Oxford United Chairman Grant Ferguson wrote the following notes for the Sky Bet League 1 game against Accrington Stanley:
Welcome back for one final time this season as we welcome Accrington Stanley. It will be sad to see Accrington leave the division and I hope they bounce back quickly because they will be missed.
Our own safety was assured with that fantastic win at Forest Green last Saturday. What a great occasion it turned out to be after an anxious wait! There can only have been about four minutes to endure while we all waited for the result at MK to filter through, but those four minutes felt like 40. It was a good day, and I was so pleased for Liam, the players and the staff because they have worked so hard to pull us away from danger. Liam was rightly rewarded with a nomination for Manager of the Month, but it was a collective effort and the togetherness they have shown gives real hope for next season.
The scenes at Forest Green were borne of relief rather than satisfaction. I don’t believe any of us were celebrating avoiding relegation given the expectations and the hopes we had before a ball was kicked this season. Lessons have been learned, actions taken, and the ongoing plans to have the club fit and properly organised to be successful in today’s football world continue to take shape.
The run of 17 games without a win was not acceptable, but it should not take the shine off everything else that the club has been doing. I was pleased that at the awards evening last Sunday – and congratulations to everyone who organised such a fantastic event at the Town Hall – highlighted the wonderful season that our Women’s team have had, and the progress being made in our Academy. The Women could be crowned Champions this afternoon, and we wish them well at Ipswich in their final league game. I guess we will have another anxious wait today for that result.
As I said at the AGM on Thursday, this season has been a difficult one for all concerned. It has been a season of transition. Over the last 12 months there have been many changes in key roles, and new ones introduced: Chairman, CEO, Head Coach, Assistant Head Coach, Chief Commercial Officer, Head of Recruitment, Women’s General Manager, Head of Academy: all vital parts of the club. That degree of change may be unprecedented in our club, but it has given us the opportunity to reset, and provides a very solid foundation from which to build the club that we know it can be.
We have also made huge strides in our search for a new home, and that work will continue over the summer, but I understand that most fans’ focus will always be on matchdays and the team. Your support is truly amazing and inspiring, so on behalf of the Board, we sincerely thank every one of you for it. I know we will all get behind the players this afternoon as we look forward to a fresh start next season and the continued growth of our club. Again, thank you!
Grant
You can read the full programme online at www.matchdayfix.com/oufc