There has to be something going on..

Had a conversation with Nial McWilliams at half time yesterday, Charlo and Bash at his sides. Asked about the proposal to move he was both candid, as far as he could be, and very enthusiastic. The finance will not be an issue, although I got the feeling that it wasn't sitting in a bank somewhere! The club is very aware of the need to work with the councils and is very keen on a community based solution. I warned about the fickle nature of councillors and Nial was very pointed in talking about the experience he has with them and is well aware of the need to get "votes" on our side.
Very uplifting and I came aware with a far more confident belief that the stadium issue is moving forward.
Of course, that old shyster FK will take umbrage and attempt to disrupt us as much as he can. Perhaps the lack of forward booking for stadium tours is, in part at least, down to him directing Firoka and Stadco to be awkward?

OxVox have stated that they will have an update tomorrow, Monday, following a meeting with the club. I expect this to confirm and perhaps go further into detail.
 
Had a conversation with Nial McWilliams at half time yesterday, Charlo and Bash at his sides. Asked about the proposal to move he was both candid, as far as he could be, and very enthusiastic. The finance will not be an issue, although I got the feeling that it wasn't sitting in a bank somewhere! The club is very aware of the need to work with the councils and is very keen on a community based solution. I warned about the fickle nature of councillors and Nial was very pointed in talking about the experience he has with them and is well aware of the need to get "votes" on our side.
Very uplifting and I came aware with a far more confident belief that the stadium issue is moving forward.
Of course, that old shyster FK will take umbrage and attempt to disrupt us as much as he can. Perhaps the lack of forward booking for stadium tours is, in part at least, down to him directing Firoka and Stadco to be awkward?

OxVox have stated that they will have an update tomorrow, Monday, following a meeting with the club. I expect this to confirm and perhaps go further into detail.
Do you get the impression that Nial McWilliams is a far more capable MD, with more power and influence, than he is being given credit for?
 
To move away from Grenoble Road would be a great idea. I’m sure it needs loads of money spending on it to make it up to date. I can still recall with horror the half built structure with a lot of corrosion. It’d be like using Jenolite on a rusty car...it’ll come back some years hence.
Oh for a stadium like the Amex...can dream but there are some nice stadia around the country
 
Do you get the impression that Nial McWilliams is a far more capable MD, with more power and influence, than he is being given credit for?
That's an interesting question, firstly I got the impression of a very enthusiastic and committed person. Second, when I questioned him about the clubs knowledge and experience of councillors, he was not only quick to respond but keen to express his experience of dealing with them. He has been in Oxford since 1989 apparently and despite my pointing out that I also had some knowledge of the inner workings (my Father was for many years in the education department and I met several "characters" along the way) he was convinced that both he and the club would get along fine and get things moving in the right directions. He was also quick to confirm my assertion that voters would play their part.

So, in a lot of ways, I believe he could very well have more power and influence than he is being given credit for and could be a very useful man to have involved.
 
To move away from Grenoble Road would be a great idea. I’m sure it needs loads of money spending on it to make it up to date. I can still recall with horror the half built structure with a lot of corrosion. It’d be like using Jenolite on a rusty car...it’ll come back some years hence.
Oh for a stadium like the Amex...can dream but there are some nice stadia around the country
Was at the Liberty Stadium last weekend. Very impressed, 21000 capacity and the atmosphere was excellent.
 
He’s also not part-time anymore, which hardly anybody seems to know. He’s been full-time for a good number of months.
I didn't know that. Makes a lot of sense though. A good move on Tiger's part. Might also lend more credence to the impression I got that he wields a bit more power than we may have thought!
 
He’s also not part-time anymore, which hardly anybody seems to know. He’s been full-time for a good number of months.
Doesn't bother answering emails asking a question ...despite inviting supporters to email him....no excuse if he's now full time
 
Was at the Liberty Stadium last weekend. Very impressed, 21000 capacity and the atmosphere was excellent.

Built and paid for by their council when they were in Lg2 with us wasnt it. Paid a nominal rent from 2005 till last year when they agreed a £300,000 a year rent for 37 years to give the tax payer a better deal on the investment. We got Kassam cheers then OCC.
 
Even if the rumours of potential new ground have any realistic substance, I assume the most optimistic timeframe is still 5 years. So we still have to "work with" Kassam for a very long time yet, in which time he will squeeze every penny from us and make the logistics of playing at his stadium very difficult.
 
Even if the rumours of potential new ground have any realistic substance, I assume the most optimistic timeframe is still 5 years. So we still have to "work with" Kassam for a very long time yet, in which time he will squeeze every penny from us and make the logistics of playing at his stadium very difficult.
I wouldn't bet against there being something in it for him, which might help!
 
I wouldn't bet against there being something in it for him, which might help!
If someone else, ie the council, is going to help get the club out of there so he can build houses on the land, he’s already going to be delighted. The problem is that even in this scenario he can’t lose, so he will still be a pain until the bitter end. It’s not like if he’s difficult and spiteful the council will decline the housing permission when their targets are nearly impossible to hit as it is. Whatever Kassam is going to get out of all of this he’s going to get whether he’s a nice friendly man or not.

The reality, as anyone should know, is that what he hates most is being challenged. He wants to ‘win’. His entire attitude towards this club has always been about ‘winning’ over us. The constant goading by referring to himself as the custodian, the unhelpfulness every time things are positive and moving forwards - he hates that the club is successful when it wasn’t under him, and he hates when we’re happy because we’re the rotters who stormed his boardroom and demanded he left. He loathes this football club and anyone who thinks otherwise is deluded.

He’s gonna be unbearable until the bitter end. Nobody is bribing him with sweeties to be a good boy. He’s got enough as it is and is getting more whether he’s naughty or nice.
 
I wouldn't bet against there being something in it for him, which might help!
Kassam is definitely going to be a major player in all of this whether people like it or not. His cooperation going forward will be vital, reading between the lines I think the OCC are doing their bit with mediation between club and FK
 
If someone else, ie the council, is going to help get the club out of there so he can build houses on the land, he’s already going to be delighted. The problem is that even in this scenario he can’t lose, so he will still be a pain until the bitter end. It’s not like if he’s difficult and spiteful the council will decline the housing permission when their targets are nearly impossible to hit as it is. Whatever Kassam is going to get out of all of this he’s going to get whether he’s a nice friendly man or not.

The reality, as anyone should know, is that what he hates most is being challenged. He wants to ‘win’. His entire attitude towards this club has always been about ‘winning’ over us. The constant goading by referring to himself as the custodian, the unhelpfulness every time things are positive and moving forwards - he hates that the club is successful when it wasn’t under him, and he hates when we’re happy because we’re the rotters who stormed his boardroom and demanded he left. He loathes this football club and anyone who thinks otherwise is deluded.

He’s gonna be unbearable until the bitter end. Nobody is bribing him with sweeties to be a good boy. He’s got enough as it is and is getting more whether he’s naughty or nice.
I totally agree with that. His attitude towards the club over the past 18 years suggests that he is going to be as difficult as possible
 
Kassam is definitely going to be a major player in all of this whether people like it or not. His cooperation going forward will be vital, reading between the lines I think the OCC are doing their bit with mediation between club and FK
His only real interest will be selling the land for as much money as possible.
I expect he will try and get any new stadium named after him!!
 
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