Reid.....more worrying signs about the club's finances......

[Yellow River]

Reid, who travels down from the midlands, could not afford the petrol to take part in the practice training sessions United had when they worked on the wingbacks system last week, otherwise he may have started ahead of Clarke at Ebbsfleet.

(cut &amp paste from The Oxford Mail)

[deanwindass]

Reid, who travels down from the midlands, could not afford the petrol to take part in the practice training sessions United had when they worked on the wingbacks system last week, otherwise he may have started ahead of Clarke at Ebbsfleet.

(cut &amp paste from The Oxford Mail)

This is the most stupid thing I've ever heard! We are supposed to be a professional football club! Apart from the incredible double save off the line Clarke was awful on Sat and Levi changed the game when he came on. He seems to be the only player we have (other than headdown Haldane and headless chicken Yemi) who seems comfortable with the ball at his feet.

How much can we be paying him that a car journey from the Midlands to Oxford is out of his reach? I hope we've given him enough of a rise in his new deal to rectify the problem!

[Snake]

And now this..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 593878.stm

[GodalmingYellow]

I agree, if true, the Levi Reid story is madness. These were the sort sof issues that began to crop up before the club very nearly went tits up in the late 90s and again when Kassam had begun being overly restrictive with spending.

I'm really beginning to question exactly what WPL are here for and whether we would be better off under Kassam.

[Shoobedoo]

The list of chairman this club has had since Maxwell (some might suggest even before) reads like a who’s who of the last people you want running a football club. Merry is becoming just another one on that list.

I wouldn't want any of them back because for one reason or another, whether it's profligate overspending at one extreme or obsessive pennypinching at the other, we'd be f*cked.

Don't really know where I'm going with this, perhaps I'm getting to the stage where we've been royally shafted for so long, by so many, that I can't see how it can be recovered.

See you Saturday.

[A-Ro]

Having seen the Man City takeover yesterday and having heard the pundits all having their say it sounds to me like there are a number of extremely wealthy people around the world who are desperate to get their hands on a premiership football club and are prepared to pay hundreds of millions to achieve this.

Surely there must be some mileage in sending out a few hundred begging letters describing the cut down price they could get a club like ours for and the fact that with the right level of investment we could easily get to the Premiership for a fraction of the cost that an established club would cost.

[Mally]

Having seen the Man City takeover yesterday and having heard the pundits all having their say it sounds to me like there are a number of extremely wealthy people around the world who are desperate to get their hands on a premiership football club and are prepared to pay hundreds of millions to achieve this.

Surely there must be some mileage in sending out a few hundred begging letters describing the cut down price they could get a club like ours for and the fact that with the right level of investment we could easily get to the Premiership for a fraction of the cost that an established club would cost.

I think most of them want a premiership club with an established brand (sorry but that's what it is these days) and the potential for over 50,000 ticket sales for every home game. Also if you were going to buy a small club and take them on a journey to the premier league I don't think you'd want to start that journey in Oxford.

[Radley Rambler]

Most would also want instant success - not a journey that in reality would take at least 8 years (and that's hopeful)

[Mooro]

[quote=&quotdeanwindass]
How much can we be paying him that a car journey from the Midlands to Oxford is out of his reach? I hope we've given him enough of a rise in his new deal to rectify the problem![/quote]

Well, at the time he was on non-contract terms, which basically means that we were under no obligation to pay him at all, but were allowed to play him in league games on what is in effect an extended trial.

This strikes me as the old OM drip-feed method - drop in one line somewhere in a story to get the masses outraged, without any effort to qualify anything they've said or put across the whole story.

Was Reid being paid anything at all while he was on non-contract terms, was he offered expenses and/or accomodation to come down and train, what agreement had been reached previously regarding which training sessions he was required for, did he have other commitments in the Midlands which meant he couldnt get/stay down here for the session in question, how have we structured trials/noncontract arrangements in the past, how do other clubs do it, etc, etc. How indeed did the OM come by this information that the player 'couldnt afford the petrol, is it even true?

Anyway, he has now signed a new deal, so cannot have been that put out by it can he?

[Ascension Ox]

Having seen the Man City takeover yesterday and having heard the pundits all having their say it sounds to me like there are a number of extremely wealthy people around the world who are desperate to get their hands on a premiership football club and are prepared to pay hundreds of millions to achieve this.

Surely there must be some mileage in sending out a few hundred begging letters describing the cut down price they could get a club like ours for and the fact that with the right level of investment we could easily get to the Premiership for a fraction of the cost that an established club would cost.

I think most of them want a premiership club with an established brand (sorry but that's what it is these days) and the potential for over 50,000 ticket sales for every home game. Also if you were going to buy a small club and take them on a journey to the premier league I don't think you'd want to start that journey in Oxford.

