Eales

[Marked Ox]

OK, I'll bite....


Why should we be mid championship?

Here's a list of cities bigger than Oxford in the last census, and that obviously doesn't exclude our vacuous transitory student population

• London
• Birmingham
• Liverpool
• Nottingham
• Sheffield
• Bristol
• Glasgow
• Leicester
• Edinburgh
• Leeds
• Cardiff
• Manchester
• Stoke-on-Trent
• Coventry
• Sunderland
• Birkenhead
• Islington
• Reading
• Kingston upon Hull
• Preston
• Newport
• Swansea
• Bradford
• Southend-on-Sea
• Belfast
• Derby
• Plymouth
• Luton
• Wolverhampton
• Southampton
• Blackpool
• Milton Keynes
• Bexley
• Northampton
• Archway
• Norwich
• Dudley
• Aberdeen
• Portsmouth
• Newcastle upon Tyne
• Sutton
• Swindon
• Crawley
• Ipswich
• Wigan
• Croydon
• Walsall
• Mansfield

Point of order: Swindon isn't a City, it is a shanty Town.

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Success makes a mockery of such big town/little town nonsense.
Burton. Fleetwood and Bournemouth all made good despite their limited resources.
Solid investment can pay huge dividends if it is put in the hands of people who know how to use it.
Those managers and staff that can get it right are in high demand.
There is no valid reason that we should not be able to make it happen, even with the constraints placed on us by mr ka$$am.

 

[Concretebob]

Success makes a mockery of such big town/little town nonsense.
Burton. Fleetwood and Bournemouth all made good despite their limited resources.
Solid investment can pay huge dividends if it is put in the hands of people who know how to use it.
Those managers and staff that can get it right are in high demand.
There is no valid reason that we should not be able to make it happen, even with the constraints placed on us by mr ka$$am.

Fleetwood were dragged from the depths of non league by one dodgy investor - before he turned up they were getting crowds of about 80!

 

[Witney Wag]

I can`t think of many clubs that are "owned" by somebody local.[/QUOTE


Of course you are right there are not many if any owned by local people, but take for example Sunderland now owned by two gentlemen who are local to Oxford, but seem to spend a lot of their time in Sunderland working hard to rebuild the connection between club and supporters. Eales and Ashton, not local lads but close enough to rebuild the connection between club and the community. Living in Thailand and popping over now and again will be far more difficult for Tiger to have the same relationship with the supporters and the community. Spending time in the area gives you a better perspective than hearing what’s going on 2nd or 3rd hand that’s all I’m saying. Harder but not impossible.

 

[MarkG]

Success makes a mockery of such big town/little town nonsense.
Burton. Fleetwood and Bournemouth all made good despite their limited resources.
Solid investment can pay huge dividends if it is put in the hands of people who know how to use it.
Those managers and staff that can get it right are in high demand.
There is no valid reason that we should not be able to make it happen, even with the constraints placed on us by mr ka$$am.

Burton I think sold their old ground Eton Park for housing, were given land by Pirelli for the Pirelli Stadium, and used the sale proceeds to pay for the new ground, so they now own it debt free. I seem to remember they also had an FA Cup replay away vs Manchester United back in the conference days which brought in about £1 million and basically paid for their promotion winning squad.

So unlike us, where the options are pay rent, or pay off a bank loan to buy the ground, Burton have neither cost. (OK there's the running cost of the ground and maintenance etc).

That's not to take anything away from their huge achievement in spending three years in the Championship.

 

[Deleted member 222]

Having an owner who lives 1000s of miles away will also make it that much more difficult to turn things around, not impossible but more difficult.

Man City don't seem to of done too bad considering their owner is the other side of the world.

In fact most owners these days of football clubs live in other countries.

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Even with all the resources, clubs can f**k up.
Wrong people, bad luck... poor judgement.
All can contribute to a sliding away.
The holy grail of the premiership and its huge payments are a mirage on the horizon for many clubs.
You don’t have to look too far to see once mighty clubs now humbled.

Looking at us for one moment, Appleton came to us with a hunger.
He surrounded himself with people who had that same hunger.
I believe He got out at the point he realised that his ambition outpaced the chairman’s.
We are in a new chapter with a new chairman.
Who knows... perhaps we will rise again?
Could we see Robinson do similar?

 

[Marked Ox]

Success makes a mockery of such big town/little town nonsense.
Burton. Fleetwood and Bournemouth all made good despite their limited resources.
Solid investment can pay huge dividends if it is put in the hands of people who know how to use it.
Those managers and staff that can get it right are in high demand.
There is no valid reason that we should not be able to make it happen, even with the constraints placed on us by mr ka$$am.

Fleetwood bought their way through the non League pyramid and to a lesser degree L2, but tbf to Pilley (as said by Concrete Bob a dodgy businessman) he has built some good facilities.

Bournemouth massively spent their way into the Premier Lg.

Burton, I agree who built steadily and try to live within their means.

 

[Gary Baldi]

I believe Burton have conference facilities at the stadium that help balance the books a little

 

[warksox]

I can`t think of many clubs that are "owned" by somebody local.

Solihull Moors?

 

[Oufcrealist]

Spot on. We are the only league team in a county of 750K people, about 5x the population of the city.

During our dalliance with the conference we lost many, many people from South Oxfordshire to Reading. People from Abingdon, Didcot, Henley and Wallingford all switched to watch a 'better' brand of football. Unless we are on a par or better they and their kids won't return. I know some will say 'who needs fans like that,' but the simple answer is we do. It's bums on seats.

 

[Witney Wag]

Man City don't seem to of done too bad considering their owner is the other side of the world.

