General The Board & Senior Management

[OUFCwaffle]

no longer have Radio Ox 5 minutes fans forum

What happened with this? Was a great way of communicating with club and fans on a regular basis. Who decided to stop it?

 

[OX14]

What happened with this? Was a great way of communicating with club and fans on a regular basis. Who decided to stop it?

The club requested it to stop was what radio Oxford said.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

Just picking this out and I'm genuinely not having a dig here, but what is shocking about them not fronting up? They've been here 18 months or so and never shown anything more than the bare minimum in terms of fan engagement, see the famous phantom fans forum as a prime example. No one ever seems to know when Grant is even in the country and when he is here he sneaks in and out. Tim doesn't appear to think much of his customers either.

There are several things wrong at the club at the moment. I actually think that at some point we'll spend a decent but of money which might not be the best thing long term as plenty of people will point to that and say "see, they're not bad. They're putting money in, we don't need to updates on what they do every day, just trust them." Really dangerous attitude to have, questions need to be answered sharpish even if they know we won't like the answers. Wonder if Tim's still got the number for his bodyguards.

I meant it not as a ' surprised shock " but as in ' shockingly bad ' . So much going on with Management in recent months and obviously the biggest thing for the very existence of the club and just radio silence.

 

[Common Villager]

I think what's most frustrating about the lack of communication from the club is that it's negatively impacting the enjoyment of what should be a fun, exciting season. Despite recent struggles, we are still in the playoff places and, with several key additions in January (which I do believe we will make), we have a chance of getting promoted. After last season's debacle, we as a fan base should be loving it.

We've also had great news on the stadium front, which saw the fan base galvanise itself to help the club obtain approval of the leasehold sale of the land at the triangle (subject to planning permission) from the council.

And yet, there is no connection between the club and fans. There is no togetherness. There is very little positivity. There is no feeling of working towards a common goal.

I know he's become a bit of a joke on here, but prior to and during our promotion push, DE was great, imo, at unifying the fan base and creating a connection between club and fans. I know it all went to s**t in the end, but the 15/16 season is the last time I can remember there being a genuine sense of positivity throughout the club, which hugely contributed to the success on the pitch.

It's about time Tim and Grant realised the club would be much better off working with the fan base than against it.

 

[OX14]

We've also had great news on the stadium front, which saw the fan base galvanise itself to help the club obtain approval from the council.

We haven't got approval from the council. The lease on the land is conditional to a planning application being granted (which we haven't submitted) and also objectives set by the council being met by the club.

There was a delay in the decision from the council on the triangle as originally the land was to be sold to the club . The council at the last minute backtracked to a lease of the land. I'm not sure if that is the stumbling block but the silence from the club is deafening.

 

[RgYellows]

I think those trying to get Tim to pay attention are going about it in the wrong way. We need the Athletic to publish a follow up article if we want him to actually see how we feel.

 

[Common Villager]

We haven't got approval from the council. The lease on the land is conditional to a planning application being granted (which we haven't submitted) and also objectives set by the council being met by the club.

There was a delay in the decision from the council on the triangle as originally the land was to be sold to the club . The council at the last minute backtracked to a lease of the land. I'm not sure if that is the stumbling block but the silence from the club is deafening.

Edited. Better?

 

[Yellow River]

We, Tim’s customers are seen as a nuisance, an inconvenience, annoying little people who need to know their place.

A fans forum? God forbid! That means engaging with the great unwashed, and having to answer awkward questions. Much easier to hide behind other people.


As for Grant, what does he actually do?

Every now and then we’re told that he’s going to grace us with his presence, it’s nearly alway portrayed as if it’s some great inconvenience and he’s having to fly over at short notice.

Fly in, show your face (at a distance) then get out as quick as possible.

 

[uptheus]

Posted this on another thread, but feel it’s probably better here;

I’m all out to have a ‘fans forum’, but some of the issues I have with them are, we never really get to the bottom of issues due to its format.

