Chairman Winding up order served by Kassam

[FalmouthOx]

"We have to be honest with ourselves that results haven't been good enough. The performances have, but we find ourselves in a relegation fight and a real serious one."

The performances have? Not what was said on Saturday and last night was also dire. If this is what we look like when the performances have been good enough I really hope we don't suddenly go "off the boil"

 

[Shropshire U]

I know this is a bit of a silly question, but just out of interest, if we fast forward to the start of next season,what would people prefer?

League 1 with Tiger and KR

League 2 under new ownership and a new manager/coaching team

Interesting dilemma, Yellowbow! You may not get many responses because it's genuinely hard to say which is best.
I'd lean towards L2 with new owner and management team as there would likely be enough impetus to keep us in L2 at least, and maybe even push for promotion.
The worst scenario would be L2 with either or both Tiger and Robinson in place. That trapdoor at the bottom of L2 would be a black hole.
I reckon that the overall trend is for L1 and L2 to become increasingly interchangeable, with the Championship an increasingly big step up.
And the Conference gets more competitive year on year as rich businessmen indulge their egos by investing in teams from small towns and small areas within big cities.

 

[LondonRoader]

I doubt news of this latest debacle has reached Thailand yet.. I’m still really pissed off with Robinson, tinkering for tinkerings sake, with one area of the team that was working better than most - mous in front of the back four. If he wasn’t happy with Dickie or felt that he needed resting he should’ve brought in a CB instead of his old Charlton buddy Kashi, or kept hold of Raglan. Whatever people think of him he would’ve done a better job at CB than Mous did last night! Add to that the shambles of having to play CMs at fullback - one of which is apparently our most expensive signing for years, and Robinson couldn’t really be making more of a pigs ear of it if he tried! Get him out now. I don’t really care who replaces him. The situation at Man Utd shows what improvements to a squad a new man with fresh ideas and perspective can bring. Robinson is a busted flush who doesn’t know which way is up anymore. It’s not really been picked up on but if anyone heard the prematch interview with Robinson, he’s admitted himself that things haven’t worked out for him here. Of course though, clueless,ball-less, potless Tiger won’t have the guts - or even be interested enough probably - to replace him.

Phew, that became more of a rant than I originally intended. Glad I got it off my chest though. Not that it’ll do any good, but I feel a bit better..

Tiger would be very aware of last nights match, he would of spoken to KR straight after.

 

[Northstandboy]

Tiger would be very aware of last nights match, he would of spoken to KR straight after.

7 hour time difference, so would be around 5-6am in Thailand. Just in time for a breakfast meeting then.

 

[Oufcrealist]

Because he’s full of s**t and regularly contradicts himself depending on what he thinks is the best thing to say at the time. He says everything with such gusto and belief that it manages to make an awful lot of people forget anything he’s said to the contrary on other occasions. It’s a textbook political trait. Just say what you’re saying sternly and with authority and 99% of people will tune in and block out everything else you’ve said before.

Spot on. He alternates depending on what has just happened. Give him his due, he's a quick thinker and is never stuck for an answer even if it is a load of b**s.
I said at the end of November that his time was up and a new boss would have had December to judge what he had so that he could strengthen in Jan. I fear it's too late now. Unless, a new boss has a very good 'honeymoon' period for 8-10 games.

 

[yellowbow]

Tiger would be very aware of last nights match, he would of spoken to KR straight after.

Yeah I know, I was being facetious. As our committed leader I’m sure he at least checks the Thai equivalent to ceefax from time to time to check how his ‘beloved’ Oxford United are doing. That’s if it doesn’t clash with Grand Designs or whatever his favourite program is..

 

[Peterdev]

I’m no longer at all optimistic that we have what is required to get out of the relegation places. This club is costing too much to run in Thais eyes I think. No feedback from the club as to how the finances actually are. Nobody on the forum at least seems to have any further confidence in Robinson.
I’ve seen various names banded about but let’s be honest is Gary Rowett going to want to come here until the end of the season. He’s got a great track record at Burton and Birmingham so it would be a dramatic move to be thinking about L2 football come May.
Paul Clement hasn’t set the world alight much, and he would I am sure be thinking of a bigger club.
The best we can probably hope for is the wally with the brolly without a lot of lolly, when he is despatched by QPR

 

[Sarge]

7 hour time difference, so would be around 5-6am in Thailand. Just in time for a breakfast meeting then.

Owner calls the md at 5am most days ....according to the md (at the last oxvox open members meeting at cpf- the same meeting where the snappy n annoyed director zaci whatshisname told the meeting that the first hmrc order was a one off and things were in place to avoid it happening again.... lots of bullshit spouted that night by top table oufc peope!)

 

[Yellow River]

Unless I’ve missed it, still no acknowledgment from the board on the official club website of the latest winding up order (4th since Thanakarnjanasuth became owner)

 

[Sarge]

Unless I’ve missed it, still no acknowledgment from the board on the official club website of the latest winding up order (4th since Thanakarnjanasuth became owner)

Akin to Ostriches burying their heads in the sand , hoping 'it' will all go away ? ......can't think of any reason as to why there's no info on ows. Same old mushroom treatment from bowthaiger

 

[Fred]

Not surprisingly really Tiger does not want to add to the bad headlines

 

[bazzer9461]

Kassam is no custodian, he's merely biding his time.

Kassam will never sell the ground. Market value as a sports stadium? £10M? Redevelopment potential £25M?

