League One 2026-27 - Fixture release day

[Toe knee]

St Giles fair attracts up to 40,000 to 60,000 revellers per day the CLOWNS .

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Aside from the impact on us supporters, it's a disadvantage to us on the pitch too - we will be a game behind early doors and now have three of our first four League games away, which, when you're trying to hit the ground running, could be crucial.

Absolute shambles.

 

[Sarge]

St Giles fair attracts up to 40,000 to 60,000 revellers per day the CLOWNS .

shuts part of the city centre for 3 .5 days, and plays havoc with public transport for the duration too

 

[Boris]

St Giles fair attracts up to 40,000 to 60,000 revellers per day the CLOWNS .

Bit harsh. Not everyone who goes to St Giles Fair is a clown

 

[OX14]

St Giles fair attracts up to 40,000 to 60,000 revellers per day the CLOWNS .

How are they clowns? Some people enjoy fairs/theme parks just as much as they do football.

 

[Toe knee]

Bit harsh. Not everyone who goes to St Giles Fair is a clown

Nor a hairy woman .

 

[Toe knee]

How are they clowns? Some people enjoy fairs/theme parks just as much as they do football.

I'm on about TVP....... Can't beat St Giles Fair , & all that goes with it ,Lamb & Flag for refreshments etc etc.
Bit expensive & not as good as it was, but I still go.

 

[Deleted member 6957]

Unfortunately, it's also a massive cock up by the club.

These fixtures don't just appear out of nowhere on a day in June, they're worked on months in advance and the club does have input into it.

Those with decades of experience probably should have flagged early doors that a fixture with two teams sharing the same police force on a weekend when over 200,000 people attend a music festival probably wasn't feasible, but then what do I know...

 

[LowerSouth]

Unfortunately, it's also a massive cock up by the club.

These fixtures don't just appear out of nowhere on a day in June, they're worked on months in advance and the club does have input into it.

Those with decades of experience probably should have flagged early doors that a fixture with two teams sharing the same police force on a weekend when over 200,000 people attend a music festival probably wasn't feasible, but then what do I know...

Not sure I agree and would lay any blame firmly at the door of Thames Valley Police, who ( if they didn’t) should have made both clubs aware, they would be stretched that weekend .

 

[holdsteady]

Surely TVP need to let the club/FL know of any dates they can’t have certain games? How are employees of a completely different organisation supposed to the manpower limits of Thames Valley Police?

 

[nick68]

The blame surely lies with the neanderthals who can't enjoy a football match without trying to fight with opposing fans. Try watching the game for a change and you may actually enjoy it.

 

[OUFCGav]

Unfortunately, it's also a massive cock up by the club.

These fixtures don't just appear out of nowhere on a day in June, they're worked on months in advance and the club does have input into it.

Those with decades of experience probably should have flagged early doors that a fixture with two teams sharing the same police force on a weekend when over 200,000 people attend a music festival probably wasn't feasible, but then what do I know...

We can say it, reading can say it. The EFL say they take into account, and try and accommodate.. but don't always

 

[Sutton Yellow]

We are speculating here about the reasons for the TVP request, but i don't see why they can't tell us explicitly.

When the club accede to a request, it should be on the basis that supporters are aware of the considerations. After all, we have already bought tickets for our event.

 

[SteMerritt]

Have we never been at home on the same weekend as Reading Festival before then? How has it not been an issue before?

 

[dickwalton1964]

Wilshere (if he’s still there) v Ramsey (if he’s still here) bound to get a bit of profile and likely TV games.

 

[Sutton Yellow]

Have we never been at home on the same weekend as Reading Festival before then? How has it not been an issue before?

A quick search shows the Reading Festival in 2023 (Aug 25-27) coincided with our home game against Charlton on Saturday Aug 26th 2023.

There may well be other occasions.

I'm of the view that if TVP make these requests, there should be transparency and accountability.

We don't seem to get that.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Have we never been at home on the same weekend as Reading Festival before then? How has it not been an issue before?

I suspect it's not an issue if we're home to Burton where there would be minimal need for policing.

