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Post by socrates on Feb 20, 2017 11:25:36 GMT
Unless there is a huge pot of money to improve the stadium and a plan for better access, this club will never realise its potential.
It is the Manor Ground for the 21st century.
Terribly sad.
But this part of the country does not have the get-up and go to build what is required. Too many folks feeling too cosy, too well-off, too middle-class.
the irony being that it is that section of society who would fill our sparkly new stadium in the Championship
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Post by arthurturner on Feb 20, 2017 11:36:38 GMT
As has been pointed out elsewhere, Oxford itself is fairly apathetic to OUFC and its infrastructure. Only 18% of the club's supporters live in Oxford, most of the rest of us are from the 800,000 strong surrounding catchment area, which by all accounts is one of the largest in the Country.
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Post by CheltenhamYellow on Feb 20, 2017 12:02:55 GMT
As has been pointed out elsewhere, Oxford itself is fairly apathetic to OUFC and its infrastructure. Only 18% of the club's supporters live in Oxford, most of the rest of us are from the 800,000 strong surrounding catchment area, which by all accounts is one of the largest in the Country. I'm interested to know what is considered our "catchment area"? Are we, the west country yokels, included? Gloucestershire? Worcestershire? Bucks? Hampshire? How far would/do people travel?
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Post by bbl1 on Feb 20, 2017 12:09:24 GMT
I am not sure , about anyone else , I feel robbed of a great win as our 1st goal should have stood! And to get the 2 goals back , just to lose it at the end was heart breaking! I do hope we can move forward on this , and have a great end to the season!
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Post by osleroad on Feb 20, 2017 13:16:01 GMT
Very nice match write up in Daily Telegraph today ( I picked up copy on the train)..Maguire is the headline maker..he'll be chuffed!
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Post by arthurturner on Feb 20, 2017 13:31:52 GMT
As has been pointed out elsewhere, Oxford itself is fairly apathetic to OUFC and its infrastructure. Only 18% of the club's supporters live in Oxford, most of the rest of us are from the 800,000 strong surrounding catchment area, which by all accounts is one of the largest in the Country. I'm interested to know what is considered our "catchment area"? Are we, the west country yokels, included? Gloucestershire? Worcestershire? Bucks? Hampshire? How far would/do people travel? I picked up the stat from Charlie's post earlier on this thread. I suppose we could legitimately say that our catchment area is bounded by Reading; Swindon; Wycombe; Milton Keynes; Northampton and Coventry in that these are the nearest towns that have Football League clubs. Of course, these clubs would naturally draw much of their support from the same area. I guess it's the untapped neutrals who might be attracted from such an area by our continued success. The club would need to work on this though. I believe recently MK Dons offered free tickets to one of their games to people with an Aylesbury post code and Aylesbury is very definitiely in our immediate catchment area.
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Post by sihath on Feb 20, 2017 13:42:03 GMT
A couple of questions for Charlie.
Interested to know if there's any difference in the value of the land at WE if it was granted planning for a stadium/leisure complex compared to planning permission for housing.
Who owns the land at WE that you had earmarked for a stadium, in the report that was produced?
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Post by ox4eva on Feb 20, 2017 14:14:07 GMT
I'm interested to know what is considered our "catchment area"? Are we, the west country yokels, included? Gloucestershire? Worcestershire? Bucks? Hampshire? How far would/do people travel? I picked up the stat from Charlie's post earlier on this thread. I suppose we could legitimately say that our catchment area is bounded by Reading; Swindon; Wycombe; Milton Keynes; Northampton and Coventry in that these are the nearest towns that have Football League clubs. Of course, these clubs would naturally draw much of their support from the same area. I guess it's the untapped neutrals who might be attracted from such an area by our continued success. The club would need to work on this though. I believe recently MK Dons offered free tickets to one of their games to people with an Aylesbury post code and Aylesbury is very definitiely in our immediate catchment area. London as well
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Post by makv on Feb 20, 2017 15:57:18 GMT
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Post by Mark on Feb 20, 2017 17:39:35 GMT
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Post by timlane on Feb 20, 2017 18:59:59 GMT
Unless there is a huge pot of money to improve the stadium and a plan for better access, this club will never realise its potential. It is the Manor Ground for the 21st century. Terribly sad. But this part of the country does not have the get-up and go to build what is required. Too many folks feeling too cosy, too well-off, too middle-class. the irony being that it is that section of society who would fill our sparkly new stadium in the Championship Hi Socrates, I don't get your point about folks not having the get-up and go to build what is required because they're too well off and too middle-class. Why should that prevent them from embracing something that patently needs to be done. Without wishing to start any 'class' debate, many of them will have achieved that 'middle-class status' - whatever it may actually mean - precisely because they have get up and go. Care to expand?
