Please help support Oxford United’s new stadium proposal

[Oxford fan in peace]

Oxford fan in peace! Thank you for letting me join this forum and I hope the mods don't mind this post.

My club, Oxford United, are desperately trying to secure a new stadium site, or we’ll be homeless from 2026. How we got to this stage is a long story but in short we're being screwed over by our ex-owner and current stadium landlord, Firoz Kassam.

When he was the owner of the club and stadium in 2001 he agreed a 25 year licence agreement between OUFC and his stadium company, Firoka. He terminated this early in May 2021 just days before a playoff game which sparked a mad rush to find an alternative venue for that game. Thankfully a licence agreement was signed for that one game and after arbitration a new 5 year licence agreement was subsequently agreed.

This expires on 30th June 2026 and Kassam is unwilling to extend this or sell to OUFC (3 different owners have tried) as he stands to make much more from redeveloping the entire Kassam Stadium complex (a process he started two weeks ago: Kassam Stadium owner looks to demolish nearby bingo hall for science facility)

As such, OUFC have no choice to move. A small 11 acre, triangular plot on the edge of the city has been identified as the only suitable plot available. It's a logistically perfect location right across the road from Oxford Parkway station and next to the A34. Amenities are within minutes in nearby Kidlington.

The Triangle, as this plot is known, is owned by Oxfordshire County Council and OUFC approached OCC in 2021 about leasing or buying land for a stadium. They have committed to reaching a decision on The Triangle on 19th September and their decision will be influenced by the results of a public survey they are conducting.

With that in mind, if anyone on here would be happy to fill in that short online questionnaire being run by Oxfordshire County Council, our fans would be extremely grateful.

It only takes about five minutes or so to fill in the short online form with positive answers at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/C8O8VI/ by 23 July 2023.

Additional details can be found here: How do Oxford United’s proposals for the land known as ‘the Triangle’ impact the communities of Oxfordshire?

And here: FAQs – Oxford United Stadium

The benefits to you as away fans will be:

• A sustainable stadium right next door to a major railway station in Oxford Parkway (5 mins from Oxford City Centre, 8 mins from Bicester Village and an hour or so from Marylebone) and opposite a large Park&Ride site with thousands of parking spaces, which would make it one of the easiest, greenest grounds to get to in the UK.
• Proper drinking, food and entertainment options at the ground itself, compared to embarrassing facilities currently on offer at our current ground or nearby.
• A modern, well-designed ground which will help to support a proper atmosphere, rather than the soulless, unfinished three-side ground we have now.

A few sentences on any of the above for the survey’s final comment box would be really helpful in showing our County Council that the new ground will be sustainable, increase spending in Oxfordshire, and provide excellent facilities for home AND away fans.

We all appreciate the value of a good away day and hopefully we'll get you in a cup game from 2026 onwards. Taking a few minutes to support a fellow club before it becomes homeless in just a few years would be massively appreciated.

We need to show support to get the council to agree to leasing or selling OUFC the land in September without delay to allow an planning application to be made in October/November so construction can start in Summer 2024 to have any chance of being in by August 2026.

Thank you for any support you can give us.