Non-League Oxford City

[stokeu]

I can't help wondering if City will make the EFL eventually. The current ground is too small but there is more than enough space to build a new stadium next door, if the money can be found and it may be relatively easy to get planning permission.

Given that I started attending United games in December 1975, it took me nearly another two years to make my first visit to the wonderful old White House Ground, when I saw City defeat RC Warwick 2-0 in an FA Cup qualifying round game in September 1977. United were, of course, not at home that day and when I saw the fixture in the Oxford Times, my interest was aroused not so much because of City but by the fact that I had never heard of the visitors and thought that the only club in the world called 'Racing Club' was the one in Buenos Aires. I only made another couple of visits to the White House before it was demolished in the late 80's, which also led to the club being put into abeyance for a year or two. I can however claim to be one of the few people to have seen the revived City club play at Cutteslowe Park, when I saw them hammer Stony Stratford Town 7-1 in a SSML game in April 1991. My first visit to Court Place was for City's 3-0 victory over Southall in March 1994.

FoML mobilising….

 

[West Oxon U’s]

The White House Ground.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Oxford City v The U’s - 1980

 

[West Oxon U’s]

 

[West Oxon U’s]

 

[Marked Ox]

I can't see why they'd really aspire to being in the FL, to be honest. Oxon supports one medium-sized lower-league club and I don't see the potential for another in the city, especially if we get the new ground. West Oxon could probably support a decent non-league club, I'm surprised Witney haven't reformed.

Sadly, Witney have now failed multiple times.

 

[OX14]

Those saying City will eventually make the FL, what are you basing that on? No club as small as them has ever been promoted from the conference/national league.

Unless we go bust then they have little room for growth, they had the lowest crowds in the national league south last season so it was a huge achievement to go up, it will probably be an even bigger one to stay up.

The investment on infrastructure and the playing side to get promoted and be allowed into the football league would be huge.

Sutton United (now in league 2) were in the NLS 10 years ago averaging 501 fans. Now they are averaging 3265 in league 2.

Harrogate town (now in league 2) were in NLN 10 years ago averaging 437 fans. Now they are averaging 2296 in league 2.

Salford city (now in league 2) 7 years ago were averaging 600 fans. Now in league 2 averaging 2876.

3 examples of where success on the pitch has grown a fanbase. Oxford is a fast growing city and I believe there is scope that City could atleast be a well established National League team bringing in attendances of over 1500 in the next couple of years.

 

[Marked Ox]

Sutton United (now in league 2) were in the NLS 10 years ago averaging 501 fans. Now they are averaging 3265 in league 2.

Harrogate town (now in league 2) were in NLN 10 years ago averaging 437 fans. Now they are averaging 2296 in league 2.

Salford city (now in league 2) 7 years ago were averaging 600 fans. Now in league 2 averaging 2876.

3 examples of where success on the pitch has grown a fanbase. Oxford is a fast growing city and I believe there is scope that City could atleast be a well established National League team bringing in attendances of over 1500 in the next couple of years.

Harrogate benefitted by the owner throwing money at it to back his son who was manager whilst Salford have benefitted by money being thrown at as the Class of 92/Peter Lim hobby club.

Sutton, on the other hand whilst having some financial backing (ie the pitch etc) have become a real community club and grown organically.

 

[OX14]

Harrogate benefitted by the owner throwing money at it to back his son who was manager whilst Salford have benefitted by money being thrown at as the Class of 92/Peter Lim hobby club.

Sutton, on the other hand whilst having some financial backing (ie the pitch etc) have become a real community club and grown organically.

Yes I know the 2 have had money thrown at them but doesn't every league club? Not many clubs live within their means and generate enough to thrive.

City with their 3k crowd on Sunday probably generated more money than we do with two consecutive 10 k crowds. They gain massive amounts from refreshments being sold, which we clearly don't. They also don't have crazy rent to pay and have full access to the ground which they hire out and generate income.

 

[Marked Ox]

Yes I know the 2 have had money thrown at them but doesn't every league club? Not many clubs live within their means and generate enough to thrive.

City with their 3k crowd on Sunday probably generated more money than we do with two consecutive 10 k crowds. They gain massive amounts from refreshments being sold, which we clearly don't. They also don't have crazy rent to pay and have full access to the ground which they hire out and generate income.

Not anywhere near to the extent Harrogate and Salford benefitted from the publicity of the Class of 92. Watch chunks of crowd disappear mid game for Salford if they need to get to Old Trafford for a Man Utd game.

