Please help support Oxford United’s new stadium proposal

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

Oxford fan in peace! Thank you for letting me join this forum and I hope the mods don't mind this post.

My club, Oxford United, are desperately trying to secure a new stadium site, or we’ll be homeless from 2026. How we got to this stage is a long story but in short we're being screwed over by our ex-owner and current stadium landlord, Firoz Kassam.

When he was the owner of the club and stadium in 2001 he agreed a 25 year licence agreement between OUFC and his stadium company, Firoka. He terminated this early in May 2021 just days before a playoff game which sparked a mad rush to find an alternative venue for that game. Thankfully a licence agreement was signed for that one game and after arbitration a new 5 year licence agreement was subsequently agreed.

This expires on 30th June 2026 and Kassam is unwilling to extend this or sell to OUFC (3 different owners have tried) as he stands to make much more from redeveloping the entire Kassam Stadium complex (a process he started two weeks ago: Kassam Stadium owner looks to demolish nearby bingo hall for science facility)

As such, OUFC have no choice to move. A small 11 acre, triangular plot on the edge of the city has been identified as the only suitable plot available. It's a logistically perfect location right across the road from Oxford Parkway station and next to the A34. Amenities are within minutes in nearby Kidlington.

The Triangle, as this plot is known, is owned by Oxfordshire County Council and OUFC approached OCC in 2021 about leasing or buying land for a stadium. They have committed to reaching a decision on The Triangle on 19th September and their decision will be influenced by the results of a public survey they are conducting.

With that in mind, if anyone on here would be happy to fill in that short online questionnaire being run by Oxfordshire County Council, our fans would be extremely grateful.

It only takes about five minutes or so to fill in the short online form at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/C8O8VI/ by 23rd July 2023.

Additional details can be found here: How do Oxford United’s proposals for the land known as ‘the Triangle’ impact the communities of Oxfordshire?

And here: FAQs – Oxford United Stadium

The benefits to you as away fans will be:

• A sustainable stadium right next door to a major railway station in Oxford Parkway (5 mins from Oxford City Centre, 8 mins from Bicester Village and an hour or so from Marylebone) and opposite a large Park&Ride site with thousands of parking spaces, which would make it one of the easiest, greenest grounds to get to in the UK.
• Proper drinking, food and entertainment options at the ground itself, compared to embarrassing facilities currently on offer at our current ground or nearby.
• A modern, well-designed ground which will help to support a proper atmosphere, rather than the soulless, unfinished three-side ground we have now.

A few sentences on any of the above for the survey’s final comment box would be really helpful in showing our County Council that the new ground will be sustainable, increase spending in Oxfordshire, and provide excellent facilities for home AND away fans.

We all appreciate the value of a good away day and hopefully we'll get you in a cup game from 2026 onwards. Taking a few minutes to support a fellow club before it becomes homeless in just a few years would be massively appreciated.

We need to show support to get the council to agree to leasing or selling OUFC the land in September without delay to allow an planning application to be made in October/November so construction can start in Summer 2024 to have any chance of being in by August 2026.

Thank you for any support you can give us.

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by Oxford fan in peace
Photos

[Indy 3,300]

Hi fellow OU fan! I was born in old Marston and still attend home games when I can get back…..I hate that ****ehole Kassam built, it’s hard to generate at atmosphere there, unlike the old manor which I loved even if it really was very much in need of a massive overhaul! Used to get a tingle walking through those gates, what ever happened to them and the sign above?

I’ve been involved in the Oxvox campaign and done all the supporting online surveys to support this site, must say I loved the previous proposal which included the new ice rink and precinct, but now we need to move it on quickly or we will find ourselves renting MK Dons stadium inn2026.

Good luck and fingers crossed we get our move before time runs out.

im coming to the Lincoln home game soon and looking forwards to a visit back home to Oxford.

Edited July 17, 2023 by Indy

[Fuzzar 1,702]

If you're playing in a triangle, I'd go for the Christmas tree formation. 

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

The irony of potentially moving from three sides into a triangle isn't lost on us! 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,821]

Signed. It would be a pretty poor look for the city to leave their football club homeless.

