Kassam Stadium The Kassam Stadium

[Ox4Eva]

With the situation occurring at the game yesterday, Rosie mentioned it was caused by leaks into a couple of offices.

I wonder how often there is a H&S inspection of Grenoble road?

I guess there would be regulations that need to be adhered to..

 

[bazzer9461]

With the situation occurring at the game yesterday, Rosie mentioned it was caused by leaks into a couple of offices.

I wonder how often there is a H&S inspection of Grenoble road?

I guess there would be regulations that need to be adhered to..

A H&S inspection is definitely needed and sooner rather than lately.

 

[arthurturner]

With the situation occurring at the game yesterday, Rosie mentioned it was caused by leaks into a couple of offices.

I wonder how often there is a H&S inspection of Grenoble road?

I guess there would be regulations that need to be adhered to..

The cost of which would be added to the service charges payable by the club. Only goes to further emphasise how urgent the need to resolve the stadium situation is. Tick Tock.

 

[Oxymoron]

Reading between the lines of the various accounts of the "fire", I think the "leaks" being referred to was the smell of burning permeating through the ventilation system. The fire itself seems to have been confined to a fuse box - possibly a circuit breaker overheating?

It can't have got to a full blown blaze if the Fire Brigade declared the stadium safe for use and that the floodlights were able to be fired up again to quickly.

 

[Manorlounger]

The cost of which would be added to the service charges payable by the club. Only goes to further emphasise how urgent the need to resolve the stadium situation is. Tick Tock.

And this is the core issue. The stadium was never completed to the specifications that would have given it any real longevity* and the lack of any meaningful maintenance/renovation over the last 20 odd years mean that situations as yesterday evening will occur again.
The club must get away from Grenoble road. It's a money pit.

*Example of this is the lack of under pitch heating. Planned, partially constructed and then cast aside as an unnecessary expense.

 

[bazzer9461]

In surprised that no owner of the club ie Merry etc never explored the possibility of legal action against Firoka against their failure as a responsible landlord in being negligent btowards the upkeep of the rental of Grenoble road. You read from time to time about Landlords of properties of multiple occupancy being fined for their failure to upkeep their properties.
so why not Firoka.

 

[Ox4Eva]

I have noticed to decay in the north stand, if you look up in the gangways it looks like its falling apart!

 

[nick68]

I think you're all over reacting to the issue that happened yesterday.

If you think the Kassam is in disrepair you've clearly not been to Luton, Portsmouth, Accrington and my personal favourite piece of scaffolding at Gillingham.

If these stadiums can meets H&S regulations then the Kassam must pass with an A+

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Niall McWilliams appears to say in last weeks 5 Minute Fans Forum that the club pays for the floodlighting.
Whether that also means the upkeep and maintenance of the lights as well as the energy costs on match days
is not totally clear.

We can of course make an educated guess about which party pays for the floodlighting maintenance.

The key unarguable point is that the ground is just not being maintained properly. How long has the roof been leaking now.

 

[arthurturner]

And this is the core issue. The stadium was never completed to the specifications that would have given it any real longevity* and the lack of any meaningful maintenance/renovation over the last 20 odd years mean that situations as yesterday evening will occur again.
The club must get away from Grenoble road. It's a money pit.

*Example of this is the lack of under pitch heating. Planned, partially constructed and then cast aside as an unnecessary expense.

There is nothing to suggest that we are going to be moving into a new state of the art stadium on a green field site in Oxfordshire any time soon or even before March 2026 when the current arrangement to use the present stadium, which has passed it's sell by date ,expires. Given how far and wide our fan base is spread and the fact that clubs by and large only use their stadia for matches 2/3 times a month and not at all out of season, it is surely only realistic to begin discussions with other clubs to ground share. After all, most of our club's day to day activity these days takes place at the training ground. Grenoble Road is effectively just for match days. The MK Stadium is 40 minutes from Oxford, is as state of the art as one could wish for to match our ambitions for the Championship and beyond. We have to move beyond the parochial insistence of some that the club has to play within the confines of the city. Yes, it was lovely back in the day when we could do so in the middle of Headington and be successful but if we are to survive in the 21st Century and still achieve success then we are going to have to think differently. I would expect that MK Dons would look favourably at a sharing arrangement. The cost of running a professional football club nowadays is crippling as witness the number of EFL clubs struggling financially and some going to the wall. Sharing the cost of the stadium structure makes obvious sense. I would urge the board to pursue this possible solution to a problem that is becoming increasingly urgent to solve.

