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Post by 'Beav' on Nov 30, 2010 13:48:57 GMT
I was just reading 'slappy's post on the IL thread about the pressure KT is under and seeing as I've only ever experienced OUFC under 2 chairman.
Thoughts, I'm guessing it also depends on how you class 'the best'
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Post by Agadoo on Nov 30, 2010 15:04:22 GMT
Bobby Maxwell got us the premiership
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Post by 'Beav' on Nov 30, 2010 15:05:48 GMT
But as a chairman he was generally unpopular - especially the way it ended with him and the merging of Thames Valley Royals.
I wasn't around them so I'm unsure of that.
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Post by headlesspnub on Nov 30, 2010 15:33:08 GMT
So by ever you actually mean the last ten years and a choice between KT and Kassam? Not one of your better posts on the forum tbh.
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Post by 'Beav' on Nov 30, 2010 15:39:14 GMT
No, i'm saying thats what I have experienced.
Hence why I'm asking everyone else.
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Post by baldy on Nov 30, 2010 15:58:05 GMT
Bob Maxwell was the best chairman we've ever had and ever likely to have if you are evaluating it on a pure chairmanship of a football club basis.
Oxford United were going nowhere until his forsight appoints a certain Jim Smith. We had promotion after promotion, were never off the back pages and he was everywhere - papers, TV, radio, landing helipcopters on the pitch, in the London Road, in the dug out, leading the celebrations at the Town hall. I remember after one of our famous cup wins he was carried shoulder high on the pitch. Smith and the players were probably back in the sanctuary of the dressing room but he was lapping it up.
He was full value and was a typical old style chairman with the roller, big cigars and booming voice. The manager and players of course were the real force behind our emergence but he raised the profile of this club no end and played a massive part in the glory days.
KT's much more, if you like, boring. Nothing wrong with that at all and he's done a sterling job, a great job, but for sheer entertainment, bravado and the unexpected Maxwell will never be equalled.
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Post by Gavin Archery on Nov 30, 2010 16:06:20 GMT
Good Post that ^^^^^
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Post by SteMerritt on Nov 30, 2010 16:06:41 GMT
Oxford United were going nowhere until his forsight appoints a certain Jim Smith. That's not quite accurate though is it. Ian Greaves turned Oxford around and I believe he was the one who built a lot of what Jim Smith nurtured to success. Maxwell didn't appoint Greaves. I would argue that Maxwell was fortunate in a way to take over a team that had just gone through an about-turn and was facing in the right direction. The only way we were going nowhere was in a financial sense, the football had already shown signs of what was to come. |
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Post by baldy on Nov 30, 2010 16:26:31 GMT
Oxford United were going nowhere until his forsight appoints a certain Jim Smith. That's not quite accurate though is it. Ian Greaves turned Oxford around and I believe he was the one who built a lot of what Jim Smith nurtured to success. Maxwell didn't appoint Greaves. I would argue that Maxwell was fortunate in a way to take over a team that had just gone through an about-turn and was facing in the right direction. The only way we were going nowhere was in a financial sense, the football had already shown signs of what was to come. Not really true that. We were, admittedly, woeful before Greaves came in and he added some typical northern organisation and grit but flambouyant we were not. We were digging out victories and steadying the ship but when he left Maxwell was in place and then it just went mental. In breezed Smith and a few were retained like Briggs and Shotton but then real impetus was added with the likes of Vinter and Whatmore up front, Lawrence out wide, Hebberd in the middle and we just became unstoppable. Maxwell then sanctioned the signings of the likes of Aldridge and before you knew it we were on the verge of the top flight. I'd totally disagree that the football side of it was in place before Smith and Maxwell. It was steady and the first layer of bricks might have been in place but there was a masssive amount to do to complete the turn around. Do I think the same success might have been achieved under Ian Greaves and the previous chairman had they had the same resources ? Not a chance. |
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Post by SteMerritt on Nov 30, 2010 16:53:26 GMT
Do I think the same success might have been achieved under Ian Greaves and the previous chairman had they had the same resources ? Not a chance. Definitely wouldn't have been under the previous chairman, but Greaves had the team going in the right direction. The last team that Greaves put out contained Briggs, Shotton, Brock, Thomas - the basis of success for the Smith era. He had turned us round from relegation candidates into a promotion-challenging outfit. We had just beaten a top-flight side on their own ground in the FA Cup. When Smith came in, we fell away and missed promotion, and failed again the following season before it all clicked. I would argue that without the work done by Greaves, the success that Smith got might not have happened. Greaves is definitely in the top 3 managers this club has ever had (alongside Smith and Arthur Turner). |
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Post by SteMerritt on Nov 30, 2010 16:56:17 GMT
I'd totally disagree that the football side of it was in place before Smith and Maxwell. It was steady and the first layer of bricks might have been in place but there was a masssive amount to do to complete the turn around. That was pretty much what I said though wasn't it? Greaves turned the ship around, Smith drove it forward. I suppose what we are debating is 'if Greaves had stayed, would he have been able to drive us forward', which of course looking at the success Smith had is unlikely. But he still deserves a lot of credit for what he started. |
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Post by Paul Cannell on Nov 30, 2010 17:01:23 GMT
Who appointed Arthur Turner, then? He must be in with a shout.
