Oxford United's lease of the Kassam expires in 2026 with 'no possibility of renewal', meaning they need to find a new home. They're planning the first 'all electric' stadium, 5 miles North of Oxford's city centre. https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2024/02/15/oxford-united-plans-first-uk-all-electric-stadium/
I spoke to a good friend of mine who supports Oxford. Most of their supporters can’t wait to get away from the Kassam (owned by Firoz Kassam, who once owned to club.). Kassam charges an arm and a leg in rent and takes the profits from catering. It is thought that the club and the local authority are working together to iron out all the issues before putting in a plan for approval. It is not going to be completed before the lease on Kassam expires and are exploring the possibility of a ground share with Wycombe until the new stadium, which will be close to Oxford Parkway railway station, is built. the stadium is planned to have 4 sides.
Can't believe it's not that long ago we were enquiring to play at the old Milmoor stadium RUFC . So glad we sorted the lease on the ground out. Onwards and upwards with these in charge.
The first stadium in the country powered solely by electricity? Wtf do they think other clubs use? Gas Lamp floodlights and a halftime cuppa made from water boiled by the power of imagination? Stupid f**kers.
Surely their Kassam stadium is better than the crappy old Manor ground stadium they had. Where we got hammered after winning promotion to the Prem. I think they'd maybe been out on the lash a bit that week!.
I dunno, I think some of the old stadia suited some teams better than their ‘upgrades’ to brand new. I think many have lost some of their identity during the flit. I hope we never move away from Oakwell. As much as it’s changed in my time, it’s happened in stages so it still has the same feel, and even when the West Stand is finally pulled down (maybe not in my lifetime), it’ll still be home. I don’t see those old grounds as being crappy. Just older, more quirky and interesting. Memorable for more than just being close to a KFC.
At the time not as much I suppose. But now when I look at how those old grounds looked then, they do look poor. I think the same about Reading's Elm park, and Southend's Roots hall, and Grimsby's Blundell park for example. But then again, look at how Burnsley's Oakwell looked lol.
I would imagine there are some older Reading fans that secretly wish they were still at Elm Park. At least they knew how they identified as a club. As things stand their younger fans think they’re a mistreated premier league club. As much as their stadium is a massive improvement, it’s way too big for them and is another millstone around their necks as they try to defy the gravity of their situation, which is paying the price for trying to be something they’re not. I think the biggest example of moving to a new ground and losing your identity (and worse) is Darlington, and I don’t think MK Dons are far behind them in the ‘build it and they will come’ faux pas, although their circumstances differed slightly. I notice Brentford were realistic with the size of their new ground, even with the potential for huge away followings. Their owner knows once he sells the club, they could drop like a stone.
I hate what money has done to modern football Helen. It’s spawned horrible, entitled fans, glory hunters and keyboard warriors. It’s become really ugly with a lack of patience or empathy. I saw a Facebook conversation last week where a Reading fan told an Oxford fan ‘you should be used to spending time in the shitty leagues’. Fact is that Reading have spent far more time down here than Oxford, and both have had 3 yrs in the top flight - both on the back of financial investment. No one seems to care where they’ve come from, or who’s footing the bills, as long as they’re winning, and it’s always a shock when it all goes belly up and they’re looking for someone to blame.
