Making a Manager - The Story

Brian Cox (Oxford City Chairman):

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"Today is a day of mixed emotions for the football club. We are saddened that Mark Jones has made the decision to leave his role as manager of this football club but we fully support his decision. Jones has been a terrific servant of the club and a magnificent character who has embodied the ethos and the identity of Oxford City Football Club which great professionalism and honesty. It has been an honour to work alongside him for the last number of years.

In Ryan Ferguson we have a more than adept replacement. He's a young manager with fresh ideas who has experience in coaching some of the top young players in English football, at Liverpool, and has earned his Continental Pro License with aplomb in recent time.

He played a part in bringing through the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had a role in our nation's run to the World Cup semi finals, as well as other bright prospects such as Ben Woodburn, Harry Wilson and Curtis Jones. His ability to develop players is a significant reason as to why we brought him in. We are a club that wishes to get the very best out of our players, both on and off the pitch, and Ferguson fits in to a category of managers and coaches who idealise the same principle.

I could tell by the way he conducted himself in his interview that he is a very professional and determined individual. The reports I got from his colleagues at Liverpool FC verified that. He embodies the hard-working principles which this football club stands and lives by. He's a good lad and he'll be a good leader for his players and coaching team.

We anticipate many challenges this season and unfortunately we are not in a position where we can offer Ryan (Ferguson) great financial booking, which will hopefully change in the future. I am confident, however, that we have the right man in charge and that our fortunes will change for the better under his management."

Ryan Ferguson:

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"It is a proud moment for me to sit here today as the new manager of Oxford City Football Club. It is a big step for myself to be a senior manager for the first time in my career and I am buzzing with excitement at the prospect of being in the dugout this season.

I am incredibly grateful to Brian Cox for giving me this opportunity and trusting me with such an important role here at this proud football club. He has shown an incredible amount of faith in me and I hope to be able to repay that faith with good performances and good results.

I was fortunate enough to have played at youth level for Liverpool Football Club, my hometown side, and even more fortunate to sign a professional contract for them. Unfortunately I never got to make my senior debut for the club, and haven't kicked a ball since, but my love for the game has grown stronger since. I live and breath football.

We have a small squad here and we will need to add a couple of new faces to it before the beginning of the season. We will work hard to ensure that we bring in the correct caliber of player to the club and we will ensure that every decision we make, from now on, is well thought out in advance.

I look forward to stepping out on to Court Place Farm for the first time. I am proud to be manager of this great football club and I hope to make the fans proud too."

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Club Overview: Oxford City 2018

Squad Overview: Oxford City 2018

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Wide Midfielders

Strikers

Brian Cox (Oxford City Chairman):

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"We're not a strong position financially, I don't think there is any point in denying that. We are expecting to lose more than we earn in the coming years and that is a point that has to be addressed. We simply don't get enough money in to the club through attendances, sponsorship deals and other ways. For a club to operate at this level, it needs to change.

I know there have been a lot of question marks over Ryan Ferguson's value to this football club. Yes, he is not experienced at senior management. Yes, he is on a very good salary. Is he worth it? Yes, I believe he is. While he doesn't have experience at managing at senior level, he's managed some of the top youngsters in this country and it takes great discipline and character to do that sometimes. It isn't always easy to coach the kids!

I believe that if we can pull together and support our new man, he will lead us out of the dark and into the light. He's been at the club for less than a few hours and has already implemented a number of changes that we know will improve the club considerably. He has plenty of fresh ideas and is passionate about his work here. He's the right man for the job and we're all excited about having him here.

We do need to increase our income. We're working hard to secure sponsorship deals which will see the club profit, but not lose its identity in doing so. We are also working hard with the Oxford City Fan Club to find ways of increasing our attendances in games, which would generate much-needed income for the club, as well as building an atmosphere to be proud of. Ryan (Ferguson) is already working hard on making us successful on the pitch, and hopefully we can earn some income out of prize money from the cup competitions, if we prove to be successful there. We just need to come together and trust each other. We can do this."

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