General Maxwell's in trouble again.

Brilliant read. I wasn't alive when we were in that position but boy oh boy, I witnessed the reverberations into the early and mid 90's. We have had quite an interesting journey, on and off the pitch.

TBF, we are still feeling the repercussions today. If we hadn't been in trouble, Kassam would not have gotten involved...
 
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Nor would he have done if Oxford City Council had had the forsight to take over the unfinished stadium project and fund it with the sale of the Manor to create a community stadium.
The way the council view the football club is actually shocking, in my opinion. In an ideal world, we would pull a Coventry and align with the University to create a stadium project that benefits both parties. I just dont know why Oxford United is such a dirty word, in that respect.
 
Nor would he have done if Oxford City Council had had the forsight to take over the unfinished stadium project and fund it with the sale of the Manor to create a community stadium.
Oxford city council don’t have time for OUFC
 
The way the council view the football club is actually shocking, in my opinion. In an ideal world, we would pull a Coventry and align with the University to create a stadium project that benefits both parties. I just dont know why Oxford United is such a dirty word, in that respect.
Not sure anybody can assume the uni takes a better view of the football club than the council does.
 
Not sure anybody can assume the uni takes a better view of the football club than the council does.
And neither have the funds required to do much about it, whichever way they feel.

Two ways they could both help. The colleges own vast amounts of land in and around Oxford. Planning permission comes from the City Council. Neither of those concessions can be taken for granted, OUFC has to have something they want in return.
 
Not sure anybody can assume the uni takes a better view of the football club than the council does.
I get that. It just seems that commercially, its a bit of a wasted opportunity.

The history of the University and the football team combined. Do something like Coventry. I know there are lots of factors involved but i think the 'Oxford' brand could be huge if it was in the right hands.
 
I get that. It just seems that commercially, its a bit of a wasted opportunity.

The history of the University and the football team combined. Do something like Coventry. I know there are lots of factors involved but i think the 'Oxford' brand could be huge if it was in the right hands.
The problem is that the University 'brand' is already huge - worldwide reputation, historic, traditional. They don't need to team up with a football club for any real reason and I can think of one or two reasons (possibility of the club falling under the sway of owners with a less than salubrious reputation for example) why they would possibly want to avoid doing so. It might be different if we were a top of the Prem team - but we aren't.
 
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The problem is that the University 'brand' is already huge - worldwide reputation, historic, traditional. They don't need to team up with a football club for any real reason and I can think of one or two reasons (possibility of the club falling under the sway of owners with a less than salubrious reputation for example) why they would possibly want to avoid doing so. It might be different if we were a top of the Prem team - but we aren't.
Yep. Oxford is probably the most famous university in the world. You can go to the a**e end of nowhere in the most remote corner of the world and say the name Oxford, and they will respond with “Oxford University!” It already has complete ownership of ‘Brand Oxford’ as it is. The uni would never want to share it, let alone with a third tier football club. It would be like asking Apple if they want to join forces with a plucky local tech company to take on the mobile phone market. It already owns it.
 
And neither have the funds required to do much about it, whichever way they feel.

Two ways they could both help. The colleges own vast amounts of land in and around Oxford. Planning permission comes from the City Council. Neither of those concessions can be taken for granted, OUFC has to have something they want in return.
The Club were fortunate to find Grenoble Road and get planning. Kassam arriving was God's gift to the City Council. The University marches to an entirely different drum as it has since the middle ages.
 
I get that. It just seems that commercially, its a bit of a wasted opportunity.

The history of the University and the football team combined. Do something like Coventry. I know there are lots of factors involved but i think the 'Oxford' brand could be huge if it was in the right hands.
Can’t see what brand Coventry university could bring.
 
Can’t see what brand Coventry university could bring.
Not sure what you mean? Obviously Coventry University isn't as well known as Oxford so I'm sure they know that brand power and awareness isn't their biggest strength in all of this.

My point was more to do with the relationship that is in place between the football club and the university. The two entities, further supported by the local council will give them a great chance of making this a collective success. That is the kind relationship that I wish we were able to have; even just a fraction of it.

The city of Oxford and the university itself are very quick to appear socially and culturally progressive but when it comes to their engagement with football and the footballing community, it might as well be 1848. Football is a dirty word to many in that 'world' and in my opinion, thats a bit of a shame.

I hope we continue on the same footballing trajectory and we become too successful to ignore because I've always said it, Oxford United are a sleeping giant.
 
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Not sure what you mean? Obviously Coventry University isn't as well known as Oxford so I'm sure they know that brand power and awareness isn't their biggest strength in all of this.

My point was more to do with the relationship that is in place between the football club and the university. The two entities, further supported by the local council will give them a great chance of making this a collective success. That is the kind relationship that I wish we were able to have; even just a fraction of it.

The city of Oxford and the university itself are very quick to appear socially and culturally progressive but when it comes to their engagement with football and the footballing community, it might as well be 1848. Football is a dirty word to many in that 'world' and in my opinion, thats a bit of a shame.

I hope we continue on the same footballing trajectory and we become too successful to ignore because I've always said it, Oxford United are a sleeping giant.

We were in the top flight, won the Milk Cup and were owned by the bloke who owned the Daily Mirror/Sunday People newspaper group and we were still ignored. We'd have to become the size of Man Utd to get noticed.
 
We were in the top flight, won the Milk Cup and were owned by the bloke who owned the Daily Mirror/Sunday People newspaper group and we were still ignored. We'd have to become the size of Man Utd to get noticed.

Mostly agree, but it's worth noting that the PL gets far greater coverage and exposure now than the old Div 1 did in the 80s.
 
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