Weatherstone in the community

The club finally issued a further statement outlining its stance on the Ross Weatherstone incident, hopefully not too late for the first inadequate effort to have done any lasting damage. It can be seen on the club's official website. The new statement is unequivocal in its anti-racist rhetoric and outlines what punitive action it is taking against Weatherstone which, in the circumstances, is remarkably lenient. The player is being suspended without pay for the maximum amount of time permitted by Football League relations (two weeks) and he will have to undertake three months community work, although what that actually means isn't spelt out. The campaign to kick racism out of football, Kick It Out, called the punishment “meaningless”, but local community leaders in Oxford welcomed the club's statement and expressed the hope that it would lead to Weatherstone's rehabilitation.
The club's statement would appeal to the 32% of Rage Online readers who voted for that option in the poll set up to ascertain your views, although the 8% who thought that the club should take no further action would be disappointed, as would the 41% who felt that Weatherstone should be sacked.

Further leisure details

The proposed plans for the Minchery Farm leisure site are available from the offices of the Planning Department of Oxford City Council. The nightclub area looks massive (1,866 square metres) and the nine cinema screens all look cosy (largest 320 seats). Even if planning permission is forthcoming the terms of the agreement between Firoz Kassam and the Council mean that building work cannot start on the leisure park until United are playing at the new stadium.

Memorial service for Maurice Evans

On Sunday 17th September, a memorial service for Maurice Evans will be held in the Princess Suite at the Madejski Stadium. A book of condolence is to be organised and this will be arranged for the service. Further details of the service will be announced nearer the date.

Meanwhile there will be a minute's silence prior to the match between Oxford and Brentford tomorrow and both teams will be wearing black armbands, as will the teams at Walsall on Tuesday, as Ray Graydon, the Saddlers' manager, worked very closely with Evans when they were both at United. Graydon called Evans a “father figure” and pointed to Ray Houghton, John Aldridge and Dean Saunders as examples of the kind of player who Evans was able to unearth and tempt to Oxford.