 

[holdsteady]

Sutton United (now in league 2) were in the NLS 10 years ago averaging 501 fans. Now they are averaging 3265 in league 2.

Harrogate town (now in league 2) were in NLN 10 years ago averaging 437 fans. Now they are averaging 2296 in league 2.

Salford city (now in league 2) 7 years ago were averaging 600 fans. Now in league 2 averaging 2876.

3 examples of where success on the pitch has grown a fanbase. Oxford is a fast growing city and I believe there is scope that City could atleast be a well established National League team bringing in attendances of over 1500 in the next couple of years.

There would be a lot more examples where that hasn’t happened.

Sutton have had a lot more success in non league football traditionally than City.

Salford were pointlessly bankrolled and will fall away as soon as that stops.

Ain’t got a clue about Harrogate to be honest, always forget they are in the football league.

I am not having a go at City, think it’s incredible they have done this well and that getting promoted is a great achievement, staying up will be an even bigger one, just don’t get the talk of them being in the football league soon, they share a small city with a bigger club so their growth is limited unless the unprogressive alliance get their way and kill us off.

 

[OX14]

There would be a lot more examples where that hasn’t happened.

Sutton have had a lot more success in non league football traditionally than City.

Salford were pointlessly bankrolled and will fall away as soon as that stops.

Ain’t got a clue about Harrogate to be honest, always forget they are in the football league.

I am not having a go at City, think it’s incredible they have done this well and that getting promoted is a great achievement, staying up will be an even bigger one, just don’t get the talk of them being in the football league soon, they share a small city with a bigger club so their growth is limited unless the unprogressive alliance get their way and kill us off.

They are one promotion from the football league that's why there is talk of them reaching the efl. They had a mid table budget and the 4th lowest average attendance in the league last season and finished 3rd in the table out of 24. Obviously the national League is a different kettle of fish but it's not beyond all possibilities that they couldn't get promoted from it.

When we were relegated to the conference we were a basket case club that had a massive fanbase who thought we only had to turn up to win the league. We all know what happened that season.

We might be averaging 8k fans in the league but with the crazy rent and not able to generate any revenue other than matchday tickets we don't benefit fully from our fanbase.

 

[jfp]

Sadly, Witney have now failed multiple times.

There may be another attempt at a Witney Town team in the not too distant future.
The name has been registered at Companies House.
Looking ti start again in the WDFA although finding a pitch could be an issue.

 

[holdsteady]

They are one promotion from the football league that's why there is talk of them reaching the efl. They had a mid table budget and the 4th lowest average attendance in the league last season and finished 3rd in the table out of 24. Obviously the national League is a different kettle of fish but it's not beyond all possibilities that they couldn't get promoted from it.

When we were relegated to the conference we were a basket case club that had a massive fanbase who thought we only had to turn up to win the league. We all know what happened that season.

We might be averaging 8k fans in the league but with the crazy rent and not able to generate any revenue other than matchday tickets we don't benefit fully from our fanbase.

Fair enough.

You name a charity and I will give £50 to it if Oxford City ever play a game in the Football league, confident I won’t be doing it though.

 

[OX14]

Fair enough.

You name a charity and I will give £50 to it if Oxford City ever play a game in the Football league, confident I won’t be doing it though.

Does it count if the EFL league 2 and National League merge creating 2 leagues at the same level with a north section and a southern section to help clubs with traveling costs?

This has been mentioned recently.

The NLN and NLS has also been mentioned of having a restructure to create a Midlands league.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Sutton United (now in league 2) were in the NLS 10 years ago averaging 501 fans. Now they are averaging 3265 in league 2.

Harrogate town (now in league 2) were in NLN 10 years ago averaging 437 fans. Now they are averaging 2296 in league 2.

Salford city (now in league 2) 7 years ago were averaging 600 fans. Now in league 2 averaging 2876.

3 examples of where success on the pitch has grown a fanbase. Oxford is a fast growing city and I believe there is scope that City could atleast be a well established National League team bringing in attendances of over 1500 in the next couple of years.

Yes but there aren’t two teams in Sutton or Harrogate are there?

 

[holdsteady]

Does it count if the EFL league 2 and National League merge creating 2 leagues at the same level with a north section and a southern section to help clubs with traveling costs?

This has been mentioned recently.

The NLN and NLS has also been mentioned of having a restructure to create a Midlands league.

No, that wouldn’t be the same, hope they don’t do that, it would devalue both those divisions.

You have to regionalise at some point in the pyramid but it causes it’s own problems, they took ages to get to this point which mostly works so hope they leave it as is now.