Kassam will happily take his rent (plus hospitality revenue) until such time when OUFC move/fold and the ACV is removed. He's hardly going to give us a "less restrictive arrangement", why would he? The sooner we fold or move, the sooner he can cash in on the redevelopment of Grenoble Road.

The ONLY way forward is to find a new home with lots of income streams. EG: Community sports facilities, Conference, Hotel, Park & Ride income etc.
Which leaves two key questions...

1. Has Tiger got the money for such a large investment?
2. Is the City Council really interested in helping us?

Your answer to no 2 is a resounding no

 

[Fred]

Is there anyone on here that knows Firoz Kassam well? I'd be very interested in his point of view.

 

[amershamdave]

I'm beginning to think that this isn't a case of whether we stay up, go down and come back up again, or end up in the Conferance (whatever)................but whether we're going to have a football team under the name 'Oxford United' to support, soon.

 

[Sarge]

Funding in place to cover WUP according to itv meridian ..... however I ve heard there are more unpaid bills yet to be paid by OUFC.... the now departed Mr Mixter is owed money, as is at least one hotel chain, that's without the next HMRC bill or other creditors yet to be paid too..... meanwhile solihull moors chairman is funding bringing their stadium up to 3fl l1 &l1 standard, wonder where the £ from that has been 'sourced', hmmmm

 

[Kamal]

Yep. I've got a mate who follows Solihull Moors. Says DE is building them a new stand. Told him I'll meet up with him for SM vs OUFC next year lol.

 

[itsoneofthem]

Starting to wonder if the club (ignoring for now the financial issues with current owners) should give more serious consideration to sites outside of Oxford for a new stadium. Would it really be a lot less attractive for fans to travel to say Didcot or Bicester, towns with good transport links and cheaper and available land? It’s not Oxford, but it is at least Oxfordshire and in the vicinity of Oxford. I honestly can’t see the city council allowing planning permission in time for us to build a new stadium before the current lease expires, and things are clearly coming to a head with the relationship with the StadCo. Yes, Kassam will win, I can’t see him losing whatever happens, but we’ll still have a club and the potential for a future without the Kassam noose hanging around our neck. The situation seems impossible at the moment, and although not ideal maybe this would be the best compromise the club could make.

 

[Telforddave]

Starting to wonder if the club (ignoring for now the financial issues with current owners) should give more serious consideration to sites outside of Oxford for a new stadium. Would it really be a lot less attractive for fans to travel to say Didcot or Bicester, towns with good transport links and cheaper and available land? It’s not Oxford, but it is at least Oxfordshire and in the vicinity of Oxford. I honestly can’t see the city council allowing planning permission in time for us to build a new stadium before the current lease expires, and things are clearly coming to a head with the relationship with the StadCo. Yes, Kassam will win, I can’t see him losing whatever happens, but we’ll still have a club and the potential for a future without the Kassam noose hanging around our neck. The situation seems impossible at the moment, and although not ideal maybe this would be the best compromise the club could make.

Not having a go, but I know you say ignoring the financial issues with the current owners but who is the club then? The current owners don't appear to have the finances in place to pay the bills let alone fund a new league standard ground, irrespective of the cost.

If the owners sold up, who would still be left in place by new owners that would help shape our future direction, where we play etc? Most, if not all of the board are Tiger's people so there's a good chance they would follow him out unless they were kept in place by any new owner.

I find it strange all of this talk about playing somewhere else when I can't see any evidence that we could pay our share of the rent even if we were to ground share with say Wycombe and that's even if Kassam let's us out of the current rental agreement (which we know he won't, and why should he).

 

[uptheus]

Yep. I've got a mate who follows Solihull Moors. Says DE is building them a new stand. Told him I'll meet up with him for SM vs OUFC next year lol.

I’d rather meet him before and tell him what for.

 

[itsoneofthem]

Not having a go, but I know you say ignoring the financial issues with the current owners but who is the club then? The current owners don't appear to have the finances in place to pay the bills let alone fund a new league standard ground, irrespective of the cost.

If the owners sold up, who would still be left in place by new owners that would help shape our future direction, where we play etc? Most, if not all of the board are Tiger's people so there's a good chance they would follow him out unless they were kept in place by any new owner.

I find it strange all of this talk about playing somewhere else when I can't see any evidence that we could pay our share of the rent even if we were to ground share with say Wycombe and that's even if Kassam let's us out of the current rental agreement (which we know he won't, and why should he).

My post is referring to what I think the club should be aiming for at the end of the contract with Firoka, the club being OUFC, with either the current, next, or any subsequent ownership. I completely agree with you that Kassam won’t let us get out of the contract, and it would be stupid for the club to try and do that. Even if we mutually agreed to leave before the end so he could redevelop the land, he’ll probably still want to screw us over, based on his previous behaviour.

You’re right in saying that there are serious finance problems at present which need to be addressed first, so this is pie in the sky if we can’t get through this period. And it’s obviously not going to be cheap to build a new ground, wherever it is. But we’ve had several chairmen who have tried to make things work financially and haven’t been able to. I believe the chief reason for this is the position the club is in with the ground.

I’m taking it at face value from another poster that the league wouldn’t sanction us playing at Wycombe as it’s too far away. And also that Oxford City isn’t an option because of the artificial pitch. With regards the city council and a new site, they are generally considered to be somewhere between disinterested and useless. Staying put and renewing at the current stadium, IMO, would be the end for the club.

What other options does that leave beyond trying to find a home outside of Oxford but still within Oxfordshire?