Oxford united FC
Oxford United fans ‘disappointed’ at new stadium challenge
The Yellows were formally served with a judicial review claim by FOSB on Monday despite having secured full planning permission in February by signing the Section 106 Planning Agreement with Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council.
The club have been planning to build a brand new 16,000-seater stadium on a 17-acre site known as ‘The Triangle’ just south of the Kidlington roundabout, with the plans also including a 180-bedroom hotel, restaurant, conference centre, health and wellbeing space and a gym as well as a community plaza.
The club responded to the claim with a statement on Monday afternoon which said in response: “We are confident that the planning application was robust and considered thoroughly by Cherwell District Council and the club will fully support the council in defending their decision to grant planning permission.”
U’s supporters have hit out at the claim from FOSB which adds yet more delays to an already drawn-out planning process regarding the new stadium.
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Deputy leader of the Conservative Group on West Oxfordshire District Council and United fan, Liam Walker, posted a statement shortly after the club confirmed they had received the claim.
Mr Walker said: “The judicial review brought by Friends of Stratfield Brake is deeply disappointing, but not entirely surprising.
“Oxford United’s new stadium application has been one of the most scrutinised, detailed and rigorously assessed planning applications I have ever seen.
“Now, a small group of individuals are seeking to overturn that democratic decision through the courts.
“Continued delays create uncertainty for the club, its supporters, local businesses and the wider community that stands to benefit from this once-in-a-generation investment.
“I remain firmly supportive of the new stadium project. It will secure Oxford United’s long-term future, bring significant economic benefits to the area, create jobs, improve sporting facilities and deliver substantial investment into our local communities.”
One supporter responded to the news of the claim with: “Surely at this point it’s easier to look at a new place to build the ground, we’re never going to make any progress here.”
Another fan said: “I wonder if all the surrounding housing developments had this much hassle.”
The U’s also said in their statement that the updates regarding the stadium will follow in due course.
The U’s are looking to strengthen after their relegation from the Championship last season, with a new striker wanted by supporters after the return of fan favourite Will Lankshear to his parent club Tottenham Hotspur.
Chaplin spent last season on loan at boyhood club Portsmouth as the club survived in the second tier, the 29-year-old scoring twice and managing one assist in 40 appearances.
Meanwhile, his parent club Ipswich secured promotion to the Premier League by finishing second in the league only behind runaway champions Coventry City.
The Englishman was key in the Tractor Boys’ League One promotion-winning season where they finished second, Chaplin scoring 26 goals that year to win the division’s Golden Boot award, joint with Peterborough United’s Jonson Clarke-Harris.
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He was also awarded Ipswich’s Player of the Season award and included in the League One Team of the Season.
Chaplin then struck 13 goals in the Championship as the Suffolk side were promoted again, before suffering relegation from the Premier League the year after.
The attacking midfielder was released by Ipswich last month following their return to the top flight and SportsBoom are reporting that Oxford have ‘expressed an interest’ in signing the free agent.
With experience in the top tiers of English football and proof of goal scoring prowess in League One, Chaplin would be a sensible addition to the U’s ranks.
Tottenham Hotspur want £20 million for 21-year-old Will Lankshear and have turned down multiple bids for him, according to Hayters.
The ex-U’s striker, who was the club’s top scorer last term with 12 goals in all competitions, is highly rated by his parent side who narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League last season finishing two points above the drop zone.
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However, they haven’t ruled out selling him if the right offer comes in with Portuguese side Sporting CP reportedly interested.
In addition Spurs is also considering another loan move for Lankshear to a Championship club, although the London team is looking to fund a summer spending spree that has already seen a £52 million bid for defender Jan Paul Van Hecke accepted by Brighton.
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Lankshear has made three Premier League appearances for Spurs as well as scoring one goal in three Europa League features.
In a breakout season in men’s football, the England youth international became a fan favourite in OX4 for his tenacity and goal scoring success in a struggling Championship team.
The 21-year-old’s attitude off the pitch also endeared the fans to his name, with the player crediting the club as the place where it all began ahead of a hopefully successful career.
The U’s will play host to the Tractor Boys on Saturday, August 1, with kick-off scheduled for 12:00PM.
The fixture is the fourth pre-season friendly confirmed by the club and the first from a division higher than League One, where Oxford will compete next term.
United will face National League side Aldershot Town (Tuesday, July 21) and League Two club Barnet (Saturday, July 25) away from home before the welcoming of another fourth-tier outfit Crawley Town (Tuesday, July 28).
The U’s have also confirmed that tickets for the trip to Aldershot are now on sale.
Oxford played Ipswich twice in the Championship last season as Matt Bloomfield’s side suffered relegation whilst the Suffolk club were promoted to the Premier League, finishing second.
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Under former head coach Gary Rowett, the Yellows pulled off a shock 2-1 victory against Kieran McKenna’s men in OX4 in late November, Mark Harris and Przemyslaw Placheta scoring the goals.
They were defeated 2-1, however, in the second fixture, Will Lankshear scoring the only goal for the U’s at Portman Road.
The Tractor Boys are currently on the hunt for a new manager after McKenna stepped down last week in order to take a break from football management.
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