Oxford United's CEO, Tim Williams, wrote the following notes for the Sky Bet League One game against Bristol Rovers on Saturday:
It’s great to welcome you back today for the second home game this week and for a rare early kick-off. I would also like to extend that welcome to our visitors Bristol Rovers, both the team and their supporters.
With ten games in and 24 points already accumulated, I think we can allow ourselves to be pleased with the way the season has started. Whilst it’s great to celebrate where we are, everyone in the club knows the danger of complacency. There is a long way to go and a lot that can happen in the coming 36 games. To put it into perspective, there are still 108 points up for grabs.
That said, I would like to thank the players and coaching staff for their hard work and commitment so far. There is a real enthusiasm across the entire club right now.
It has been one year since I took on the job as CEO. That time has had some real challenges and a lot has changed at the club. We are on a very positive trajectory, not just with the recent good news around the progress of our project to build our new home, but with the whole mentality and culture within.
As with Liam’s attitude on the pitch – constantly looking forward and striving for excellence – we have taken that approach off the pitch as well. There isn’t one single part of the way we do things that hasn’t been looked at, stripped back, and revisited as part of the philosophy of ‘does it help the team succeed?’
From the matchday experience to fan and community engagement and looking after our supporters in the best possible way, through to how we work with the Football League and the governing bodies to make sure we have input into the men’s and women’s game both nationally and internationally, we want Oxford United to be a voice for how football should be run. With this in mind, we will shortly be announcing a wider initiative to ensure that all of our supporter groups have the opportunity to be involved in that.
As ever, our away support has been superb, and I know how much it means to everyone involved that we have one of the best and loudest travelling supports in the League. However, it’s also vital that we give just as much to the home matches. Winning isn’t just about what happens during the week at the training ground, it’s about the atmosphere at the stadium on a Saturday afternoon and a Tuesday evening. I know from speaking with the players just how much of a lift it gives them to see a full stadium and the difference vocal support can make – everyone in the club values what each and every one of you brings to matches, so let’s keep making sure we give our players that important edge to push for every point we can get.
With the men’s first team doing so well, it has been good to welcome James Constable back into the club, working within the Academy, and only this week we signed off on bringing in a full-time head coach for the women’s first team. That is a big step forward as part of our ‘one-club’ approach to everything we do and the desire to bring further excellence to our teams.
Next week you will see our new stadium really come to life in a series of public exhibitions that we are hosting, and I hope as many of you as possible will come and see just what an incredible vision we are creating for our club, for the city and for the county.
This is an exciting time to be part of this club and we never take for granted the support you all bring. Oxford United have had some incredible moments in its history, such as the Milk Cup triumph in 1986 or the Play-Off final in 2010. We are determined to add to those, and I firmly believe the best is yet to come. That’s why we are working so hard.
Have a great afternoon, thank you.
Tim Williams