General New Stadium Plans - Stratfield Brake

[Scotchegg]

I'll try to explain the deal to the best of my knowledge.

The ground will be owned by a holding company, but will have a long term (50 years or more) lease agreement with a peppercorn rent.

All football related revenue will be kept by the club and used to offset financial fair play rules. This will include ticket sales, sponsorship, on site food and drink sales, corporate packages etc. So not only do we gain from greater footfall and income streams but we also save paying out on rent and service charges.

All additional businesses and facilities, and non-matchday revenue will help offset the cost of the development and then eventually give the owners an income, meaning that the club/development effectively pays for itself.

Additional protective measures will be in place to ensure that the club can't suddenly become homeless or face a huge increase in rental costs.

Now I appreciate that I can't have a view without having copied it from others so obviously none of this is to be believed, but it is what it is!

 

[SteMerritt]

It cost $250 million!! What's The New Manor budget I wonder?

Yeah but that's American money, not the glorious British pound.

 

[Jason N]

 

[NorthWestOx]

I'll take this one....

TQL Stadium - Populous

Two seasons into its Major League Soccer existence, FC Cincinnati has taken another leap into the elite levels of the sport with the debut of TQL Stadium. With a capacity of 26,000, it registers among the largest soccer-specific stadiums in the league. Its impact, however, reaches far beyond...

populous.com

 

[Paul Cannell]

Before we've even got out of the starting blocks, the club won't own the stadium, and it will be owned by a separate company owned by the current board of Directors.

What could possibly go wrong?

What did you expect?

The owners appear to have a track record of permitting sports tenants to flourish (as the Egg mentions). Interestingly the council document is quite specific on the football club lease should the club fold suggest the club will be standing on it's own feet.

 

[NC2U]

I'll try to explain the deal to the best of my knowledge.

The ground will be owned by a holding company, but will have a long term (50 years or more) lease agreement with a peppercorn rent.

All football related revenue will be kept by the club and used to offset financial fair play rules. This will include ticket sales, sponsorship, on site food and drink sales, corporate packages etc. So not only do we gain from greater footfall and income streams but we also save paying out on rent and service charges.

All additional businesses and facilities, and non-matchday revenue will help offset the cost of the development and then eventually give the owners an income, meaning that the club effectively pays for itself.

Additional protective measures will be in place to ensure that the club can't suddenly become homeless or face a huge increase in rental costs.

Now I appreciate that I can't have a view without having copied it from others so obviously none of this is to be believed, but it is what it is!

If this is what happens then it sounds completely fair. Tbh I don’t see why we should expect to get revenue from all the other aspects of the development like MarkG has suggested.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Hopefully some sort of legal agreement, covenant, section 106 etc can but put in stipulating the StadCo must have the same shareholding as the OpCo (club)?

We can not have another situation where the owners of the club differ from the stadium ownership.

 

[Paul Cannell]

We won't have a stadium if we don't.

 

[OX14]

If this is what happens then it sounds completely fair. Tbh I don’t see why we should expect to get revenue from all the other aspects of the development like MarkG has suggested.

Exactly. Looking at the plans I would hazard a guess it's a £150 million + development so they hardly going to gift all that money.

 

[Tomox]

Brentford fan here. A thread has gone up on our GPG fans forum, about recent development with Oxford Utd. I've posted the following, and wanted to confirm whether my summary is factually correct : -

I think this is great news for Oxford United and for all true football supporters. Living in Oxford for over 40 years, there was a time I went along to watch them especially when the Bees were in town (we are a bit of a bogey side to them, so I often left happy). They are also a good club, but the heart and soul of the club has been ripped out ever since they've been in the clutches of businessmen, who have no real passion for the club, only to facilitate making money for themselves. Although Kassam sold the club back to true supporters several years ago now, it was under his terms whereby he still owned the ground and thus dictated the price and terms under which the club could use it. Their old ground, The Manor, like Griffin Park was one of great character and for a small ground it could generate a great atmosphere as experienced by many top clubs when they had their great cup runs in the 80's and when they were in the top flight. Sadly, like us they ran into financial difficulties under Maxwell, and later they were supposedly "rescued" by Kassam. Under his reign, they sold the Manor, and from the millions he made from selling the land (in the centre of Headington), which was worth a bomb, he used some of it to build a new ground using council land on the edge of Blackbird Leys. The ground he built, which unsurprisingly he named the Kassam Stadium (compare the name of their ground to ours - even though we wouldn't be the club we are without Matthew Benham), is in my opinion one of the worst grounds in the Football League with one side of it completely undeveloped, depriving it of much in the way of atmosphere thus leaving it soulless, the club don't have the say in changing this situation. So, this is really good news for them, and I believe for true football supporters across the land.

Well if we can get anywhere near replicating the success you've had then we'll be more than happy!

