New Stadium Plans - The Triangle - Planning

[behindthegoal]

That’s a lie cooked up by FOSB and the Oxford Fail. Kassam has said nothing of the sort.

Ah, OK, I thought he said it,
but FoSB took it meant we could stay for good.
But, OK, he said nothing.

 

[MustardYellow]

MK Dons is not a viable option. It’s too far from Oxford and isn’t a straightforward drive or public transport experience (might improve if the new rail line opens, but who’s want to hang their hat on British Rail meeting timeframes?).

It won’t be Reading as they’re too much of a rival and it won’t be Swindon.

Northampton? 40 odd miles away from home? Can’t see it.

Wycombe is the only one that I can foresee being a possibility. Either that, or the club will negotiate a short term lease at the KS on vastly inferior financial terms, even when compared the extortionate sum we pay to the the cancerous individual that is our landlord now.

They’re hardly glowing opportunities and you’d think it’d make those who hold the power to get this moving, sit up and bloody well get the planning application ready for submission.

IMO, any ground share outside of Oxfordshire will see ‘home’ support of roughly 3,000 each week. I just don’t think you’ll get the casuals travelling ‘away’ for every ‘home’ game.

If the new stadium isn't ready by 2026 (which it won't be), we'll simply spend another season or two at the Kassam.

Any groundshare would be expensive, and as many have already said ticket sales would likely considerably reduce. Even if Kassam charged us more for the 1/2 years extra (more than groundshare cost), the increased, or at least stabilised, ticket revenue compared to a groundshare would likely offset any benefits to groundsharing.

Kassam will be more than happy to rinse us for a year or so longer and sell it off after that. It's worth remembering in 2/3 years time the housing issues are likely to be worse with less development sites available around the city, which will only increase the value of that land.

Kassam's a snake but he's not an idiot. He knows if it comes down to it we'll be desperate and he can take advantage of that.

 

[holdsteady]

I’m as much in the dark as you and everyone else. But we have to have somewhere to play at the start of the 2026/7 season or we will have serious problems with the EFL.

We obviously do, my original point is it’s better for that place to be the Kassam than the alternatives. The original post I replied to (not yours) stated that playing at MK Dons would be better than paying Kassam “blood money”, which is cutting your nose off to spite your face.

I hope we are in a shiny new ground by the start of 26/27 season but even the most optimistic person must consider that a push now, changing grounds mid season isn’t straightforward and you are really up against it deadline wise then, if a deal can be done for an extra seasons breathing space and the chance to move into a properly finished ground at the optimum time (start of a season) then that’s what should be done.

 

[Osei Yaw]

If the new stadium isn't ready by 2026 (which it won't be), we'll simply spend another season or two at the Kassam.

Any groundshare would be expensive, and as many have already said ticket sales would likely considerably reduce. Even if Kassam charged us more for the 1/2 years extra (more than groundshare cost), the increased, or at least stabilised, ticket revenue compared to a groundshare would likely offset any benefits to groundsharing.

Kassam will be more than happy to rinse us for a year or so longer and sell it off after that. It's worth remembering in 2/3 years time the housing issues are likely to be worse with less development sites available around the city, which will only increase the value of that land.

Kassam's a snake but he's not an idiot. He knows if it comes down to it we'll be desperate and he can take advantage of that.

I think 'simply' is doing a lot of heaving lifting here.

What do you think Uncle Firoz will say? He's been shafting the club for 25 years now and his bargaining position would be extremely strong.

 

[Carpy]

I wouldn’t hold your breath, Carpy.

Don’t worry, I’m not, anyone that thinks this is all going to plan and this is just a little hiccup isn’t reading the room very well in my opinion

 

[holdsteady]

I think 'simply' is doing a lot of heaving lifting here.

What do you think Uncle Firoz will say? He's been shafting the club for 25 years now and his bargaining position would be extremely strong.

So is anyone who we approach, MK Dons, Reading, Wycombe Northampton, Stranraer or Boca Juniors will want a wedge just like Kassam, a football team without a ground is in no position to bargain. At least at the Kassam we bring in a bit more money to offset that.

Although if we ground share at Stranraer we can probably all afford to just buy up all the available housing if we all just chip in, then at least we can all stay over, bagsy top and tailing with bazzer.

 

[MustardYellow]

I think 'simply' is doing a lot of heaving lifting here.

What do you think Uncle Firoz will say? He's been shafting the club for 25 years now and his bargaining position would be extremely strong.

That's my point - he is going to shaft us but it'll still be better than the alternatives, and he'll know that.

Even if groundsharing costs half what Kassam tries to charge us in rent for an extra year, if ST sales and attendances drop then we may as well pay up. A drop in ST sales and attendances would also likely see a reduction in things like shirt sales etc (people will be less likely to pay £50+ for a shirt they won't wear as much, or they'll just get one rather than 2 or all 3).

As others have said, any groundshare would rule out all Tuesday/midweek games for me and I'd probably be picky about which Saturday games I go to. Most of us on here are the fans that go to every game we can, if we're saying a groundshare would make it likely we attend far less games then what about the 'casual' fan? They just won't go at all!

 

[arthurturner]

The clubs will have contingencies in place, however I wouldn't expect these to be disclosed just yet. It weakens our position to say that we have no where to play from August 2026 and then give a number of options where we can actually play.

We don't need contingencies. We want a contingency in the event that we need to have somewhere to start the 2026/7 season in the event that the new stadium is not ready.
Your positivity that this is in place presumably comes from being so informed.
If only the rest of the customers were so fortunate on these and other matters.

 

[holdsteady]

The clubs will have contingencies in place, however I wouldn't expect these to be disclosed just yet. It weakens our position to say that we have no where to play from August 2026 and then give a number of options where we can actually play.

