OXFORD United Supporters Panel wants fans to set the agenda as it aims to increase its presence next season.

The panel was created last year to improve the experience of following the U’s across a range of issues.

In its first season, OUSP established a regular channel of communication for fans to voice feedback to the club, as well as partnering with initiatives such as Her Game Too and Level Playing Field.

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Now the panel wants supporters to tell them what to focus on in 2022/23, through a survey on United’s website.

“It’s an opportunity for fans to have that direct communication with the club to drive things forward,” said chair Paul Scaysbrook.

“It’s not our agenda, it’s the fans’. The club are supporting us on this and it’s an open door, but they want to work with us to make sure the relationship between the fans and the club is the best it can be.

“I certainly think we’ve got to reach more people to get a wider spectrum of what people feel need to be done.

“We’re independent and it’s about making sure we’re focusing on the right things and being challenging.

“From small acorns mighty oaks grow and that’s the process we’re in at the moment.”

The panel met the club on a monthly basis last season, with the minutes published on United’s website.

That added transparency is something secretary Janine Bailey is proud of.

She said: “There’s nothing we do that’s closed off, it’s about making those conversations available to the whole supporter base.

“That’s something that I don’t think has ever existed before.”

Tangible achievements include organising compensation for the last-minute postponement at Wigan Athletic in November and pushing for a new pedestrian route behind the Kassam Stadium’s South Stand, which stops fans walking in the road.

Forcing change at Grenoble Road is difficult as United do not own the ground, but the panel has raised issues on subjects such as cleanliness, parking and accessibility.

The group also strengthened ties with Level Playing Field, a charity that aims to remove barriers to sport for disabled fans, and Her Game Too, which fights sexism in football.

Scaysbrook added: “I think we were previously paying lip-service to it and we felt that wasn’t appropriate, so we really pushed to make sure the awareness was raised.

“That will be key for us again this year, pushing to ensure we’ll be more heavily involved.”

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Increasing that matchday presence is particularly important in the season ahead, says Bailey.

She added: “Last year we were still working with Covid restrictions, so we couldn’t do things like a meet and greet.

“The idea is once we’ve got the fixtures we can sit down with the club and ask what we can do at matches.

“Then we can get some input from fans on a particular focus they’d like to be looking at.”

The panel will still be working hard while it awaits the results of the survey, with season tickets a priority after ‘significant’ feedback from fans.

Bailey added: “We’re still working behind the scenes on some of the issues raised, but we worked with OxVox to collate the fans’ views and put a joint response into the club.”