Wow

Anything yellow and blue
slappy
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Re: Wow

Post by slappy »

I'd say it's a license so that for instance London Welsh can use the stadium as well, dentistry interviews in the exec boxes etc, rather than a lease which would suggest exclusive access.
GodalmingYellow
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Re: Wow

Post by GodalmingYellow »

slappy wrote:I'd say it's a license so that for instance London Welsh can use the stadium as well, dentistry interviews in the exec boxes etc, rather than a lease which would suggest exclusive access.
Yes it is a license. It is specified on the document as such as well.
GodalmingYellow
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Re: Wow

Post by GodalmingYellow »

Eric Pollard wrote:Having a licence most definitely DOES weaken the club's position. EG Leases have covenants for tenant's quiet enjoyment, licences are very flimsy in comparison and don't tend to have anything like this in writing.

Would be good to see a copy of the licence posted up here, I've never seen it so can't comment in mega detail. Has anyone? (I'm thinking of old OxXVox committee members particularly.)
I've emailed it to you Tim assuming I have the correct email address
Boogie
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Re: Wow

Post by Boogie »

Happy with Collins as the midfield anchor signing and with experience as a captain.

Now for that new striker we need...
Kernow Yellow
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Re: Wow

Post by Kernow Yellow »

So a decent-looking signing, with apparently three more to follow; two new board members , at least one of whom is a 'football man'. And they're not all from the same family! Plus our new chief exec talks about ownership of our ground being vital - "The stadium, wherever we are, has to have an identity and that identity has to be Oxford United," added Ashton. "The fans have to know it is their home and I think that is really important."

Of course there are still questions to be answered about how this is all going to be financed, but at the moment I'm pretty happy that Ian Lenegan is no longer in sole control of our football club. It feels like we might actually move forwards again.
Radley Rambler
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Re: Wow

Post by Radley Rambler »

Kernow Yellow wrote:So a decent-looking signing, with apparently three more to follow; two new board members , at least one of whom is a 'football man'. And they're not all from the same family! Plus our new chief exec talks about ownership of our ground being vital - "The stadium, wherever we are, has to have an identity and that identity has to be Oxford United," added Ashton. "The fans have to know it is their home and I think that is really important."

Of course there are still questions to be answered about how this is all going to be financed, but at the moment I'm pretty happy that Ian Lenegan is no longer in sole control of our football club. It feels like we might actually move forwards again.
I agree KY, a few weeks ago I was utterly fed up with the club and seeing attendance next season as a duty rather than something to get excited about. There is a long way to go but early signs re the new management are good and I'm impressed that we have secured the services of an individual who was Chief Exec of WBA for a couple of years.

The signings we make are key now, if there really is a desire to invest in the squad backed up by actions then I will start to 'believe' again.

A fans forum would be a good idea too so that we can understand the aspirations of the new Board.
Baboo
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Re: Wow

Post by Baboo »

Only just caught up with the thread. Good interesting debate - pity I didn't read it before the latest Fan's Forum. Possibly if I had I'd have rambled on for even longer though.
Kernow Yellow
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Re: Wow

Post by Kernow Yellow »

Baboo wrote:Only just caught up with the thread. Good interesting debate - pity I didn't read it before the latest Fan's Forum. Possibly if I had I'd have rambled on for even longer though.
Another Wow - Baboo posting on the forum!

Last season I started a thread wondering why your opinion pieces were written for this site but debated mainly elsewhere. It would be good if your ideas could again be somehow integrated into our conversation here!
Snake
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Re: Wow

Post by Snake »

Disagree, because Paul would be more inclined to use the kind of language normally only tolerated inside a football ground to get his points across, and as kids probably read this board we’d get closed down in no time – but welcome back Mr. B.

A shame that OV prefer to become simply a sub-group/thread of the masses over on the other side. It’s not the best way of dealing with a rapidly emerging off-the-field situation given that they clearly have no real grasp of how things stand in terms of releasing hard facts. Meanwhile, some members of their committee continue to post a contribution or two as individuals on there (under the guise of being ITK) and does nothing to unite their relatively small membership, let alone the tens of thousands of devoted, regular, casual and potential latent support that the club has. If I was their press officer I’d issue a statement along the lines of...

OxVox Press Release – No Embargo.

We have no idea WTF is really going on.

Ends.
GodalmingYellow
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Re: Wow

Post by GodalmingYellow »

Does no one else remember the numerous times that the club has ended up on the verge of bankruptcy in the last 35 years as a result of overspending?

Or the effect on club staff who went unpaid for long periods?

