THE Oxford United supporters trust brokering the purchase of the Kassam Stadium says the framework of a deal could be agreed by May.

OxVox chairman Jeremy Faulkner said there were ‘many moving parts’ to the negotiations with stadium owner Firoz Kassam but the group remained optimistic.

His comments came after U’s chief Daryl Eales said he was ‘frustrated’ by an apparent lack of progress towards a sale in a Boxing Day match programme.

Talks between OxVox and Mr Kassam were first revealed in October.

In a statement released today, Mr Faulkner said: “This was never going to be a simple or quick transaction, but we remain confident that a set of terms will be agreed with Firoz Kassam and that all stakeholders can come together to deliver the best plan that makes stadium ownership a reality for the future benefit of the club and our community.

“Darryl Eales has been kept up to speed with what we’ve been trying to do, but we perfectly understand his frustration at the length of time required to get a final proposal on the table.

“It is hard to put a timescale on the process, but we would be disappointed if we were unable to reach a ‘heads of terms’ or equivalent stage before the end of the season.”

Mr Faulkner said the group would share details with the wider community once an outline deal had been reached but stressed this was no guarantee of a final agreement.

Under plans being discussed, the site could be owned by a community trust.

Oxford United has not been directly involved in the negotiations. The club has been based at the Kassam Stadium since 2001, when it ended a 76-year stay at the Manor Ground in Headington.

Mr Kassam, who was chairman during the move, retained ownership of the stadium through his company Firoka when he sold the club in 2006. United have been paying annual rent in the region of £500,000 ever since.