Latest news with #GaryRowett
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
End of Oxford's tour of discovery
Both of Oxford's matches in Indonesia were interrupted – the first by floodlight failure and the second by monsoon rain of epic proportions. The weather in the final against Thai side Port FC undoubtedly contributed to the outcome – Port's winner came during the deluge. Advertisement Had it been Elliott Moore lifting the trophy, not his beaming counterpart, the initial assessment of the trip would, I am sure, be largely positive. Even when results don't really matter, they kind of do. United have done a lot right out here, even making kids in an orphanage smile with a mass kick-about. Those who think footballers are all cynical should have seen this group of players there. They won't forget those children and I applaud their private actions after the visit. If you drew up a list of EFL football managers past and present that you might expect to see being paraded on an imitation lion carried by four men as part of a local custom…Gary Rowett would be a long way down it. He was respectful and didn't refuse when invited to climb aboard at a news conference. He styled it out and by doing so he has gone up in most people's expectations. Advertisement The team will have got over the defeat by Port almost before they had dried out. More minutes in the legs, some game-time for youth team products. Mark Harris will be pleased with his golden boot for being tournament top scorer. Oxford's rise to the Championship – and staying there - has been in no small part because of the funding from Erick Thohir and others in South East Asia. The latest growing pains are maybe being felt by the team and coaching staff more than the supporters. A 7,000-mile trip in pre-season is probably not the absolutely ideal preparation for the new season, but there is a reason big clubs make these trips, even though they're often derided. This was a tour of discovery for those who travelled at relatively short notice to support the team, but it was too for Oxford United itself - a tentative exploration of a potentially massive market, where no particular European team appears to have a stranglehold. But the gap between the richest and poorest is a chasm, and monetarising Oxford's new found popularity will be a challenge in Indonesia. They missed out on £250,000 of prize money when they lost the final, too. Advertisement Will the injuries picked up prove debilitating as the Championship season opens? Has United's reputation been significantly enhanced? Will they be able to tap into this emerging economy? We only know the true value – or cost - of the trip further down the line. United invested a lot in this trip – not financially, the first class travel and accommodation was all laid on - but in terms of energy and emotion. I am sure there will be a fierce internal debate about whether it should 'one and done' for such a tour, or whether it would be folly not to try and learn from - and build on - what has been achieved here this time…. and, as they say in football, 'go again'. You can find part one of Jerome Sale's tour recap below.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Surreal' trip is a sign of U's progress
I used the word "surreal" a lot while watching Oxford United in Indonesia. The club's quest to become an established Championship club needs success on the field, but that does not just happen without progress off the field cannot be anyone connected with the club that doesn't understand that the biggest fixture of the summer will be played out in the Cherwell District Council committee meeting at the end of the month, when they will get planning permission - or not – for a new stadium. That would help them generate significantly more revenue than at the Kassam – but still more will be needed for United to may surprise you to learn that the biggest attendance Oxford will play before in 2025 will almost certainly be the 40,000+ plus who watched the U's opening match in the Piala Presiden – the President's Cup – in Jakarta's national stadium last week. The enthusiasm for Gary's Rowett's side, even when up against an Indonesia All Stars team was very evident. United having Indonesian ownership helped, and was of course part of the reason Oxford were there in the first place. What was even more crucial was the presence in the United line-up of two of the biggest names in Indonesian football – naturalised Dutch forward Ole Romeny and young star Marselino knows his role. Still to command a regular berth in the Oxford side despite being a record signing in January, he patiently dealt with countless interviews, photo requests, meet and greets, and he was even a keepy-uppy king at one event in a place that LOVES ball juggling. When he scored the second U's goal in the second game it felt like he had, if not the world, then one of its most populous countries at his feet. Sadly, it was only moments later that a crunching challenge ended his tournament and will make him a major doubt for the start of the season and for Indonesia's World Cup then United had moved on from the cosmopolitan metropolis of Jakarta on the 'Whoosh' bullet train. It took half an hour to travel 100 miles and into the authentically Asian city of Bandung. But there was less for the players to do, they required security escorts to and from training – mainly just to clear a way through traffic which made the Oxford ring road in rush hour seem quiet. Backpackers would love it. Any westerners are a curiosity and garner much attention. Professional footballers already have plenty of two of Jerome Sale's tour recap will be published on Tuesday.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
