Sir – So Mr Hudspeth, leader of Oxfordshire County Council would back a move to see Oxford United leave the Kassam Stadium to go to a new site, possibly Water Eaton, a move that I would support.

However history is not on the side of the club.* Before Oxford supporters get carried away with the thought of a new stadium, they should remember that it took a very long time to leave the Manor Ground and move to the Kassam Stadium due to so many issues.* The biggest obstacle to a new stadium is planning permission (Cherwell council turned Oxford down many years ago*), then there are the Nimbys (including those who support the club) and, of course, money.

Mr Hudspeth also intimates that the Kassam Stadium could be sold with the possibility of building homes on the site, this will not be cheap so if the city council wants it I hope they have more than loose change in their pockets.

Before we all get carried away it would be in the best interest of the club to get their immediate future sorted out, and our manager needs more players for his squad.

Resolve these issues and then, and only then, can we even contemplate a new stadium.

I would love to see the club owning their own stadium, but I think the chances of this happening are light years away, but I hope I am wrong in this assumption.

Mr Hudspeth, I admire your forward thinking, whether it is about Oxford United, transport systems and even unitary councils (is this how we overcome the Cherwell council planning permission issue?), but you should really think about the present and resolve some of the county problems like the state of roads especially the London Road, Headington, ironically where The Manor Ground, home of Oxford United once proudly stood and leave the future of Oxford United to those who run or will run the club.

David Reed, Thame

*refer to the stadia history in The Oxford United, The Complete Record by Martin Brodetsky