Home Match Build Up 04/05/2024: L1 Play-Off SF 1st Leg - OUFC vs Peterborough

[Hackney Jack]

Pre Match Pack

Interview - Des Buckingham

Interview - Opposition Manager

OUFC Match Preview

Referee - Lewis Smith

Head to Head

Fair play to the club today, I got an email with ticket details at 4:30pm this afternoon for the first leg of the semi final.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Villa 2002 is why the segregation happened, it all kicked off and they smashed up the underneath of the concourse if I remember rightly.

I was in the North stand for that Villa game, unusually. I couldn’t believe all the middle aged guys there dressed in their smart little outfits, trying to fight the Villa fans. Really the saddest thing you could imagine

 

[MustardYellow]

I've always thought our segregation is massively extreme. Compare it to other stadiums where the segregation is an intermittent row of stewards and a handful of columns of netted off seats. It's not really necessary.

 

[SteMerritt]

I've always thought our segregation is massively extreme. Compare it to other stadiums where the segregation is an intermittent row of stewards and a handful of columns of netted off seats. It's not really necessary.

You think it's bad now, you should have seen the subtle fencing they introduced to The Manor just before our first season in the top flight in 1985...



It was like a bloody prison, 3 rows of barbed wire along the top, all the way around the ground. God knows why, there wasn't much in the way of trouble the previous season.

 

[Scrongo]

Yes it was OTT....

 

[Scrongo]

Where those emergency steps are, was the moat before the fence . I think it was about a couple of thousand fans lost to the fences & the moat ..

 

[SteMerritt]

Beech Road Shelf was the place to be those days, you could see over the top of the metal monstrosity.

 

[psquared]

I have a friend who works for TVP (hisss, booooo) and he said that he'd heard the club were exploring options for a temporary fourth stand on Saturday. I did say this was unlikely and perhaps more to do with next season, but he was adamant the club wanted it for Saturday. It could be as simple as they club made initial enquiries immediately following the result against Exeter, but I wouldn't be surprised if this was immediately knocked back and, as others have said, it's almost definitely too late to do anything now, so perhaps there's just a bit of a communication lag.

Could there be a row of open topped buses parked along the fence end? Might get 6 or 7 of them end to end, with about 40 people in each.

 

[captainox]

I've always thought our segregation is massively extreme. Compare it to other stadiums where the segregation is an intermittent row of stewards and a handful of columns of netted off seats. It's not really necessary.

The segregation is that big because of the design of the stand and the concourses.
You could have fans either side of the steps between blocks 27 and 26 with a line of stewards down the middle to form a segregation line allowing all of those blocks to be used for supporters.

But this would mean that the exit at the bottom of those steps would have to be either home or away. Therefore meaning that either the whole of block 27 can only enter/exit between Block 28 and 27. Or the whole of block 26 can only enter/exit between Block 26 and 25.
I expect there's rulings about number of exits available per number of seats etc. which basically means it can't be done.

 

[LowerSouth]

I believe it is part of the contract between ourselves and Kassam that he has to build the 4th stand if we got to the championship. He’s just looking at a cheaper alternative

He also contracted with OCC to build the 4th stand when he had completed the Ozone complex

 

[MustardYellow]

The segregation is that big because of the design of the stand and the concourses.
You could have fans either side of the steps between blocks 27 and 26 with a line of stewards down the middle to form a segregation line allowing all of those blocks to be used for supporters.

But this would mean that the exit at the bottom of those steps would have to be either home or away. Therefore meaning that either the whole of block 27 can only enter/exit between Block 28 and 27. Or the whole of block 26 can only enter/exit between Block 26 and 25.
I expect there's rulings about number of exits available per number of seats etc. which basically means it can't be done.

2 exits for 2 and a half blocks seems pretty standard? Maybe there is some legislation but one exit per 'complete' block seems the standard in a lot of stadiums.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

He also contracted with OCC to build the 4th stand when he had completed the Ozone complex

He was contracted to maintain the listed building (priory) across the road as well. He never does or did what he says he will do & he’s a born liar.

 

[holdsteady]

He was contracted to maintain the listed building (priory) across the road as well. He never does or did what he says he will do & he’s a born liar.

They have never really known how to leverage him, OCC vs a multimillionaire tax exile only ever has one winner. Especially as from what we have seen recently the local council has a lot of nimbys in high positions who only really care about the wealthy parts of the city that they live in.

 

[bashamwonderland]

You think it's bad now, you should have seen the subtle fencing they introduced to The Manor just before our first season in the top flight in 1985...

View attachment 19331

It was like a bloody prison, 3 rows of barbed wire along the top, all the way around the ground. God knows why, there wasn't much in the way of trouble the previous season.

I went to Legia Warsaw once and the away fans were in a cage on all four sides, with a cage ROOF above them, and then plastic screening outside the cage. Was like a prison.

They were unable to throw their fireworks out of their cage, so ultimately there was a point where all you could see was a smoking cage with the occasional self inflicted flashbang.

It was a bit distressing but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves in there.

 

[Foley]

I assume that we will.play the same team as at Exeter?
The only change that I could see is Sam Long for Stevens ( I would keep Stevens in)
Poku sounds a slight doubt for them ( their 2 wide men are their real threat.
In the last game, their defenders and keeper looked teriffied by the end. Hopefully they are mentally scarred and our front 3 can put them.under the same pressure as last time.

 

[Big Ron]

I assume that we will.play the same team as at Exeter?
The only change that I could see is Sam Long for Stevens ( I would keep Stevens in)
Poku sounds a slight doubt for them ( their 2 wide men are their real threat.
In the last game, their defenders and keeper looked teriffied by the end. Hopefully they are mentally scarred and our front 3 can put them.under the same pressure as last time.

I think it's essential we keep Randall quiet - he ran the game without breaking a sweat when they beat us 3-0 and then completely disappeared in the return game.

Whatever happens, it won't be a repeat of the Lincoln and Stevenage games and you'd have to think there will be goals one way or another!

 

[Mojofilter]

I've heard that the club are trying to arrange a temporary stand at the open end. Imagine it's unlikely but would be good if it gets the go ahead.,

a version of this has been said for at least the last 5 years everytime we have a BIG game and it has never looked even close to happening

 

[ThatSlopesATwelfthMan]

Yes it was OTT....View attachment 19332

Remember those well. Grim. Smaller fences had been appearing at grounds for a while but the whole thing went crazy in that year. Ken Bates at Chelsea was the main proponent of it if I remember right. Oxford, for some reason, went further than most with the barbed wire and all. It's incredibly lucky no-one was killed at the Manor thanks to these and there were some close shaves in the London Road. They all disappeared after the Hillsborough report came out. Glad to see the back of those day and a good reminder that though the Manor holds magical memories our club in those years could be a pretty dark place

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

F5 F5 F5 F5

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1785655736040636786

 

[Manorlounger]

F5 F5 F5 F5

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1785655736040636786

I know of at least two in the SSU, possibly 4, in total. Block 11. Best of luck!

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

I know of at least two in the SSU, possibly 4, in total. Block 11. Best of luck!

I'm good thankfully but could be a mad scramble for the last few