Bigwigs part of Oxford United stadium project

Article posted by Coliseum, June 7^th, 2023

Image: Oxford United FC

With a series of listening events and exhibitions held over the last few weeks the League One club Oxford United F.C. (UK) continues to engage with and work alongside the local community as the search for a new home moves forward.

‘Oxford United FC’ stated that the Oxford United F.C. will be also working with a number of highly experienced and very respected business partners, all of whom will provide invaluable assistance as the ‘U’s’ look to move in to their new stadium by the start of the 2026-2027 seasons.

The Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the City of Oxford, England (UK). The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The Chairman is Grant Ferguson, Liam Manning is the Manager and Elliott Moore is the captain.

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The 12,500-capacity Kassam Stadium (also known as Grenoble Road) is the home of the Oxford United Football Club, and is named after the ground’s owner and former Chairman of the football club, Firoz Kassam.

The Oxford United has played at the Kassam Stadium since 2001, but does not own the ground. The lease expires in 2026. As part of their home hunt, a new site on the greenbelt land, dubbed ‘The Triangle’, has been earmarked South of the Kidlington roundabout, West of Banbury Road and East of Frieze Way (UK).

‘Oxford United FC’ further stated that the club welcomed Ridge and Partners LLP, AFL Architects, Mott MacDonald, and Fabrik to the professional team working on the stadium plans.

Oxfordshire (UK)-based Ridge and Partners LLP is a multidiscipline property and construction consultancy. It helps its clients create better, more sustainable places for people to live, learn and work.

Ridge is an award winning, multidisciplinary property and construction consultancy, with its head office in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, local to Oxford United’s base. Ridge has been appointed by Oxford United to provide project management, cost management, health and safety, town and country planning, traffic and transport, and sustainability services. Ridge are internationally renowned for creating sustainable places for people to live, learn and work and offer a partner-led approach with its 1,000+ people working worldwide from 12 locations across the United Kingdom, including Oxford.

Manchester (UK)-based the AFL Architects create places for communities to live, play and thrive – working alongside them every step of the way. They are architects, master planners, urban and interior designers, operating internationally from offices in Manchester, Birmingham and London (UK).

As a leading architectural practice in the stadia sector, the AFL is pleased to have been appointed as the lead architect for the new stadium of Oxford United. The team brings its expertise and experience to the designs that will provide Oxford United with an outstanding stadium not just aesthetically but one that is highly sustainable and that provides facilities for the community that it sits on.

As a leading global consultancy, Croydon (UK)-based Mott MacDonald use the influence they have, through delivering some of the world’s largest infrastructure projects, to make a positive change for those who need it the most.

Mott MacDonald has been a constant in stadium design since the 1960s, engineering and advising on the greatest football venues in the United Kingdom. Mott MacDonald felt privileged to have been selected by Oxford United to engineer their new home and to work with a club and client team that share similar values to their own. The team said it looked forward to engineering a sustainable venue solution that serves the local community and will provide stability for the club and its visitors for the immediate future and the generations to come.

Fabrik is an award-winning multidisciplinary landscape and master planning practise based in London and Hampshire (UK). Their mission is to design and build better places, and to improve the physical and mental health of communities, through engagement with sustainably designed and natural landscapes, bringing an innovative and design-led approach to projects.

Said Tim Williams, Oxford United F.C. head honcho, “We are committed to building a world-class facility and we believe we are working with world-class partners to make this happen. All four companies have vast experience, share our commitment to sustainability, inclusivity and innovation and it has been fantastic to get their insights and input as they have joined the project. This Summer will hopefully see our hopes and plans really start to gather pace and we know we have a fantastic project team who are totally committed to making our supporters’ dreams turn into reality.”

Commented Matt Summerill, Project Management Partner for Ridge and their multidisciplinary lead, “Oxford United is a historic community asset and in the hearts and minds of thousands of people in Oxfordshire and beyond. The new stadium project is essential to securing the club’s sustainable future and its status as the only professional sports club in the county. Naturally, as a team and as individuals, we at Ridge are delighted to be working with the Oxford United and supporting the delivery of a truly significant community facility that will have a multigenerational legacy.”

Added John Roberts, Director at AFL Architects, “The 21^st century stadium design has many elements to consider – from function and form to how the building addresses inclusivity and accessibility to all, especially with the growth of the women’s game and the constantly evolving expectations for spectator experience. Most importantly, we are committed to exploring the most sustainable construction methods and operational design. At AFL, we understand the interplay between these factors and working with Ridge, Motts and Fabrik alongside the team at Oxford United feel we have created the perfect solution to offer all these things within their new stadium.”

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