On the pitch

[amershamwrighty]

As I stood at the front of the London Road yesterday, all I could think was: &quotI don't want to ever bring my son here and subject him to this.&quot It's a shame, a huge shame, because I'd love my lad to support Oxford as opposed to a Premier League team.

I agree wholeheartedly with your whole post Dan, but this struck a particular chord with me. If this game had been a 3 o'clock kick off, it would almost certainly have been the first game I brought my 8yo daughter to. I am so, so glad that I did not. And it is painful to have to say that.

The lack of stewarding was, indeed, shocking. After the initial pitch invasion, I was expecting a significant presence of additional stewards and/or police to make their way to the front of the stand, but there was nobody. I find it staggering to think that at a football match with 10,000|| expected there was no police presence whatsoever. Simply staggering.

Chill.

If you get too upset about this you would never let your kids go to school or go to the park.

My elder daughter first came with me a long, long time ago when she was 7 and I can't wait for the day when her first child (due in the close season) can come with me to watch the Yellows.

There are issues with society, but let us not assume that they are magnified at a football ground.

[Snake]

Just a quick note about the police.

They did turn up in the end on Sunday, and in big numbers, but only about half an hour after the game ended when clearly the stewards thought there was not enough of them to escort the Northwich fans out of the ground safely and public order was at risk.

As for why there was not a police presence before that for a highly charged game with over ten thousand spectators present - well, it would help if the club paid their TVP bills on time because they simply won’t turn up when there are unpaid invoices for thousands of pounds. And if anyone doubts that is true then use the Freedom of Information Act to ask about the unpaid bills as TVP are more than happy to divulge that information.

And yes, I'm sick of these morons as well, because at the end of the day we should not need the Babylon around just to get 100 or so peaceful away fans to their transport home.

[Kernow Yellow]

Let's not forget it was a 4pm kick off on a sunny day a lot of thise idiots would have been in the pub all day, drinking shit larger since 11am, probably.

When I walked up to the ground, I was struck by quite how drunk many of those around me were. I was also bemused by the level of expectation of many fans, considering that we were never really going to make the play-offs.

Once our game, and other results, started going badly, I wasn't that surprised how things turned out. In fact, I was quite impressed that no-one went onto the pitch at the final whistle.

However, I completely agree with the general sentiments about our idiot fans - there are just so many of them now, that it always spoils my visits to the Kassam. The bloke who wouldn't give the ball back to their goalie to take a goal kick at the start of the second half - just how thick can you be? The bloke behind me screaming abuse at Haldane from kick-off. And of course that group front right in the Mail Stand. At least they got to realise what the rest of us thought of them.

If the stories about people hanging around waiting to attack the away fans are true then the club should be ashamed. This has been going on too long now (I remember the Bury fans team telling me their minibus had been attacked while sat in traffic in the car park a few years ago). If we can't look after genuine football people who travel the length of the country to give our club money, that makes me angry and embarrassed.

I actually wish the Northwich team had come out again at the end to acknowledge their fans, because they would have got a decent ovation from most of us too, which might have gone some way to making amends for the actions of our fans (and the inaction of our officials).

[Snake]

I actually wish the Northwich team had come out again at the end to acknowledge their fans, because they would have got a decent ovation from most of us too, which might have gone some way to making amends for the actions of our fans (and the inaction of our officials).

They did come out, but only about 20 minutes after the game ended, and they got a great reception from the away fans.

[Matt D]

another season, another game that finishes staring at an empty pitch wondering how that happened. i think that, leyton orient excepted (and that's about context), that's the most depressing one of the lot. so far.

there's little doubt in my mind that the interruption to the game after we scored lost the momentum the team had built up. but what really frustrated me is that it seemed so disrespectful to what these players have shown us they can do. some people seemed to have come to the game with the sole intention of being part of a pitch invasion, and when they decided that oxford weren't going to be celebrating at the end, thought they'd go on while they had the chance.

games like histon and wrexham had me believing, even at 1-0 down, that this team could yet win. several times this season i've decided a game's lost to us, only for everything to turn round in an instant.

instead the game was turned into a circus, and we'll never know.

[ty cobb]

To be fair to the Stewards they had lost their usual formation trying to do something about the idiots running onto the pitch and hopping over the fence - which came from all parts of the ground. Hence the ones able to look after themselves were away from the pitch when those idiots ran on - no club would be able to deal with that many fans deciding to come onto the pitch - as Brum Villa a few seasons back showed if a fan wants to get in the face of a opposition player when theres a few people on the pitch it's not hard to do.

What they should have done better was move those people from the area and to their seats thus preventing the build up - it was the same against Orient, however, as it was coming up to the end of the game theres always a build up of people at the bottom of the stand so arguably it would have been differcult to do this as well.

Best solution is to simply ban those fans that came on - and ban for life the idiot who attacked their player with a flag.

As for the game, I thought we were the better team and created some good chances - I don't think we should give up on half the players just because of Sat - every game before that was a pressure game and I don't want to rebuild from scratch like we did under Patto when we've got a good team.

