Firoz Kassam
Honorary fellowship
Year conferred: 2005
Firoz Kassam is a British businessman. He was born in Tanzania in 1955 of Asian parents and came to Britain as a student.
Firoz Kassam made his fortune in the hotel trade in London, and in 1999 bought Oxford United FC for £1m, also taking over its debts. In 2000 he started building a new 12,500 seater football stadium complex at Minchery Farm on the edge of Oxford, now called the Kassam Stadium, which includes a hotel, cinema, bowling alley, gym, health centre and restaurants. Oxford United played its first game there in 2001.
Oxford United's old home, The Manor Ground in Headington, was sold by Kassam to developers in 1999, and has since been demolished and developed into the Manor Hospital, which opened in last year.
Firoz Kassam also owns the historic mansion and grounds of Heythrop Park which he purchased in 1999 for £15m. It has been developed into a luxury hotel with an 18-hole golf course and restored landscape gardens.
