General Rage Online - Grenoble Road - Holding OUFC back?

My first season was as a glory hunter just as we looked like winning the old div2 was it 83?
Snap, my first full season was as a glory hunter too ;) ... first match I went to was in the season when we'd just changed name from Headington United to Oxford United and were tearing up the (i think) Southern league - though we lost at home , bank holiday Monday, to Bath City (1-3) after beating them at their place on Good Friday), the following season OUFC were elected to the football league replacing Accrington Stanley.... 6 seasons later OUFC had climbed to old Division 2 , now the Championship ( with a giant-killing fa cup run during those 6 seasons too):)
 
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Just a comment on this:

"It’s also all gone quiet at the OxVox end about this mural – which is disappointing considering that about 200 people have put a fair bit of money together."

Actually it hasn't gone quiet. In OxVox's latest bulletin, circulated to members on Sunday, there's a full update on the mural project and all the work that's being done. So I'm not disappointed.
What about those of us who donated, but AREN’T members of Oxvox?
 
I suppose the question there is how many trains would there be at the relevant times, and how many people could each one take? Having just had a quick Google, a train carriage has about 60 seats plus about 30 standing. So a four carriage train would bring about 400 people max, an eight carriage train (probably unlikely to build a large enough station at the Science Park for that) 800.
So (for a four carriage train) if there were three trains in the hour before kickoff it would move a max of 1200 people. Certainly a help...
I was travelling back from Accrington to Preston the other week. The train route is Burnley-Accrington-Preston-Blackpool (possibly starts at York), so a busy route going to and from major towns. Anyway there are two trains per hour, two carriages. The 18:13 already had a load of football fans travelling back from Burnley vs Everton so was absolutely ram packed.

I can't imagine a rail company putting on a regular Saturday 2 trains per hour service from Oxford to the science park, let alone with 4 carriages as nobody would use it, the science park being shut for the weekend and that being the only stop.

Perhaps if there was a 'special' but that still needs a train to be in the right place for that small window before and after the game. I think buses are the only viable public transport option to the ground.
 
That's perfectly reasonable, I was trying to take a best possible case. Even in that light it would be a help, but a number of those people would of course have been those previously using the buses or driving. In itself, not enough to make a jump from 7000 to 12000!
But I suspect that you are right and in fact it might be a two carriage train (200 people) with maybe *at best* two trains in the hour before kickoff, bringing 400 people total.
 
On match days does any of the buses that come to the stadium come via any of the park and rides?
 
I was travelling back from Accrington to Preston the other week. The train route is Burnley-Accrington-Preston-Blackpool (possibly starts at York), so a busy route going to and from major towns. Anyway there are two trains per hour, two carriages. The 18:13 already had a load of football fans travelling back from Burnley vs Everton so was absolutely ram packed.

I can't imagine a rail company putting on a regular Saturday 2 trains per hour service from Oxford to the science park, let alone with 4 carriages as nobody would use it, the science park being shut for the weekend and that being the only stop.

Perhaps if there was a 'special' but that still needs a train to be in the right place for that small window before and after the game. I think buses are the only viable public transport option to the ground.
It would be a frequent shuttle that went to Cowley after sci park and stadium, not an ordinary infrequent train. If it ever happened!
 
You beat me to this Simon but your response is spot on. As an architect, I could take the moaners on here to various different types of buildings that were a complete sh***y mess at one time & now have been given imaginative 'cosmetic' treatment by very clever & skilled designers so that you would never think they were not brand new! The Kassam may be "basic" cosmetically but the structures are sound & with skill & imagination the whole lot could be bought to life for a awful lot less money (& time!) than moving. Fill in the corners (which, by the way, were 'designed' to have this happen), build the fourth stand, & give everywhere a facelift & we would have a home to be proud of.
Just needs our Landlord to co-operate?
I am sure you are right. You're an architect and I'm not! But sadly, Kassam will never co-operate. His sole interest in rental returns. He has a background in low end rental, which has been very successful for him over many years. He won't change now. He will invest the absolute minimum amount possible while the lease runs down. I have been /still am very sceptical of Tiger and his motives. But he and his property mates are now our best/only hope.
 
I don't see the the problem getting to the ground by bus you need to do your research before you leave home. If you come by train as I do a
number one and a number five stop directly outside the station entrance and at many stops in town, and they run about every ten minutes. I understand the number 3 stops outside the ground. As for the view you were obviously sitting in the wrong place. No problem where I sit. If you book on line you can preview the view from your seat.
 
Isn't one planned by the science park?
5 minutes away?
I am.not sure that there will be trains working just for football games? Who would run them and would they lose money?
Only slightly tongue in cheek but Water Eaton has regular trains from Oxford and London.
So you could relatively easily get there from Didcot, Reading, Oxford, Wycombe etc.
 
Pity there isn’t a non stopping bus from the train station to the ground. The time it takes does make it difficult for me to get last train back for mid week games. Shame as for atmosphere & family reasons I much prefer mid week games.

Couple of comments made re the views and I totally agree that the viewing points from SSU and mid / upper North Stand are excellent.

Although there is plenty I disagree with in the original article, it is a debate worth having particularly as we need to find ways of being more attractive to the floating fan.
 
Never had a problem getting to the ground irrespective of the scenario.

If its car, I don`t use the car park............. they really need some stewards to guide people out and make it "flow". I park on the Leys outside the control zone and it takes 10 minutes to walk back to the car and then away having missed all the ground congestion.

If I get a lift in I get dropped/picked up in Sandford easy enough.

I`m surprised the Science Park don`t open some of the car parks for a "Premium Fee", maybe for ST holders only? Probably in the T&C`s that they can`t...

Can`t see a direct train service ever being viable.

Never used the bus service but there are plenty if you plan your time well.
 
Never had a problem getting to the ground irrespective of the scenario.

If its car, I don`t use the car park............. they really need some stewards to guide people out and make it "flow". I park on the Leys outside the control zone and it takes 10 minutes to walk back to the car and then away having missed all the ground congestion.

If I get a lift in I get dropped/picked up in Sandford easy enough.

I`m surprised the Science Park don`t open some of the car parks for a "Premium Fee", maybe for ST holders only? Probably in the T&C`s that they can`t...

Can`t see a direct train service ever being viable.

Never used the bus service but there are plenty if you plan your time well.
So speaks a driver!
 
So do we accept now that if we have a car it is reasonably do able? How can the buses be better?
 
Since they started stewarding the East carpark and have cars parked only in marked bays, it is an absolute breeze to get away - 5-10 mins max and most of the hold up there is the numpties that park on the grass verges and pavement just outside the car park and cause everyone to wait while they lurch off the kerb disrupting the traffic flow.

If they were to do the same with the fence-end carpark, especially the junction outside Frankie & Bennys where cars are parked in the access road to the carpark which just clogs everything up when people trying to leave meet people trying to park up for the cinema (just try some cones if you can't pay a steward), then exit times would fall appreciably.
 
Since they started stewarding the East carpark and have cars parked only in marked bays, it is an absolute breeze to get away - 5-10 mins max and most of the hold up there is the numpties that park on the grass verges and pavement just outside the car park and cause everyone to wait while they lurch off the kerb disrupting the traffic flow.

If they were to do the same with the fence-end carpark, especially the junction outside Frankie & Bennys where cars are parked in the access road to the carpark which just clogs everything up when people trying to leave meet people trying to park up for the cinema (just try some cones if you can't pay a steward), then exit times would fall appreciably.
Couldn't agree more! The selfishness and stupidity of some people are astounding.
 
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