What should have happened (to my mind) is Reading to play away that weekend (somewhere up north) and Oxford to have a relative minnow. That's easily done.

And even if that's not do-able by some unfathomable reasoning you still send Reading somewhere like Stevenage.

Even then our home game could even be a Bradford or Barnsley - at least the away support are being policed by a seperate force.

Instead, they've literally gone for the worst possible fixture (bar the return game). Send Reading to their local rivals, who also happen to be under TVP jurisdiction.

It's an absolute shambles, no two ways about it.

 

[Chris on a Bike]

Have we never been at home on the same weekend as Reading Festival before then? How has it not been an issue before?

I'm sure we probably have but against clubs whose fans just turn up for a day out and enjoy the football without needing to be policed. This is totally different with morons from both ends spoiling it for the rest of us. Cock up by the EFL, not OUFC or the police.

 

[holdsteady]

Have we never been at home on the same weekend as Reading Festival before then? How has it not been an issue before?

We definitely have as I got the train back for a home game when it was on a couple of years ago and the twenty minute journey from Blackwater to Reading seemed like two hours with a group of teenagers heading there singing the Kolo/Yaya Toure song but just swapping the names for people they knew, it’s a very young day ticket crowd and I swore I would never get the train when they clashed again.

 

[holdsteady]

I think everybody is missing the bigger picture here, it’s Reading ls fault, deduct them 35 points.

 

[sideshowrob]

In 1989 I attended all three days of the Reading Fesitval (New Order, The Pogues, the Mission, The Sugarcubes, The House of Love, New Model Army, Billy Bragg, The Wonderstuff). I left on Saturday afternoon to watch Oxford draw 1-1 with Watford at home before driving back, parking close to the site and returning to my tent in Reading after the game. No problems at all. Those were the days!

 

[pommy80]

Really frustrating. So if either side make it to round 3 of the league cup, one of the biggest games this season will get moved again. Great planning by the EFL once again

 

[Toe knee]

Even if it went ahead on the proper date,you can guarantee it would of annoyingly got moved to 12.30 kick off.

 

[Sarge]

We are speculating here about the reasons for the TVP request, but i don't see why they can't tell us explicitly.

When the club accede to a request, it should be on the basis that supporters are aware of the considerations. After all, we have already bought tickets for our event.

Ive emailed Matthew Barber, PCC of tvp asking exactly why

IMO the more that ask that question, the better

 

[Sarge]

Even if it went ahead on the proper date,you can guarantee it would of annoyingly got moved to 12.30 kick off.

for sure

 

[Sarge]

Have we never been at home on the same weekend as Reading Festival before then? How has it not been an issue before?

we have- many times, and its never been an issue previously- a fact I pointed out in my email to TVP PCC

 

[MarkG]

What a pathetic fan base we have. Complaining about a fixture “they’d bought tickets for” being moved. We won’t know until Friday what other fixtures might be changed for tv for the next few months.

Get over it. Where are the fans saying they can’t wait for a local derby under the lights for a midweek evening match ?

 

[Chrisox]

What a pathetic fan base we have. Complaining about a fixture “they’d bought tickets for” being moved. We won’t know until Friday what other fixtures might be changed for tv for the next few months.

Get over it. Where are the fans saying they can’t wait for a local derby under the lights for a midweek evening match ?

That's a pretty unfair comment my Grandson was looking forward to his first derby game he will know miss it because it is a night game because it don't effect you you take it upon yourself to have a pop at our fans.

 

[Toe knee]

Ive emailed Matthew Barber, PCC of tvp asking exactly why

IMO the more that ask that question, the better

Fair-play sarge

 

[Sarge]

should anyone else feel like asking why every previous year when Reading festival has been on and Oxford have have a home match, that it hasnt been an issue, but this year it is, the link for the contact form for TVP PCC is below

I also asked if TVP felt they had enough officers to mange 2 events in the same city on the same date ( St Giles Fair with potentially up to 60k visitors in a shut to public transport, centuries old event, in the city centre, and an EFL 3rd tier match )

edit* and what will TVP do if one of the many Blenhiem Palace weekend events happens to clash with an OUFC home game I wonder?

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