United get ready for the big kick off at home
There should be a fantastic atmosphere as United welcome Bury to the Kassam Stadium for the first home match of the season this Saturday.
Over 2,500 travelling United fans enjoyed their team’s 4-1 win at Portsmouth last Saturday and with another big crowd expected on Saturday it promises to be another great day, with some very special events planned.
The club have worked alongside supporters group the Yellow Army throughout the summer to come up with new initiatives which are designed to improve the matchday experience for everyone.
“It has been a busy summer” Gerald Kelly, the club’s new Marketing Manager said. “The club conducted the biggest fan survey it has ever done last season and we have been working to act on many of the suggestions from the supporters. The Yellow Army- Oxvox, 12th Man and the Ultimate Support and Ultra groups- have all been involved and hopefully the fans will enjoy the changes. It is all about getting things right off the pitch. Hopefully that creates the right environment for a great performance from the players and everyone goes home with a smile on their face.”
One of the first things that fans will see is the new 12th Man Bar in the South Stand. For the first time the bar will have an Oxford United theme with canvases, pictures and decoration. There will be additional bars inside the room on a matchday, food will be available, and a number of great players from the club’s past will be acting as matchday hosts around the club including Peter Rhoades-Brown, Les Phillips and Jeremy Charles.
The bar will feature Q and A sessions with club legends and we are pleased to announce that kicking off the season will be Manor Ground hero Colin Harrington. The former winger, a true cult hero to United fans in the 1960’s, will be meeting fans and answering questions on stage from 2pm on Saturday. Future guests include George Lawrence, Paul Moody and Matt Elliott.
The club also hope to show a superb video produced at the summer Marine Camp which shows the hard work and determination that the players have put in to their pre-season. The bar is free to all season ticket holders while non-season ticket holders using the bar are asked for a contribution of £1 towards the 12th Man Fund.
Further matchday enhancements will be happening closer to kick off as Gerald explains:
“We have a new music system and DJ to get the pre-match music right and the pitchside host will be working with him to build the atmosphere. There will also be more colour around the pitch at kick-off as well with flags, banners, and displays which we have been working on with the Yellow Army. It should all sound and look great and we would love fans to get involved, put their yellow shirt on, roar the team on, and make it a truly special occasion to launch the new season.”
Tickets for Saturday’s big match are available from the Oxford United ticket office on 01865 337533 or 24/7 from www.oufctickets.co.uk