Tim Williams, CEO of Oxford United, wrote the following notes for the programme for the Sky Bet League One fixture against Burton Albion:
A warm welcome to everyone for our match this afternoon against Burton Albion. I would like to extend that warm welcome to our visiting team and supporters who have made the journey to us today.
It’s been a few weeks since I wrote the programme notes and it’s fair to say there has been a lot going on at the club since then. Now is not the time to look back but to look forward to another era for the club under Des, but I do want to echo Grant’s comments recently about how impressed I was at how the entire club has managed the changes in the last couple of months. It says a lot about the commitment and professionalism of our playing and non-playing staff that the transition was handled in the way it was.
Managing change must be simply a part of what it means to be part of a professional football club. Any organisation, for that matter, and we recognised long ago that the success of our club is not dependent on just one person, and the team around the men’s first-team coach are just as important as the head coach themselves. The attitude of Craig Short, Lewis Price and Chris Hackett, to name but a few, was exemplary, and I know I speak on behalf of the club and the fans in thanking them for stepping up so quickly, but also to the recruitment team and the Board for acting swiftly to bring Des into the building. I am also very happy to announce that Lewis Price will be staying with the club as our goalkeeping coach – Lewis made a lot of sacrifices to come to the club but made an instant impact when he joined us this summer, and I am personally delighted we have been able to keep him for the long term. The core team supporting Des is already fantastic, but we will be adding to that team over the coming weeks.
Any transition is never easy, especially a transition that has had to cope with some of the injuries we have had. To lose one top player is difficult enough, but to be without five of our regular starting line-up has to have an impact and the entire club is working night and day to get our squad fully fit again and, more importantly, keep them fit. But that does take time – we can’t rush players back onto the pitch, but we have the strength and depth of squad to manage the games coming up. This is a long season with a lot of games – already we have played 26 competitive games in the league and cups. And with the club being in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, knockout stages of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy and 5th in the league, there is a huge amount to be proud of and a lot to look forward to as we move to the second half of the season.
Understandably, nobody wants to see our team drop points in the league, but as I have said, it is a long season still and the focus of Des and the team to move back up the league is clear. And 3,000 fans supporting the team loudly and brilliantly at the game against Reading this week means a huge amount to us at the club. Our travelling supporters are something to be very proud of and I thank each and every one of you who makes those trips. I never see such loud, loyal and committed support anywhere else, and I hope you will be just as loud this afternoon.
Turning away from the men’s first team, our women’s team play against Billericay this weekend at Court Place Farm. Our women’s team is a critical part of Oxford United, and whilst there are those who may detract from the value of the women’s game and the role of women in sport, we at Oxford United absolutely do not – Oxford United is, and will always be, One Club.
Today’s game very much has a seasonal feel to it, so I hope you will all brave the cold to get fully involved in what we have planned for the pre-match atmosphere. It just leaves me to say, thank you to you all for your unwavering support to this great club and to wish you a very Happy Christmas, and I look forward to seeing you back here on Boxing Day.
Thank you.
Tim Williams
You can read the full programme online at www.matchdayfix.com/oufc