Oxford United's Chairman, Sumrith 'Tiger' Thanakarnjanasuth, wrote the following notes for the Sky Bet League One game against Gillingham FC:
It has been a long hard season and I want to congratulate Karl, the staff and the players for sticking together and coming through some very difficult times to get us in to a position where, with five games left, the season is still alive.
After the two results at Easter a lot of fans wrote us off and thought the season was over, but I did not share that view at all. I know that we have character and talent and would be hurt by those two defeats. When this team gets hurt they always fight back, and the last two performances have probably been our best of the season.
Like everyone, I watched the Crewe game on iFollow and was amazed to see six goals from six different players. And then to score four more from four different players was even more incredible against Shrewsbury on Tuesday. Ten goals from ten players is unbelievable but maybe shows that the whole squad are playing their part right now.
Of course, we now have to back that up against Gillingham this evening; 5.30pm on Saturday in the UK is the very early hours of Sunday morning in Thailand, and I can’t decide whether to stay up all night or watch it with an early breakfast! But I will definitely be watching and hoping I wake the neighbours up celebrating another win.
We are a football club, not just one team, and I will then be logging on to watch the women’s game tomorrow against Charlton. I loved watching them in the last round against Billericay, and if you haven’t watched it back then go and do so because there are some wonderful goals in that game. Now they face a club from a higher division with a professional set up. It will be a huge test for our team but one I know they can win.
The women’s team have had even more challenges than the men’s this season. Their season stopped, started and then was declared null and void, so they have had to prepare for the FA Cup as a different competition, with no league games and no training until the last two weeks. What character they have shown to get to this stage, and I applaud Liam Gilbert and all of the staff and the players.
A successful women’s team is just one part of what we want to build. Community is just as important and the EFL Day of Action this week showed what we have done in that area this year. With the commercial side of things growing all the time, I think we are in a very good place and I know we will go from strength to strength right across this amazing football club.
Tiger
You can download and read the full programme online at www.matchdayfix.com/oufc.