 |
 |
Oldham Athletic Club Profile
|
 |
 |
 |
Oldham Athletic : Quick Links
|
Click on the links below to go directly to the relevant parts of the guide :
Club Background;
We've Met Before;
Photo Galleries;
Club News;
Club Statistics;
Club Information;
Directions To The Ground;
Web Resources;
Food And Drink;
Local Amenities
|
|
|
Oldham Athletic : Club Background
|
|
The origins of Oldham Athletic could justifiably be said to be that of a pub team as they are descended from Pine Hill FC formed by the landlord of the Featherstall & Junction Hotel in 1895. In 1899 the then local professional side, Oldham County, folded and Pine Hill took over County's ground and adopted the name Oldham Athletic. They moved up from Junior football to the Manchester Alliance League in 1900 but ran into ground problems with their landlord mid-season and had to move to Hudson Ford Field.
| | | Football grounds weren't all tubular steel and aluminium in them days, lad. Photo © 2005 Ciderspace
|
In 1904-05 the Latics advanced into the Lancashire Combination, winning the B Division at the first time of asking and gaining promotion. The J.W. Lees Brewery leased them another site and Boundary Park was born, with 2006 the Hundredth Anniversary. They made their first application to join the Football League in 1906 but missed out by one vote to Clapton Orient. They failed again to get elected in 1907, as Lancashire Combination Champions, but fate played into their hands when Burslem Port Vale went bankrupt. Oldham Athletic were given their place in Division Two and have been in the Football League ever since.
After two very creditable campaigns they were promoted to Division One as runners-up to Manchester City in the 1909-10 campaign. Apart from one poor season, where they just escaped relegation by a single point, they were a strong presence in the top flight and in the last campaign before the Great War brought football to an end missed out on the title by one point to Everton.
However when the leagues restarted in 1919 Oldham were a struggling side, and three campaigns where they only just kept themselves up were followed by a fourth in 1922-23 where they finished bottom and were relegated back to Division Two. There they remained, mostly a solid mid-table side, until 1934-35 saw them relegated to the Division Three North. They were a good Division Three side, but not quite good enough, usually in the hunt for promotion but not quite making it.
After the Second World War they struggled for a couple of seasons but then began to improve, and won the title in 1952-53. However it was a false dawn and they were immediately relegated, coming bottom of Division Two by some margin. Their record through the remainder of the Fifties in Division Three North was not good, and so when the League was restructured in 1958 they found themselves placed in Division Four.
These were grim times, with the Latics having to apply for re-election in 1959 and 1960. They recovered a little to get out of the basement with a promotion as runners-up to Brentford in 1962-63, but found Division Three a struggle and it was no surprise when they went back down again in 1969. In response they appointed Jimmy Frizzell as manager in 1970 and this was a turning point in Oldham's fortunes. He was twelve years in charge and took them up to Division Three in 1971 and then as Champions into Division Two in 1974. After a dodgy first couple of seasons they became a firmly established side at that level.
| | | The Main Stand at Boundary Park. Photo © 2005 Ciderspace
|
In 1982 Joe Royle took over. He would become the second manager in succession to achieve a dozen years at the club. In 1989-90 they got to the Semi-Finals of the F.A. Cup for the first time since 1913, and the League Cup Final, where they lost to Nottingham Forest, but better was to come for in 1990-91 Royle brought them the title and a return to the First Division after 68 years. They were still there when Division One turned into the Premier League but only lasted until 1993-94 when relegation caught up with them, though they got to a third F.A. Cup Semi-Final where Mark Hughes famously denied them with an equaliser at the death, Manchester United then comfortably winning the replay. Joe Royle departed for pastures new.
After twenty-four years of stability and success Oldham have entered a period of decline, frequent changes of manager, and some financial stringency since then. The 1996-67 season saw them relegated again, and they've been flirting with a further fall into the basement. That excuse of a manager Brian Talbot looked like he'd achieve it for them until they sensibly disposed of him after less than a year in charge. Ronnie Moore, who had defied gravity at Rotherham United for a number of seasons but was sacked as they plummeted towards relegation, was brought in and eventually kept them up in 19th place. However it was never a happy marriage, and he soon departed, going to Tranmere Rovers.
