Gary James' fourth column looks at Oldham Athletic's hopes of climbing out of the depths of non-league football
It’s an unwanted record but in 2022 Oldham Athletic became the first former Premier League club to drop into non-League football. Okay, so the Premier League has only been in existence since 1992 but even so this is not a record anybody associated with Latics wanted.
The drop came following a home defeat by another local club, Salford City, and that fixture itself demonstrated how football in the region has been changing over the last decade or so. Salford, the club that has received considerable investment from Gary Neville and other members of United’s class of 92, were an ambitious, financially secure team moving upwards after 80 years of non-League football, whereas Oldham seemed to be heading for oblivion.
"It sounds cliched but we genuinely do have our club back"
The Latics first joined the Football League in 1907 and developed rapidly. In 1914-15 they missed winning the League Championship by a point but the suspension of the League during World War One meant they were unable to build on this. In the decades that followed they experienced life in every division of the League but were relatively stable in the second tier from 1974 through to 1991 when they made a return to the top flight.
1991’s promotion came during a glorious era when Joe Royle managed Oldham to the League Cup final (1990) and FA Cup semi-finals (1990 & 1994). These were known as the ‘Pinch Me’ years after a Joe Royle comment during the 1989-90 season which had seen Oldham beat four top flight clubs during their cup campaigns. All four were in the top seven, including the champions Arsenal and the league leaders Aston Villa. A remarkable time, especially as the Latics had not beaten a top-flight club for over 60 years.
There were many thrilling performances during this period and the nation seemed to enjoy watching Royle’s team but they were unlucky in the FA Cup semi-finals. Both went to replays at Maine Road and both ended in defeat to Alex Ferguson’s dominant United team. The meetings in 1994 were particularly frustrating as Oldham had been about a minute from winning the Wembley semi-final when Mark Hughes netted an equaliser, forcing a replay at Maine Road.
As well as the semi-final defeat, 1994 also saw Oldham relegated from the Premier League on the last day of the season. In the years that followed the club were relegated to the third tier in 1997. There was a flirtation with possible promotion which ended in the play offs and then in 2018 relegation to the fourth tier came. This was the first time Latics had played at that level since 1971 but worse than that financial issues were damaging the club’s viability. Ownership problems and financial headaches stretching back several years brought real pain and frustration to fans. There were HMRC winding up petitions and, of course, the Covid pandemic added to the club’s woes.
Difficulties continued into the current 2022-23 season but there are signs of hope. Now playing in the National League Oldham could have faded and died but, thanks to the fans and new ownership, things are much more positive than their league position suggests. Mike Keegan, Daily Mail Sports News Correspondent and lifelong Oldham fan, comments: "It sounds ridiculous, given we’re about to have the lowest finish in the club’s history, but there is a genuine feel-good factor around Boundary Park these days."
Mike has been keeping a close eye on events at Boundary Park both as a fan and in his journalistic role and knows how difficult it has been for fans over the last decade: "Most Latics fans recognise how perilously close we came to going out of business under he-who-shall-not-be-named and to now have a local family in charge who are investing and making rational decisions is more than we could have hoped for during the darkest of times. It sounds cliched but we genuinely do have our club back."
Across the Greater Manchester region our clubs have experienced a variety of owners. Some have invested and others have put their clubs in jeopardy. So what about Oldham’s current guardians: ‘At the last count the Rothwells had spent £12m on reuniting the club with the stadium and the land,’ comments Mike. ‘We have new floodlights, improvements in the ground and a fans bar. More work is planned including a £1m new pitch this summer. Everything off-the-field is on the up.’
This positivity continues in the stands. Mike said: ‘Crowds this season have been the biggest in years, far outstripping League One levels. The Athleticos set the tone and the atmosphere is better than anything we have had since the “Pinch Me” years. I’m biased but I’d say it’s up there, relatively, with the best in the country both at home and away.’
Oldham fans have always backed their team and like so many clubs in our region, including of course Rochdale, their fans need to be rewarded for years of dedication and commitment after a decade or so of significant upheaval. Mike Keegan believes that this season’s main aim was to apply the brakes and halt the downward trajectory of the club: ‘There has been investment in the playing side of things that we have not seen in more than 20 years. It is all set for lift off. What needs to happen now is the most important thing – success on the field. The manager (David Unsworth) has his doubters and the football at times this season has not been pretty, to say the least. But he inherited a mess and that takes time to fix. The worst-case scenario – another relegation – has been avoided.’
Having achieved that then the next few years could see the club move onwards and upwards: ‘With a full pre-season and a raft of new signings to work with, 2023-24 could – and should – be a year to remember. We have not experienced a promotion of any shape since 1991. Have a think about that. That’s 32 years. When fans of clubs like Newcastle (not any more) and Everton moan about how tough it is to support their team they might want to have a think about what it’s like to be an Oldham fan. Let the good times roll. Please.’
Here's hoping
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