 

[rosieburns]

I think you're all over reacting to the issue that happened yesterday.

If you think the Kassam is in disrepair you've clearly not been to Luton, Portsmouth, Accrington and my personal favourite piece of scaffolding at Gillingham.

If these stadiums can meets H&S regulations then the Kassam must pass with an A+

Just because there grounds are of a poor standard does not mean we have to put up with a sub standard ground.

As to the grounds you mentioned, I think one or two of us on here have been a few times !!

And as for over reaching to a fire , remember Bradford / Kings Coss ?

 

[OX14]

There is nothing to suggest that we are going to be moving into a new state of the art stadium on a green field site in Oxfordshire any time soon or even before March 2026 when the current arrangement to use the present stadium, which has passed it's sell by date ,expires. Given how far and wide our fan base is spread and the fact that clubs by and large only use their stadia for matches 2/3 times a month and not at all out of season, it is surely only realistic to begin discussions with other clubs to ground share. After all, most of our club's day to day activity these days takes place at the training ground. Grenoble Road is effectively just for match days. The MK Stadium is 40 minutes from Oxford, is as state of the art as one could wish for to match our ambitions for the Championship and beyond. We have to move beyond the parochial insistence of some that the club has to play within the confines of the city. Yes, it was lovely back in the day when we could do so in the middle of Headington and be successful but if we are to survive in the 21st Century and still achieve success then we are going to have to think differently. I would expect that MK Dons would look favourably at a sharing arrangement. The cost of running a professional football club nowadays is crippling as witness the number of EFL clubs struggling financially and some going to the wall. Sharing the cost of the stadium structure makes obvious sense. I would urge the board to pursue this possible solution to a problem that is becoming increasingly urgent to solve.

A long term share with MK Don's? Wouldn't we lose at least half of our fanbase? The day tippers are not going to travel 40 miles to MK to watch a league 1 team every game and probably half of season ticket holders wouldn't either.

If a move away to a new stadium in Oxfordshire is not possible then the only solution is to stay at Grenoble Road. The board may be able to get a better deal with Ka$$am that allows us to have control of the stadium but we would take it on as a lease hold.

 

[Manorlounger]

There is nothing to suggest that we are going to be moving into a new state of the art stadium on a green field site in Oxfordshire any time soon or even before March 2026 when the current arrangement to use the present stadium, which has passed it's sell by date ,expires. Given how far and wide our fan base is spread and the fact that clubs by and large only use their stadia for matches 2/3 times a month and not at all out of season, it is surely only realistic to begin discussions with other clubs to ground share. After all, most of our club's day to day activity these days takes place at the training ground. Grenoble Road is effectively just for match days. The MK Stadium is 40 minutes from Oxford, is as state of the art as one could wish for to match our ambitions for the Championship and beyond. We have to move beyond the parochial insistence of some that the club has to play within the confines of the city. Yes, it was lovely back in the day when we could do so in the middle of Headington and be successful but if we are to survive in the 21st Century and still achieve success then we are going to have to think differently. I would expect that MK Dons would look favourably at a sharing arrangement. The cost of running a professional football club nowadays is crippling as witness the number of EFL clubs struggling financially and some going to the wall. Sharing the cost of the stadium structure makes obvious sense. I would urge the board to pursue this possible solution to a problem that is becoming increasingly urgent to solve.

With respect, I think you are assuming a little too much and on the pessimistic side. I would refer you to the above quoted 5 minute fans forum with Niall McWilliams where he makes clear reference to progress being made. That that progress has been hindered by Covid-19 is not in doubt but surely, reference to delays would indicate that some progress had been made?
It would be foolish to completely ignore the idea of a groundshare but, I just don't believe that is what the board want. The promotion of the "Oxford" brand has been to the fore from the outset with Tiger. Going to Milton Keynes to play matches hardly suits that premise.

