Rage Online

Oh dear, Franchise at home and no Oxford City. Poor. How will Boris get out of that one?!

http://www.oufc.co.uk/page/News/0,,1034 ... 75,00.html

Can't believe we've agreed to play Franchise. For the first time in many years, I am absolutely ashamed to be an Oxford supporter. Awful decision.

Anyone fancy picketing the game?

Terrible decision.

The programme should make interesting reading.

At least it will give Baboo that chance he's been craving to tell their supporters he hopes their team goes bust!!

&quottheox&quot wrote:At least it will give Baboo that chance he's been craving to tell their supporters he hopes their team goes bust!!

Not if he's not there it won't!

Bit of a strange decision to arrange this one I feel: perhaps Kelvin doesn't understand the revulsion felt by many football fans towards Franchise? Or perhaps the anti-Dons feeling is polarised on here and it's actually us who don't realise that most Oxford supporters don't give a damn about them or where they came from? Either way it won't effect me too much as I don't waste money or time on home pre-season friendlies.

No Oxford City game is disappointing and a little worrying - I hope we haven't fallen out after that tackle a couple of years ago?

&quottheox&quot wrote:At least it will give Baboo that chance he's been craving to tell their supporters he hopes their team goes bust!!

I don't do friendlies very often unless there's some novelty appeal. Won't be going anywhere near this. Terrible, terrible, terrible move by the club.

&quotHog&quot wrote: Or perhaps the anti-Dons feeling is polarised on here and it's actually us who don't realise that most Oxford supporters don't give a damn about them or where they came from?

I have at times thought this. But speaking to fans of other clubs we are not the only ones who feel this way.

Do OxVox have a stance on this?

I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Ill-feeling towards a Franchised Football Club I get that.

But the decision for MK Dons to exist happened. The decision is not going to be overturned now. The FA aren't suddenly going to turn around and say &quotYes, you're all correct, let's check 'em out the league.&quot

They're not a dictator in a country where enforcing sanctions is somehow going to remove the bad times and install the good.

MK Dons are here to stay. Sticking our fingers in our ears and singing &quotNa an na na na na na&quot whenever they walk past isn't going to change that. If you want to boycott / picket anything, then try the FA. They made the decision. They are the reason that MK Dons exist. And if you felt *that* strongly about it, you can do it any day of the week, not just when we are scheduled to play them.

Otherwise, can we just get on with our pre-season friendlies so we can galvanise a team to go and get us promotion.

&quotHog&quot wrote:Or perhaps the anti-Dons feeling is polarised on here and it's actually us who don't realise that most Oxford supporters don't give a damn about them or where they came from?

I think that's the one. Most football fans full stop don't really care I would say - not saying that is right, but they have been an established football club for some time now and people have very short memories. Fans of other clubs in L1 don't boycott MK Dons games anymore, and there is little general revulsion towards them. With AFC on the rise anyway, I think most fans think it's time to move on and forget about it. Sad, but (I think) true.

As for friendlies, I vowed never to go to one again since I paid £16 to watch us play Leicester in a game which featured Stevange-style drinks breaks in each half.

&quotJoeyBeauchamp&quot wrote: Most football fans full stop don't really care I would say - not saying that is right, but they have been an established football club for some time now and people have very short memories. Fans of other clubs in L1 don't boycott MK Dons games anymore, and there is little general revulsion towards them.

It may be the case that &quotmost football fans don't really care&quot, although I am not totally convinced based on my experience talking to supporters of other clubs. It might of course be that I just end up talking to those of a like mind.

Even if it is not &quotmost&quot it is still a sizeable minority.

I for one would never have boycotted an Oxford v franchise competitive game. I'm not into the nose to spite face stuff. That's the fixture list for you - no control over that. But this friendly is out of choice. Wonder who approached whom?

I think there is an anti-Franchise element at most clubs, but more amongst those that take a wider interest in the goings on around lower level football (ie. plenty on here), rather than those that just turn up on a Saturday without a care for what goes on elsewhere.

I understand the idea of having a game against League 1 opposition, as a test for the squad, and I have no idea how easy it would be to find another side from that division to visit instead (given geography and their fixture commitments) but I just feel that it is a thoughtless choice of opponent and one that we could have done without, even if another club L1 side couldnt be found.

In terms of interest from our fans, I dont think any League 1 side (with perhaps the exception of Wycombe) woudl really generate much interest, nor indeed would many Championship sides either - it has to be a real big name before people start going to see the opposition as well as our own players.

Again I can understand the reluctance to play a side from our own division, but I wonder whether there is a case for playing a Conference side at home instead, particularly if there is a certain link: Wrexham (Deano), Stockport (to help them after relegation), York (playoff/Foyle), even Luton (to gloat!), Kiddie (help their finances) or even the likes of Tamworth, Forest Green, Hayes (or other local-ish sides in Conf N/S such as Maidenhead) with the idea of having a side we 'should' beat come to the stadium, rather than risk losing all three games.

I expect someone from MK read my sprited sticking up for them on here and decided to come for a friendly! oops!

They're a big, reasonably local club with a single primary road between them and us. Commercially, they're a good opponent.

Also, given the likelihood of us meeting in a league or cup situation in the near future, perhaps someone thought that testing out the logistics of the fixture might not be a bad idea?

Reasonably local, I absolutely concur, but - big?

How?

They couldn't be any bigger than Northampton, Peterborough or Brackley could they?