If you can kip on a mates couch for a couple of weeks after being kicked out of a house you rent you are still homeless, only the most heartless person (hello Sue) would say otherwise, that's what our contingencies amount to. I would hope the council would see the common sense in the club having plans for if the stadium isn't ready, its not like every thing they do hits the target dates they should understand.

 

[Billyox]

 

[bazzer9461]

Vote them out then.

Exactly but people won’t bite the bullet and vote the Tories who now see the LTN’s as problems and we know that Cllr Walker had tried to do something but was voted down and ridiculed by the May oaf Gant.

 

[Osei Yaw]

So is anyone who we approach, MK Dons, Reading, Wycombe Northampton, Stranraer or Boca Juniors will want a wedge just like Kassam, a football team without a ground is in no position to bargain. At least at the Kassam we bring in a bit more money to offset that.

Although if we ground share at Stranraer we can probably all afford to just buy up all the available housing if we all just chip in, then at least we can all stay over, bagsy top and tailing with bazzer.

My preference is definitely to stay at The Kassam until The Triangle is ready. I don't want to journey elsewhere and would likely be unable to commit to a season ticket if we did have to ground share for a bit, so I totally get the rationale for staying at The Kassam.

I just don't hold out hope of it being 'simple' to stay at The Kassam. What's the alternative for Kassam? He's sat on a goldmine if he sells it for housing, so to get him to delay for another year would come at a whopping cost.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

View attachment 17542

OCC have confirmed they've seen documents that proves OUFC had the lease cancelled. We need to move and want to move to secure the future viability of the club..

Please ask her about the pictures of the fake stadium which was displayed on their Facebook page and website which after I posted on here about them and the likelihood GoFundMe would take a dim view on that type of disinformation, were hastily removed the very next day.

Similarly, their name is misleading.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1747927047249313792

 

[unification]

View attachment 17542

It's a post that makes you realise how little they have against this.

As I've said on here before, if FOSB is correct in that either OUFC hasn't been truthful with the documents sent to OCC, OCC haven't done their due diligence in checking them properly or the two have colluded to push this through, it's massive. Many councillors and OCC officials would be a lot of hot water.

But they're not. The story is now last week's news and nothing has changed. No overwhelming groundswell against the club or whistleblowers from within OCC either (let's not forget that many of them aren't OUFC supporters nor Oxfordshire natives) except for the same boring droning arguments from you-know-who. It's a story that has been left to die on the vine.

As for the groundshare thing, none of us have a crystal ball. Many months ago NMcW said to me that there could be a short-term option to stay if the stadium wasn't finished in time. We know that wouldn't be an act of benevolence if FK agreed to that but it was there at one point. The mood changed to no options whatsoever so we know that this is a moving minefield. What could be viable today may not be an option tomorrow.

If we're not ready to move for August 2026, I'd take the Kassam over any groundshare. However, as with most things in life, what is the cost of doing so? FK has held all the cards here and continues to do so.

 

[WuTang]

View attachment 17542

Thanks Victoria, we've had to barely scrape to survive for 25 years tied into an unsustainable lease that has almost bankrupted the club. However thanks to her extraordinary detective work she's found out that we can carry on killing our football club by asking to stay?! Why didn't we think of this before, what a great idea!

The only thing I took from the recent K*ssam article in the OM is that he'd be happy for us to stay on another awful financial package as an alternative to ground sharing.

 

[MJB]

If we're going to groundshare anywhere, there's only one choice really.



There's already a strong level of exile support there and if the Triangle doesn't work out, I think we should consider staying there permanently.

 

[Essexyellows]

I suspect if we moved to MK our season ticket sales would plunge.

Clearly every supporters situation is different but people like myself simply wouldn’t be able to attend evening matches for start.

I would then get out of the habit of attending every home match and end up picking and choosing my Saturday matches.

Over the season home support would fall by quite a bit.

The club will negotiate a short term lease at the KS on vastly inferior financial terms, even when compared the extortionate sum we pay to the the cancerous individual that is our landlord now.

This is where we will be before the footings are even dug.

A short term, likely draconian, lease at Grenoble Road.

FK knows full well he holds all the cards in the game and is not renowned for his altruistic nature where business is involved.

Ground sharing would cause irreparable damage to the fan base, although MK would be better for Northern supporters.

As for the objectors they don`t seem concerned about the rather large housing development between the Bicester Road & the A34?

32ha is a lot of houses and the first block of 96 was approved mid December 2023.

 

[behindthegoal]

Don't take this as gospel but I've heard the planning application will be submitted in 2 weeks time.

It's like the fusion power forecast, always 30years away

 

[Scrongo]

I can't see the new stadium getting built in time now. That's even if we get permission, or no doubt delays along the way. Ground share will be a nightmare, & attendances, & apathy will set in.
Every home game ,will be like an away match, all season/seasons. The cost & travell, will put people off straight away. Swapping from Stratfield brake, to the triangle, put a spanner in the works & knocked this back by months, even years .
The silence & lack of communication,is not exactly giving us fans , much confidence & optimism...

 

[ChamonixOx]

So is anyone who we approach, MK Dons, Reading, Wycombe Northampton, Stranraer or Boca Juniors will want a wedge just like Kassam, a football team without a ground is in no position to bargain. At least at the Kassam we bring in a bit more money to offset that.

Although if we ground share at Stranraer we can probably all afford to just buy up all the available housing if we all just chip in, then at least we can all stay over, bagsy top and tailing with bazzer.

By your own explanation they are able to bargain as you’ve detailed four viable options, plus remaining for a short period. From a bidding perspective that’s competition! May not be in the strongest position, but nevertheless any of the four local teams (and Kassam) would be interested I am sure in additional revenue!