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Post by pottersrightboot on Feb 20, 2017 21:01:20 GMT
Unless there is a huge pot of money to improve the stadium and a plan for better access, this club will never realise its potential. It is the Manor Ground for the 21st century. Terribly sad. But this part of the country does not have the get-up and go to build what is required. Too many folks feeling too cosy, too well-off, too middle-class. the irony being that it is that section of society who would fill our sparkly new stadium in the Championship Hi Socrates, I don't get your point about folks not having the get-up and go to build what is required because they're too well off and too middle-class. Why should that prevent them from embracing something that patently needs to be done. Without wishing to start any 'class' debate, many of them will have achieved that 'middle-class status' - whatever it may actually mean - precisely because they have get up and go. Care to expand? Quite right, what a load of old cobblers the unaptly named OP is spouting.
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Post by holdsteady on Feb 20, 2017 21:15:45 GMT
I picked up the stat from Charlie's post earlier on this thread. I suppose we could legitimately say that our catchment area is bounded by Reading; Swindon; Wycombe; Milton Keynes; Northampton and Coventry in that these are the nearest towns that have Football League clubs. Of course, these clubs would naturally draw much of their support from the same area. I guess it's the untapped neutrals who might be attracted from such an area by our continued success. The club would need to work on this though. I believe recently MK Dons offered free tickets to one of their games to people with an Aylesbury post code and Aylesbury is very definitiely in our immediate catchment area. London as well Deffo, hardly any football clubs in London.
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Post by mcf86 on Feb 21, 2017 8:41:08 GMT
Pity we can't tap into some of the foreign citizens and student population of our great City, or is it?
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Post by arthurturner on Feb 21, 2017 9:49:30 GMT
I picked up the stat from Charlie's post earlier on this thread. I suppose we could legitimately say that our catchment area is bounded by Reading; Swindon; Wycombe; Milton Keynes; Northampton and Coventry in that these are the nearest towns that have Football League clubs. Of course, these clubs would naturally draw much of their support from the same area. I guess it's the untapped neutrals who might be attracted from such an area by our continued success. The club would need to work on this though. I believe recently MK Dons offered free tickets to one of their games to people with an Aylesbury post code and Aylesbury is very definitely in our immediate catchment area. London as well I assume you mean that London clubs would attract support from our catchment area which of course is true. However,although I know a number of our supporters live in the London area, I doubt we would attract many new fans from the London area which is why I didn't include it.
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Post by ipad1977 on Feb 21, 2017 12:00:14 GMT
As a Boro fan, I think your performance, both on and off the pitch on saturday was nothing short of brilliant.
We went into the game with a lineup with 5 changes short of our strongest team, one of those changes forced through injury, but this doesn't really detract from your performance notably, as the Prem is more of a squad game these days so it makes sense to have back up players not far off the abilities of your first eleven, at least half a dozen or so. Plus we employed around the same number of changes against championship promotion hopefuls Sheff Wed earlier in the competition and beat them 3-nil, so the fact we were really made to sweat in our match speaks volumes.
I know some of you have suggested that your players "paid too much respect" to our side in the first half, but I'd defend that as they were playing a side they hadn't faced before and analysis of our games so far this season, both cup and league, would indicate that we tended to play the brick wall game in the first half without committing too many bodies forward. Karanka often operates with a "safety first" gameplan, indicated by the fact we've scored the fewest goals in the entire Prem, but that our defence this year is of champions league standard.
I didn't think this match would be comfortable beforehand, though admittedly when half-time came I was feeling a lot more confident. Then when you came out clearly "going for it" it was time to put faith in our defence, which has shutout the likes of Arsenal this season amongst many others. Therefore to remember that you then breached that defence not once, but twice, which almost three quarters of our opponents in the Prem have failed to do makes it a testament to the true capabilities of your players when they get the bit between their teeth and go for it.
Once you were back on even terms, I didn't see us conceding again, I thought we'd just lockdown tighter. Neither did I see us scoring though, I thought the most likely eventuality was us visiting Grenoble Road in the next couple of weeks. Nevertheless it was still a nervy end to the game and the overiding emotion at the final whistle was one of relief. It was also nice to ditch the whole "boring stalemate Boro" label for a day and have a match where there were more goals than the other 4 cup games combined.
In terms of the disallowed goal, we're probably going to have to agree to disagree as most supporters of clubs playing each other would, but it's a fine margin and I wouldn't have been surprised to see it given either way.
However, I think the most praise can be given to your support. Turned up in numbers and were noisy throughout, making for a cracking atmosphere! If the fans of those loveable deckchairs up the road from us had been the visitors then it's a guarantee that two thirds of them would have been streaming out and making their way back up the A19 if they were 2 down at half-time...
I actually think this game will help with your future. Heart can be taken from it by your players and hopefully it will act as a shot in the arm this season for your charge for the League One playoffs. Perhaps more importantly, a child attending this game as an early experience is overwhelmingly more likely to stick with the club and tell his mates to do so too.
As for your future, well I'd find it impossible to predict. Sometimes it doesn't seem so long since I was a 9 year old boy, crying as I watched Tyne Tees news declaring that Middlesbrough FC was dead and having to see the gates of Ayersome Park padlocked up when walking past in the summer of 86, with our only hope being a twentysomething local businessman who a lot felt had no chance of saving the club millions in debt and in the 3rd division (the equivalent nowadays of owing over 100 mill and being in what is now League One) That was our darkest time...we did more than alright after it and right now you're far far better equipped than we were then.