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Post by baldy on Nov 30, 2010 17:09:41 GMT
I'd totally disagree that the football side of it was in place before Smith and Maxwell. It was steady and the first layer of bricks might have been in place but there was a masssive amount to do to complete the turn around. That was pretty much what I said though wasn't it? Greaves turned the ship around, Smith drove it forward. I suppose what we are debating is 'if Greaves had stayed, would he have been able to drive us forward', which of course looking at the success Smith had is unlikely. But he still deserves a lot of credit for what he started. I'm not belittling the part Greaves played, I'm just emphasising that the appointment of Smith by Maxwell will always be the decision that shaped the most memorable era in the clubs entire history. Heres a little thought. I know a former OUFC chairman reasonably well and recall him telling me that Ian Greaves pipped the old Wolves boss Bill McGarry to the post and that Jim Smith edged out Ronnie Fenton who was, at the time, part of Brian Cloughs management team and latterly his assistant. I wonder what level of success, if any, might have been achieved with those two appointments instead. |
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Post by charliesghost on Dec 1, 2010 11:51:29 GMT
I was just reading 'slappy's post on the IL thread about the pressure KT is under and seeing as I've only ever experienced OUFC under 2 chairman. Thoughts, I'm guessing it also depends on how you class 'the best' Inasmuch as he is chairman (really, he's chief executive, reporting to Ian Lenegan as chairman), yes. For sure. In my lifetime anyway. He provides calmness, leadership and strategic vision, of a down-to-earth type. He is also, unlike most of the rest of them, committed to a sustainable business model, as opposed to committed to his own ego. Maxwell, of course, did well in a way. But a) I'd argue he got a bit lucky appointing Jim and b) By the time he left us, we were buggered. Kassam, people know my thoughts on, so I'll leave it there. Robin Herd almost got it right, but just lacked a bit of calmness/ business nous and didn't see the ground through (no reason he couldn't have done the same deals as Kassam if he'd been sharper). Keith Cox and Pat McGeough were nightmares. Big Tim Midgeley a (bad) joke (anyone remember the Biomass plans?). And the worst of them all was Nick Merry. A man who combined the ego of Maxwell with the incompetence of Herd, the joke element of Midgeley and the disrespect to fans of Kassam. If he'd been in charge of the club for two more seasons, I swear we'd not be here anymore. The big test for Kelvin is going to be his close friendship with Wilder. This time last year, I (in a friendly fashion) asked Kelvin if he really thought that we were playing well enough to go up as champions (I didn't think were were). And he reacted in a not dissimilar way to how Wilder reacts ('negative'; "fans at this club always moan" etc etc). And it struck me then, as it does now, that if/ when the time comes for Wilder to bs sdent on his way (more when than if on his recent media performances), that's going to be emotionally very, very hard for Kelvin Thomas to do - even if it IS the right thing for the club. |
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Post by adeshell on Dec 1, 2010 13:40:56 GMT
You're forgetting the whole Reading merger and then the Kevin Maxwell - Dean Saunders - Derby scam. Bob Maxwell was the best chairman we've ever had and ever likely to have if you are evaluating it on a pure chairmanship of a football club basis. Oxford United were going nowhere until his forsight appoints a certain Jim Smith. We had promotion after promotion, were never off the back pages and he was everywhere - papers, TV, radio, landing helipcopters on the pitch, in the London Road, in the dug out, leading the celebrations at the Town hall. I remember after one of our famous cup wins he was carried shoulder high on the pitch. Smith and the players were probably back in the sanctuary of the dressing room but he was lapping it up. He was full value and was a typical old style chairman with the roller, big cigars and booming voice. The manager and players of course were the real force behind our emergence but he raised the profile of this club no end and played a massive part in the glory days. KT's much more, if you like, boring. Nothing wrong with that at all and he's done a sterling job, a great job, but for sheer entertainment, bravado and the unexpected Maxwell will never be equalled. |
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ed
Full Member
Posts: 242
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Post by ed on Dec 1, 2010 13:58:14 GMT
difficult to define 'best'
cap bob presided over on-field success but he was a disgrace off it and given that chairman do not play up front, in the middle or in goal, i can't agree he was anywhere near the best
however, i think the term of reference here is 'respected'
cap bob falls down again
i would argue that thomas is the most respected chairman we'ce had in my time for sure
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Post by boris on Dec 1, 2010 14:54:05 GMT
Vic Couling.
Without him we'd still (probably) be Headington United knocking around in the Isthmian/Southern League as a bunch of part-timers.
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Post by witneyite on Dec 1, 2010 15:37:55 GMT
I am with Baldy with this one, I was there during the Maxwell era,and without him,we certainly would not have all the great memories a lot of us have now.
This view shouldnt be read as I agree with the pensions issue,more I loved every second of what we did under Maxwells regime.
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Post by SteMerritt on Dec 1, 2010 16:53:34 GMT
Wonder what would have happened had Maxwell not shafted Jim Smith over his new contract and he had stayed with us...
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Post by Boogaloo on Dec 1, 2010 18:18:50 GMT
I'll answer this based on the fact I've supported the U's since 1982. If we're judging it on achievement alone then Robert Maxwell wins without shadow of a doubt.
BUT...
His methods of getting his money from the Mirror pension fund means he loses a lot of respect points in my eyes. If one of those who lost out was my grand-mother, I would be enraged. So taking all into consideration, Yes, KT is the best we have had so far.
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