 

[Jason N]

An upgrade on the urinals from this:

...to this:

 

[holdsteady]

Bit

Brentford fan here. A thread has gone up on our GPG fans forum, about recent development with Oxford Utd. I've posted the following, and wanted to confirm whether my summary is factually correct : -

I think this is great news for Oxford United and for all true football supporters. Living in Oxford for over 40 years, there was a time I went along to watch them especially when the Bees were in town (we are a bit of a bogey side to them, so I often left happy). They are also a good club, but the heart and soul of the club has been ripped out ever since they've been in the clutches of businessmen, who have no real passion for the club, only to facilitate making money for themselves. Although Kassam sold the club back to true supporters several years ago now, it was under his terms whereby he still owned the ground and thus dictated the price and terms under which the club could use it. Their old ground, The Manor, like Griffin Park was one of great character and for a small ground it could generate a great atmosphere as experienced by many top clubs when they had their great cup runs in the 80's and when they were in the top flight. Sadly, like us they ran into financial difficulties under Maxwell, and later they were supposedly "rescued" by Kassam. Under his reign, they sold the Manor, and from the millions he made from selling the land (in the centre of Headington), which was worth a bomb, he used some of it to build a new ground using council land on the edge of Blackbird Leys. The ground he built, which unsurprisingly he named the Kassam Stadium (compare the name of their ground to ours - even though we wouldn't be the club we are without Matthew Benham), is in my opinion one of the worst grounds in the Football League with one side of it completely undeveloped, depriving it of much in the way of atmosphere thus leaving it soulless, the club don't have the say in changing this situation. So, this is really good news for them, and I believe for true football supporters across the land.

He didn’t really build it, the previous owner had started it off before he ran into financial problems and ill health, he came in when it was already started and half finished it off while getting himself the best possible deals from the old ground and new. Other than that you are pretty much spot on.

 

[Northernyellow]

Bit


He didn’t really build it, the previous owner had started it off before he ran into financial problems and ill health, he came in when it was already started and half finished it off while getting himself the best possible deals from the old ground and new. Other than that you are pretty much spot on.

You can add that most of the fan base loath the ground. I consider it the worst in the League. And it’s near a sewage farm, which you can smell if the wind is blowing in the right direction.

 

[horseman]

What's the difference in income between a four course meal with wine/drinks etc at one of the "outlets" against a few drinks and pie etc inside the stadium.
if we're bringing 18.000 potential customers only fair we get a slice of the take of those outlets.

 

[captainox]

York's new stadium is owned by the Council and run by a stadium management company who are a subsidiary of YCFC - the sole director being the YCFC chairman.
Given his current reputation with the York fans, it's been another stick to beat him with.

 

[unification]

Brentford fan here. A thread has gone up on our GPG fans forum, about recent development with Oxford Utd. I've posted the following, and wanted to confirm whether my summary is factually correct : -

I think this is great news for Oxford United and for all true football supporters. Living in Oxford for over 40 years, there was a time I went along to watch them especially when the Bees were in town (we are a bit of a bogey side to them, so I often left happy). They are also a good club, but the heart and soul of the club has been ripped out ever since they've been in the clutches of businessmen, who have no real passion for the club, only to facilitate making money for themselves. Although Kassam sold the club back to true supporters several years ago now, it was under his terms whereby he still owned the ground and thus dictated the price and terms under which the club could use it. Their old ground, The Manor, like Griffin Park was one of great character and for a small ground it could generate a great atmosphere as experienced by many top clubs when they had their great cup runs in the 80's and when they were in the top flight. Sadly, like us they ran into financial difficulties under Maxwell, and later they were supposedly "rescued" by Kassam. Under his reign, they sold the Manor, and from the millions he made from selling the land (in the centre of Headington), which was worth a bomb, he used some of it to build a new ground using council land on the edge of Blackbird Leys. The ground he built, which unsurprisingly he named the Kassam Stadium (compare the name of their ground to ours - even though we wouldn't be the club we are without Matthew Benham), is in my opinion one of the worst grounds in the Football League with one side of it completely undeveloped, depriving it of much in the way of atmosphere thus leaving it soulless, the club don't have the say in changing this situation. So, this is really good news for them, and I believe for true football supporters across the land.

Thanks for the kind words, @Oxford Bee. I miss Griffin Park and the visits there. Hope you’re enjoying your new ground.

A few minor corrections to your write up.

Kassam never sold to a supporters’ group and the club has never been fan owned. He kept the stadium and the various surrounds that his company Firoka still owns today. Oxford United are tenants in the stadium.

Robert Maxwell was no longer chairman by the time he died. His family was deeply involved though and rumour has it that he called the shots here anyway. There were financial troubles as a result of the fallout of his death but these weren’t part of the problems of finishing the stadium.

Robin Herd was chairman when the new stadium was first mooted, designed and building work began. Well meaning but not financially strong enough to finish it, the club started a free fall that took a long time to recover from. Kassam came in and finished what Herd had started. However, by now instead of hosting second division football when ground was broken on the new stadium, Oxford had plunged to the fourth tier. Their first season at the Kassam was a dismal 21st place position.

The Manor Ground and it’s lucrative land was sold to one of Firoz Kassam’s own companies, costing the club a fair wedge of money. Whether Kassam used any of the ‘proceeds’ to finish the Kassam Stadium is debatable.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I suppose the club will benefit from paying no or a peppercorn rent.

Seems pretty clear the ground lease will be held by the 'corporate entity'.

But the corporate entity owns the club too, so in a way is the club? Is that right?

 

[OX14]

But the corporate entity owns the club too, so in a way is the club? Is that right?

Until they sell the club yeh. But then they may have no intention to sell us .

 

[Essexyellows]

I'll take this one....

TQL Stadium - Populous

Two seasons into its Major League Soccer existence, FC Cincinnati has taken another leap into the elite levels of the sport with the debut of TQL Stadium. With a capacity of 26,000, it registers among the largest soccer-specific stadiums in the league. Its impact, however, reaches far beyond...

populous.com

"It all starts with a façade inspired by the kinetic energy of the club’s fan base. "................................

 

[NC2U]

Until they sell the club yeh. But then they may have no intention to sell us .

And even if they do sell us, as long as we have a long term lease at a very reasonable rent, with the opportunity to make money from the stadium facilities, then it isn’t so much of a problem