[Barham Blitz 653]

Done - I lived in Headington for a few years and went to a few matches, so have a bit of a connection.  Hope you get it all resolved.

[pete 319]

Isn't there an Oxford City non league club, any possibility of cooperating, maybe developing the ground, If OCC cannot help. 

[Splendid Rush 2]

As a Norwich fan living in Oxford, I fully support this. I have gone to the odd Oxford game and would go to more if the Kassam wasn't such a dire place to watch football.

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

25 minutes ago, pete said:

Isn't there an Oxford City non league club, any possibility of cooperating, maybe developing the ground, If OCC cannot help. 

 

Potentially but I think there's limited scope for that given the residential location of their ground and the fact it's currently undergoing urgent renovations to get it up to national league standard ahead of their first ever season in the national league. Oxford City Council haven't said a word throughout this process. However,  the Kassam Stadium car park is earmarked for residential development under their local plan so our need to move is definite and urgent. 

[ZLF 274]

Supported.   Good luck

[cambridgeshire canary 6,720]

Another soulless bowl stadium? I kid, I kid. Good luck to you and hope it all goes well

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

1 hour ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Another soulless bowl stadium? I kid, I kid. Good luck to you and hope it all goes well

Any stadium will do after the 2025/26 season has finished!

No formal designs yet but the artist impression below excited the fan base!

 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,821]

13 minutes ago, Oxford fan in peace said:

Any stadium will do after the 2025/26 season has finished!

No formal designs yet but the artist impression below excited the fan base!

 

How will they get trees to grow in the Antarctic?

[Lord Horn (again) 131]

Survey completed - good luck in your efforts 👍🏽

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

6 hours ago, Splendid Rush said:

As a Norwich fan living in Oxford, I fully support this. I have gone to the odd Oxford game and would go to more if the Kassam wasn't such a dire place to watch football.

Thank you. Please share the survey with people locally. 

[Chichcan 148]

Survey done

I have a soft spot for Oxford as my brother in law is a fan and I go whenever I'm that way

The Kassam is a pit I agree and the Triangle would be great 

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

33 minutes ago, Chichcan said:

Survey done

I have a soft spot for Oxford as my brother in law is a fan and I go whenever I'm that way

The Kassam is a pit I agree and the Triangle would be great 

Thank you. I hope your brother-in-law has completed the survey too?!

[Chichcan 148]

1 hour ago, Oxford fan in peace said:

Thank you. I hope your brother-in-law has completed the survey too?

Definitely! 

[Aggy 755]

Had a season playing for Kidlington cc on Stratfield Brake.

Hope the ground all gets sorted in good time!

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

9 hours ago, Aggy said:

Had a season playing for Kidlington cc on Stratfield Brake.

Hope the ground all gets sorted in good time!

Thanks Aggy. Stratfield Brake was the original proposed location with the Triangle being used to re-home the football and rugby clubs that use Stratfield Brake with the cricket club moving to another site in Kidlington. Stratfield Brake is leased to Kidlington Parish Council who are dead against this so they refused to relinquish their lease over Stratfield Brake which is why The Triangle is now the proposed site. It's a huge shame as the original plans for Stratfield Brake had a stadium, hotels, retail and an indoor arena and ice rink which would've been great for the region (see picture below). 

We're already on plan B with the one building proposal on the Triangle which is only just big enough. Its that or nothing so your support is appreciated. 

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by Oxford fan in peace

[Indy 3,300]

On 20/07/2023 at 09:40, Oxford fan in peace said:

Thanks Aggy. Stratfield Brake was the original proposed location with the Triangle being used to re-home the football and rugby clubs that use Stratfield Brake with the cricket club moving to another site in Kidlington. Stratfield Brake is leased to Kidlington Parish Council who are dead against this so they refused to relinquish their lease over Stratfield Brake which is why The Triangle is now the proposed site. It's a huge shame as the original plans for Stratfield Brake had a stadium, hotels, retail and an indoor arena and ice rink which would've been great for the region (see picture below). 

We're already on plan B with the one building proposal on the Triangle which is only just big enough. Its that or nothing so your support is appreciated. 