In came John Sheridan, in June 2006, but who had previously had two short, presumably caretaker, spells, with the club. In his first season he managed to take them into the play-offs - something of a slight disappointment given that mid-way through the season they had been league leaders. As often happens with the team that drifts downwards as the season progresses, they were knocked out in the semi-finals. The next season they decided to do it the opposite way - starting slowly but working their way upwards as the campaign unfolded. However at the death they just fell short of the play-offs, finishing 8th.
Oldham demolished the Broadway Stand ahead of the 2008-09 season and have been operating with a three-sided ground since. For those who have visited the ground before, this is the stand situated to your right as you look out from the Rochdale Road Away End. That side of the ground is now cleared, and construction was supposed to be beginning on the replacement stand in early 2009, with the project expected to last 16 months and therefore be ready for the start of the 2010-11 season. The plans were for a 5,200 capacity replacement stand that would ultimately become Oldham's new Main Stand. Facilities built into the plans included a new club shop, dressing rooms, conferencing and banqueting facilities and lettable office space. As one might guess from the tone in which this article is drifting word soon leaked out of Boundary Park that all was not well and the money for their grandiose plans weren't there. This was compounded when all of their major sponsors went into administration one after another and withdrew their sponsorship.
| | | The Broadway Stand - now demolished. Photo © 2005 Ciderspace
|
Since then the club has completely changed tack several times. There was a floated idea to develop a ground-shared facility with Rochdale - that seemed to be complete news to the Rochdale chairman. And the latest is to sell Boundary Park for development - planning permission for housing has been applied for - and develop a new stadium of their own on the council owned Failsworth Sports Complex. As with all of these schemes football clubs have for new stadia one thing can be pretty much guaranteed: the Oldham board's optimistic pronoucements that they'll be in their new home for 2010-11 are total hogwash. If it ever comes to fruition it is going to take a lot longer than that.
The 2008-09 season ended in something of a shambles for the Latics. They started the campaign like a train, and although they couldn't maintain an automatic place they were in the top six for virtually the entire time until a fracas at Belle Vue dog track during a team social event in March triggered the departure of Sheridan. Former hero Joe Royle reappeared to huge fanfare and excitement, only to see the club not win another game until the final match of the season, by which time it was far too late and they had already blown any play-off spot. Royle mooched off back into semi-retirement and TV punditry, and in came Dave Penney.
Back to Top of Page
|
 Oldham Athletic : We've Met Before | Previous Results for Yeovil Town First Team vs Oldham Athletic
| 06/08/2005 | Away | CCL1 | L | 0-2 | 6979 | | | | 26/11/2005 | Home | CCL1 | L | 0-2 | 5852 | | | | 21/10/2006 | Home | CCL1 | W | 1-0 | 5471 | | Skiverton 45 | | 31/03/2007 | Away | CCL1 | L | 0-1 | 6035 | | | | 19/01/2008 | Home | CCL1 | D | 0-0 | 4905 | | | | 16/02/2008 | Away | CCL1 | L | 0-3 | 4781 | | | | 01/11/2008 | Away | CCL1 | W | 2-0 | 5318 | | Brown 62, Warne 65 | | 21/02/2009 | Home | CCL1 | D | 2-2 | 4150 | | Tomlin 16, 33 | | 03/10/2009 | Away | CCL1 | D | 0-0 | 4208 | | |
Results Summary For Yeovil Town First Team vs Oldham Athletic
| Home | Away | Overall | | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
Back to Top of Page
|
Oldham Athletic : Club Statistics
|
|
RECENT RESULTS | 13/02/2010 | Walsall | Home | CCL1 | W | 1-0 | 3968 | | Abbott 78 | | 20/02/2010 | Colchester United | Away | CCL1 | L | 0-1 | 5321 | | | | 23/02/2010 | Leeds United | Away | CCL1 | L | 0-2 | 17635 | | | | 27/02/2010 | Norwich City | Home | CCL1 | L | 0-1 | 5344 | | | | 06/03/2010 | Exeter City | Away | CCL1 | D | 1-1 | 4997 | | Gregan 81 | | 09/03/2010 | Leyton Orient | Home | CCL1 | W | 2-0 | 3126 | | Smalley 20, Stephens 49 |
