Wilder acts on time travel

8:00am Thursday 8th January 2009

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Chris Wilder is hoping to minimise the risk of niggling injuries – by making all Oxford United players live closer to the club.

Although the majority of the U’s squad live within an hour of the Kassam Stadium, a few – and some key players – live further afield.

And United’s boss says that it is a situation he is keen to discuss with chairman Kelvin Thomas.

“We do have a few travellers in our squad which, to be honest, isn’t ideal,” Wilder said.

“Ideally I would like the players to all live as close to the ground as possible.

“I appreciate people have families and some, for what-ever reason, cannot be on the doorstep. But I don’t think it helps having to sit in a car for a couple of hours, each way, each day.”

Wilder says that with the size of the U’s squad, he is desperate to ensure that no-one misses any games for an avoidable reason.

And although he admits the travelling may be seen as a small issue, United’s boss will minimise any risk.

The distance some players have to travel was one of the reasons Wilder decided against training on Christmas Day.

“Sitting in a car for a length of time doesn’t help your posture or back,” he said.

“I felt with the amount of games we had over Christmas, it was the sensible decision not to make players drive in on Christmas Day for a few hours, and possible niggle their back or whatever.

“We need everybody as fit as possible and don’t want to take any risks if we can help it.

“If it helps a player to avoid an unnecessary injury, it will be of benefit to Oxford United.”

Former United boss Brian Talbot imposed a ‘one-hour driving limit’ on the U’s squad, but there are really only three players who are on the road for longer than this – Billy Turley, Barry Quinn and Adam Murray.

Turley and Quinn travel in together, with Quinn living in Coventry and Turley in Stratford.

Murray’s home is in Derby, a two-hour drive, but he frequently stays over in the week to avoid too much travelling.

The rest of the squad are closer to the club, with players coming from Northampton, Chippenham, Reading and Aylesbury, as well as Oxford’s surrounding towns and villages.

OXFORD United’s Blue Square Premier game at Eastbourne Borough, which was postponed last Saturday due to a frozen pitch, has been rearranged for Tuesday, March 3 (7.45pm).