Stadium Rumour

[Baboo]

It still really pains me that we didn't build the stadium in the Centre of Oxford. It was very nearly voted to be built next to the Ice Rink, NEAR THE TRAIN STATION which made a lot more sense all round. Both home and away fans could get the train in, bus in, park and ride etc etc. Obviously there are other implications, but in my opinion (and many others) it really is infuriating where the stadium is - it's barely Oxford is it!

Last time I looked it was part of Oxford.
This public transport utopian world just does not exist. Shame but that's the way it is.
Are there decent bus / train services to Oxford from all surrounding areas where our supporters live, including late transport home after night games?
Park &amp ride - well, you need to drive anyway. Who wants to hang around &amp queue for buses before even starting your journey home proper? And then there's the extra cost.
And, could get pretty interesting at the train station with home and away supporters milling around together. Who would pay for the extra policing.

New stadiums are not built in town / city centres. That's the way it is, we've got to live with it and put up with a much restricted option of pre-match pubs &amp decent beer.

[Sideshow Rob]

It would have made it easy for me to pick up tickets as I live over the road. A city centre location would improve the quality of the match day experience but getting in and out would be a nightmare for most living outside the city. Some would think it was worth the extra hassle, many would not.

[Snake]

I’m really not sure where this thread is going. It’s been named ‘Stadium Rumour’, should be called ‘What next for the Stadium? ’ (imho) but that posting above would fit more appropriately into ‘If only the Stadium was where an alleged arms dealer built the Said Business School’!

In essence that’s all in the past, and after decades of planning hassles we are where we are – Minchery Farm, and suffering the consequences of an adverse planning deal struck over a decade ago that will ultimately constrict our opportunity to propery move forward. These details include (this is not an exhaustive list) :

a) An out of town home with limited transport links and half-convenient parking for only about 10,000 crowds.

b) A three sided Stadium with the wind coming in from the West. Not good for pretty football is it?

c) A developer that no longer wishes to be involved with Oxford United so instead of subsidising the club with his planning gains in the Ozone he charges Us rent. (Well done Rasta, Clarke and Co. for your short campaign, but frying pan to the fire springs to mind and I wonder when either of them last showed up for a game 'cos I ain't seen them for years).

d) A club owner who is “constantly working

[Brahma Bull]

[quote=&quotSnake&quot]I’m really not sure where this thread is going. It’s been named ‘Stadium Rumour’, should be called ‘What next for the Stadium? ’ (imho) but that posting above would fit more appropriately into ‘If only the Stadium was where an alleged arms dealer built the Said Business School’!

In essence that’s all in the past, and after decades of planning hassles we are where we are – Minchery Farm, and suffering the consequences of an adverse planning deal struck over a decade ago that will ultimately constrict our opportunity to propery move forward. These details include (this is not an exhaustive list) :

a) An out of town home with limited transport links and half-convenient parking for only about 10,000 crowds.

b) A three sided Stadium with the wind coming in from the West. Not good for pretty football is it?

c) A developer that no longer wishes to be involved with Oxford United so instead of subsidising the club with his planning gains in the Ozone he charges Us rent. (Well done Rasta, Clarke and Co. for your short campaign, but frying pan to the fire springs to mind and I wonder when either of them last showed up for a game 'cos I ain't seen them for years).

d) A club owner who is “constantly working

[Yellow-Robbo]

I think we have quite a good base for progression at the moment, both financially and on the pitch.

I know I have just been moaning about where are stadium is etc etc but surely when you think about our current management team and board - we are only going one way at the moment - up.

One of our main advantages over other lower league teams is that we have a very large catchment area so hopefully if we go up another league we will start pushing 8000-10,000 attendances at which stage we can try and develop the West Stand (fence of truth). I would just LOVE to hear some news about the buying of the stadium.

If I win the Euromillions on Tuesday I will buy the stadium myself.

[Baboo]

[quote=&quotYellow-Robbo&quot I would just LOVE to hear some news about the buying of the stadium.

