It was excellent news, although not particularly surprising, that Oxford City Council ratified the land deal between themselves and Firoz Kassam to enable him to build the leisure centre, multiplex and hotel adjacent to the football ground. The meeting was merely a rubber-stamping exercise and was passed in confidential session on the nod, without even a vote.

It marks an astonishing u-turn by the Council which, just ten months ago, appeared totally disinterested in United’s plans up at Minchery Farm with Council Leader John Tanner declaring that a multiplex on Council-owned land wasn’t possible. At the FOUL town hall meetings Tanner saw the strength of feeling of hundreds of potential voters and amazingly the impossible has now become a reality. Well done FOUL and Tanner who, together with Kassam, have ensured Oxford’s survival thus far.

The factors remaining before this is all tied up are Thames Water agreeing to the valuation of the Council land which has been transfered to Kassam. This is with their solicitors and should hopefully be decided within a couple of weeks as they are aware of the urgency. After this has been agreed (if it is) then there remains the formality of Kassam and the City Council signing the heads of agreement on the deal. Another factor which might yet hinder completion is the price that Kassam can obtain for the sale of the Manor. Currently TayWood Homes, a branch of Taylor Woodrow, has the option to buy the site at a value determined by an independent valuer as part of the deal whereby TW agreed to sign the CVA but if the valuation is less than Kassam feels he could get by holding on then this delay might affect TW’s eagerness to get back on site at Minchery Farm. It also remains to be seen what role Les Wells and his threat of court action might play in the unfolding of this long-running soap opera.

A final determinant might be the outcome of Nick Pentith’s and Rail Property Limited’s Judicial Review. It is possible, maybe even likely, that when the application to seek the JR comes before a High Court judge, presumably sometime in the next week or so, it might be thrown out which, it is to be hoped, would be the end of the affair. However there is a distinct possibility that the judge would allow the application and, if this is the case, then a number of unknowns come into play. One unknown is how long the process of the JR will actually take – it could be weeks or months. Another unknown is the actual outcome of the JR – it could still be found in favour of the City Council and Government Office of the South East, it could quite possibly lead to a hefty compensation award from the Council to Pentith and BRPB (which they may wish to pass on to Kassam?), or it could possibly even come to the revoking of the planning permission for the multiplex (this is pure conjecture, of course).

Whatever the eventual outcome, if the application is allowed this will be the sternest test yet of Firoz Kassam’s commitment to Oxford United. Will he be prepared to take a risk and continue with completion of the stadium regardless? Or will he decide that the eventual cost might prove too high and wait until the JR is resolved? The answers to these questions will go a long way to determining the esteem in which Kassam is held by Oxford supporters, for whom the survival of our club has more value than can be measured in business terms. We agree that the club needs to be run, at last, like a business but we don’t agree that business rules should determine whether or not our club continues to exist. The ratio of heart to head is a tricky one to get right, we just hope that Mr Kassam has got it sussed.