Oxford United Chairman Grant Ferguson wrote the following programme notes for Oxford United's Sky Bet League One game against Cheltenham Town:
Good afternoon and welcome back to the Kassam Stadium for today’s game against Cheltenham Town. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Des, the players, staff, directors, and supporters joining us.
Today is our dedicated Blue Light Day, as we show appreciation and support for our public services. There will be lots of activities for supporters to get involved in, and plenty going on around the ground that will showcase vehicles, equipment, and personnel from the likes of The Army, The Royal Air Force, The Navy, Thames Valley Police, South Central Ambulance, Oxford Fire and Rescue, and Oxford University Hospitals. It’s set to be a great event and we’re pleased to have so many serving personnel joining us to enjoy it.
Last Saturday I attended our match against Portsmouth at Fratton Park and, despite the result, I was hugely encouraged by a much-improved performance. We were defensively solid, worked extremely hard and some of our attacking play was a joy to watch. We now need to build on that and carry it into the last few months of the season.
There have been a lot of discussions in recent months about how the club engages with supporters. I’ve been very vocal about encouraging and facilitating open dialogue so was delighted to be able to announce earlier this week the introduction of our Fan Engagement Plan that will be rolled out in the coming weeks, including the intention to create a Fan Advisory Board with the aim of bringing together a diverse range of U’s supporters to advise the club on significant issues that impact us all.
Over the last few weeks, not only have we submitted planning for our new stadium proposals, but the application has also been validated by Cherwell District Council. Even though it may feel like we have made significant progress, we are only at the very start of this process and you, the fans, have a vital role to play if we are to realise our vision of building a new home for Oxford United.
This isn’t just about bricks and mortar - it’s about creating something truly special that resonates with our supporters, players, and the entire Oxford community. Over the coming months we’ll be sharing more updates and providing details about how you can help our plans.
Back to this afternoon’s game, I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support. As fans we can sometimes underestimate the impact, both positive and negative, we can have on the players. They have some huge games coming up and the backing you give them could be the difference between winning and losing. So, let’s get behind the team – they need us now more than ever.
COYY
Grant
You can read the full programme online at www.matchdayfix.com/oufc