Up to 1,000 Oxford United fans vented their frustration over years of footballing decline at the Kassam Stadium last night (March 15).

Fans spell out their feelings

Disillusioned supporters, in a protest against club owner Firoz Kassam, chanted "Kassam out" and "We love Oxford, we love Oxford, we love Oxford more than you" prior to the game against Bristol Rovers.

About 100 of them sat down in the club car park and nearby road to block away fan coaches and had to be moved away by police officers and stewards.

Disgust at Mr Kassam's management boiled over when around 200 fans forced their way past stewards into the main entrance to the club and up the stairs to the Christchurch Suite.

Stewards and police rushed to regain control of the main doors and prevented more fans from charging through.

Chanting anti-Kassam slogans, they burst into the Christchurch suite and threw A4 posters saying 'Kassam Out' at directors and diners, including TV pundit Ron Atkinson -- a former Oxford Utd player -- who were enjoying a pre-match meal.

They were then met by a representative of the club at the doors leading from the suite to the stadium who told them: "We will open this door and let you put your banners up if you will then leave."

After a five-minute protest the fans returned to the entrance to re-join the main protest.

A club official said a steward had to go home suffering from mild shock after being overwhelmed by fans when they charged the entrance.

Travelling Bristol Rovers fans showed their support for the protest by waving 'Kassam out' A4 posters from the window of their coaches as they arrived at the ground.

Against this backdrop a group of 20 fans, including members from Oxford United supporters' trust, OxVox, met with the club's new directors Brendon Cross and Bill Smith.

The private meeting, to which the Oxford Mail was refused entry, lasted for about 30 minutes and was described as "brutally honest."

Lifelong Oxford United fan Ross Clark stormed out half way through and reported back to fans that: "They are all talking a load of b***ocks in there."

Some fans spontaneously called on the crowd to burst in on the meeting, but then the chanting restarted and the protest continued outside.

The protest, which involved about a quarter of the Oxford United fans who attended last night's game, went on for about an hour.

As soon as the game kicked off, the chants for Kassam to leave stopped, and the fans re-directed their taunts towards the visiting Bristol Rovers' fans.

Oxford United beat Bristol Rovers 1-0 and there were no reports of any demonstrations after the game.