General More news re; stadium/training ground, thoughts?

[Manorlounger]

Seems great to me - exactly the type of things a 'community' football club should be doing. It will also help to raise awareness of and contact with the club across the city/county.

Not nit picking but, it may be time to change your tag line!

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Not nit picking but, it may be time to change your tag line!

Great minds - just have!

 

[Fanatica]

The training Ground, as far as I can see, should now cost us much less per year. They have a load of astroturfs which should be a money spinner.

Astroturf - 5 a side	£45.00	£40.00
Astroturf - 7 a side	£65.00	£60.00

Don't see the cricket pitches making too much, and astroturfs alone more than likely won't be enough to make the owning of the training ground "profitable", but without Fusions cut I can see this being very good news.

 

[MarkG]

Well I can't spot an obvious way for a land grab as this is a lease, rather than giving the club the freehold of the land.

I wonder what has changed as previously I thought when the club wanted to run the training ground, one of the council's criteria was that the operator had to have relevant experience?

 

[Marked Ox]

Part of taking on the leasing includes the additional expectation that the club will:

• Provide free nutrition classes, fitness classes for vulnerable groups and mental health workshops.
• Have literacy/numeracy classes with combined training sessions led by their players.
• Hold football sessions for people experiencing homelessness
• Hold all school football finals at the grounds, organised and run by OUFC as well as two football festivals and a kwik cricket festival a year
• There will also be access to the grounds for community use, with the exception of Sunday mornings when the Youth Academy runs. A requirement of the contract and funding that OUFC receives from the English Football League (EFL) is that there are no other users on site at the same time.

Seems fair.

I like that list as it is things we should be looking to do anyway.

 

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

Training ground will happen.
Water Eaton to follow.

No offence but If your name ain't ECyellow your prediction means squat! Lol #allhailthedivinesoothesayerECyellow!

 

[TailsWeWin]

interesting times ahead it seems?

can 'someone' (re)educate our board members on how to communicate and engage with supporters though ? .... I accept to monied board members that, in business-speak, being financially involved with a L1 EFL football club is , to them percieved as, an investment .... however, reading the OM piece/ interview, Horst mentions /refers to OUFC as 'an investment ' twice, granted its probably just me but, the word 'investment' just doesnt sit right , not in an interview talking about MY team/club!

with the money at all our board members disposal cant they employ a PR guru/spin doctor type to school them on terminology more 'user freindly' -than refering to my football club as an investment for example!- for football supporters?

Not just you, Sarge. Absolutely agree.

 

[MarkG]

Part of taking on the leasing includes the additional expectation that the club will:

• Provide free nutrition classes, fitness classes for vulnerable groups and mental health workshops.
• Have literacy/numeracy classes with combined training sessions led by their players.
• Hold football sessions for people experiencing homelessness
• Hold all school football finals at the grounds, organised and run by OUFC as well as two football festivals and a kwik cricket festival a year
• There will also be access to the grounds for community use, with the exception of Sunday mornings when the Youth Academy runs. A requirement of the contract and funding that OUFC receives from the English Football League (EFL) is that there are no other users on site at the same time.

Seems fair.

Where does this come from?

 

[battman]

Wonder what happened with Fusion to make them walk away from the 25-year lease after just over a year? Perhaps it wasn't as profitable as they expected...

 

[LondonRoader]

So the club want to take on a new training ground, they are still looking to move out of the kassam and get a new ground, but can't guarantee the same financial issues that blighted us earlier this year will not happen again.

 

[Manorlounger]

Wonder what happened with Fusion to make them walk away from the 25-year lease after just over a year? Perhaps it wasn't as profitable as they expected...

I have a feeling that they just bit off more than they could chew. They already operated many other OCC sports and leisure facilities and recently reported dropping attendance figures. This is probably seen as a better option for OCC. OUFC are on site and have a vested interest in the site being a success. Fusion can concentrate on existing projects. (and who knows what else has been negotiated by our now clearly, active board!)

 

[yellowbow]

As others have said, it’s interesting that there’s suddenly been a significant change of stance over the ownership of the training ground with Fusion agreeing that the club should take over and the LA quickly rubber stamping it. I’ve got a gut feeling that off-field issues are going to start moving forward at an increasing pace, with more assistance coming from areas where there has previously been little, and even resistance. It’s going to be a very interesting 12 months I reckon.

