Potential New Ground

[The mighty Aldo]

Thanks for that Scotchers

Makes sense.

As always I’m sure a lot of work is going on behind the scenes. I suspect Zaki has seen something on one of the forums which might be close.
Surprised that he feels the need to put a statement out though.
I’m sure over the last few years every possible site must have been mentioned on here unless anyone knows different !!
?

 

[Essexyellows]

1. "The hardest part in making this happen is not only finding the land (and several sites have been considered)"

2. "But also doing the background legal work to ensure that a stadium and all supplementary services can be built on that land."

3. "and the formal planning process will begin having already got approval from the local authorities."

4. Once that happens then things can and will start to happen very quickly, but there will be absolutely nothing from anyone at the club until everything is in place to go public.

Sorry but cynical old me says .....
1. Very, very expensive once a football club starts sniffing around.
2. There will be a Mr Wells out there somewhere.
3. Steam rollering planning goes well with the "locals"..... and folk can/will drag that process out.
4. Something will have to go public before all the ducks are in a row.

Maybe I`m just burdened by the ghostly image of a weed infested, rusty skeleton that we started a few years ago.................................. give me sustainability any day over the pursuit of something a relatively small club can`t afford.

 

[Foley]

We aren`t going anywhere anytime soon.

20 year "leasehold" ownership of the Stadium (not the land) cash up front..... £10 million (equivalent of FK`s earnings over 20 years).

We get 20 years of wondering where the new ground will be.

We move out in 2041 and Kassam`s kids have a nice nest egg in the land bank because the value of it will only go one way.

I am assuming that is just guesswork?

 

[Foley]

Sorry but cynical old me says .....
1. Very, very expensive once a football club starts sniffing around.
2. There will be a Mr Wells out there somewhere.
3. Steam rollering planning goes well with the "locals"..... and folk can/will drag that process out.
4. Something will have to go public before all the ducks are in a row.

Maybe I`m just burdened by the ghostly image of a weed infested, rusty skeleton that we started a few years ago.................................. give me sustainability any day over the pursuit of something a relatively small club can`t afford.

I think that you are being cynical and hopefully very wrong.
The relatively small Brentford and small Reading didnt listen to the cynical fans if theirs!!!

 

[holdsteady]

Nothing can be hidden anymore, we're not back in the 80's anymore. Social media and everything like planning applications being online there is no hiding. They just need to come out and say something to stop the speculation.

If that were true then you would know and wouldn’t need to say that you wish they would come out with what was going on, so you can obviously keep secrets still, despite the fact it’s no longer the eighties.

 

[horseman]

As i know only too well in Horse Racing, just a reasonable piece of work on the Gallops one morning soon escalates to chat of a possible Derby Winner in the pub that evening.
Despite all the idle chat and speculation you soon learn who has the proper and worthwhile information.

In the case of our club one known Reliable source says the plan is The Kasstad whilst another insists the plan is a new ground and all that goes with it, meanwhile a member of the Board says we must ignore rumours but 2 differing confidants ( one assumes) have provided information to their Pals and one must be right so which rumour are we to ignore !!!

As Essexyellows rightly points out, the lease is nearing end and the clock is ticking

 

[Victor1986]

Oxford United is in a completely different situation from Brentford & Reading. They had an "asset" - we have sod all!

 

[MJB]

Interesting that Tiger said news on the stadium would be announced “very soon” on the Fans Forum last night. Didn’t seem to particularly be pouring cold water on the situation following Zaki’s tweet. He is something of a maverick however!

 

[Essexyellows]

I think that you are being cynical and hopefully very wrong.
The relatively small Brentford and small Reading didnt listen to the cynical fans if theirs!!!

Both had owned stadiums to sell and supportive councils.
Brentford was a whole "bigger picture thing" and Reading was a pipe dream of Madjedski and his friends in the council.
I should imagine the value of Griffin Park was far more substantial than GR would be, likewise Reading paid £1 for their site, a former rubbish dump, and a promise to build a relief road (not cheap).

Yep, I`m cynical. However if anyone knows a site we can get for £1 give Zaki a "tweet". ?

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Here is the link to STs Five Minute Fans Forum if anyone (me!) forgot about it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p080l1q4

 

[Scotchegg]

Sorry but cynical old me says .....
1. Very, very expensive once a football club starts sniffing around.
2. There will be a Mr Wells out there somewhere.
3. Steam rollering planning goes well with the "locals"..... and folk can/will drag that process out.
4. Something will have to go public before all the ducks are in a row.