 

[brassmonkey]

If only we had some rich fans that could club together and buy the stadium. Anyone won the lottery recently?

 

[perryman]

There is nothing to suggest that we are going to be moving into a new state of the art stadium on a green field site in Oxfordshire any time soon or even before March 2026 when the current arrangement to use the present stadium, which has passed it's sell by date ,expires. Given how far and wide our fan base is spread and the fact that clubs by and large only use their stadia for matches 2/3 times a month and not at all out of season, it is surely only realistic to begin discussions with other clubs to ground share. After all, most of our club's day to day activity these days takes place at the training ground. Grenoble Road is effectively just for match days. The MK Stadium is 40 minutes from Oxford, is as state of the art as one could wish for to match our ambitions for the Championship and beyond. We have to move beyond the parochial insistence of some that the club has to play within the confines of the city. Yes, it was lovely back in the day when we could do so in the middle of Headington and be successful but if we are to survive in the 21st Century and still achieve success then we are going to have to think differently. I would expect that MK Dons would look favourably at a sharing arrangement. The cost of running a professional football club nowadays is crippling as witness the number of EFL clubs struggling financially and some going to the wall. Sharing the cost of the stadium structure makes obvious sense. I would urge the board to pursue this possible solution to a problem that is becoming increasingly urgent to solve.

I think that would be a disaster for the club. Plenty of people who go now would not travel to games. I very much doubt you would pick up any casual supporters from MK as they don’t even go to see their own team.

 

[OX14]

I think that would be a disaster for the club. Plenty of people who go now would not travel to games. I very much doubt you would pick up any casual supporters from MK as they don’t even go to see their own team.

Be interesting to see the outcome of a poll on if we were to move to MK who would still have a season ticket, who would make the occasional game and who would only go to away games.

While I wouldn't desert the club, It would be hard to go to any home games midweek.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

It’s all good and well talking about upping sticks to another county while there are wealthy investors propping the club up, but given they’re here for the Oxford name and the prospect of a property development deal, moving the club to Buckinghamshire means they’d continue to bankroll us for... what? What’s in it for them at that point, while we play to half the amount of people we normally do, because that’s simply what happens when a club moves for even a single season let alone many? Why would they put their hands in their pockets even further to watch us play to 3/4k in Stadium MK? And who says both the FA and EFL would even grant the permission to begin with? They’re not going to want to have another Coventry, or to open the door to every club that gets the hump with their circumstances just moving to wherever the hell they fancy for an unspecified period of time. At the very least the authorities would want to know what the plan is to move beyond the situation, and to approve a rigid timescale to that. One timer stops, another one starts. If we simply turned around and went, “No real plan, just going to stay here indefinitely until something comes up closer to home, maybe, at some sort of point, ish” then we would be expelled from the league and stripped of the Oxford name.

We already had a few dunderheads living out their hard man fantasies with the encouragement of the club 2/3 years back, running around with their shirts off and declaring we were going to stick it to Kassam once and for all by walking out unless he gave us a better deal. Then reality bit down and the implications became clear, not just legally and financially but constitutionally in terms of the club being allowed to retain its place in the league, and the necks were wound in just as quickly as the shrivelled willies were brandished.

The club has only ever had two choices:

1) Live as peacefully as possible with the current situation while trying to secure the existing stadium for redevelopment, OR while trying to secure an alternative site for a new stadium to move to.

2) Start a Phoenix club and try to ground share with Oxford City or the like.

That’s it. Moving Oxford United to Milton Keynes, or Wycombe, or Northampton, or anywhere else within 40/50 miles with absolutely no plan of how or when to get out of there, is not an option. You might get away with a season or two in one of those places while a new stadium is completed, like when Spurs played at Wembley during the rebuilding of WHL, but that’s your lot. Otherwise you’re just running towards the barrel of a gun while holding a slingshot. It might make you feel good but it goes black pretty quickly.

