Oxford United Chairman Grant Ferguson wrote the following notes for the Sky Bet League One game against Portsmouth:
Good evening everybody and welcome to a second home game in quick succession. I’d like to welcome everyone associated with Portsmouth FC and in particular our friend John Mousinho, a smart, articulate young man who I am sure will become a very successful Manager, and who I am sure you will give a great reception to.
I am sure you will give an even better reception to our own players, and I thought the support you gave them on Saturday against Bolton was exceptional, even by your own high standards. It took a big decision from the referee to fire everything up, but I thought the players responded very well to the early goal and I don’t think anyone could question the commitment, fuelled by the crowd roaring them on.
Of course, that passion wasn’t converted into a goal and another defeat has pushed us closer to the teams chasing us at the wrong end of the table. With five games left our destiny remains in our own hands but time is no longer on our side and more than ever we need to stand united, with Liam, the players, staff and the board all pulling in the same direction as we strive for safety over the remaining five games.
You will be hearing the phrase ‘Stand United’ a lot over the coming week as it applies to what is happening off the pitch just as much as on it. Now is also the time to show a united front regarding the new stadium. We have worked extremely hard in the background and overcome many hurdles in our search for a new home, but we have always been realistic. Timescales are very short, and the stark reality is that we need to move into a new home by the start of the 2026 season. That may seem a long way off , but it really isn’t.
Fans have been asking us what they can do to help, and right now the best way you can do that is support the #StandUnited campaign. We need to show just how much Oxford United means to the fans, whether they live locally or further afield, and to the whole of Oxfordshire. You can show that support across social media; send videos or use the #StandUnited hashtag, but we ask all fans to show their support and help spread the word.
Be creative and see what you can do to help us achieve our dream of a new stadium that feels like home and allows the whole of Oxfordshire to come and watch a successful football teams – Women’s and Men’s teams – that we can all be proud of.
Stand United, on and off the pitch…
Grant
You can read the full programme online at www.matchdayfix.com/oufc