 

Indeed this was the proposal which I got with full artist impression, looked a fantastic opportunity for a positive step not only the football club but the city too!

I just noticed that I’ve got my games mixed up, I’m coming to the 2nd September Port Vale home game and the March Lincoln game for my birthday! 

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

The survey is now closed, thank you to all those who completed it, we owe you one. 

Oxfordshire County Council will make their decision to lease OUFC the land or not on 19th September. 

Thanks all and all the best for the upcoming season. 

[ZLF 274]

As an update I see that the local council approved the proposals to put the stadium here; a key step for the move to a four sided stadia at last.

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

6 minutes ago, ZLF said:

As an update I see that the local council approved the proposals to put the stadium here; a key step for the move to a four sided stadia at last.

You beat me to it!

I'm relieved to say that Oxfordshire County Council today agreed to lease the land to OUFC so the site for the stadium has now been secured.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-66853436

A planning application will now be submitted to Cherwell District Council, the local authority responsible for the area the site is in, by the end of the year/very early next year.

Thanks for your support with this, the support from the wider football community was mentioned by the council

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

Evening all,

 

Renderings of the new stadium were released today. 

 

https://oufcstadium.co.uk/

 

BBC News - Oxford United Football Club unveils designs for new stadium

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-67052207

 

It's hoped a planning application will now be submitted by the end of the year. 

 

Thanks again for your support. 

[Indy 3,300]

Having been twice to Kassam this season it’s going to be a massive improvement on that stadium! Can’t wait for it to be built!

Thanks for sharing, shame there’s no he’s Ice rink to go with it!💛💙

[essex canary 496]

How does a £100 million stadium get financed for such a modest sized Club? 

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

41 minutes ago, essex canary said:

How does a £100 million stadium get financed for such a modest sized Club? 

In short, extremely wealthy owners including Erick Thohir, ex-owner of Inter Milan and DC United where he oversaw the building of their new stadium.

Oxford United: Anindya Bakrie and Erick Thohir complete long-awaited takeover - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63039758

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick_Thohir#:~:text=Globally known as the former,son of President Joko Widodo.

Reasons for optimism but I don't think any Oxford fan will ever fully trust an owner again after some of the speculative charlatans we've had over the years. We're making sure via the supporters trust that this is sustainable and that the stadium is not owned by a company that has no links via common directors and shareholders to the club which is the case with the Kassam Stadium  

[essex canary 496]

8 minutes ago, Oxford fan in peace said:

In short, extremely wealthy owners including Erick Thohir, ex-owner of Inter Milan and DC United where he oversaw the building of their new stadium.

Oxford United: Anindya Bakrie and Erick Thohir complete long-awaited takeover - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63039758

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick_Thohir#:~:text=Globally known as the former,son of President Joko Widodo.

Reasons for optimism but I don't think any Oxford fan will ever fully trust an owner again after some of the speculative charlatans we've had over the years. We're making sure via the supporters trust that this is sustainable and that the stadium is not owned by a company that has no links via common directors and shareholders to the club which is the case with the Kassam Stadium  

Thanks. Good to see you are making progress and the involvement of the Supporters Trust.

Contextually it is also interesting in the light of our conversations about ground expansion which surround whether a new potential American owner would have expectations of public funding support or increasing admission prices to unsustainable levels.

[Oxford fan in peace 27]

Hi All,

 

 Getting back in touch as Oxford United now has a live planning application for our newly proposed stadium - as detailed here: https://oufcstadium.co.uk/oxford-uniteds-new-stadium-planning-application-validated/

There is now a short window of time for the public to respond to the local Council on the planning application, so if anyone would be happy to fill in a very short form over the next couple of weeks before the public consultation closes, that would be massively appreciated.

The link to submit your view on the planning application can be found here: https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Comment/24/00539/F

As I've previously posted, if we were to move to this new Triangle site, away fans would benefit from improved public transport routes (including a Train Station on the doorstep of the new ground), vastly better facilities for visitors, and a significantly improved atmosphere compared to our current, soulless Kassam stadium. Thank you in advance to anyone who can spend a few minutes helping a fellow member of the football community from becoming homeless in two years.

Edited March 9 by Oxford fan in peace