 

[arthurturner]

With respect, I think you are assuming a little too much and on the pessimistic side. I would refer you to the above quoted 5 minute fans forum with Niall McWilliams where he makes clear reference to progress being made. That that progress has been hindered by Covid-19 is not in doubt but surely, reference to delays would indicate that some progress had been made?
It would be foolish to completely ignore the idea of a groundshare but, I just don't believe that is what the board want. The promotion of the "Oxford" brand has been to the fore from the outset with Tiger. Going to Milton Keynes to play matches hardly suits that premise.

1. Sharing the MK stadium would not affect the promotion of the Oxford brand.
2. The club's base would still be in Oxford at the training ground.
3. We would only play matches at MK. That would hardly put off global fans in say, the Far East.
3. Many fans already travel over an hour to get to Grenoble Road.
4. It would be relatively simple to organise transport for fans from Oxford to MK on match days.
5. Coventry City successfully play their matches at Birmingham City whilst they look for a solution to their stadium problem
6. I am sceptical about "progress being made".
7.. Isn't it about time the Board said what they do want?

I'm not suggesting that a ground share would be for ever and a day, but time is not on our side if we are going to avoid what nobody wants - another 20 years at Grenoble Road on the current terms.. Can you imagine the state of the stadium in 2046?

 

[arthurturner]

It’s all good and well talking about upping sticks to another county while there are wealthy investors propping the club up, but given they’re here for the Oxford name and the prospect of a property development deal, moving the club to Buckinghamshire means they’d continue to bankroll us for... what? What’s in it for them at that point, while we play to half the amount of people we normally do, because that’s simply what happens when a club moves for even a single season let alone many? Why would they put their hands in their pockets even further to watch us play to 3/4k in Stadium MK? And who says both the FA and EFL would even grant the permission to begin with? They’re not going to want to have another Coventry, or to open the door to every club that gets the hump with their circumstances just moving to wherever the hell they fancy for an unspecified period of time. At the very least the authorities would want to know what the plan is to move beyond the situation, and to approve a rigid timescale to that. One timer stops, another one starts. If we simply turned around and went, “No real plan, just going to stay here indefinitely until something comes up closer to home, maybe, at some sort of point, ish” then we would be expelled from the league and stripped of the Oxford name.

We already had a few dunderheads living out their hard man fantasies with the encouragement of the club 2/3 years back, running around with their shirts off and declaring we were going to stick it to Kassam once and for all by walking out unless he gave us a better deal. Then reality bit down and the implications became clear, not just legally and financially but constitutionally in terms of the club being allowed to retain its place in the league, and the necks were wound in just as quickly as the shrivelled willies were brandished.

The club has only ever had two choices:

1) Live as peacefully as possible with the current situation while trying to secure the existing stadium for redevelopment, OR while trying to secure an alternative site for a new stadium to move to.

2) Start a Phoenix club and try to ground share with Oxford City or the like.

That’s it. Moving Oxford United to Milton Keynes, or Wycombe, or Northampton, or anywhere else within 40/50 miles with absolutely no plan of how or when to get out of there, is not an option. You might get away with a season or two in one of those places while a new stadium is completed, like when Spurs played at Wembley during the rebuilding of WHL, but that’s your lot. Otherwise you’re just running towards the barrel of a gun while holding a slingshot. It might make you feel good but it goes black pretty quickly.

But the club would not be moving to MK. The club's day to day activities take place at the training ground. The proposal is merely to play matches elsewhere. Oxford United would continue to be based in Oxford.

 

[Foley]

There is nothing to suggest that we are going to be moving into a new state of the art stadium on a green field site in Oxfordshire any time soon or even before March 2026 when the current arrangement to use the present stadium, which has passed it's sell by date ,expires. Given how far and wide our fan base is spread and the fact that clubs by and large only use their stadia for matches 2/3 times a month and not at all out of season, it is surely only realistic to begin discussions with other clubs to ground share. After all, most of our club's day to day activity these days takes place at the training ground. Grenoble Road is effectively just for match days. The MK Stadium is 40 minutes from Oxford, is as state of the art as one could wish for to match our ambitions for the Championship and beyond. We have to move beyond the parochial insistence of some that the club has to play within the confines of the city. Yes, it was lovely back in the day when we could do so in the middle of Headington and be successful but if we are to survive in the 21st Century and still achieve success then we are going to have to think differently. I would expect that MK Dons would look favourably at a sharing arrangement. The cost of running a professional football club nowadays is crippling as witness the number of EFL clubs struggling financially and some going to the wall. Sharing the cost of the stadium structure makes obvious sense. I would urge the board to pursue this possible solution to a problem that is becoming increasingly urgent to solve.

