Fan's View Well done (from an Owls fan)

[Big Ron]

"What I do absolutely expect, based on the philosophies of the men directing proceedings from the touchlines, is that we will be thoroughly entertained." - hope the 4-0 defeat entertained him.

To the author - look at the bloody bigger picture. 24 teams in L1. Not just three that play or try to play football. It ain't new.

Paul, he probably couldn't see the game with his head that far up his backside.

 

[Joey]

As previously noted, one of the most balanced posts we've seen from an opposition fan and all the more refreshing.

As for fans so far up their own backsides, I came across this Sunderland article last week praising the football style that Lee Johnson has seemingly tried to introduce, alongside the Cowley's at Portsmouth. It's as if they have hit upon a style that nobody else has previously tried in the division, apart from MK Dons. Deluded as always and I don't think anyone is pretending that the Cowley's are producing slick, possession based teams. No recognition that Oxford, Lincoln, Accrington, Bolton and many others are trying to play the 'right' way.

Pompey v Sunderland will show the new English style has reached League One

It’s not just Lee Johnson who has brought a new approach to our division – good football is proliferating throughout the English pyramid, and it’s fantastic to see.

rokerreport.sbnation.com

To be fair he does give Bolton credit quite late on, comparing their style of play to Cheltenham's while making almost no concession for the different budgets available. Absolute load of crap that was.

 

[PottersRightBoot]

Actually thought the Roker Report effort wasn’t bad. Better than their usual ‘Mackems are the chosen people’ garbage.

 

[uptheus]

I have to say I was made most welcome by your lot. Met a couple of “expat” Owls fans (from Stafford way) at the Tap at the station. They were pretty sanguine about their expectations from the game (lose), and certainly not Billy big balls in any way. They then took me to the Barrack Tavern and even insisted on buying the beers. Obviously we both said “now f**k off” just before the game!

I’d never been to Hillsborough before and it did feel like a privilege in a way, but yeah, you do need to make more noise than 1,500 away fans!

The “shithole” song always makes me laugh. Particularly when, say, Luton come to Oxford.

The one song I never join in with is the “by far the greatest team, the world has ever seen” one. Can’t sing it with a straight face.

I hope Oxford fans make you feel as welcome as your lot did. And feel free to pop back here in January for advice on pubs, etc. I’m an expert [emoji23][emoji23]

The other song that pisses me off is, ‘how s**t must you be we’re winning away’ etc.

Basically means we’re s**t away/home (yes can understand if that is truly the situation over a sustained period, but not a few games).

 

[bicesterox]

Wimbledon haven’t announced their attendance figures

Wimbledon was 7542 with 998 Oxford

 

[RgYellows]

Actually thought the Roker Report effort wasn’t bad. Better than their usual ‘Mackems are the chosen people’ garbage.

To just pick at the final paragraph a bit:

This way of developing a club isn't replicable everywhere, but variations on this approach at clubs like Sunderland and Portsmouth has meant that a trickle of the highest-quality young players are now coming down here to League One to get vital experience and game time, and to have the chance to make a name for themselves in front of relatively big and knowledgable crowds.

Firstly, this way of developing a club isn't replicable everywhere. This is only something that chosen clubs like Sunderland can do.

Then, it seems that clubs like Sunderland and Portsmouth are leading the way in convincing quality young players to drop down to League One for vital experience and game time. Appleton didn't convince quality young players like Lundstram, Baldock, Kenny, Roofe, Ledson, Rothwell and countless others to drop down whilst Sunderland pissed huge sums up the wall on veteran players that couldn't get them over the line. This is a bold new approach invented at the time that Sunderland came up with it.

And finally the obligatory bit of praise for the enlightened knowledge of the Sunderland fans, which doesn't seem to stretch to other clubs in their league.

Breath taking bit of arrogance, for me. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't tell you what Accrington are doing either, but I'm not writing articles about how special we are.

A caveat to this is that I actually had a lovely time on my only trip up to Sunderland and found the fans I spoke to were class. I appreciate from the comments of others that it seems I hogged all the good conversations though.

 

[RgYellows]

Yes, I always chuckle when you hear this sung at ours. Lots of things could be said about Oxford but a shithole isn't one of them.

I don't know if anyone listens to the Football Ramble podcast, but they recently had an email from a Leicester-based Ox fan who wanted suggestions on how to convince their kid to support the mighty yellows over Leicester.

Whilst acknowledging that is a hard sell for most people in terms of quality of football (or ground), I did a bit of a double take when they suggested that Oxford could not compete with Leicester a city. Not something I'm used to us being challenged on!

 

[Bodminyellow]

TBH I find this demonising (or for that matter eulogising) of certain teams fans a bit odd (apart from Swindon obviously). Surely all clubs have their quota of idiots. Obviously clubs with more fans like Sunderland have more idiots than us but I doubt the ratio is much different. It also doesn’t surprise me that fans of bigger clubs have a problem finding themselves at our level and thinking they shouldn’t be there - like we did in the conference/L2. I’ve watched quite a number of Sunderland matches over the years and always found most (certainly not all) of them to be welcoming and knowledgeable. I accept that some Clubs have created cultures which aren’t great - Millwall and Leeds (oh and of course Swindon) spring to mind. However, other than Swindon, individually they probably just a cross section of society like we are.