I'd like to think you'll hit the championship if not this year then the next, you certainly have the fanbase to do so and I've seen firsthand that your players are capable. You'd probably average gates of around 16k in it, provided you get the issues with your ground sorted. You'd have to lose those lovely "derby day" spikes you get against Swindon, but the way this season is going you won't be facing them next season whatever happens in your case anyway!
So you'd have to find another derby day rival in the champo and I'm thinking it could well be Reading...
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Post by CheltenhamYellow on Feb 21, 2017 12:08:32 GMT
As a Boro fan, I think your performance, both on and off the pitch on saturday was nothing short of brilliant. We went into the game with a lineup with 5 changes short of our strongest team, one of those changes forced through injury, but this doesn't really detract from your performance notably, as the Prem is more of a squad game these days so it makes sense to have back up players not far off the abilities of your first eleven, at least half a dozen or so. Plus we employed around the same number of changes against championship promotion hopefuls Sheff Wed earlier in the competition and beat them 3-nil, so the fact we were really made to sweat in our match speaks volumes. I know some of you have suggested that your players "paid too much respect" to our side in the first half, but I'd defend that as they were playing a side they hadn't faced before and analysis of our games so far this season, both cup and league, would indicate that we tended to play the brick wall game in the first half without committing too many bodies forward. Karanka often operates with a "safety first" gameplan, indicated by the fact we've scored the fewest goals in the entire Prem, but that our defence this year is of champions league standard. I didn't think this match would be comfortable beforehand, though admittedly when half-time came I was feeling a lot more confident. Then when you came out clearly "going for it" it was time to put faith in our defence, which has shutout the likes of Arsenal this season amongst many others. Therefore to remember that you then breached that defence not once, but twice, which almost three quarters of our opponents in the Prem have failed to do makes it a testament to the true capabilities of your players when they get the bit between their teeth and go for it. Once you were back on even terms, I didn't see us conceding again, I thought we'd just lockdown tighter. Neither did I see us scoring though, I thought the most likely eventuality was us visiting Grenoble Road in the next couple of weeks. Nevertheless it was still a nervy end to the game and the overiding emotion at the final whistle was one of relief. It was also nice to ditch the whole "boring stalemate Boro" label for a day and have a match where there were more goals than the other 4 cup games combined. In terms of the disallowed goal, we're probably going to have to agree to disagree as most supporters of clubs playing each other would, but it's a fine margin and I wouldn't have been surprised to see it given either way. However, I think the most praise can be given to your support. Turned up in numbers and were noisy throughout, making for a cracking atmosphere! If the fans of those loveable deckchairs up the road from us had been the visitors then it's a guarantee that two thirds of them would have been streaming out and making their way back up the A19 if they were 2 down at half-time... I actually think this game will help with your future. Heart can be taken from it by your players and hopefully it will act as a shot in the arm this season for your charge for the League One playoffs. Perhaps more importantly, a child attending this game as an early experience is overwhelmingly more likely to stick with the club and tell his mates to do so too. As for your future, well I'd find it impossible to predict. Sometimes it doesn't seem so long since I was a 9 year old boy, crying as I watched Tyne Tees news declaring that Middlesbrough FC was dead and having to see the gates of Ayersome Park padlocked up when walking past in the summer of 86, with our only hope being a twentysomething local businessman who a lot felt had no chance of saving the club millions in debt and in the 3rd division (the equivalent nowadays of owing over 100 mill and being in what is now League One) That was our darkest time...we did more than alright after it and right now you're far far better equipped than we were then. I'd like to think you'll hit the championship if not this year then the next, you certainly have the fanbase to do so and I've seen firsthand that your players are capable. You'd probably average gates of around 16k in it, provided you get the issues with your ground sorted. You'd have to lose those lovely "derby day" spikes you get against Swindon, but the way this season is going you won't be facing them next season whatever happens in your case anyway! So you'd have to find another derby day rival in the champo and I'm thinking it could well be Reading... Thank you for that well-reasoned, intelligent and articulate piece. And good luck to you lot the rest of this season; your supporters deserve it.
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Post by 54-46 on Feb 21, 2017 12:18:40 GMT
Pity we can't tap into some of the foreign citizens and student population of our great City, or is it? There are so many opportunities for widening support for a club in a city like Oxford. I think if we get the ground we could really encourage different groups of supporters to come along from the language schools, Colleges, and the many and diverse groups of people who live in the city.
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Post by ipad1977 on Feb 21, 2017 14:36:05 GMT
If your ground issue gets sorted, the market of foreign students could certainly boost your attendances and therefore your coffers if tapped into correctly.
They come in droves to England and they widely know it is the birthplace of football, with our top flight being the most broadcasted and easily watchable on the planet.
If they are informed and sold that they have a chance to see our sport in it's home country just a couple of miles from their digs, especially if you get promoted and face teams coming down from the Prem that they'd have seen in their home countries less than 12 months earlier, then you could get masses of them turning up, on top of your swelled audiences of "locals."
It's all about marketing them correctly.
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