I really hope that the Board understand the folly of even considering MK as an option.
I wouldn't set foot there and I suspect that many many would do the same.
The one proviso is that it is a little different if a new stadium is in the process of bring built and there is a year between getting into a new ground.

 

[Foley]

1. Sharing the MK stadium would not affect the promotion of the Oxford brand.
2. The club's base would still be in Oxford at the training ground.
3. We would only play matches at MK. That would hardly put off global fans in say, the Far East.
3. Many fans already travel over an hour to get to Grenoble Road.
4. It would be relatively simple to organise transport for fans from Oxford to MK on match days.
5. Coventry City successfully play their matches at Birmingham City whilst they look for a solution to their stadium problem
6. I am sceptical about "progress being made".
7.. Isn't it about time the Board said what they do want?

I'm not suggesting that a ground share would be for ever and a day, but time is not on our side if we are going to avoid what nobody wants - another 20 years at Grenoble Road on the current terms.. Can you imagine the state of the stadium in 2046?

You try telling some if the Coventry supporters that they 'successfully share' with Birmingham!
You seem to be looking at this ironically like a 'franchise ' situation.
I would bet that the majority of supporters see Oxford as our home and would despise going to the awful MK stadium .

 

[RyanioBirdio]

But the club would not be moving to MK. The club's day to day activities take place at the training ground. The proposal is merely to play matches elsewhere. Oxford United would continue to be based in Oxford.

That is not how the league regulations work. You play your home matches in a stadium within a certain distance from the town or city your club name represents. I believe it’s something like 9 miles.

Barrow used to train in Manchester during the week (they might still do this) and only go to Barrow to play the games. Sunderland once talked about moving their training ground to London so that they could attract better players, and flying up solely to play the matches. This is because you must play your matches where you claim to be from - the training ground has nothing to do with anything.

 

[OX14]

I really hope that the Board understand the folly of even considering MK as an option.
I wouldn't set foot there and I suspect that many many would do the same.
The one proviso is that it is a little different if a new stadium is in the process of bring built and there is a year between getting into a new ground.

Agree, I wouldn't be against a ground share temporarily while our new stadium was being built. If we moved there permanently I would seriously have to consider moving my alliance to City.

 

[Sandy]

I'm all for moving temporarily while we / if we build our own stadium but it don't have to be MK. Wycombe's ground is much more convenient.

 

[OUFCGav]

The difficulty with the situation is that it is not currently outwardly clear what actually happened. Quoting people who wouldn't actually know what went on just perpetuates the fog.
There is talk of "fire" but we don't know anything about it. A blowing high voltage circuit for example (as could lots of other things) could cause smoke/smell/trip other things to make the floodlights go off. Something serious in a public venue is unlikely to have been signed off by the fire brigade/safety officers for a return to the building within an hour.
Things are potentially more likely to go wrong if maintenance is done on a least cost basis, but we don't yet know whether that was a cause.

 

[bazzer9461]

It’s all good and well talking about upping sticks to another county while there are wealthy investors propping the club up, but given they’re here for the Oxford name and the prospect of a property development deal, moving the club to Buckinghamshire means they’d continue to bankroll us for... what? What’s in it for them at that point, while we play to half the amount of people we normally do, because that’s simply what happens when a club moves for even a single season let alone many? Why would they put their hands in their pockets even further to watch us play to 3/4k in Stadium MK? And who says both the FA and EFL would even grant the permission to begin with? They’re not going to want to have another Coventry, or to open the door to every club that gets the hump with their circumstances just moving to wherever the hell they fancy for an unspecified period of time. At the very least the authorities would want to know what the plan is to move beyond the situation, and to approve a rigid timescale to that. One timer stops, another one starts. If we simply turned around and went, “No real plan, just going to stay here indefinitely until something comes up closer to home, maybe, at some sort of point, ish” then we would be expelled from the league and stripped of the Oxford name.

