The one huge task still facing Oxford United is the purchase of the Kassam Stadium – but Kelvin Thomas remains positive about the possibility.

“I am in good conversation with Firoz (Kassam) about ways that our goals can be achieved,” he said.

“We both understand it would be great for the club to own the ground at some point in the future, and we are just looking at different ways this can happen within a business transaction which has mutual benefit.

“Whether that is short term or long term, time will tell. “We need to make the football club a self-sustaining business without owning the stadium, then if and when we do own it, what a bonus that will be.”

So is the future as bright as it has been for a long while?

“It is brighter than when I took over for sure,” he said.

“I think we have given ourselves a chance to make a success of this season.”

Kelvin Thomas is now the only board member at Oxford United, but this is this something that will change. “We will be looking to add a couple of people to the board,” he said.

“But I have a strong group of people around me that I can lean on for support and advice, so this is certainly not a priority, but something that will be addressed.

“I have always been a fan of smaller boards, as I feel that allows you as a business to be more flexible in your decision-making.”