As for the OM interview with Horst Geicke and Anindya Backrie, I can lean towards the more cynical end of the spectrum as a supporter at times but that has left me feeling very positive. It was good to hear from these two directors, it shows they’re more than happy to communicate in an open way with the supporters. Maybe they’re more confident now that the club is in a good position? I’m becoming more and more convinced that we’ve got very good people running the club now. For me personally, they’re saying all the things I want to hear. No silly promises that can’t be backed up, just sensible, considered statements that indicate we’re slowly but surely heading in the right direction.

 

[DavidB]

As others have said, it’s interesting that there’s suddenly been a significant change of stance over the ownership of the training ground with Fusion agreeing that the club should take over and the LA quickly rubber stamping it. I’ve got a gut feeling that off-field issues are going to start moving forward at an increasing pace, with more assistance coming from areas where there has previously been little, and even resistance. It’s going to be a very interesting 12 months I reckon.

As for the OM interview with Horst Geicke and Anindya Backrie, I can lean towards the more cynical end of the spectrum as a supporter at times but that has left me feeling very positive. It was good to hear from these two directors, it shows they’re more than happy to communicate in an open way with the supporters. Maybe they’re more confident now that the club is in a good position? I’m becoming more and more convinced that we’ve got very good people running the club now. For me personally, they’re saying all the things I want to hear. No silly promises that can’t be backed up, just sensible, considered statements that indicate we’re slowly but surely heading in the right direction.

Let’s hope you’re right

 

[greatunclekip]

So the club want to take on a new training ground, they are still looking to move out of the kassam and get a new ground, but can't guarantee the same financial issues that blighted us earlier this year will not happen again.

Negative.

 

[LondonRoader]

Negative.

Sceptical, taking over a long term lease of a training ground and managing the facility Is good, if managed right by someone outside the club could be successful.
No movement on the a new stadium front but the stadium “idea” is being looked at, the realisation after a year they have to talk to the right people, the realisation of the timescale involved, the news of the board not wanting keep supporting the financial lose each year that was here when they arrived, passing the buck if we have another cash flow hiccup.
Good news but hardly groundbreaking.

 

[Foley]

Sceptical, taking over a long term lease of a training ground and managing the facility Is good, if managed right by someone outside the club could be successful.
No movement on the a new stadium front but the stadium “idea” is being looked at, the realisation after a year they have to talk to the right people, the realisation of the timescale involved, the news of the board not wanting keep supporting the financial lose each year that was here when they arrived, passing the buck if we have another cash flow hiccup.
Good news but hardly groundbreaking.

I think that you can read Colin's comments and put one and one together re the ground.

 

[LondonRoader]

I think that you can read Colin's comments and put one and one together re the ground.

I didn’t respond to his enthusiasm as we are still friends, he might end up being compared with CM.

 

[Scotchegg]

I think everyone can recognise that securing land necessary for a stadium and additional revenue sources will be a difficult process.

I think everyone can recognise that getting approval for the usage of any land for a football stadium will be a difficult process.

I think everyone can recognise that as these processes are difficult then they will both take time to conclude.

And I think that everyone can recognise that throughout this process there will be commercial confidentialities that needs to be honoured on all sides.

Yet we still have those who demand to know every little step or believe that in the absence of a running commentary that nothing is happening!!

Believe me when I say that if you have a little extra patience, the bigger picture will soon become much clearer.

 

[LondonRoader]

I think everyone can recognise that securing land necessary for a stadium and additional revenue sources will be a difficult process.

I think everyone can recognise that getting approval for the usage of any land for a football stadium will be a difficult process.

I think everyone can recognise that as these processes are difficult then they will both take time to conclude.

And I think that everyone can recognise that throughout this process there will be commercial confidentialities that needs to be honoured on all sides.

Yet we still have those who demand to know every little step or believe that in the absence of a running commentary that nothing is happening!!

Believe me when I say that if you have a little extra patience, the bigger picture will soon become much clearer.

And there also might be people who also know what’s happening or not as the case may be.

 

[Scotchegg]

And there also might be people who also know what’s happening or not as the case may be.

Indeed.