We already had a few dunderheads living out their hard man fantasies with the encouragement of the club 2/3 years back, running around with their shirts off and declaring we were going to stick it to Kassam once and for all by walking out unless he gave us a better deal. Then reality bit down and the implications became clear, not just legally and financially but constitutionally in terms of the club being allowed to retain its place in the league, and the necks were wound in just as quickly as the shrivelled willies were brandished.

The club has only ever had two choices:

1) Live as peacefully as possible with the current situation while trying to secure the existing stadium for redevelopment, OR while trying to secure an alternative site for a new stadium to move to.

2) Start a Phoenix club and try to ground share with Oxford City or the like.

That’s it. Moving Oxford United to Milton Keynes, or Wycombe, or Northampton, or anywhere else within 40/50 miles with absolutely no plan of how or when to get out of there, is not an option. You might get away with a season or two in one of those places while a new stadium is completed, like when Spurs played at Wembley during the rebuilding of WHL, but that’s your lot. Otherwise you’re just running towards the barrel of a gun while holding a slingshot. It might make you feel good but it goes black pretty quickly.

You forgot the rent we would be charged for ground sharing, and with a dwindling fan abs going to the fakes or worse to that dump down the M40 we would lose money hand over fist

 

[Northstandboy]

When I sit in that stadium, I often think "is this place safe"!

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Agree, I wouldn't be against a ground share temporarily while our new stadium was being built. If we moved there permanently I would seriously have to consider moving my alliance to City.

Don’t worry, it wouldn’t be allowed anyway. The league would sling us out unless we had a cast iron agreement in terms of a designated time period, and the consequence of missing that deadline would be sudden death. The reason that the rules of football state that you must play your matches where you claim to be from, and why you can train whenever the hell you like without consequence, is because a football club ‘belongs’ to the area it represents through its badge. The people of that village, town or city respectively must be able to watch them play matches against others in that place. The training ground is a complete and utter irrelevance - it isn’t a PO Box. This isn’t some sort of corporate workaround to avoid paying tax, and I’m pretty stunned to have seen it treated as and compared to such.

Most of us support the clubs that we support to begin with because they represent our home. They carry the name of the place we’re from - where we were born, where we live, where our family roots were planted or maybe even all three - and because we get to watch them run out to represent us in that same place. It’s why they’re called home games. History is littered with clubs moving even temporarily, and suddenly playing to half the number of people as before and after they return. That’s because when it moves it no longer represents its home. It isn’t simply down to logistics in terms of people not being able to get to games as easily - the connection is gone. What’s it for? What’s the point of travelling to watch a team that no longer represents me or my home in anything other than name? The entire reason I fell in love with it has disappeared the second that you take it out of my city, and for anybody to suggest that it’s fine and dandy, because the training ground is still at Horspath, is just staggering. Even without it breaking the rules of the sport, slashing our revenues and giving our owners almost no reason to keep it alive, it’s a catastrophic misunderstanding of the game and of its very soul.

I am very similar to you. If the club were to up sticks and move for any other reason than a new stadium already had the diggers in, and therefore we knew it was a temporary measure until our tear-filled return, it’s over. If a Phoenix club started then I would support that, but I don’t even think I could switch to City. I’ve got one club in me and I couldn’t go and watch another because I would never feel anything. A tremendous amount of people would feel exactly the same - it would be the end.

We have to leave the stadium, but we cannot leave Oxford.

 

[bazzer9461]

I'm all for moving temporarily while we / if we build our own stadium but it don't have to be MK. Wycombe's ground is much more convenient.

Wycombe also one of the worst stadiums to leave.
Worse than ours

 

[Marston Road Yellow]

Who has the responsibility of the upkeep of the stadium? Is it firoka or OUFC? Also with regards to ground sharing MK franchise stadium, it won’t work because literally nobody would want to. Isn’t the county ground closer anyway?