For example, invariably Chris Williams goes around with a mic (sound system is shite). The fan asks a question which someone off of the panel responds, but then if the fan who asked the question doesn’t feel his or her question has been answered, doesn’t have the opportunity to challenge/further question. The mic then goes to another fan who asks a completely different question/makes a comment, such as ‘why do we play in blue away as we tend to lose when we wear that kit’ or ‘can we buy Messi’ then the whole forum degenerates into the board/panel getting off the hook.

The other frustrating response we tend to get is, ‘for confidential reasons we’re not able to respond to that question at present, but as soon as we have any news we will communicate’ but we all know we’ll never hear anything for months, years or at all, and by then we’d all forgotten what was asked and what they said.

So one recommendation would be, if we have one (fans forum), that at least if some one asks a question they have the opportunity to hold the mic to challenge/ask further questions to the panel. And may be it’s worth it on here to nominate our top 5/10 priority questions and ensure we get satisfied answers to those questions before moving on.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Posted this on another thread, but feel it’s probably better here;

I’m all out to have a ‘fans forum’, but some of the issues I have with them are, we never really get to the bottom of issues due to its format.

For example, invariably Chris Williams goes around with a mic (sound system is shite). The fan asks a question which someone off of the panel responds, but then if the fan who asked the question doesn’t feel his or her question has been answered, doesn’t have the opportunity to challenge/further question. The mic then goes to another fan who asks a completely different question/makes a comment, such as ‘why do we play in blue away as we tend to lose when we wear that kit’ or ‘can we buy Messi’ then the whole forum degenerates into the board/panel getting off the hook.

The other frustrating response we tend to get is, ‘for confidential reasons we’re not able to respond to that question at present, but as soon as we have any news we will communicate’ but we all know we’ll never hear anything for months, years or at all, and by then we’d all forgotten what was asked and what they said.

So one recommendation would be, if we have one (fans forum), that at least if some one asks a question they have the opportunity to hold the mic to challenge/ask further questions to the panel. And may be it’s worth it on here to nominate our top 5/10 priority questions and ensure we get satisfied answers to those questions before moving on.

Maybe it could be done where there is a clear agenda with 3 to 4 areas to be discussed between the board and fans then, at the end have a AOB section?

 

[Yellow River]

The problem high-ranking personnel at the club have is... that calls on here and Radio Ox for communication (whilst extremely valid) would be a problem for the club to address. It would risk emboldening fans, who would see that the club do indeed read posts on here and if addressed, could be perceived as a weakness on the club's part, with the fans 'calling the tune'. I think the day when TW invited disgruntled fans to the training ground last season was an awkward lesson learnt. So I certainly can see why we don't hear anything.

That said, meaningful communication is appalling. Engagement of any sort is non-existent. Remember TW's statement when he said every part of the club will be looked at with a view to improving? That was over a year ago, and I've seen nothing to demonstrate any improvement off the field anywhere. Same old same old. The only difference is, we no longer have any fans forums, no longer have Radio Ox 5 minutes fans forum, and Oxvox appears to be given a cold shoulder.

I really do think the club needs to take a long hard look at how they are perceived by their most important stakeholders.

All of this disgruntled talk and disconnect between club hierarchy and supporters is avoidable. But I fear the personnel at the club are either too thick-skinned or uninterested to fix. And not just fix, but engage, nuture and charm. Any other successful business in a B2C sector will be doing this as a bare minimum.

EDIT: If the club was on the front foot, communicating, controlling the narrative and, driving change, then there wouldn't be this void of dissatisfaction, unanswered questions and a rumour mill. To conclude, the club needs to be proactive in its comms, not extremely slow to be reactive. And certainly not left for the First Team manager to address.

As far as the CEO is concerned, I think it’s the opposite. He comes across as incredibly thin skinned, hiding behind others and avoiding awkward questions.

 

[Bitter]

What happened with this? Was a great way of communicating with club and fans on a regular basis. Who decided to stop it?

Who do you think.

 

[Bitter]

As far as the CEO is concerned, I think it’s the opposite. He comes across as incredibly thin skinned, hiding behind others and avoiding awkward questions.

