‘We have to move’ – Championship club could be left without a stadium as EFL deadline looms
OXFORD UNITED’s chief executive Tim Williams has warned the club is in danger of being homeless after plans stalled for a new ground.
The Championship side’s lease on the Kassam Stadium expires in June 2026.
Oxford were promoted to the second tier last season for the first time since 1999.
The U’s have more than held their own this term and currently sit 19th, two points above the drop zone.
CEO Williams admits the club are currently in limbo in regards to a new home – and will soon need to inform the EFL where they intend to play from next summer.
Oxford have submitted plans for a new 16,000-seater stadium to Cherwell District Council.
A decision on the plot, located just outside the city, was delayed in February as the council requested more time to review the application.
Williams told The Dub podcast: “There is nothing more important – and I mean literally nothing more important.
“We don’t have a stadium to be in if this doesn’t work out.
“I don’t particularly like binary decisions. But this really is that binary.
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“We are in a position where we have to move. This actually isn’t now about moving into a stadium that will allow us to generate more revenue. This is about getting into a stadium.
“Fundamentally, if we don’t have a stadium, we don’t have a football club. It’s appallingly as binary as that.”
Williams added that extending the club’s licence at the Kassam was his favoured option in the short term.
And he was also keen to avoid any possibility of a groundshare.
He continued: “I think for everybody involved, none more so than fans and supporters, the path of least resistance would be to see if we can stay where we are for the couple of years that we need to.
“I don’t particularly want to groundshare anywhere, that’s not a particularly good option – that’s an understatement.
“So, for me, the most attractive option is to stay where we are, assuming that we can.”
Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds last month claimed the club should be allowed to move.
The club are now awaiting a decision from the council, which is expected in June at the earliest.