 

[Essexyellows]

I don't know if anyone listens to the Football Ramble podcast, but they recently had an email from a Leicester-based Ox fan who wanted suggestions on how to convince their kid to support the mighty yellows over Leicester.

Whilst acknowledging that is a hard sell for most people in terms of quality of football (or ground), I did a bit of a double take when they suggested that Oxford could not compete with Leicester a city. Not something I'm used to us being challenged on!

Depends how you define comparison of City`s.

Leicester isn`t that bad and certain parts are on a par with Oxford.
The Universities here are more "red brick" than sandstone, the Cultural Quarter certainly matches the theatre end of Oxford.
Both cities have less salubrious areas............. but Leicester has got the National Space Centre & Richard III.
There is as much green space here as in Oxford, as much waterside too and we have the Waterside festival and the largest Diwali celebration outside of India.

It`s not all grim "up North".

PS: It wasn`t me but I think I know who it was!

 

[RgYellows]

Depends how you define comparison of City`s.

Leicester isn`t that bad and certain parts are on a par with Oxford.
The Universities here are more "red brick" than sandstone, the Cultural Quarter certainly matches the theatre end of Oxford.
Both cities have less salubrious areas............. but Leicester has got the National Space Centre & Richard III.
There is as much green space here as in Oxford, as much waterside too and we have the Waterside festival and the largest Diwali celebration outside of India.

It`s not all grim "up North".

PS: It wasn`t me but I think I know who it was!

Believe me, I have no interesting in talking down Leicester as a place. But the idea that it was outclassing Oxford did hit me, because the list of cities I'd consider unequivocally better is very small indeed.

When people sing about Oxford being a s**t hole, I assume they're being sarcastic.

 

[Essexyellows]

Believe me, I have no interesting in talking down Leicester as a place. But the idea that it was outclassing Oxford did hit me, because the list of cities I'd consider unequivocally better is very small indeed.

When people sing about Oxford being a s**t hole, I assume they're being sarcastic.

I suppose in a football context the "matchday experience" would be far better, the stadium is a lot closer to the city centre so only a short walk.
Easy enough to leave a match and be sat having a curry/pint in 10-15 minutes.
Leicester may not have the "postcard" image of Oxford or the "brand awareness" but it holds its own, especially in the eyes of a youngster who is getting the choice of a 1.5-2hr trip each way for Div 3 football!

 

[werthersoriginal]

Believe me, I have no interesting in talking down Leicester as a place. But the idea that it was outclassing Oxford did hit me, because the list of cities I'd consider unequivocally better is very small indeed.

When people sing about Oxford being a s**t hole, I assume they're being sarcastic.

The fun in that chant is pointing out that the bit of Oxford the stadium is in is at best nonedescript, in contrast with the image of the city, which they may well not have seen.

 

[Northernyellow]

I suppose in a football context the "matchday experience" would be far better, the stadium is a lot closer to the city centre so only a short walk.
Easy enough to leave a match and be sat having a curry/pint in 10-15 minutes.
Leicester may not have the "postcard" image of Oxford or the "brand awareness" but it holds its own, especially in the eyes of a youngster who is getting the choice of a 1.5-2hr trip each way for Div 3 football!

There is no 'match day experience' at the Kassam. Unless you count car park queues, filthy toilets and the waft of sewage if the wind is blowing in the right direction

 

[Essexyellows]

There is no 'match day experience' at the Kassam. Unless you count car park queues, filthy toilets and the waft of sewage if the wind is blowing in the right direction

Supporters Panel will sort all that...................................

 

[Followtheox1]

Depends how you define comparison of City`s.

Leicester isn`t that bad and certain parts are on a par with Oxford.
The Universities here are more "red brick" than sandstone, the Cultural Quarter certainly matches the theatre end of Oxford.
Both cities have less salubrious areas............. but Leicester has got the National Space Centre & Richard III.
There is as much green space here as in Oxford, as much waterside too and we have the Waterside festival and the largest Diwali celebration outside of India.

It`s not all grim "up North".

PS: It wasn`t me but I think I know who it was!

Alright, I will give you that Leicester is North of Oxford but it is in the Midlands not 'up North'.

 

[RgYellows]

I suppose in a football context the "matchday experience" would be far better, the stadium is a lot closer to the city centre so only a short walk.
Easy enough to leave a match and be sat having a curry/pint in 10-15 minutes.
Leicester may not have the "postcard" image of Oxford or the "brand awareness" but it holds its own, especially in the eyes of a youngster who is getting the choice of a 1.5-2hr trip each way for Div 3 football!

The context of the comment wasn't match day experience.

Leicester may well hold its own. I've already said I'm not interested in talking it down as being worse than anywhere else, so that's responding to a point that isn't being made. Holding its own doesn't make it "better than".

The fun in that chant is pointing out that the bit of Oxford the stadium is in is at best nonedescript, in contrast with the image of the city, which they may well not have seen.

But Oxford is perhaps less than any city in the world defined by its football team in the eyes of an outsider.

If anyone drives down to the game, parks in the Bowlplex, walks across to the North Stand and thinks they've seen historic Oxford then that's on them.

I think the fun of the chant is in it being sarcastic.