A creep?

 

[Sarge]

Communication has gone from poor to pretty much non-existent from the club to the fan base, and that's despite PROMISES made by GF & TW at the Shareholders AGM that communication would improve.

Weve not had the PROMISED Fans Forum ( promised by the end of last season- yet halfway into this season no sign of one taking place- the last FF was at a Hotel in Iffley around a year or so ago)

Rad Ox five min fans forums have ceased

There is not as yet a date for the next Stand United zoom meeting for progress updates on new stadium matters- previously these Stand United zoom meetings were a monthly occurance

Our new manager has said that various support backroom staff are imminent - yet said analyst and assistant are yet to materialise despite DB previously saying the contrary -and that was last year

Despite their undoubted efforts @OUSP Secretary and @OxVox appear to be being fobbed off by the club Admin management on just about everything they raise

We're 7 days into the Jan transfer window ( with a ridiculously large injury list) yet even the extending of Joe Bennetts contact - which we're told, both the player and the club want- has yet to be confirmed. We've been told the recruitment team have a list of players for each position, so why if they are well prepared are things taking so long.
Not a peep from the club regarding the Beadle situation either

@OX14 hinted on yesterdays matchday thread that , to paraphrase Shakespeare 'Something is rotten in the state of OUFC''

The silence is deafening , and after yesterdays thrashing by Coventry, I am absolutely fed up with the contempteous mushroom treatment that Oxford United management/board are, yet again, giving OUFC Supporters customers

 

[Coffin dodger]

Do we need another thread repeating the same crap as in numerous other threads

 

[Manorlounger]

Communication has gone from poor to pretty much non-existent from the club to the fan base, and that's despite PROMISES made by GF & TW at the Shareholders AGM that communication would improve.

Weve not had the PROMISED Fans Forum ( promised by the end of last season- yet halfway into this season no sign of one taking place- the last FF was at a Hotel in Iffley around a year or so ago)

Rad Ox five min fans forums have ceased

There is not as yet a date for the next Stand United zoom meeting for progress updates on new stadium matters- previously these Stand United zoom meetings were a monthly occurance

Our new manager has said that various support backroom staff are imminent - yet said analyst and assistant are yet to materialise despite DB previously saying the contrary -and that was last year

Despite their undoubted efforts @OUSP Secretary and @OxVox appear to be being fobbed off by the club Admin management on just about everything they raise

We're 7 days into the Jan transfer window ( with a ridiculously large injury list) yet even the extending of Joe Bennetts contact - which we're told, both the player and the club want- has yet to be confirmed. We've been told the recruitment team have a list of players for each position, so why if they are well prepared are things taking so long.
Not a peep from the club regarding the Beadle situation either

@OX14 hinted on yesterdays matchday thread that , to paraphrase Shakespeare 'Something is rotten in the state of OUFC''

The silence is deafening , and after yesterdays thrashing by Coventry, I am absolutely fed up with the contempteous mushroom treatment that Oxford United management/board are, yet again, giving OUFC Supporters customers

Couldn't agree more. The silence is deafening.

 

[Sarge]

Do we need another thread repeating the same crap as in numerous other threads

The moderators will decide whether the current zero communication from the club warrants its own dedicated thread- which I personally think it does

 

[yellowbow]

Do we need another thread repeating the same crap as in numerous other threads

I take your point that maybe another thread wasn’t necessary but is it really all crap as you so eloquently put it..?

I think they are legitimate questions that need answering because I have a very uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that things behind the scenes have shifted and things maybe aren’t as rosy as they were a couple of months ago.

The vacuum where communication should be is naturally going to create anxiety amongs the fan base.

 

[Jster]

It's actually pretty telling that the lack of communication from the club becomes a major theme on so many different threads. Almost might indicate a general problem somewhere...

 

[Jason N]

Tim has probably spent Christmas and New Year in the Bahamas (or where ever it is) with his buddy Grant. While the boards cats away, the Senior Management mice will play.