In fact most owners these days of football clubs live in other countries.

Well having a club the size of Man City and the coverage they get worldwide is not what you would call a fair comparison. Let’s wait and see what happens regarding the stadium and I’m sure we will have some very positive news within the next 8 years.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Let’s wait and see what happens regarding the stadium and I’m sure we will have some very positive news within the next 8 years.

Why - is Kassam ill?

 

[tonyw]

Success makes a mockery of such big town/little town nonsense.
Burton. Fleetwood and Bournemouth all made good despite their limited resources.
Solid investment can pay huge dividends if it is put in the hands of people who know how to use it.
Those managers and staff that can get it right are in high demand.
There is no valid reason that we should not be able to make it happen, even with the constraints placed on us by mr ka$$am.

It's been said by others, but in short:

Fleetwood - Sugar Daddy
Bournemouth - Sugar Daddy
Burton - really well run club;. Of course success for them means a couple of seasons of struggle in the Championship followed by a return to the lower leagues. Something that is perfectly attainable for us even in our current situation - but just about the ceiling for realistic ambitions unless we find our own sugar daddy, or a way to extricate ourselves from the clutches of Kassam.

 

[Banbury2018]

It's been said by others, but in short:

Fleetwood - Sugar Daddy
Bournemouth - Sugar Daddy
Burton - really well run club;. Of course success for them means a couple of seasons of struggle in the Championship followed by a return to the lower leagues. Something that is perfectly attainable for us even in our current situation - but just about the ceiling for realistic ambitions unless we find our own sugar daddy, or a way to extricate ourselves from the clutches of Kassam.

Nail firmly hit on head with this post my friend.

 

[Deleted member 222]

It's been said by others, but in short:

Fleetwood - Sugar Daddy
Bournemouth - Sugar Daddy
Burton - really well run club;. Of course success for them means a couple of seasons of struggle in the Championship followed by a return to the lower leagues. Something that is perfectly attainable for us even in our current situation - but just about the ceiling for realistic ambitions unless we find our own sugar daddy, or a way to extricate ourselves from the clutches of Kassam.

This is where the water gets murky in regards to what fans want IMO. Do we really want a sugar daddy? If fans want that then get used to over paid players who really couldn't care less about the club or fans. Get used to fixtures getting moved all over the place to accommodate Sky's coverage. Get used to sitting next to people who didn't realise we played in Yellow until said sugar daddy came along and we got a bit success. The fans that you see on TV waiting for selfie's with opposition players after we have just lost a game.

Give me our current set up any day of the week over having a sugar daddy bank rolling us just for a few years of success. We're a top half league 1 side who has potential to flirt with the championship but not big enough or the income to sustain a real bid to establish ourselves as a championship main stay.

 

[Navegante]

This is where the water gets murky in regards to what fans want IMO. Do we really want a sugar daddy? If fans want that then get used to over paid players who really couldn't care less about the club or fans. Get used to fixtures getting moved all over the place to accommodate Sky's coverage. Get used to sitting next to people who didn't realise we played in Yellow until said sugar daddy came along and we got a bit success. The fans that you see on TV waiting for selfie's with opposition players after we have just lost a game.

Give me our current set up any day of the week over having a sugar daddy bank rolling us just for a few years of success. We're a top half league 1 side who has potential to flirt with the championship but not big enough or the income to sustain a real bid to establish ourselves as a championship main stay.

If Tiger pumping in circa £2m per annum into a football club with no obvious long-term upside is not being banked rolled by a sugar daddy than what is?!

It's a shame no successful local business men with football experience and commercial nous who know the importance of our club owning the stadium for long-term sustainability were interested in buying the club... Oh wait!

 

[Manorlounger]

This is where the water gets murky in regards to what fans want IMO. Do we really want a sugar daddy? If fans want that then get used to over paid players who really couldn't care less about the club or fans. Get used to fixtures getting moved all over the place to accommodate Sky's coverage. Get used to sitting next to people who didn't realise we played in Yellow until said sugar daddy came along and we got a bit success. The fans that you see on TV waiting for selfie's with opposition players after we have just lost a game.

Give me our current set up any day of the week over having a sugar daddy bank rolling us just for a few years of success. We're a top half league 1 side who has potential to flirt with the championship but not big enough or the income to sustain a real bid to establish ourselves as a championship main stay.

Lacking ambition?

I can remember very well the days of playing in the old Second division (Today's Championship) and doing quite well.

Agreed, the current set up at the stadium is not going to work and that will hold back the club but, I would still like to watch OUFC win and be successful.

 

[Scotchegg]

If Tiger pumping in circa £2m per annum into a football club with no obvious long-term upside is not being banked rolled by a sugar daddy than what is?!

It's a shame no successful local business men with football experience and commercial nous who know the importance of our club owning the stadium for long-term sustainability were interested in buying the club... Oh wait!

And hopefully those local businessmen would stump up the asking price and conclude the deal in the time required.....Oh wait!!!

 

[Navegante]

And hopefully those local businessmen would stump up the asking price and conclude the deal in the time required.....Oh wait!!!

They crunched the numbers, put forward a price they thought was fair to purchase the club, seller rejected. That's business. Just don't buy the BS from the seller that it was in the best interests of the football club.

 

[tonyw]

If Tiger pumping in circa £2m per annum into a football club with no obvious long-term upside is not being banked rolled by a sugar daddy than what is?!

Well in Bournemouth's case, it was at least five times that per annum. That's what you need nowadays to get a club like Bournemouth established in the Premiership.

In Fleetwood's case, their sugar daddy has shouldered a loss in the 15-20 million range since he took over to keep a much smaller club than us competitive in League One on crowds of 3000.