The National League South side has launched a Community Partnership scheme where organisations can directly support the installation of a new playing surface costing £200,000 for both professional and community use.



The scheme is being supported by the club’s charity Oxford City Sport in the Community ahead of Hoops’ 140-year anniversary which will be celebrated next year.

A new pitch side community partner wall will be built to showcase donors who will also be entitled to exclusive club benefits including tickets and sponsorship opportunities.

Every £10,000 donation will provide 250 hours’ worth of community programmes, help over 1,000 students and coaches with higher education programmes and support the accessibility of sport in Oxfordshire from U6s through to senior participants.

Justin Merritt, Director of Football at Oxford City FC, said support from partners will help the club continue to develop the provision of football and health related activities for the whole community.

“Since the football club was founded almost 140 years ago, being at the heart of our community has always been a value we hold with the highest regard,” said Justin.

“Our world-class facilities, onsite education programmes and wider sporting provisions all contribute to providing a well-rounded community hub which can be accessed by all.

“This consistent delivery places extra strain on our artificial playing surface which must be replaced in the coming months ahead of the 2023-24 season.

“We’re very fortunate to be supported by a strong network of local organisations who share our passion for grassroots and elite level sport, plus everything in-between. Now, we’re looking for new partners to join our journey and place their brand at the heart of the football club and its work in the community.”

The club’s current 3G pitch was laid in 2017 and is used by over 83,000 people annually for up to 70 hours per week by Hoops’ first team, the club’s youth and junior squads plus Velocity Football students.

It also hosts foundation level sports events for children, alternative provision football activities, sports festivals and the Marcus Rashford backed Holiday Activities and Food programmes (HAF) in partnership with Oxford City Council.

In addition, the pitch supports training and matches for Oxford United’s Academy and Women’s squads, Oxford University and Oxford Brookes organisations and is a venue for Oxfordshire FA Cup finals and Oxfordshire Youth Football League tournaments.

Replacing the pitch coincides with the release of Sport England statistics which show over a quarter (27.2%) of adults and almost a third (29%) of children complete less than half-an-hour of physical activity each day.

The recommended level is 60 minutes per day.

Justin added: “Since converting from a grass surface to 3G six years ago, our pitch has played an essential role in the development of thousands of young footballers and established itself as a hub for community sport in the process.

“We’re here not just for elite level athletes, but also the entire community too.

The power of foundation level programmes such as McDonalds Fun Football and Wildcats Girls’ Football should not be underestimated as they all positively contribute to developing skills and qualities which are essential to life.

“This scheme is an opportunity for organisations to rubberstamp their support of projects like these which are so important for current and future generations.”

Organisations interested in supporting grassroots football in Oxfordshire and Oxford City FC’s youth teams should contact Caroline O’Connor via commercial@oxcityfc.co.uk or 07503 799599.