Oxford United Chairman Sumrith 'TIger' Thanakarnjanasuth wrote the following notes for the Doncaster Rovers programme:
After a long, hard season, we end today with a game against Doncaster and our hopes of promotion have gone.
The moment those hopes ended was the final whistle at Rotherham last Saturday and I know that hurt Karl, his staff and the players very much. I was also hurt and my wife and four daughters came over and gave me a hug because they know how I feel. I don’t think it was that one game alone. We had one bad week where we lost three games at a vital time, and further back we lost games we should really have won because we were in good positions. We will talk about those big moments in detail, and we will find a way to make ourselves even stronger next season.
I want to thank Karl and his coaching team for everything they have done. We have been in the chase for the play-offs for three seasons now and are competing with some very big names; next season will be no different, with Derby County coming into the division and Peterborough and Barnsley are sure to be strong. Karl knows he has the support of the whole board, and we will be part of the fight alongside him next season.
We have a very experienced recruitment team and panel, and we believe we can improve the squad, just like we have done every summer. I also want to put on record my thanks to any player who moves on this summer; the Oxford United family makes strong bonds and the effort and hard work has been there from every player in the squad.
We will have details of season tickets for you very soon and I want to thank the fans for an amazing season. At this time last April, we did not know how many of you would return to football matches after the pandemic. I confess, we feared that people may have found new habits and ways to spend their time. It is incredible for us to have record attendances and the best crowds ever at this stadium. And I cannot forget that times are hard and money is tight for so many people. That makes it even more amazing and on behalf of the board we thank you with all our hearts.
I hope fans who came back during the season have enjoyed the football and being part of the Yellow Army, and I hope many of you will consider buying a season ticket for next season, which saves you time and money every game.
Like I said, this time last year we had not even mentioned plans for a new stadium and that exciting development will go hand in hand with improving the training facilities, expanding our Community work and developing our Academy as well as our Women’s team.
And finally, I think this summer represents a great opportunity for everyone at the club. The last two years have seen three-week breaks, that’s all, and no time to draw breath. Staff, players, fans, have had three years with no time to recharge the batteries. Enjoy your break, buy your season ticket, and then we go again, ready for the next adventure together…
Tiger
You can read the full programme online at www.matchdayfix.com/oufc