U's-Swindon link denied

From the archive, first published Monday 10th Jan 2000.

RUMOURS that Oxford United have held talks with arch rivals Swindon Town about the possibility of ground-sharing at their new Minchery Farm stadium were denied by the Wiltshire club today, writes JON MURRAY.

There are claims that directors of the two clubs met last Friday to discuss what benefits the idea might bring to both parties, even though their fans are bitter rivals.

Swindon, bottom of the first division and struggling to pay off debts running into millions of pounds, are desperate to own their own stadium to generate the revenue they need.

They are currently paying £163,000 a year rent at the County Ground which is owned by Thamesdown Council.

Losing £25,000 a week and heading for a £1.5m loss at the end of the season, Swindon last week made 15 people redundant in a desperate cost-cutting measure, and I understand that their players' wages are being paid by the PFA, just as Oxford's were for two months last season. The Minchery Farm stadium has remained half-built since work stopped more than three years ago because there wasn't the money to pay for it to be finished.

United had hoped that building work would restart today but chairman Firoz Kassam, who has still not revealed the name of the new contractors, says there have been further delays.

Kassam would not comment on claims that there have been ground-share discussions, insisting: "Everything that you are saying is pure speculation."

However Swindon Town chairman Cliff Puffett, said: "There is definitely no way we would even contemplate doing something like this. Our fans would not appreciate us playing in Oxford. We've got to look elsewhere."

Story date: Monday 10 January

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

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