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES CLUB GOALSCORERS
| Name |
LGE |
FAC |
FAT |
LGC |
CC |
Total |
| Pawel Abbott | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | | Deane Smalley | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | | Reuben Hazell | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | | Keigan Parker | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | | Danny Whitaker | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | | Dale Stephens | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Nick Blackman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Alan Sheehan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Kieran Lee | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Chris Taylor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Ryan Brooke | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Alex Marrow | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Paul Heffernan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Joe Colbeck | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Jason Price | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Sean Gregan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ATTENDANCE STATISTICS Highest League Attendance: 8569, vs Huddersfield Town, 01/11/2009 Lowest League Attendance: 3126, vs Leyton Orient, 09/03/2010 Average League Attendance: 4912 CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS | Games Without A Win: | 0 | | Games Without A Home Win: | 0 | | Games Without An Away Win: | 4 | | Games Without Defeat: | 2 | | Games Without A Home Defeat: | 1 | | Games Without An Away Defeat: | 1 | | Games Without A Draw: | 1 | | Games Without A Score Draw: | 1 | | Games Without A No-Score Draw: | 9 | | Games Without Scoring: | 0 | | Games Without Conceding: | 1 | | Home Results Sequence: | WDLWLW | | Away Results Sequence: | LWLLLD | | Overall Results Sequence: | WLLLDW |
Back to Top of Page
|
Oldham Athletic : Club Information
|
Boundary Park
Furtherwood Road
Oldham
Greater Manchester
OL1 2PA
(Click for map)
Telephone Number : 0871 226 2235
Fax : 0871 226 1715
Email: enquiries@oldhamathletic.co.uk
Chairman : Simon Blitz
Chief Executive / Club Secretary : Alan Hardy
Safety Officer : Peter Davis
Press Officer : Stephen Ackroyd
Manager : Dave Penney
Capacity : 10,638 currently, with only three sides
Seated : All seater
Terracing : N/A
Colours : shirts royal blue with white trim, shorts royal blue with white trim, socks white with royal blue trim
Record Attendance : 46,471 v Sheffield Wednesday, F.A. Cup R4, 25/01/1930
Nickname : The Latics
|
Ticket Prices :
With Boundary Park something of a building site (or more, perhaps, a demolition site as there's no actual building going on) away fans only get a section of the Rochdale Road End, sponsored by Leesfield Developments. The stand, built in 1992, is split roughly (give or take some seats lost for the segregation zone) 3,000 / 1,600. Smaller clubs (that'll be us) get the smaller section, which is on the end nearest the (Pentagon Vauxhall) Main Stand.
Matchday prices are: Adult £20.00 (no change from last two years); Over 65 and Junior 12-16 £11.00 (no change); under 12 £3.00 (no change). You save £2.00 by pre-purchasing from Huish Park, with the exception of the U12 price which is the same whatever. Tickets are available from the Huish Park Ticket Office until 5.00 p.m. on Thursday 1st October.
Disabled Info:
There are 12 wheelchair spaces for away fans (a shared facilty with home supporters) in the Rochdale Road End Stand. This stand has two adapted toilets. Three spaces at the back of the Main Stand are available for visually impaired away supporters. Catering outlets are in main concourse areas - to be honest bring a carer / mate or smile nicely at a steward as these facilities aren't exactly disabled people friendly. Prices for wheelchair users and the visually impaired are £18.00 in advance, or £20.00 on the day, with the assistant going free of charge.
