Championship CEO says club could cease to exist if decision doesn't go their way

Daily Mirror

03-06-2025

Oxford United will be kicked out of their current home at the Kassam Stadium soon - and the club are yet to begin work on their proposed new 16,000-seater stadium
Oxford United could be pushed to the brink of extinction if their proposed new stadium doesn't get the green light, according to the club's chief executive. Oxford currently play at the Kassam Stadium, but their lease is set to expire soon and the club's future hinges on a brand-new home getting planning permission.
The U's, who finished 17th in the Championship this season, have played at the Kassam since the 12,500-seater stadium was opened in 2001. However, the stadium is owned by the club's former chairman Firoz Kassam and his Firoka Group, who have threatened Oxford with homelessness.
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An agreement was struck in May that will allow Oxford to remain at the Kassam until the end of the 2026/27 season, with the option of one further year, but they still need somewhere to move into by June 2028 at the very latest. The new stadium still isn't guaranteed though, with a decision coming in July.
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Oxford chief executive Tim Williams has spelled out the situation in an interview with Sky Sports News. "When our lease at the Kassam Stadium runs out, we won't have a home and a stadium to play in,' he said plainly. 'If we don't have a stadium, there is a risk we won't have a football club.
'It doesn't get more serious than that for a football club. We have seen headlines recently about a new Manchester United stadium, which with all due respect is a want and not a need.
'If Manchester United don't move out, they still have Old Trafford. If Everton hadn't moved into Bramley Moor-Dock, they've still got Goodison. If we don't move into a new stadium, we are homeless and we don't exist and it's an absolute travesty in my view. It's that important.'
Oxford have submitted plans for a 16,000-seater stadium that will also have a 180-bedroom hotel, a conference and events centre and a gym. It would also become the first all-electric stadium in the UK, with a focus on sustainability – but it needs to be green lighted first.
'We now have a Football Regulator, and we have a report by Tracey Crouch which talks about football assets. We are a poster child for what good football governance and football clubs should be about,' Williams added.
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'It's going to be a 16,000-seater stadium, on the outskirts of Oxford, and a real community asset, fully sustainable, in a brilliant location in the country. We need support, but we also need to say, the point about the club potentially not existing is a real one. This needs to be moved up every headline.
'We are entering a crucial period in the club's history. The future of the club hinges on the new stadium, and I'd urge every supporter, every stakeholder, and every voice to get behind this project.'