Oxford United chief in plea to fans

9:30am Tuesday 24th April 2012 in Oxford Utd Photograph of the Author By David Pritchard, Chief Sports Reporter covering Oxford United. Follow us on twitter: @oxfordmailoufc. Call me on 01865 425458

Oxford United are calling on supporters to produce one more big push for their must-win final home game of the season on Saturday.

The U’s are still in contention for a place in the play-offs, but a slump in form means they realistically must win their last two games – starting at home to Southend United this weekend – to stand a chance of catching either Crewe or Cheltenham.

United chairman Kelvin Thomas is urging fans to keep the faith and recreate the atmosphere of last month’s derby, when a packed Kassam Stadium inspired Chris Wilder’s side to a 2-0 victory against Swindon Town.

He said: “It’s a huge game, it’s almost like the start of the play-offs for us.

“Unfortunately, we’ve put ourselves in a position where it’s not in our hands, but we have to be confident that Crewe or Cheltenham drop some points and we have to make sure we don’t.

“We had two massive games this season against Swindon, I think it was fantastic the way the players reacted to the intensity and pressure of those.

“That’s what we should try and recreate again on Saturday and I think we will, because the game is that big.”

Thomas believes the team’s recent record in high-pressure situations should provide cause for optimism.

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He said: “The club had a bit of a tag when I came in about not performing in big games, but we’ve lost that now.”

The U’s have launched an online campaign aimed at mobilising fans in the build-up to the Southend fixture.

Following on from the success in promoting the charity SpecialEffect with Charlotte Nott for the Rotherham United game last month, the club are hoping the Twitter hashtag #oufcbelieve takes off this week.

Thomas added: “It’s about getting the positive support in the ground, and trying to push the team over the line.

“We did it with Charlotte’s game and it worked extremely well.

“It allows people to share in it, that’s the key with social media, and it all builds up to what is hopefully a good result on Saturday.”

Meanwhile, United’s res-erves visit Colchester United in their penultimate game of the season tonight, with Tony Capaldi, Anthony Tonkin and Simon Heslop expected to figure.

Comments(22)

yeomanry says...
9:51am Tue 24 Apr 12

Its great to see words from our chairman but there is no escaping the fact that should just one or eight thousand fans turn up its solely down to the players to give their 100%. We have and are doing our bit - the gates prove that so come on the 11 picked for these final two games - its now down to you !!

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support your local team says...
10:14am Tue 24 Apr 12

What a silly post above. Players are not immune from the intensity of support - that is a universal truth. It does motivate them.
Of course its down to the players but the fans can play an important part.
We are the 12th Man! Lets make sure we have 12 on the pitch on Saturday!

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Oxford Male says...
12:13pm Tue 24 Apr 12

Thomas added: “It’s about getting the positive support in the ground, and trying to push the team over the line." Note the word "positive" - reading between the lines he is probably as hacked off as most of us with the negative, boo boys that have recently become an embarrassment and are doing the cause no good whatsoever. But some people thrive on this sort of thing. Well said Kelvin.

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BigAlBiker says...
12:20pm Tue 24 Apr 12

Positive support has never been the problem, just look at the sales of the early bird season tickets, the problem is we dont have a 20 goal a season striker, we dont have a consistant front line who know what to do, more loan players than ever before who apart from Robbie Hall and Lee Holmes were worse than we had, time to blood Tyrone Marsh and Aaron Woodley.

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New Manor rename says...
1:02pm Tue 24 Apr 12

“The club had a bit of a tag when I came in about not performing in big games, but we’ve lost that now.”

.... and gained one for chucking away points in most games that we should win easily!

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mandate says...
3:04pm Tue 24 Apr 12

Kelvin Thomas it is time for you to open the Oxford United wallet. Fans have spent fortunes following the team this season.

With an average home gate of over 6,500 this season, where does all the revenue go?

How can teams like Crewe and Torquay who have only half our attendances be in better league positions?

What I find odd is that much smaller clubs like Wycombe and Stevenage manage promotions, but we are failing to impress in this league.

The loyal fans deserve success, so please make an effort to find out why Oxford United is not achieving this.

The Oxford fans are superb and deserve to support a club that is playing at a higher level against clubs of equal stature.

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mandate says...
3:14pm Tue 24 Apr 12

Kelvin Thomas is your ambition for Oxford United to be run as a money making business, or a competitive football club? It seems that the latter is not really top of your agenda.

You claim that we are a club in a good financial position. But that doesn't mean anything to the fans if good financial business doesn't result in success for the club and the thousands of loyal fans.

What is your main priority, satisfied shareholders or satisfied supporters?

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oldun says...
4:07pm Tue 24 Apr 12

7364 is our average attendance
the other 23 average under 4000
Even after FK's take, this big Div 4 club must gain much from having such large gates. Many more goals from 'the front three' is needed - just 20 from the guy in the middle would help. We need 45 from those 3

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adlibber says...
5:36pm Tue 24 Apr 12

Agree with posts on here regards strikers or lack of that has cost us dearly in the run in. I understand KT's rallying call but really we should not be in this position. If doing the double over Swindon is all we have to carry us through to another season in League Two we clearly need to change direction and priorities. Much smaller clubs (in terms of gates&resources)are doing better than us and we need to address this asap. Just don't understand wilder's inability to stop the rot several games ago when we clearly struggled to score goals whilst leaking them.

