Oxford United chairman Sumrith 'Tiger' Thanakarnjanasuth writes his first programme notes for this afternoon's game against Peterborough United:
Good afternoon everyone. It was a little delayed because of the Fleetwood game being postponed, but today will be a very proud day for me as it is the first time that Oxford United play at home since I arrived as Chairman.
Football is a huge passion for me and it is an honour to be in charge of such a fantastic club. I would like to thank everyone; staff, players and especially the fans for the warm welcome I have received. It has been very humbling and very much appreciated. All I can say is that I will look to repay that welcome with honesty and hard work as we try and move this club forward.
The biggest thank you goes to Darryl Eales for everything he has done for this club. He has brought stability and he has achieved great things with promotion, Wembley finals, and so much progress behind the scenes in the Academy and Community. I share his belief that a football club is about a lot more than just building a successful side on the pitch. You need it to be at the very heart of the community and you need a successful youth development programme as well. I am totally committed to building on the work that Darryl and the board have done here and I am sure I will be relying heavily on his advice and friendship over the coming months.
I have been around football for a long time now and was delighted by what I have found behind the scenes here. I have got to know the office staff and everyone at the training ground now and there is an excellent team spirit right across the club, with people working very hard to do their best for Oxford United.
I was at both the Northampton and Wimbledon games and saw the way the fans tried to help the team get a win. The support we have is first class and I want to work with you to make that bond between the club and its supporters even stronger. I will always try to be open and communicative and as part of that I apologise for making you wait for a new Manager. It is important that we get the right person and that sometimes takes more time than expected. I believe we have the right person now, provided the finer details can be sorted out, and the long wait is almost over.
That comes at a key stage in the season but there is no getting away from the fact that today is a big game for us, one which we need to win. Let’s start as we mean to go on: a stirring performance from the players with the fans loudly and proudly cheering them on.
Beyond that my message is simple for my first home game: I am proud to be here at Oxford United and I will make us proud of our team.
Sumrith ‘Tiger’ Thanakarnjanasuth
Chairman
You can buy the full online programme at www.matchdayfix.com/oufc