If I win the Euromillions on Tuesday I will buy the stadium myself. [/quote]

Question usually gets asked at the AGM. Answer is usually something along the lines of &quotwe're working on it&quot.

I think there's more chance of Oxford Utd winning the Champions League than Yellow-Robbo winning the Euromillions, unfortunately. But good luck mate.

[Sackcloth Ox]

[quote=&quotSnake&quot]I’m really not sure where this thread is going. It’s been named ‘Stadium Rumour’, should be called ‘What next for the Stadium? ’ (imho) but that posting above would fit more appropriately into ‘If only the Stadium was where an alleged arms dealer built the Said Business School’!

In essence that’s all in the past, and after decades of planning hassles we are where we are – Minchery Farm, and suffering the consequences of an adverse planning deal struck over a decade ago that will ultimately constrict our opportunity to propery move forward. These details include (this is not an exhaustive list) :

a) An out of town home with limited transport links and half-convenient parking for only about 10,000 crowds.

b) A three sided Stadium with the wind coming in from the West. Not good for pretty football is it?

c) A developer that no longer wishes to be involved with Oxford United so instead of subsidising the club with his planning gains in the Ozone he charges Us rent. (Well done Rasta, Clarke and Co. for your short campaign, but frying pan to the fire springs to mind and I wonder when either of them last showed up for a game 'cos I ain't seen them for years).

d) A club owner who is “constantly working

[Snake]

Sorry if that sounded a bit negative, but equally I’m disappointed that no one has taken up my suggested theme of “‘What next for the Stadium?

[neilw]

&quotI think he did a half-decent job&quot ......... So, which half was decent then?

[Snake]

&quotI think he did a half-decent job&quot ......... So, which half was decent then?

A Stadium to play in?

[Kernow Yellow]

Agree with Tim about The Manor [...]the floor to ceiling cage to stop coin throwing from the London Road End (I was left side) and the facilities in general meant that it was well overdue for change.

Um, that cage went about 10 years before we left the Manor. Your memory playing tricks, Snake? As it has transpired, the Manor would have suited us perfectly well for another ten years, seeing what level we ended up playing at. But it was (sadly) unsuitable for the level we had been at for much of the 80's and 90's, and would certainly not suit the ambitions we have for the club again now. Trouble is, for some of the reasons detailed above, the Kassam is hardly ideal either.

[Paul Cooper]

[quote=&quotKernow Yellow&quot]the Manor would have suited us perfectly well for another ten years, seeing what level we ended up playing at quote]

Not sure that is true though. My recollection is that the Manor was costing more and more and that it needed some serious more work done to it. Add to that the capacity of what 8000?

I suspect that had we stayed at The Manor then things would have been much worse. One thing that seemed to happen was that the crowds increased appreciably after we left the Manor even with some awful football at times.

[Snake]

&quotAs it has transpired, the Manor would have suited us perfectly well for another ten years&quot.

Really?

[Kernow Yellow]

&quotAs it has transpired, the Manor would have suited us perfectly well for another ten years&quot.

Really?

I meant simply in terms of size and facilities. The Manor would have been a cut above most grounds we've played at since we left.

I am well aware there are other reasons, mainly financial, why staying there was not an option. And of course, when we left the Manor, we were not planning on spending the next ten years in divisions 4 and 5 of English football.

[Snake]

&quotAs it has transpired, the Manor would have suited us perfectly well for another ten years&quot.

Really?

I meant simply in terms of size and facilities. The Manor would have been a cut above most grounds we've played at since we left.

I am well aware there are other reasons, mainly financial, why staying there was not an option. And of course, when we left the Manor, we were not planning on spending the next ten years in divisions 4 and 5 of English football.

The reasons we had to leave were not only because our capacity was about to be reduced to under 3,000 but also the long term issues with asbestos in the roofs of the stands - and we had no money to fix the problem. ‘Elf and Safety’ etc if you want, but those are the rules. Even in Division 5 that would not be acceptable to the people who run football.

Hence ‘Multiplex or Bust’.