Planning permission wait causes Oxford United stadium issues

Oxford United Chief Executive Tim Williams has spoken of the critical necessity of securing a stadium, warning that the club's future is contingent upon having a venue to play in.

The lease on the Kassam Stadium, the club’s current home, is set to expire in June 2026. Meanwhile, Oxford United awaits a planning decision regarding a proposed new stadium at The Triangle site near Kidlington, expected later this summer. As the club currently sits 19th in the Championship, it must soon inform the English Football League (EFL) of its intended playing venue beyond 2026. Options under consideration include a ground-sharing arrangement or extending the license at the Kassam Stadium until a new facility is completed.

"There is nothing more important - and I mean literally nothing more important," Williams told BBC Radio Oxford's The Dub podcast.

"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.

"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."

Chief executive Susan Whelan added: "As a club, we still have work to do to return to the consistent heights of the last 15 years and the ability to successfully adapt to different challenges is a strength we will rely on as we build for future seasons."