 

[OX14]

No, that wouldn’t be the same, hope they don’t do that, it would devalue both those divisions.

You have to regionalise at some point in the pyramid but it causes it’s own problems, they took ages to get to this point which mostly works so hope they leave it as is now.

Yes I totally agree. It's just what has been doing the rounds recently within clubs in both leagues and has come about due to the clubs carbon footprint.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Does it count if the EFL league 2 and National League merge creating 2 leagues at the same level with a north section and a southern section to help clubs with traveling costs?

This has been mentioned recently.

The NLN and NLS has also been mentioned of having a restructure to create a Midlands league.

Not sure they’ll ever merge divisions (don’t think the EFL clubs would ever vote for regionalisation) but I think there’s every chance that the NL will be absorbed into the EFL to create “League Three” in the next few years.

 

[SteMerritt]

...but I think there’s every chance that the NL will be absorbed into the EFL to create “League Three” in the next few years.

But wouldn't that also involve current EFL teams voting for the move though, and diluting the current TV money even further?

 

[RyanioBirdio]

But wouldn't that also involve current EFL teams voting for the move though, and diluting the current TV money even further?

They wouldn’t vote for it unless it came into effect when a new deal would need to be renegotiated anyway is my guess.

That said, I suspect we’re heading for a cliff edge where the PL goes solo in terms of streaming rights (which is why this new massive Sky EFL deal is being done to begin with), the Championship clubs eventually want to join them to become the PL2, and then the EFL rights are worth a fraction of their current value, at which point it needs a third division just to be worth peanuts rather than breadcrumbs.

 

[Marked Ox]

Yes I totally agree. It's just what has been doing the rounds recently within clubs in both leagues and has come about due to the clubs carbon footprint.

It is always doing the rounds tbh. Not sure how much it saves when in the south you could have somebody going from the South East/East Coast down to the far South West as will happen in the Conf South regularly next season.

On the Midlands League, if keeping 2 Divisions it may be better overall to look at a East/West split rather North/South.

 

[OX14]

It is always doing the rounds tbh. Not sure how much it saves when in the south you could have somebody going from the South East/East Coast down to the far South West as will happen in the Conf South regularly next season.

Yep. If Oxford city stayed in the NLS or moved to the NLN they would of been doing more travelling next season than they will now in the National League premier. Lots of South west teams in NLS next season.

 

[Chris1963]

Those saying City will eventually make the FL, what are you basing that on? No club as small as them has ever been promoted from the conference/national league.

What about Forest Green Rovers? They're based in Nailsworth, which is no bigger in population than Thame is.

 

[holdsteady]

What about Forest Green Rovers? They're based in Nailsworth, which is no bigger in population than Thame is.

They were a struggling conference team at best until the owner started pumping money in, that would obviously change the situation at City if that happened but it would be a strange thing for a rich owner to do, try to compete with us.

 

[Marked Ox]

They were a struggling conference team at best until the owner started pumping money in, that would obviously change the situation at City if that happened but it would be a strange thing for a rich owner to do, try to compete with us.

They are also effectively Stroud's team as well.

 

[OX14]

They were a struggling conference team at best until the owner started pumping money in, that would obviously change the situation at City if that happened but it would be a strange thing for a rich owner to do, try to compete with us.

What happens when United get to the premier league or become an established championship team and we sell out the 16k ground on the triangle every game, do the other people wishing to watch some live football of this city which is growing at a fast rate go and watch Swindon or Reading?

 

[holdsteady]

What happens when United get to the premier league or become an established championship team and we sell out the 16k ground on the triangle every game, do the other people wishing to watch some live football of this city which is growing at a fast rate go and watch Swindon or Reading?

We will extend the ground to Stratfield brake one way and Cutteslowe park the other and have a stadium that holds a million. Probably don’t want to be stuck at the back though so best to get a season ticket now to reserve a good seat.

 

[m]

We will extend the ground to Stratfield brake one way and Cutteslowe park the other and have a stadium that holds a million. Probably don’t want to be stuck at the back though so best to get a season ticket now to reserve a good seat.

That's a relief.

I mean that it will take a million of us pissing into Kidlington gardens to make the area really smell like the home we are now used to.

 

[holdsteady]

That's a relief.

I mean that it will take a million of us pissing into Kidlington gardens to make the area really smell like the home we are now used to.

To aid that there will be no toilets in the ground, the front gardens of Kidlington will be used instead, toilets are not ecologically sound so that will please the progressive alliance.