OXFORD United owner Firoz Kassam last night pledged to invest "mega millions" in the club.

Club chairman Kassam also stated his plans were long-term and he wasn't "going anywhere".

He told fans at an open meeting in the Supporters' Club meeting: "We will have a great club one day but it will take two or three years at least to get there.

"I intend to do what is best for the club and I will not allow it to get into the financial situation it was in in the past."

Kassam plans to meet coach Mickey Lewis and technical director Ray Harford in the next few days to discuss buying players.

"I've asked Mickey and Ray to get together themselves and sort out what they need," he said. "Then, later this week, or perhaps early next week, we will sit down and talk about it."

Lewis was not at the meeting, but Harford did attend - and he paid tribute to the man who brought him to the Manor Ground.

"I'm very impressed with what Mr Kassam wants to do," he told fans. "I was at Wimbledon and I see more than a little of Sam Hammam in Mr Kassam." Meanwhile, Kassam admitted that work on United's new stadium will not begin again until the New Year.

It had been hoped that builders would be back on site at Minchery Farm by Christmas.

But Kassam said that the earliest possible restart date was now January 10.

"I would like to have seen it all happen before the end of the month," he said. "In all honesty I don't believe that it is realistic.

"We will still look to finish the ground in time for July, but it will mean paying a premium, and could also mean that the conference site is not built when we open. But the football side is most important."

However, there was some good news for U's fans with Kassam announcing that he was hoping today to reach an important settlement with original stadium builders Taylor Woodrow.

"I believe we will sign in the morning," he told the meeting. "Then Taylor Woodrow will walk away."

Taylor Woodrow were owed £6m when they downed tools at Minchery Farm over a 'payment issue' in January 1997.

Kassam had been intending to use Taylor Woodrow to finish the stadium, but negotiations broke down.

If a deal is done today, it would leave United free to bring in another construction firm to finish the job.

And the names of the three companies in the running for the contract were revealed for the first time last night.

They are: Alfred McAlpine, Mowlem and Barr.

"We are close to a deal with one of them," Kassam added. "But it would not be fair to say which one because we have not yet signed anything. I can see us reaching an agreement in the next two to three weeks."

Story date: Thursday 09 December

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