Chairman Winding up order served by Kassam

[RyanioBirdio]

In the short term I would rather ground share with oxford city, assume the problem is we are still liable for the rent at the kastad until the lease expires?? The whole situation both on and off the field is an absolute disaster, I’m struggling to find any positivity left within oufc, truley a very sad state of affairs...

Has anyone thought to check if the EFL would be alright with a stadium that meets their standards being traded in for one that perhaps doesn't? You also have different standards between L1&2 and the Championship, so even if we did move somewhere that just about met L1&2 standards, we could find ourselves in a situation where promotion isn't actually allowed beyond that. This is probably why ol' Slippery used to mention Wycombe rather than Oxford City and the likes, because it's the only remotely nearby stadium that would actually allow us to function normally as an EFL club.

 

[windmill]

The second the club starts playing anywhere else, Kassam will argue that because the club have voluntarily moved elsewhere, it has given up its right to be guaranteed a home, which he had been doing for many years and was happy to continue doing. He will then lobby for the right to demolish it as it's been deemed as unwanted, and the council will not pass up the opportunity to have a large amount of houses built. We will then be left homeless, and the council will be under no obligation to help us find another site for future use as we left the stadium we had use of.

It's pure fantasy to think we can just walk away and he'll be desperate to either sell to us or bring us back on better terms. He'll bulldoze it the second he gets a chance. This is exactly what I mean when I say there are too many people reacting to blind emotion rather than considering the realities of where we are and what might happen.

Well, there is one thing for sure. There will be no renewal of the lease in five years time. No one, but no one, would be party to that. If we have to slum it elsewhere until we get a new ground then so be it. I, for one, would welcome it. Enough is enough.

 

[SwissYellow]

Right. Calm down.

Kassam can't just bulldoze the stadium.

I know there's anger here, but stop fist shaking at him and focus on the real problem. Tiger clearly has no money, he's not a control freak. kassam when chairman was a control freak, ask those involved with him during that time. he never once had winding orders against the club when he was chairman.

He was a useless football chairman absolutley no question and he's a horrible landlord but Tiger is much much worse right now. Deluded and penniless.

 

[myles]

Well, there is one thing for sure. There will be no renewal of the lease in five years time. No one, but no one, would be party to that. If we have to slum it elsewhere until we get a new ground then so be it. I, for one, would welcome it. Enough is enough.

And where would this "elsewhere" be? The Football League won't sanction a groundshare outside of our "conurbation", particularly if we don't have concrete plans for developing a new ground.

 

[yellowbow]

Has anyone thought to check if the EFL would be alright with a stadium that meets their standards being traded in for one that perhaps doesn't? You also have different standards between L1&2 and the Championship, so even if we did move somewhere that just about met L1&2 standards, we could find ourselves in a situation where promotion isn't actually allowed beyond that. This is probably why ol' Slippery used to mention Wycombe rather than Oxford City and the likes, because it's the only remotely nearby stadium that would actually allow us to function normally as an EFL club.

We’d have to spend too much money to bring City’s ground up to league standard, and also rip up the artificial pitch and replace with grass I think? Pretty sure artificial isn’t allowed in the EFL.

 

[Fred]

Agreed and presumably winding up orders don't happen overnight, so there would have been reminders, phone calls, letters etc so they would have known about this some time ago and they must realise Kassam isn't going to mess around with getting money he is rightly due. Surely the club would have budgeted for rent in any case. So when Tiger tells us arbitration is over and relationships would improve, an arrangement to pay the £240k in question would have been agreed at that point.

Is the postman allowed on the premises? Or does he have to come at midday?

 

[werthersoriginal]

I pay a reasonable amount of attention but have never heard of Pairoj - who is he? Just shows the complexity of the situation

OK I’ve belatedly read the fantastic research piece by Myles. All is simultaneously clearer and much more confusing

 

[Shropshire U]

I pay a reasonable amount of attention but have never heard of Pairoj - who is he? Just shows the complexity of the situation

See my post on the previous page on this thread and the reply from Myles with a link.

 

[Foley]

Why not go one step further.
Get changed at the training ground, play at the training ground. Four temporary stands, some barriers etc. Job done.
Yes it would be roughing it. But that backs to the wall attitude will get us somewhere.
Every penny from every punter goes back to the club.
Kassam would start to open up to selling the ground as soon as it becomes non profit making. Or better still costing him.

We will owe Kassam rent for what 7 years?
We have a lease with Kassam. Do you seriously believe that he wouldn't continue to charge us for using his ground whether we were playing there or not?

