Rage Online Blog

Oxford United supporters are all too well aware of the heritage that has been lost with the demolition of the Manor. Obviously we're not alone as clubs up and down the country either relocate or redevelop their existing grounds in the inexorable move towards lookalike soulless stadia. This is a theme that one of Rage Online's favourite authors, Simon Inglis, has picked up on in this very interesting article in Sunday's Observer.

Inglis concentrates on the architecturally significant grounds (well he is an architect), especially the Leitch stadia, but I'm sure that he would be the first to admit that grounds such as the Manor, Boothferry Park, Feethams etc also brought their own unique character to the league, which is a poorer place without them. He makes the valid point that football grounds do not receive the same level of protection as other historic buildings and whilst there are often good cases to be made for improvements and upgrades (and rebuilds) these are often done with more regard to the balance sheet than making the ground visually interesting and original.

Labels: Simon Inglis, The Manor

On the front page of today's Oxford Mail is a story claiming that creditors of Oxford United are saying that the Manor Ground was sold too cheaply at £6 million. Unsecured creditors, who had received 10% of what they were owed under the term of the CVA, should also have received 50% of any profit from the sale of the Manor once the secured creditors had been paid off. The money received from the sale of the ground only covered the debts owed to the secured creditors, meaning that the rest (including Stadi Varios and Keith Cox) received nothing. One year later, with planning permission received, the ground was sold to the Nuffield Nursing Trust for £12 million, the extra being profited by Firoka, rather than OUFC. No doubt we have yet to hear the last of this, although it sounds more like one of Firoz Kassam's crafty deals rather than anything particularly dodgy.

Labels: Money, The Manor, Uncle Firoz

Today's Oxford Mail reports that iron age relics have been discovered on the site of the Cuckoo Lane at the Manor. The director of John Moore Heritage Sites, which is carrying out the archaeological dig on the site, reports that it is part of a much larger community and that there is likely to be a burial site somewhere in the area. It hasn't yet been identified which team these irons supported (presumably Scunthorpe) or which failed United players could be found in the graves (although there are many who could fit the bill).

Labels: Cuckoo Lane, Iron Age, The Manor