Oxford United’s ‘Proud History, Bright Future’ slogan is now in evidence on the walls at the new training ground thanks to the help of the Oxford Mail
A giant timeline now adorns the wall of the education hub at United’s new Training Ground on Horspath Road where the under 18s and under 23s train alongside the first team.
The timeline shows the many successes that have come through the Youth Development programme at the club: former England captain Mark Wright visited last week and current coaches Les Taylor, Chris Hackett and Chris Allen feature on the walls alongside two of the new crop of youngsters progressing through the ranks: Fabio Lopes and Slavi Spasov who both made their first team debuts this season aged just 16.
The timeline is partnered with a giant message in the classroom - where United’s scholars achieved 100 percent pass rates in their studies this season- reminding them of a key question in their development: “Are the habits you have today in line with the dreams you have for tomorrow?”
Both reminders were made possible through the generosity of the Oxford Mail who donated proceeds from their 125th Anniversary Magazine and Academy Manager Dan Harris told us:
“We’d like to thank the Oxford Mail for their help with this. We already have shirts from youngsters who have made their debut for the first team, and great pictures of our successes this season, and these two new additions really bring the whole area to life.
“Having coaches here who have come through the same system is invaluable. It is all about producing good young people, not just good footballers, and and we have permanent reminders not just of the past glories but also the codes by which we expect our scholars to abide”