You don't need to get to the Prem to make a return on your investment though. Plus in early 2004, we played Hull City in a top of the table League 2 fixture. Now look.... Forget the top half of the Prem, that's fantasy. But were Hull any 'bigger a club than Oxford 5 years ago. Do not make the mistake that everything about OUFC is rubbish. Look at the fan base we can STILL call on.

[GodalmingYellow]

Having seen the Man City takeover yesterday and having heard the pundits all having their say it sounds to me like there are a number of extremely wealthy people around the world who are desperate to get their hands on a premiership football club and are prepared to pay hundreds of millions to achieve this.

Surely there must be some mileage in sending out a few hundred begging letters describing the cut down price they could get a club like ours for and the fact that with the right level of investment we could easily get to the Premiership for a fraction of the cost that an established club would cost.

I think most of them want a premiership club with an established brand (sorry but that's what it is these days) and the potential for over 50,000 ticket sales for every home game. Also if you were going to buy a small club and take them on a journey to the premier league I don't think you'd want to start that journey in Oxford.

You don't need to get to the Prem to make a return on your investment though. Plus in early 2004, we played Hull City in a top of the table League 2 fixture. Now look.... Forget the top half of the Prem, that's fantasy. But were Hull any 'bigger a club than Oxford 5 years ago. Do not make the mistake that everything about OUFC is rubbish. Look at the fan base we can STILL call on.

Big difference between Hull and Oxford though isn't there.

Hull got a shed load of council help. Hull have an affordable ground properly financed with revenue streams directed to the football club. Hull own their own ground. Hull comprises a huge connurbation.

OUFC does not own its own ground. We have the choice of unaffordable rent or unaffordable purchase price. We are non-league. A load of our revenue streams are syphoned off. We have £4m debts and no assets.

[Ascension Ox]

I think most of them want a premiership club with an established brand (sorry but that's what it is these days) and the potential for over 50,000 ticket sales for every home game. Also if you were going to buy a small club and take them on a journey to the premier league I don't think you'd want to start that journey in Oxford.

You don't need to get to the Prem to make a return on your investment though. Plus in early 2004, we played Hull City in a top of the table League 2 fixture. Now look.... Forget the top half of the Prem, that's fantasy. But were Hull any 'bigger a club than Oxford 5 years ago. Do not make the mistake that everything about OUFC is rubbish. Look at the fan base we can STILL call on.

Big difference between Hull and Oxford though isn't there.

Hull got a shed load of council help. Hull have an affordable ground properly financed with revenue streams directed to the football club. Hull own their own ground. Hull comprises a huge connurbation.

OUFC does not own its own ground. We have the choice of unaffordable rent or unaffordable purchase price. We are non-league. A load of our revenue streams are syphoned off. We have £4m debts and no assets.

Er, no wish to argue vehemently on this but circumstances change.

Middlesborough were locked out of their own ground in the 1980s, Hull's old ground was owned by a supermarket group, they were totally potless untill 'circumstances '(ie privatisation of Kingston telephone company changed the goalposts. Bristol City went into liquidation in 1982. They all had 'no assets' but have gone on to do well.

We do have assets, a fan base, (absolutely superb in the current cirx), a 'name' . some history. Its not time to consign the club to the dustbin just yet. Supporters have got to keep the flame burning whatever is happening with off field 'ownership' shenangans.

[GodalmingYellow]

You don't need to get to the Prem to make a return on your investment though. Plus in early 2004, we played Hull City in a top of the table League 2 fixture. Now look.... Forget the top half of the Prem, that's fantasy. But were Hull any 'bigger a club than Oxford 5 years ago. Do not make the mistake that everything about OUFC is rubbish. Look at the fan base we can STILL call on.

Big difference between Hull and Oxford though isn't there.

Hull got a shed load of council help. Hull have an affordable ground properly financed with revenue streams directed to the football club. Hull own their own ground. Hull comprises a huge connurbation.

OUFC does not own its own ground. We have the choice of unaffordable rent or unaffordable purchase price. We are non-league. A load of our revenue streams are syphoned off. We have £4m debts and no assets.

Er, no wish to argue vehemently on this but circumstances change.

Middlesborough were locked out of their own ground in the 1980s, Hull's old ground was owned by a supermarket group, they were totally potless untill 'circumstances '(ie privatisation of Kingston telephone company changed the goalposts. Bristol City went into liquidation in 1982. They all had 'no assets' but have gone on to do well.

We do have assets, a fan base, (absolutely superb in the current cirx), a 'name' . some history. Its not time to consign the club to the dustbin just yet. Supporters have got to keep the flame burning whatever is happening with off field 'ownership' shenangans.

Who is consigning the club to the dustbin? Certainly not me, or I wouldn't bother typing this.

The club can and will always have a future. It is just what form that takes which is to be decided.

[Sideshow Rob]

On the basis of Reid's performances in the last two games maybe more players should stay away from training.