This year has been one of significant growth for Oxford United.
I live it every day, but it was good to experience first-hand some of the developments on and off the pitch over the past few weeks while in Oxford. Promotion to the Sky Bet Championship has understandably accelerated much of this development, but it’s important that we don’t lose sight of what got us here and what our goals are.
Since joining the Club as Chairman in the summer of 2022, we’ve had a very clear ambition to become a stable, sustainable Championship Club. Two years on, that goal remains the same. Just because we are now competing at this level doesn’t mean we have suddenly delivered on that. There is still much to do before we reach that target.
Des and the team have made a really positive start to the season and the whole club has quickly made adjustments to life in the Championship, but we very much remain focused on the approach we’ve had since the start of this campaign – that is to learn and learn fast; everyday aim to be better than we were the day before; and consolidate what we have. A big part of my job is to ensure we put the foundations in place for long-term success, and that means not being distracted by the short-term fluctuations football inevitably brings.
The excitement and atmosphere at the Kassam this season have been exceptional with every home league match selling out. I have also had the opportunity to travel to Coventry, and Sunderland last weekend and experience our phenomenal away support. I know I speak for the entire Men’s First Team when I say that the encouragement and appreciation from the stands have made an enormous difference. Your support is integral to everything we do, and continuing to sell-out our home games will give us every chance of consolidating our position this season.
I see positive developments on the footballing side across the club. Our Women’s Team, managed by Sam Rose, made changes during the summer to the playing department and their staff and, are performing well at the top end of the table, battling for promotion. Our girls’ programme continues to develop, bringing it ever closer to the standards set by the Boys Academy. Three of our Academy players were recognised with first-year pro-contracts earlier this year and we have four scholars studying for A-levels, a record for the Club. We now field a Men’s team in an under-21 league to allow players from the First Team to get vital minutes and help young professionals make the move to senior football. We are proud of every player that puts on the Oxford United shirt.
Off the pitch, we are always looking at what we can do to improve the support of our players. The Training Ground has seen a number of changes recently, most notably with the installation of a state-of-the-art kitchen facility alongside the appointment of a new performance nutrition team. Led by the vastly experienced Jody Palmer, the changes have elevated the environment at the Training Ground, whilst providing those vital improvements in the marginal gains of player nutrition and wellbeing.
We’ve also been making enhancements to the physical environment both at the Training Ground and the stadium. Hopefully, you have noticed some of this at the Kassam, most notably within the tunnel area which has been brought to life with new imagery. This is part of our ongoing investment into the brand and how we present Oxford United as we aim to bring consistency to what we do and present the Club in the best way possible.
Another significant change at the stadium is the installation of new floodlights. Tuesday night’s match with Hull City will be a chance to see these lights work in full flow. I don’t want to give too much away, but I encourage as many people as possible to get to the game to see what the team have in store. It will be a first at the Kassam!
One of the things I love most about being involved with Oxford United is supporting the great work the Club is doing within our community. I was fortunate enough to be at the Training Ground for our annual team photo, where we were joined by Pegasus Primary School so they could take part in what turned out to be a truly special day for all those involved. Events like this, along with the launch of our recent mental health campaign, Can We Talk? are fantastic examples of the positive role Oxford United must play beyond the football field. As a Club, we are passionate about helping those who need us, which is why I am delighted by the recent announcement of a long-term, enhanced partnership with Oxford United in the Community and our commitment to support the Joey Beauchamp Foundation.
Attending the squad photo last week also gave me an opportunity to speak with some of the team at Baxi, our Principal Partner, who worked with us to deliver this event. To secure a long-term partnership with a company of Baxi’s standing was the result of a lot of work behind the scenes, and it is a real endorsement of what we’re doing across the Club to bring in such a well-established and respected brand to support our progress.
Whilst a lot of the focus is rightly on the players we sign, it is also vital that we recruit the right people to support them, and the wider Club. A new Head of Medical has been appointed following Amy Cranston’s departure. A very experienced Finance Director has joined us, and a new full-time Supporter Liaison Officer will soon start to enhance the avenues for engagement with fans. Our media department has also continued to grow, and the team there have been instrumental in bringing you closer to our players than ever before.
I am also keenly involved with the project team responsible for delivering the new stadium and although there aren’t any major updates at the moment, I can assure you that work continues apace behind the scenes to refine our plans and address the questions of key stakeholders as we work towards a planning decision.
Along with the Owners, the Board, and the executive management team, my commitment to you, the supporters, is to be relentless in making this Club the very best it can be. We are extremely proud to represent this Club and will continue to do everything we can to take Oxford United forward.
Life in the Championship is new to most of us. Like any football season, there will be plenty of ups and downs, but throughout it all, it’s important that we continue to maintain the unity that got us here. ALL UNITED is as pertinent now as it was in the lead-up to the Play-Off Final. There’s still a lot to do but, whatever happens, let’s back our teams, stick together and make this a season to remember.
COYY,
Grant