No timescale yet on ankle injury suffered by Ole Romeny
OXFORD United do not yet have a timescale on the ankle injury suffered by Ole Romeny during the President's Cup tournament in Indonesia. Romeny was forced off on a stretcher shortly after scoring the second goal in United's 4-0 victory against Arema FC on Thursday. The Indonesia international was then unavailable for the final, as the U's were beaten 2-1 by Thai side Port FC, with the second half paused for more than 20 minutes due to monsoon-like conditions. READ ALSO: Summer signing 'very lucky' not to suffer broken leg Talking about the injury to Romeny in the post-game press conference, United head coach Gary Rowett said: 'I don't know the exact timescale. It looks quite a bad injury, so it wasn't one that was very pleasing for us to lose someone like Ole. 'I'm sure for the national team as well and the way that we lost him with the tackle. It was a poor tackle at the time, but we'll assess it, and we'll see what that timescale looks like. Rowett added: 'When you're playing competitive matches, the matches mean an awful lot to everybody. You could see for Port FC, the way they celebrated, it was an important victory for them. 'But of course, I said this is our pre-season, so injuries are not what we want at this stage, but we have to deal with it. 'I think overall it's been a positive experience. Seeing the young children of Indonesia celebrating with the players throughout the tournament and throughout the two weeks has been an excellent experience from that aspect. 'The fans have also been brilliant, so there are a lot of positives for us to take out of this.'
The Irish Sun
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Bizarre moment EFL manager carried into press conference onboard LION at Indonesian pre-season tour
OXFORD UNITED boss Gary Rowett was carried to a press conference on a LION. The Championship club are on a pre-season tour of Indonesia. Advertisement 3 It's a tradition practiced in Indonesia for special occasions Credit: 3 Oxford manager Rowett looked very calm throughout the process Credit: 3 This was a moment those present will not easily forget Credit: And as is custom in the South East Asian nation at special events or ceremonies demands, they hold a ritual called sisingaan in which they carry a special guest on an effigy of a lion. Rowett was paraded through the streets ahead of Oxford's President's Cup final against Thai team Port FC in Soreang on Sunday. It was after seeing off Arema to top their three-club group to reach the pre-season tournament showpiece. But the Us' tour has been marred by a horror tackle on their Indonesian international Ole Romeny during that 4-0 victory which also saw him score. Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL The Dutch-born star is a huge star in Indonesia and plays for the nation through his paternal grandmother. The heavy challenge meant he had to be carried off on a stretcher. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Rowett said: 'It was quite a difficult angle to see. Ole felt as though it was one of the worst tackles he's received. Advertisement Most read in EFL 'We're not out here complaining about challenges. Former Premier League club closing in on return to EFL despite finishing 23 POINTS behind play-off opponents 'It felt a little bit late, but there were quite a lot of late challenges that you're worried it might end up bubbling over a little bit.' Romeny posted a picture of his right foot in a protective boot on his Instagram story, captioning the post: 'Thank you guys for all the messages. 'Unfortunately I will be out for a while, but will do anything to be back as soon as possible. Head high always.' Advertisement
The Sun
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Bizarre moment EFL manager carried into press conference onboard LION at Indonesian pre-season tour
OXFORD UNITED boss Gary Rowett was carried to a press conference on a LION. The Championship club are on a pre-season tour of Indonesia. 3 3 3 And as is custom in the South East Asian nation at special events or ceremonies demands, they hold a ritual called sisingaan in which they carry a special guest on an effigy of a lion. Rowett was paraded through the streets ahead of Oxford's President's Cup final against Thai team Port FC in Soreang on Sunday. It was after seeing off Arema to top their three-club group to reach the pre-season tournament showpiece. But the Us' tour has been marred by a horror tackle on their Indonesian international Ole Romeny during that 4-0 victory which also saw him score. The Dutch-born star is a huge star in Indonesia and plays for the nation through his paternal grandmother. The heavy challenge meant he had to be carried off on a stretcher. 'We're not out here complaining about challenges. Former Premier League club closing in on return to EFL despite finishing 23 POINTS behind play-off opponents 'It felt a little bit late, but there were quite a lot of late challenges that you're worried it might end up bubbling over a little bit.' Romeny posted a picture of his right foot in a protective boot on his Instagram story, captioning the post: 'Thank you guys for all the messages. 'Unfortunately I will be out for a while, but will do anything to be back as soon as possible. Head high always.'
