Stadium Rumour

[Yankee Clipper]

This has appeared on www.football-rumours.com I have no experience of the site so have no idea of it's reliability.

Looks to be extremely unlikely to me but has anyone heard any other noise about this?



02 May 2011 16:51:57
Oxford could be set for problems, after negotiations over rent between Firoz Kassam and Kelvin Thomas ended without agreement.

Kassam wants to increase the rent for the 2011-12 season, and may evict the club if no agreement can be reached by October 1st.

Oxford are looking to ground-share, in case of an emergency, and have contacted MK Dons and Northampton Town just incase. Slumdon and Reading have ruled out ground-sharing with them already.

[OXON24]

I am not sure of the credibility of this, i only just found out about the site myself, it does sound like something that Kassam would do. He would have probably read that news on the clubs finance a few weeks back and think he can get more money from the club.

However he surely can't do anything else without the stadium.

[Ancient Colin]

I forget the full details of this, but presumably we have a formal commercial licence or lease (I think I recall that it was a licence) which will specify the rent review procedure and the dispute procedure in the event of failure to agree. The 2010 accounts record the operating lease (&quotexpiring in over five years&quot). Failure to agree rent on review isn't grounds for eviction (failure to pay rent, on the other hand ....

[Aylesbury Rich]

Sounds like a troll to me. I wouldn't give this any credence at all.

[Maurice Earp]

The post that &quotJoey Beauchamp is set to replace Paul Hart as the manager or recently relegated Slumdon&quot and &quotSwindon are interested in signing Steve Anthrobus and Julian Alsop as a lethal front two pairing to kick start their promotion bid in league 2&quot are both very believable.

[Swissbloke]

I'd take this with a large does of salt. One as large as Saturn.

[GodalmingYellow]

I forget the full details of this, but presumably we have a formal commercial licence or lease (I think I recall that it was a licence) which will specify the rent review procedure and the dispute procedure in the event of failure to agree. The 2010 accounts record the operating lease (&quotexpiring in over five years&quot). Failure to agree rent on review isn't grounds for eviction (failure to pay rent, on the other hand ....

This pretty much covers it.

I don't have the document to hand (it's in the loft!!) but my recollection is that the rent is dependant upon the divsion being played in rather than on negotiation. There may be a 10 year review clause, but I don't remember.

Any negotiation may be over recharge of maintenance costs.

[Sackcloth Ox]

Wouldn't be surprised if poor old Firoz is struggling for cash flow. (like most in this sceptred isle) and is rattling a few sabres.

Bet he wouldn't mind flogging the stadium soon. But its all about price.

BTW before anyone starts reading anything into this, remember I'm nowt to do with OxVox committee these days.

Just a wild personal hunch.

[Snake]

Section 3.1 (ii) of the Licence agreement which Merry left Us with says that on the 1st of July each year the rent goes up by the RPI which is currently 5.3%.

[Baboo]

Section 3.1 (ii) of the Licence agreement which Merry left Us with says that on the 1st of July each year the rent goes up by the RPI which is currently 5.3%.

Yes - well done Nick. If only he had had Kelvin instead of the sockless one from day 1. Wonder where we would be now?

[John Byrne's Underpants]

I'm more peeved at the rumour that Sangare might be off actually Not surprised though.

[GodalmingYellow]

Section 3.1 (ii) of the Licence agreement which Merry left Us with says that on the 1st of July each year the rent goes up by the RPI which is currently 5.3%.

Thanks Snake - I knew you would come up trumps!

That being the case, there isn't much for them to negotiate.

[Snake]

Section 3.1 (ii) of the Licence agreement which Merry left Us with says that on the 1st of July each year the rent goes up by the RPI which is currently 5.3%.

Yes - well done Nick. If only he had had Kelvin instead of the sockless one from day 1. Wonder where we would be now?

If only indeed. Given that at the time of the Nick and Jim takeover (neither of whom were actually part of the ‘Gang of One’ as it later transpired) we were 8-1 against to go down and I think we’d have stayed up if it had not gone ahead. However, things were not good at that time and when Kassam threw his toys out of the pram after fan protests (i.e. that infamous fans forum and the Bristol Rovers game - does anyone ever see Craft or Rasta at a match anymore?) and moved on to his next big money making project I feared for the club’s future, because in doing so he stitched up a very naive WPL/IL on deadline day more concerned with glory than the fine print of the agreement that they signed under immense time pressure.

Moving on...

On the flip side then going out of the League, and staying there for far too long has both galvanised and increased the supporter base to a home and away attendance level very close to our last season in the top division, so we put up with another disinterested owner as long as he gets the basics right, like paying Kelvin £80k a year to do his work for him.

[tomoufc]

OK a bit of an obvious question, but I've been away for a while.

Jim Rosental says that discussions into the stadium purchase are still ongoing. Does anyone know in what ways they are ongoing? It seems to me just a holding statement. In other words discussions are ongoing, but only to the extent that the owners still want to buy the stadium, but they don't have the money at the moment and even if they did they still can't agree with FK what a fair price would be. Or maybe there's a wait for economic conditions to improve in general, to attract the corporate assistance that would be needed for it to go through?

[Baboo]

OK a bit of an obvious question, but I've been away for a while.

Jim Rosental says that discussions into the stadium purchase are still ongoing.

Pretty much what is said every agm. I.e nothing new. WPL want to buy. FK will sell for the agreed £14m (I believe). WPL think that is too much. But are still exploring funding options. Or something along these lines.