Oxford United Chairman Grant Ferguson wrote the following notes for the Cambridge United programme in Sky Bet League One:
Good afternoon and welcome to a Boxing Day game against Cambridge that I hope provides plenty of Christmas cheer. It’s a great opportunity for us to celebrate our togetherness as the Oxford United family, while we hopefully make amends for the last time the teams met on the opening day of the season, when Cambridge were the deserved winners. But a lot has happened since then!
I can’t comment on the Northampton game as I am penning these notes before it was played, but I did think the Burton match the week before was an important success on many levels. I thoroughly enjoyed the pre-match Christmas Extravaganza that included carol singers, silver bands and reindeer. A big thank you and much appreciation to those that organised it. Jim Goddard, our newly appointed Chief Operating Officer, and his team are focused on making the fan experience as interesting and memorable as possible on every match day, so watch this space.
I thought we played well in the match. A clean sheet from a solid defence and controlled, attacking football allowed us to create many chances, and what I thought was a really enjoyable watch. Also, an important first home win for Des, who is no longer the ‘new guy’, just our Head Coach. All things considered, the transition, still a work-in-progress, has gone as well as could have been hoped, and we end the year in the league play-off places, through to the third round of the FA Cup and in the last 16 of the Trophy. A lot of football still to be played and no doubt more twists and turns to be navigated, but I am excited to see what the rest of this exciting season has to bring. I don’t intend to dwell on the Reading match, but I do want to thank the travelling support that night. You were excellent in your support and behaviour in trying circumstances, in and out of the stadium, where, as some of you know, I experience it firsthand. You were again a credit to our club. Thank you.
Away from the first team, it was good to see Sam Rose get his first win as Manager of the Women’s team, an impressive 8-0 win over Billericay, providing a great end to the first half of the season. We had the biggest crowd of the season for that one too. I also enjoyed watching the stream of the men’s youth team playing at Gillingham in the FA Youth Cup. It was proper cup football, and the lads should be very proud of themselves despite a cruel end that saw them beaten by a penalty in extra time. Losing is tough when you want to be a winner, but I know these guys and I know they will use the disappointment to make them even stronger young adults, determined to realise the potential that they undoubtedly have.
In closing, I wish you all a Merry Christmas from myself, Tim and the Board. Enjoy the festivities and I look forward to seeing you back in only three days' time when we have another big game here against Derby County. Cheers!
Grant Ferguson
You can read the full programme online at www.matchdayfix.com/oufc