 said:

What's the issue with the Kassam stadium?
You only moved there 5 minutes ago.

Fair question. In short, the club doesn’t own the stadium. We are only the current tenants. Firoz Kassam bought the club in 1999 and built the stadium, but sold the club in 2006. However he is still the landlord. It’s a very long story but the club, under different ownership, have been trying to buy the stadium since Kassam sold the club. Unfortunately he is intent on knocking the stadium down and building houses/flats, which is going to make him a fortune.

The lease was set at 25 years in 2001. Unfortunately due to the financial state of the club at the time, we weren’t able to properly sort this out. Which is something we’ve been paying for ever since and the reason Kassam can openly neglect the facilities (why we only have three stands etc).

Sounds familiar

[seriouslyred]

Jul 3, 2023 17:33:43 GMT lewisham said:

Jul 3, 2023 17:06:36 GMT oxfordfan said:

Fair question. In short, the club doesn’t own the stadium. We are only the current tenants. Firoz Kassam bought the club in 1999 and built the stadium, but sold the club in 2006. However he is still the landlord. It’s a very long story but the club, under different ownership, have been trying to buy the stadium since Kassam sold the club. Unfortunately he is intent on knocking the stadium down and building houses/flats, which is going to make him a fortune.

The lease was set at 25 years in 2001. Unfortunately due to the financial state of the club at the time, we weren’t able to properly sort this out. Which is something we’ve been paying for ever since and the reason Kassam can openly neglect the facilities (why we only have three stands etc).

Sounds familiar

It is and it isn't. Whilst the Oxford lease expires in a couple of years, we are three years into a 15 year lease.

As posted before CAFC owners need to get the club promoted and then into the top ten of the Championship. At that point they might consider commencing negotiations for a longer lease or buying the freehold.

Alternatively, if we cannot escape the third tier then owners may have to look at downsizing - understand that there are break clauses in 2025 and 2030. Not pretty but that's the price of failure.

And we may see this repeated throughout England over the next couple of decades?!

[AndyAddick]

Jul 3, 2023 17:06:36 GMT oxfordfan said:

Jul 3, 2023 16:29:07 GMT smudge7946 said:

What's the issue with the Kassam stadium?
You only moved there 5 minutes ago.

Fair question. In short, the club doesn’t own the stadium. We are only the current tenants. Firoz Kassam bought the club in 1999 and built the stadium, but sold the club in 2006. However he is still the landlord. It’s a very long story but the club, under different ownership, have been trying to buy the stadium since Kassam sold the club. Unfortunately he is intent on knocking the stadium down and building houses/flats, which is going to make him a fortune.

The lease was set at 25 years in 2001. Unfortunately due to the financial state of the club at the time, we weren’t able to properly sort this out. Which is something we’ve been paying for ever since and the reason Kassam can openly neglect the facilities (why we only have three stands etc).

Sounds familiar ! 

[DFT]

Done it