 

[Deleted member 808]

Why not go one step further.
Get changed at the training ground, play at the training ground. Four temporary stands, some barriers etc. Job done.
Yes it would be roughing it. But that backs to the wall attitude will get us somewhere.
Every penny from every punter goes back to the club.
Kassam would start to open up to selling the ground as soon as it becomes non profit making. Or better still costing him.

I think that’s the only other option is to use the training ground with some stands and be used as a league ground. Can’t share with oxford city, access problems a start also the council never been fans of football. Both oufc and ocfc had issues in finding new grounds.
Haven’t got a clue on where this will all lead to. As mentioned this club needs a strong leadership to start to pull away from Kassam and the ground because It wouldn’t surprise me if Kassam will buy back the club in the future.The clock is ticking on the lease running out of the stadium and I think things will get further nasty between club and Kassam. The other week NM mentioned about bumpy roads ahead and yes he is right, we are seeing it in all it’s glory. There will be big gains for some and huge losses for the rest.

 

[Gary Baldi]

Questions that the club will never answer. Questions that if posed to Firoz by Radio Oxford in the coming days, may shed some light on events and no doubt make our football club look even more stupid, than we thought.

And that is what I want to know - the smokescreen from the club is so thick, I don't really know what to think. Particularly how close, in a time sense, were the HMRC and Firoka winding up orders created and resolved, and how they relate to the last Tiger 5 minutes fan forum.

Part of me thinks the club knew this was coming a good month to 6 weeks ago and were happy to accept the flak if it helped the short term cash flow issues out.

 

[Wallop]

Good questions, well presented, and deserve answers, however...........

?

As were the ones posed by Oxvox which in the main remain unanswered. We could really do with a Fans Forum right now.

 

[Wallop]

Well, there is one thing for sure. There will be no renewal of the lease in five years time. No one, but no one, would be party to that. If we have to slum it elsewhere until we get a new ground then so be it. I, for one, would welcome it. Enough is enough.

Disagree - if we don't gain planning permission and funding for a new ground and have actually built it or are very close to completion which might warrant a one season groundshare somewhere else, then our only realistic option would be to renew the lease. To talk about long-term groundshare anywhere else is fanciful.

 

[Wallop]

We’d have to spend too much money to bring City’s ground up to league standard, and also rip up the artificial pitch and replace with grass I think? Pretty sure artificial isn’t allowed in the EFL.

Correct and some SPL clubs (where they are allowed and the weather can warrant them) are trying to get them banned due to the effect on players joints.

 

[MiddleBartonYellow]

Playing at the training ground would be a great idea if we were playing in the Oxford Senior League, but the last time I looked we were a League club so need to play our games at a ground that is fit for purpose, which would be Northampton, MK or Wycombe. Has anyone else got any good ideas.

 

[Paul Cannell]

Stopping daydreaming about Phoenix clubs is a good idea.

 

[Concretebob]

Playing at the training ground would be a great idea if we were playing in the Oxford Senior League, but the last time I looked we were a League club so need to play our games at a ground that is fit for purpose, which would be Northampton, MK or Wycombe. Has anyone else got any good ideas.

Court place farm, get a couple of stands they use at the open championship. Sorted.

 

[outsidethebox]

As were the ones posed by Oxvox which in the main remain unanswered. We could really do with a Fans Forum right now.

So we can ask more pertinent questions then wait while they get back to us with the answers.

 

[Brahma]

Part of me thinks the club knew this was coming a good month to 6 weeks ago and were happy to accept the flak if it helped the short term cash flow issues out.

They knew about this for some time, 100%. But the club management - middle and senior - are at best being disingenuous with what they are telling people. I won't use the word lie. I bet they have a few more s**t storms to deal with yet.........

I continue to have an issue with the angst thrown towards Firoz (look at the immediate reaction to the Ultras on Saturday - it was Firoka's fault apparently) and I will always be in a small minority with what I think of him (having met him a bit in recent years with OXVOX) but this winding up order, has been the best thing that could happen. Firoz has helped identify those running out club on a day to day basis and those who sit abroad running it, as the plonkers they are.

Laugh at me but FK might well have the interests of this football club at heart - thank god he hasn't sold his stadium to any Tom, Dick or Harry Redknapp. I don't expect most of the forum to subscribe to that, but if the media do their job, people might give FK a bit of a break.

Radio Oxford and Oxford Mail are probably just getting excited.

 

[Oufcrealist]

Playing at the training ground would be a great idea if we were playing in the Oxford Senior League, but the last time I looked we were a League club so need to play our games at a ground that is fit for purpose, which would be Northampton, MK or Wycombe. Has anyone else got any good ideas.

The FL would not allow this. All the grounds you mention would be too far away under their rules.