Is everyone else really so shallow that all they care about is trying to win at any cost?

I am amazed no one else has raised their head above the parapet to raise concerns.

Oxford United doesn't have a virtually unlimited fan base. It never will. The club will always be limited by its size, and that is one of the attractions of the club, but it is also why the club must operate within the financial constraints that size allows. OUFC are not ManUre and nor should we try to be. We are not even a Sheffield Wednesday, or Leicester City and nor should we try to be.

We've been losing £800k per year and similar levels for several years. Paying off Waddock will have added another large chunk to that. Paying the new faces will have added a shed load more to that. The suggested increase in playing budget of £250k adds a bucket load more. Realistically we could be looking at annual losses of £1.5m. The club can't afford to pay that back. The money will be loaned and secured on club assets, including potentially whatever stadium the club owns. So when these new boys get bored or have had enough of underwriting losses, they will want their money back, with the only asset available to fund it being the stadium. Eales has already publicly stated that he isn't interested in losing money over Oxford United. We could easily end up as the next Portsmouth, or potentially much worse with the lower fan base that we have.

I've actively supported OUFC for almost 34 years, and I would like to know that in 34 years time, OUFC will still exist to be supported, even if I'm not around to do so. Please don't hang your hat on a stadium move to pay for all this. It might happen and it might not, and if it does happen it won't pay for everything forever. And definitely don't hang your hat on money from StadCo to pay for it as it will never come even close.

Please lets not have demands for huge "investment", which is actually just spending under a more preferred title, and not investment at all. The end of that path only has one result.
Last edited by GodalmingYellow on Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:57 am, edited 4 times in total.
theox
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Re: Wow

Post by theox »

GodalmingYellow wrote:So Mickey Lewis goes from Oxford number 1 down to at best number 3 in the space of 4 months.

Am I really the only one who is concerned about how the club is expected to pay for all these new faces when the club has lost money hand over fist without them?

Does no one else remember the numerous times that the club has ended up on the verge of bankruptcy in the last 35 years as a result of overspending?

Or the effect of club staff who went unpaid for long periods?

Is everyone else really so shallow that all they care about is trying to win at any cost?

I am amazed no one else has raised their head above the parapet to raise concerns.
Got to agree with you here GY. These new, albeit impressive looking, backroom additions must surely be carrying a hefty price tag?
SmileyMan
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Re: Wow

Post by SmileyMan »

GodalmingYellow wrote:Is everyone else really so shallow that all they care about is trying to win at any cost?
Or maybe they're not so 'shallow' and just accept that the chance of moving forward with the accompanying risk of moving backwards is preferable to the stagnation that was looking likely a month ago?
I am amazed no one else has raised their head above the parapet to raise concerns.
I think you're doing a valiant job of being concerned enough that all of us shallow people can put our feet up and enjoy the winning.
Kairdiff Exile
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Re: Wow

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

GodalmingYellow wrote:I am amazed no one else has raised their head above the parapet to raise concerns.
I think, in fairness, that some of us have - just not on this thread.

I'm delighted to see some of the faces who've come in, but I completely share your concerns about from where the money is coming. I also think the treatment of Waddock was pretty shoddy, as was the inertia of the first month of the close season when Lenagan knew he was waiting to sell, presumably Waddock had surmised as much too, but the playing side of things was ignored. I fear we will reap what we sow on that score and the squad will be woefully slim and under-prepared come the first game.
Old Abingdonian
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Re: Wow

Post by Old Abingdonian »

The problem with expenditure is that it appears that you are damned if you spend, and damned if you don't.

I have no fresh insight, but a lot of posts seem to indicate that financial security and a return on investment require one, or two, promotions. Posts on the other forum around the time of the takeover appear to demonstrate that there is a depressingly strong correlation between playing budget (and I know we are talking back room staff this morning) and promotion. So to get promotion, you would appear to have to spend, whilst attempting to improve the club infrastructure.

The other factor is ticket sales. We seem to have a larger than average contingent of truculent fans - those who were staying away because of CW, and would stay away if the season started poorly - so one might argue that additional expenditure, say in £100,000s, might well be repaid.
OUFC4eva
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Re: Wow

Post by OUFC4eva »

Image
Blackburn Rovers record appearance holder Derek Fazackerley - middle row, second in from the left
is United's new assistant first team coach.

Fazackerely (Faz) has coached right the way through from
Centre of Excellence to the England national team working with Keegan, Erikssen and Hodgson.

Looks a solid appointment and a welcome addition to the U's backroom.
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