A word from the TOP

In the second in our series of interviews with the people at the very top of the club, this month we sat down with our Managing Director, Louise Merritt for a fascinating insight into what it’s like running a thriving football club…

We asked her to explain what her role currently involves?

"I lead all that happens "off the pitch"" she told us "from how we shout about what we do, to the coffee we serve and all that's in between! I work alongside Allan Steele who leads our strategy and what we do “on the pitch”.

"I am lucky as I get to work closely with our management team who motivate me daily too. Whether that be hearing from Andy Gate on how our socials are on the rise and plans for fan engagement, Rachel Burt with who she is welcoming in hospitality and what event bookings she is immersed in, Jack Stanley brings the smiles with his wholehearted impact on our youngest players and mascots on a matchday, our Ops team, Zoe, Shaun, Henry and Lee who keep us open all the hours and able to deliver all we do here and of course you Chris who shares our stories and somehow talked me into this interview today! They are only a few of our ever-expanding team and how we do what we do here and I am proud to lead here daily. My week is never the same, hugely varied, full of meetings as well as doing the physical jobs required to get the job done!

After such a frantic summer of rebuilding and reinventing, has she finally found time to draw breath….

“I’ve tried” she says. “It was a busy summer for everyone but the thing to remember is that this is only the start of it really. Things are evolving all the time and we love a challenge. You’re right though, the biggest challenge we had this summer was definitely time!

“We were very much up against a short turnaround at a place which doesn’t actually stop for the summer- there are tournaments, holiday camps, pre- season for our men and women and private hire plus it's where we all work everyday so we had so many things happening all at once.

“We decided to make some of the more immediate changes more ‘experienced based’; things people saw as they walked through the gates. What do things look like when they arrive? Is it colourful? Is it welcoming? Is it a family environment?

"Is it fun? Is it everything that you want it to be for a few hours or an afternoon or a Day Out? And yes, I think we achieved it very well in that short turn around with more to come!.”

The new Club Shop is a very obvious manifestation of those plans: literally the first thing you see as you walk in, and the first thing that people always comment on…

“Yes, it looks good and sets a good tone. There are still some additions that will make the entrance even more aligned but those will follow and the shop is something we’re really proud of, a bit of a showstopper.”

Oxford City has a very clear character that runs through everything we do. How important it is to keep that while this evolution happens?

“Great point and one we talk about a lot. With everything that we were doing and hope to do in the future, it's easy to get very excited and throw lots of things in that actually don't make sense or align to where we came from. So I was really, really keen that we remembered what we’ve wanted to do for a few years, and now get them done properly because the core things have never changed and never should. They’ve always been around. How can we keep what makes the club special but also make the experience better for everybody? “

“So how can we make the flow through the club better? Not just on match days but also where our Junior & Youth and 100s of kids enjoy coming here on Saturday morning, Sunday mornings, Oxford United Academy and Women, Netball, Casuals, all those different things, how could we make it better and align those things with what we've always wanted to do here and not got going before?

“We are here from 8am and open 7 days a week. Obviously the matchdays and football side of it on a Saturday and a Sunday afternoon are exciting and it's what people want to come in and watch, but there are more people that come through the doors Monday to Friday and evenings and weekends outside of those games. We really are a community hive of activity.

“Whenever you visit here, it needs to be just as exciting, welcoming and helpful. We're very family focused but equally we host private event spaces day and night for businesses and the public, we have a busy Clubhouse where people pop in for a drink on their way home or sit and work for a bit whilst the kids are training, we strive to be that place where people feel free to pop in or come for longer and be part of it.

“We've had the Strategy Board for the last couple of years: most of them had kids here in age groups, or were part of the Oxford business community. They will still be involved even though the Board structure is changing and that’s a small example of what we do: each year the number of friends of the club at all levels just seems to rise.”

You said 8 AM to evening 7 days a week. That's roughly your own working hours! How do you do it?

“ Because I love what I do! Part of this summer's work has included building the team around us. That’s evolving quickly too and that means that me and others can soon, strategically, step back a little and concentrate on some of the stuff we haven't been able to focus on as much! We recruited heavily this summer with more roles to follow, new team members are finding their feet and already making an impact

“We believe in all the staff; most are here every day too and I think it’s fair to say we all know where we're going and we all believe in the same thing so there's loads of excitement in that. When you finish one thing here, straight away you can move on to the next thing or a new opportunity comes to us, which happens a lot. It’s a great place to work any day of the week.”

Do you ever switch off? Is there ever a time when you sit with Justin and one of you bans the other from talking about the club?

“ Luckily, we've got three children who keep us very busy. We enjoy what we do here and across all the businesses, you naturally talk about stuff you enjoy doing. But yes, every so often there is a welcome, distraction from family life.”

Sadly, even in 2026 a female running a football club remains relatively unusual. Are there still moments when people seem surprised to find out what you do?

“I think it's fair to say that if you work within football, a lot of sports, it's a very male leader environment.

“But in reality the number of women working at the club is growing all the time. I have been working with Aliyah on the club's ambitious plans with women's and girls football, its a privilege to work with females like Aliyah, helping to bring the passion for all she stands for to inspire the youngest girls walking through the doors and in our community, there is lots more to come on that soon. We've had amazing females apply for some of our more recent roles. I hope our strong and growing female presence will attract other females to work for the club too. When we sit around the table at meetings, I'm really proud that we've got way more of a female presence than ever before.

“That’s just one more way that we are doing things our own way, and one more small thing for all of us to be incredibly proud of.”

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