Turley
Batt
Wilmot
Foster
Sandwitch
Nelly
Murray
Chappers
Clist
Beano
Another Striker

Is a very good team and we should look to add to this not tear things up and start again.

[Swissbloke]

I also took my Nine year old in the LRT for the 2nd time, language although bad wouldn't be a reason to stop brining her, but She was scared of the trouble.

It's not just us though, Forest Green's fans set upon Telford coaches after the Setanta Shitcup or whatever it was, York fans are notorious and Wimbledon are currently getting critisiced for bottle throwing.

Morons are morons. Doesn't matter who they support.

On a better note, the pre-kick off stuff was probably the best atmosphere at the Kasstad and even equals some of the Manor days. Good effort by he fans there.

[OUFC4eva]

Dare we ask how much cash the club owes TVP, snake?

I think at the forum Lenagan confirmed that around £600k of &quotexternal debt&quot had built up in addition to the £3.5M or so owed to WPL.

I hope we don't owe the HMRC too much.

[Paul Cooper]

Dare we ask how much cash the club owes TVP, snake?

I think at the forum Lenagan confirmed that around £600k of &quotexternal debt&quot had built up in addition to the £3.5M or so owed to WPL.

I hope we don't owe the HMRC too much.

My recollection was that KT suggested that there were generally agreement with suppliers and there are plans to pay this amount off over a period of time (pretty unspecific)

[Shoobedoo]

another season, another game that finishes staring at an empty pitch wondering how that happened. i think that, leyton orient excepted (and that's about context), that's the most depressing one of the lot. so far.

Nah - if anything I feel more positive about the end of this season and the prospect of the next one than at any other time since we joined this &quotpoxy&quot league.

The bottom for me was the Exeter playoff semi-final second leg. After chucking so many opportunities away over the course of that season (and that Exeter game was the whole season in microcosm), I knew we were going to be in the conference for significantly longer than originally hoped. And so it's proved. However - thanks to Chris Wilder and Kelvin Thomas, I think the club is starting to like itself again.

Unfortunately we've always seemed to attract our fair share of bell-end &quotsupporters&quot in this day of closed circuit TV here's hoping for as many positive ID's as possible and banning orders all round.

[boris]

The bottom for me was the Exeter playoff semi-final second leg. After chucking so many opportunities away over the course of that season (and that Exeter game was the whole season in microcosm), I knew we were going to be in the conference for significantly longer than originally hoped. And so it's proved.

One day in the conference is significantly longer than I'd hoped for.

[GodalmingYellow]

Dare we ask how much cash the club owes TVP, snake?

I think at the forum Lenagan confirmed that around £600k of &quotexternal debt&quot had built up in addition to the £3.5M or so owed to WPL.

I hope we don't owe the HMRC too much.

HMRC is much less of an issue than it was a year or two ago. They now accept debt repayments over a lengthy period of time quite willingly.

[GodalmingYellow]

another season, another game that finishes staring at an empty pitch wondering how that happened. i think that, leyton orient excepted (and that's about context), that's the most depressing one of the lot. so far.

Nah - if anything I feel more positive about the end of this season and the prospect of the next one than at any other time since we joined this &quotpoxy&quot league.

The bottom for me was the Exeter playoff semi-final second leg. After chucking so many opportunities away over the course of that season (and that Exeter game was the whole season in microcosm), I knew we were going to be in the conference for significantly longer than originally hoped. And so it's proved. However - thanks to Chris Wilder and Kelvin Thomas, I think the club is starting to like itself again.

Unfortunately we've always seemed to attract our fair share of bell-end &quotsupporters&quot in this day of closed circuit TV here's hoping for as many positive ID's as possible and banning orders all round.

The bottom for me was having to sack Patto, after all the hope generated at the end of last season, and the hope generated during last pre-season. The final decline began at Barrow and didn't really stop until Patto was fired and Wilder was brought in.

I'm very hopeful of the future as well, but then the feeling was good last season as well.

I'm more satisfied on the finances than I have been for some time, given that the club is now budgeting based on sensible numbers and aiming for break even.

I'm more satisfied on the pitch as the difference from the feelgood with Patto is that Wilder's decision making and approach makes sense. The football is pretty good too.

[Snake]

Dare we ask how much cash the club owes TVP, snake?

I think at the forum Lenagan confirmed that around £600k of &quotexternal debt&quot had built up in addition to the £3.5M or so owed to WPL.

I hope we don't owe the HMRC too much.

The last time I asked back in mid-January the club were five weeks late (after the normal 30 days to settle a TVP invoice had expired) in paying a bill of £2092 excluding VAT for the York City game.

Has there been a policed game since then?

[Kernow Yellow]

On a better note, the pre-kick off stuff was probably the best atmosphere at the Kasstad and even equals some of the Manor days. Good effort by he fans there.

Yes, I thought the atmosphere at times was the best I've known there - with the possible exception of the Slumdon game. Those flags are looking quite impressive these days. In fact I don't think I've seen more Oxford yellow (shirts, flags, banners etc) at any other game since Wembley!