TRYING to buy a stadium, increase income and minimise debt, while still helping build a team capable of winning promotion is a near-impossible combination.

But it is the job Oxford United chairman Kelvin Thomas, is desperately working to achieve.

Fighting against the credit crunch, companies with no spare money and a real estate market that has crashed – the odds are stacked against him.

However, the U’s chief believes the club are making real progress.

He answers the burning issues put to him by United supporters, and is convinced the future is bright, despite all the financial problems.

What are the chances of us purchasing the stadium in the next 12 months?

Putting a timescale on any commercial transaction in this market is very, very difficult.

However, we are confident that we have moved forward in this area from when we last discussed it.

Negotations are ongoing, and we are in constant dialogue with Firoz Kassam and Firoka over this. We are very hopeful of securing something that will benefit the football club regarding the purchase of the stadium, although I really cannot commit to a timescale.

Do we have an agreement to play at the Kassam Stadium whatever? If buying the ground looks unlikely, is there a possibility of us moving to a different ground?

The licence agreement here is for 25 years, and a 25-year option..

If we decided that we did not want to play here, we would still be liable to pay the rent, so there would be no benefit in moving.

If you rent a house, you have an agreement to pay the rent whether you live there or not. It’s the same principle.

Is it fair to say that relationships with Firoz Kassam are the best they have ever been since he sold the club?

I would like to think so, yes. We are in talks with him about several different things and these talks have been encouraging.

Could we not get Firoz Kassam back on board in some capacity? If he were, surely he would then not charge us rent?

It is unrealistic to think that if Firoz came back onto the board he would simply waive the rent.

Firoz has commercial pressures too and I cannot believe that the rent payment we make is something he could take or leave.

He has businesses to run and agreements with banks and it is unrealistic to think he could afford to lose our rent.

A few months ago our financial situation was dire. Are we still in deep financial straights?

Yes. The football club has a financial shortfall this season in relation to its income and expenses.

We are in a better place now than when I took over as chairman, and we are continuing to work every day to improve this position.

I would not say that the club is in ‘deep financial strai-ghts’, but we are certainly in a financially-challenging position.

What is the break-even figure for crowds at the Kassam Stadium? Presuming we are not reaching that, do the smaller crowds threaten the long-term stability of the club?

It is difficult to give an exact figure on this, because it was not my budget and we are dealing with a lot of historical debt.

I am in the process of finalising the budgets for next season when I will have a much better indication.

Of course, however, the smaller crowds threaten the club’s stability.

It is well documented that one of the main sources of income are ticket sales. As with any other football club, a fall in attendances has a big impact.

Having said that, our crowds have been very good, and I hope people can see how hard we are working to improve attendances and publicise matches.

There has been a significant increase in crowds and I believe a lot of that is down to the work we put in on that front.

How much money does the club lose each week? With just five home games remaining, is there a potential problem for income for the remainder of the season?

I cannot give an exact figure – that would be unfair.

People have to understand that there has to be a balance between public information and commercial stability.

Whilst it would be nice to tell everybody everything, it does not make good business sense to do so.

It would be very difficult to try and attract players and commercial partners if we stated exactly how much we were losing each week.

On the second point, we have known when home games are from the start of the season, so it doesn’t present any problems we were not previous aware of.

What is our weekly wage bill?

See my last answer!

Are Woodstock Partners continuing to fund the club?

Yes, their support is continuing.

It has been stated before that Woodstock Partners are looking at other sources of revenue and minimising their financial support.

However, the fact that Woodstock Partners have said the loan to the club will not be called in and that the club do not have to pay any interest on that is a major indication of their support to Oxford United.

Ian Lenagan wanted to take on a smaller involvement with the club a few months ago, rumours suggest he is now as involved as he was before, can you confirm this?

I am not sure where this rumour came from, but Ian’s support has not changed.

He is a major financial backer of the club who is very supportive in the background and really wants Oxford United to be successful.

What actions are the club taking to reduce the massive financial overspend that was shown in the last accounts and is projected for this year?

We are looking at a realistic budget and are working hard to put in place a number of measures to ensure our level of income is far more sustainable than it was this year.

Has it become easier meeting the quarterly rent payments? If so, what has made the difference?

To a degree it has, and the main reason is that Firoz has been very flexible and now allows us to pay monthly rather than quarterly.

This has helped us with our cash flow and, combined with an increase in income levels, the club is much happier.

The 50-50 draw has become a huge success – was this extra income budgeted for?

Thanks for the compliment! The extra income was not budgeted for and has helped us make up for shortfalls elsewhere.

Have you talked to Sir Richard Branson about buying the stadium and renaming it the Virgin Stadium? Could the club then repay the rent at a reduced figure, which they could realistically afford?

Yes, the club have spoken to Richard Branson, but he has unfortunately confirmed that he did not want to invest in a football club – at this time.

Have you thought about selling shares in the club to fans?

Yes, discussions have taken place on this front. No decision has been reached, but it remains an option at the moment.

What can we the fans do to help in a meaningful way (and I'm talking about serious fund-raising initiatives here) that will produce a tangible benefit?

Please come to the club and see me!

My door is always open to fans, and I am seeing two fans today to discuss some ideas.

I am always happy to talk about any fund-raising initiatives and a few ideas we now implement have come from fans.

However, in my two months as chairman, a lot of people have told me that they are ready to help and they can make the club money, but unfortunately few step up to the plate.

I would love that to change and fans to see me, discuss an idea, and then see it in action, making money.

What is the purpose/implications of the mortgage/charge that was registered for the club in January according to the Companies House records?

As part of our increased management and fund-raising efforts, the club has converted its overdraft facility into a loan with the bank.

This has enabled us to gain better control of some of the debt at the football club.

However, this amount is only a small part of the club’s overall debt.