Maybe I`m just burdened by the ghostly image of a weed infested, rusty skeleton that we started a few years ago.................................. give me sustainability any day over the pursuit of something a relatively small club can`t afford.

1. Land for commercial usage will have it's cost, and being Oxford (Oxfordshire) it won't be cheap. But this would have been known long before anyone would have even looked at the club. We have some pretty wealthy people on the board and this will be factored in to overall costs of a new build.

2 and 3. There will be hurdles in any commercial development which is why background work is essential to minimise these or to be in a position to get over these hurdles easily.

4. If the club, land owners, local authorities and various legal representatives are all working to commercial confidentialities, as you would expect, then a lot of progress can be made before going public.

I fully understand why there is a fear about another failed project or saddling the club with a huge debt, but I think that this a different situation. Many will have their doubts but hopefully it won't be too much longer until we have something tangible to discuss.

 

[Scotchegg]

Here is the link to STs Five Minute Fans Forum if anyone (me!) forgot about it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p080l1q4

Had forgot about that too. Tiger seemed to suggest that a owning our own stadium was essential and that we would get good news very soon! Glad he got my memo!!!

 

[OX14]

Here is the link to STs Five Minute Fans Forum if anyone (me!) forgot about it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p080l1q4

Cheers. He spoke well and his English is getting a lot better. Now we just wait on the good news he promised.

 

[yellowbow]

I hope you’re right Scotchegg but the fact that absolutely nothing has been leaked anywhere leaves me feeling doubtful that the club is very far down the road to a new stadium at all. If things had progressed to council and planning meetings, all sorts of people have to be involved from council members, accountants, surveyors etc right down to junior office staff who are doing the photocopying and making the tea and bringing the biscuits. Surely somebody would’ve let something slip to family members or friends down the pub. This isn’t exactly MI5 we’re talking about.

That, and the fact that NM and Zaki seemed to not be on the same page about it all at the recent FF leave me feeling a little reserved with my excitement at present. As I’ve said before though, I’ll be more than happy to be proved wrong! ?

 

[horseman]

one mans very soon is a few days, anothers is weeks whilst for others can be years---it's all relative to the individual/s

 

[Scotchegg]

I hope you’re right Scotchegg but the fact that absolutely nothing has been leaked anywhere leaves me feeling doubtful that the club is very far down the road to a new stadium at all.

Nothing has got as far as planning meetings but discussions have, and are continuing to be held with relevant parties. And I think that the lack of information coming out actually shows how serious this is being taken.

It's not that long ago that we had Charlie talking up Water Eaton for ever without actually having any formal discussions with the land owner or local authorities. This is massively different with much of the work being done behind the scenes without a word coming out.

Many of those who are commenting (myself included) are accused of being too vague, but that is preferable to breaching confidentialities on something so important to our long term future.

 

[Foley]

Oxford United is in a completely different situation from Brentford & Reading. They had an "asset" - we have sod all!

From a 'size of the club' perspective there isn't a big difference in my view.
We have hugely wealthy owners/ potential investors.
I was replying to the comment that we are a smallish club and so a new stadium isbt a good idea. They were equally smallish clubs.
Just because you dong own your own ground doesn't mean you cant get one.
Brighton had sod all and were playing in an athletic stadium when they built theirs.

 

[Scotchegg]

one mans very soon is a few days, anothers is weeks whilst for others can be years---it's all relative to the individual/s

It's going to be months rather than days, but in the scheme of things then that is very soon!

 

[horseman]

Nothing has got as far as planning meetings but discussions have, and are continuing to be held with relevant parties. And I think that the lack of information coming out actually shows how serious this is being taken.

It's not that long ago that we had Charlie talking up Water Eaton for ever without actually having any formal discussions with the land owner or local authorities. This is massively different with much of the work being done behind the scenes without a word coming out.

Many of those who are commenting (myself included) are accused of being too vague, but that is preferable to breaching confidentialities on something so important to our long term future.

Might one enquire how one knows this if information is not coming out? and more to the point why your confidant chose to tell you?

 

[Scotchegg]

Might one enquire how one knows this if information is not coming out? and more to the point why your confidant chose to tell you?

One may ask, but one may not tell!