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oldun says...
5:36pm Tue 24 Apr 12

I meant that the average of the division taking United out is under 4000. 'front three' - go for a 442 with just two wide men - breaking from midfield - simple innit

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BenkiuGuasu says...
5:52pm Tue 24 Apr 12

yeomanry wrote:
Its great to see words from our chairman but there is no escaping the fact that should just one or eight thousand fans turn up its solely down to the players to give their 100%. We have and are doing our bit - the gates prove that so come on the 11 picked for these final two games - its now down to you !!
The numbers bring in the money, the support boosts your team's chances. If we do not make the play-offs then the fans need to take their share of the blame. Too often the atmosphere at games has been very flat, and very rarely have the fans got behind the team as much as they should, and too often have fans turned against our own players. If we were still playing at the Manor, we would certainly be higher in the league...Ifs and buts.... Anyhow, we ARE still in with a chance. Crewe could well drop points on Saturday.... Sing your hearts out for the lads for 90 minutes...don't abuse or boo anyone on our team....and give our lads every chance of success.

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dave from witney says...
9:10pm Tue 24 Apr 12

Much of the gate money goes to the crook that owns the stadium. The club are commited to a huge rental for the ground unlike many others who are supported by their local councils, or clubs who were lucky enough to avoid people like Kassam. That aside it is a bit hard on the fans who have turned up in good numbers throughout the season, home and away and been rewarded with many many poor performances. If the manager could have built a team which had some reasonable consistency then attendances would have been even higher. The fault is the team/ manager not the lack of support. An away trip such as Plymouth, you don't get much change out of eighty quid, and that's sharing a car.

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BenkiuGuasu says...
8:37am Wed 25 Apr 12

BigAlBiker wrote:
Positive support has never been the problem, just look at the sales of the early bird season tickets, the problem is we dont have a 20 goal a season striker, we dont have a consistant front line who know what to do, more loan players than ever before who apart from Robbie Hall and Lee Holmes were worse than we had, time to blood Tyrone Marsh and Aaron Woodley.
Oli Johnson? Montanyo? I'd pick either of these ahead of Craddock... Is Woodley really gonna cut the mustard? His debut must have been 5 years ago now...

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BenkiuGuasu says...
8:47am Wed 25 Apr 12

mandate wrote:
Kelvin Thomas it is time for you to open the Oxford United wallet. Fans have spent fortunes following the team this season.

With an average home gate of over 6,500 this season, where does all the revenue go?

How can teams like Crewe and Torquay who have only half our attendances be in better league positions?

What I find odd is that much smaller clubs like Wycombe and Stevenage manage promotions, but we are failing to impress in this league.

The loyal fans deserve success, so please make an effort to find out why Oxford United is not achieving this.

The Oxford fans are superb and deserve to support a club that is playing at a higher level against clubs of equal stature.
Kelvin Thomas doesn't have a wallet...the wallet belongs to Ian Lenagan, who did actually pump some cash in to the club at the beginning of the season. That's why we have a premier league champion in our ranks. Any of the other teams in this division would love to have Dubes. The same goes for Leven, last year's League One player of the season. This is despite having to pay a fortune on rent in the stadium. Are Oxford fans suberb? Away yes. Home? Not for me. Time to up our game supporters. COYY

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gnash21 says...
1:39pm Wed 25 Apr 12

I totally agree with BenkiuGuasu. The only thing is we don't have player that play to our style of football. If Leven got loads of room in midfield to play the ball then he would have had a better season. Teams close us down in the middle of the park but don't do it to other teams. Surport has been brilliant home and away. We either need to change formation or get the right players for 4 3 3. The reason Midson has scored loads this is because he is played mainly down the middle. We did once and he scored a hat trick!

COYY

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northampton yellow says...
2:25pm Wed 25 Apr 12

yes we need a full house on sat but with a attendance of 7,400 per home game is alot higher in this league and it would be in the top 7 in league 1,i think the club lacks ambition and the quality of our players is not good enough,lost to many games again to lower teams "AGAIN"!!!!! IT also seems to me that alot of supporters are happy in just beating swindon twice yes it was nice to win the derbies but thats gone and there happy to stay in this division they must lack ambiton aswell but we all pay good money and work hard to support the "YELLOWS" SO LET"S GET BEHIND THE TEAM AND GET THE KASSAM ROCKING ON SAT WITH A FULL HOUSE " one final thing hope all those people who was at the swindon game are at kassam this sat . "YELLOWS AND PROUD"

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yellowhoods says...
3:41pm Wed 25 Apr 12

We will get beat this sat, the only song I will sing is wilder out.

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LondonOX says...
5:04pm Wed 25 Apr 12

Wilder is learning. He's relatively inexperienced. I think he'll get it right but its not going to happen overnight. We are progressing as a club, steadily admittedly, but progressing nevertheless. At least we're now looking up, people with not so short memories will remember when down was the only way we were heading. I think he's the right man for the job. The kassam days when we changed the manager every season when things weren't going that well (again) were horrendous. End off. So its possible we might not make the playoffs by a couple of points. It would be a big shame but its only the 2nd year back in league 2! Its no reason to sack the manager. You've got to be kidding?

WE NEED FULL SUPPORT OVER THE NEXT 2 GAMES!! THE SEASON IS NOT OVER!!

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yellowhoods says...
6:48pm Wed 25 Apr 12

No im not kidding, our football is boring and predictable, wilder is too blame, get rid!!!!!!!!

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yellowhoods says...
6:52pm Wed 25 Apr 12

Oh and the season is over, and deep down you know it, bring on the wilder out demo after the game.

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BenkiuGuasu says...
12:28am Thu 26 Apr 12

Yellowhoods you are swindon ... old trick...

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yellowhoods says...
8:01am Thu 26 Apr 12

BenkiuGuasu wrote:
Yellowhoods you are swindon ... old trick...
What a sad life you have, go away swindon troll, Di canio will off soon.

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