Oxford United Chairman Grant Ferguson wrote the following notes for the programme for the visit of Sheffield Wednesday in Sky Bet League One on Good Friday:
It feels like a long time since we had a home game, so I’d like to start by wishing Liam the best of luck as he takes charge of Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium for the first time.
The past three weeks have reinforced what we knew about Liam when we appointed him as Head Coach. His knowledge, work ethic and attention to detail are outstanding and it was clear from watching the game at Peterborough that he and Chris Hogg had worked extremely hard on the training pitches. Our players have also shown themselves to be adaptable and committed. They have taken so much on board and put in a highly disciplined performance for 90 minutes. The stats show they ran further than in any other game this season and we kept the first clean sheet this year. The result, a well-earned draw that, on the back a similar outcome at Morecambe, keeps edging us in the right direction.
Now the next step forward is a win, and I think most fans believe, like me, that we have enough to pull away from the situation we find ourselves in.
Off the pitch we also made progress with the appointment of Ed Waldron as our new Head of Recruitment. After undertaking a market search, it was apparent that we already have excellent capability in the building, so Ed deserves his chance. I know he is taking on the challenge by bringing a fresh approach and ideas. He is putting together a new recruitment team and we have already held very constructive meetings with Liam about the summer transfer window and a systematic approach to managing squad development beyond that.
As you know, a new home for the club is a key part of our plans. The past couple of weeks have seen public meetings around Kidlington and everyone has had a chance to voice their opinion. We will continue to work with the city and county councils to make sure the new ground works for all concerned, and over the next few weeks we will step up our engagement plans and hopefully move things forward. It is a long process but that was to be expected, and in the spirit of partnership and mutual support, we will get there.
You may have also noticed that the clubs accounts were published last week that again demonstrate the level of support the shareholders provide to the club. I want to publicly acknowledge that, and their ongoing support anchored in their belief in what we are building here, as a team and as a club.
Enjoy the game.
Grant
You can read the full programme online at www.matchdayfix.com/oufc