General The Board & Senior Management

[Steve Gilbert]

A Club Update from Chairman Grant Ferguson | Oxford United Football Club

www.oufc.co.uk

A good update and it’s great to see how much work is going on to develop the club, however, I will say the lack of mention about the commercial side of the club and improving things such as fan communication and ticketing is deafening.

 

[Eric Blair]

A good update and it’s great to see how much work is going on to develop the club, however, I will say the lack of mention about the commercial side of the club and improving things such as fan communication and ticketing is deafening.

I worry he’s overhyped the floodlights. Anything less than the floodlights performing open heart surgery whilst singing Nesun Dorma and farting the entire works of Shakespeare in Morse Code and I will be disappointed.

Of course, if the floodlights do end up doing that then I will happily eat my words.

 

[LowerSouth]

A good update and it’s great to see how much work is going on to develop the club, however, I will say the lack of mention about the commercial side of the club and improving things such as fan communication and ticketing is deafening.

Wasn’t the Baxi deal mentioned ?

 

[Scotchegg]

A good update and it’s great to see how much work is going on to develop the club, however, I will say the lack of mention about the commercial side of the club and improving things such as fan communication and ticketing is deafening.

To be fair, I'm not sure what sort of update we would want from the commercial/ticketing side of things. We have sold out all home games (give or take a few for Derby) and have taken lots of fans away. The deal to get Baxi on board took a while longer than it should have, but ended up being a decent deal for the club and avoided betting or crypto companies that were being mentioned. My understanding is that shirt sales have been very healthy, and not impacted by the delays as much as some feared.

In regard to communication, it feels like we've got over a poor summer and the very fact that we've had this update shows that there have been some improvements. The recent fans forum and the links with the Dub have been well received, and the wider communications regarding Tyler (baby), Will (suicide awareness) and Owen (baby loss) has shown a real incite into the lives of those at our club that goes well beyond football. The announcement today about a mental health forum under the Can We Talk? heading is another indication of how this club is looking to do the right things.

So rather than these issues being deliberately omitted from the update, it felt that Grant has underplayed some of the wider improvements which hopefully means that there is plenty more still to come.

 

[Eric Blair]

To be fair, I'm not sure what sort of update we would want from the commercial/ticketing side of things. We have sold out all home games (give or take a few for Derby) and have taken lots of fans away. The deal to get Baxi on board took a while longer than it should have, but ended up being a decent deal for the club and avoided betting or crypto companies that were being mentioned. My understanding is that shirt sales have been very healthy, and not impacted by the delays as much as some feared.

In regard to communication, it feels like we've got over a poor summer and the very fact that we've had this update shows that there have been some improvements. The recent fans forum and the links with the Dub have been well received, and the wider communications regarding Tyler (baby), Will (suicide awareness) and Owen (baby loss) has shown a real incite into the lives of those at our club that goes well beyond football. The announcement today about a mental health forum under the Can We Talk? heading is another indication of how this club is looking to do the right things.

So rather than these issues being deliberately omitted from the update, it felt that Grant has underplayed some of the wider improvements which hopefully means that there is plenty more still to come.

I think that’s fair. The club community stuff is so important to me (maybe it comes with age). The Black History Month stuff was genuinely interesting. The Will Vaulkes mental health profile is so important. And all off the back of the Bully Bodin autism awareness last season. Football being a force for good.

 

[billyturleyscurlywurly]

Still waiting for this monthly BBC Oxford fans forum sit down. 1 hour show a month was promised.

It’s November now.

 

[MarkG]

Amid talk of a Sheffield United takeover, someone has worked out the net worth of other Championship club owners.
I was getting quite excited scrolling down the list and not seeing us as having one of the poorer owners - until I got to the end.

https://www.insidermedia.com/news/national/potential-sheffield-united-owners-net-worth-how-does-it-compare-to-other-championship-clubs

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Interestingly on the club website Thoir isn’t listed under directors. In fact there is no mention of Thoir anywhere on the club directory.

 

[Stranger]

Interestingly on the club website Thoir isn’t listed under directors. In fact there is no mention of Thoir anywhere on the club directory.

Probably too busy ruling over Valhalla

 

[Banbury2018]

Interestingly on the club website Thoir isn’t listed under directors. In fact there is no mention of Thoir anywhere on the club directory.

Thohir doesn’t currently have any directorships as he is part of the Indonesian government and therefore by law isn’t allowed to. He is though still a major shareholder along with Anindya Barrie and Horste Geike. I believe Horste is the biggest individual shareholder.

 

[Left Wing Cross]

Interestingly on the club website Thoir isn’t listed under directors. In fact there is no mention of Thoir anywhere on the club directory.

He's not one of the directors and never has been (as per Companies House) . He has been identified a member of the shareholding group though:

Club Statement: Board Changes | Oxford United Football Club

Oxford United today announced the completion of a series of share sales and purchase transactions that result in the Indonesian shareholding group of Erick Thohir and Anindya N. Bakrie holding a 51% stake in the club, effective from 19th September 2022.

www.oufc.co.uk

However, I can't say what the size of his shareholding is and whether it has changed since 2022.

Personally, I don't put much faith in net worth, it's about the cash they have available.

 

[Colin B]

Interestingly on the club website Thoir isn’t listed under directors. In fact there is no mention of Thoir anywhere on the club directory.

The club is owned by Oxford Investment Holding PTE. LTD, an investment vehicle registered in Singapore. That is where Erick is shown among the list of owners, through his own investment vehicle PT EMT Asset Investama. Last time I looked he held 25.5% of the shares in OIH, the same as Anand Bakrie's investment vehicle, giving them a 51% controlling stake between them. Horst held a bigger individual stake than either of them and Tiger a much smaller stake.

This may now be out of date, as I haven't looked recently.

 

[greatunclekip]

The club is owned by Oxford Investment Holding PTE. LTD, an investment vehicle registered in Singapore. That is where Erick is shown among the list of owners, through his own investment vehicle PT EMT Asset Investama. Last time I looked he held 25.5% of the shares in OIH, the same as Anand Bakrie's investment vehicle, giving them a 51% controlling stake between them. Horst held a bigger individual stake than either of them and Tiger a much smaller stake.

This may now be out of date, as I haven't looked recently.

And of course Horst is a particularly interesting one given he is still an active shareholder in the company that owns Readings ground!

 

[holdsteady]

And of course Horst is a particularly interesting one given he is still an active shareholder in the company that owns Readings ground!

Free rent there while we build the triangle then.