There is some (marginal) difference between the information presumably provided to the Yeovil Town Official Site by Oldham, and what they carry on their own website in relation to ambulant disabled supporters. The Yeovil OS says the ambulant disabled pricing structure is the same as for other disabled supporters, with an assistant going free. The Oldham OS states that both the disabled supporter and the assistant pay a flat rate £10.00 each whether purchased in advance or on the day.
Judith Lane is your point of contact at Boundary Park by e-mail at enquiries@oldhamathletic.co.uk or by phone on 0871 226 2235 for any disability related issues.
|
Back to Top of Page
|
Oldham Athletic : Directions To The Ground
|
General
Oldham is on the eastern side of Greater Manchester and well serviced by the motorway network. The M62 and then the A627(M) bring you into the north of the town. Alternatively you can approach the south of Oldham via the M60, but then will have to work your way through the town to get to Boundary Park.
By Road
Leave the M62 at Junction 20 and take the A627(M) towards Oldham. After 2.5 miles at the large roundabout where the A627(M) and A663 meet take the long slip road to your left. As you approach the roundabout you will see on your left a McDonalds and a KFC, part of a new retail park that also has a Pizza Hut and a Burger King. The ground is clearly visible from the roundabout.
Parking
For the club car park take the first exit off the roundabout onto Broadway (signposted Royton A633). This is a 40 m.p.h. zone and there are speed cameras. Go through the first set of traffic lights and turn first right onto Hilbre Avenue, then straight on into the fair sized parking area. Charges remain at £3.00 for cars, £5.00 for mini-buses and £10.00 for coaches. The away stand is to your left.
When you turn off Broadway into Hilbre Avenue some on-street parking can be found in the side roads, but you'll have to get there early as the police tend to close access off a long time ahead of kick-off.
| | | Down the other end from the away fans you'll see the Chadderton Road Stand. Photo © 2005 Ciderspace
|
By Rail
If you are training it from the South you will arrive at Manchester Piccadilly. You will need to get across to Manchester Victoria, which is a ten to fifteen minute walk or a short ride on the Metrolink away. If you have a through ticket it should be valid on the Metro. Choose the service with 'Bury' on the front.
There are three stations serving Oldham, all on the Oldham/Rochdale line out of Manchester Victoria. Having used this line for Rochdale in the past, it's a little two carriage effort from North West Trains that trundles slowly through industrial wasteland. Four trains an hour serve Oldham Mumps. Journey time is thirteen to twenty minutes depending on whether you get the er 'fast' service or not. However Mumps is the station for the town centre and therefore not convenient for the ground, being a good forty minutes walk, though there are usually taxis outside.
The closest station is Oldham Werneth, about a fifteen to twenty minute walk from Boundary Park. Half the number of trains stop here, those leaving Manchester Victoria at nine minutes and thirty-eight (there's one which is thirty-seven) minutes past the hour. Journey time is sixteen minutes. There are very unlikely to be any taxis outside this station so if you are going to want one make a note from the Taxi link below.
If walking: exit the station right onto Featherstall Road South. Keep on past one set of traffic lights and a Tesco until coming to a large roundabout and turn left onto Chadderton Way. Cross the dual carriageway by the underpass and continue for about 400 yards until reaching Boundary Park Lane. Turn right and you'll see the stadium.
N.B. Saturday 3rd October is that last day the 'Oldham Loop' line will run. It is being closed, along with all its stations, until 2012, during which time it will be converted into an extension of the Manchester Metrolink. It is expected that numbers of those interested in such things will descend to mark the passing, so some services, particularly later in the day, may be very busy or even sold out in advance.
The third station is Mills Hill. This is a different service, run by Northern Rail, out of Manchester Victoria, with trains leaving on and and at half past the hour. Journey time is ten minutes. For those Glovers coming by train from further North there are services that stop at Mills Hill from many towns and cities with a change either at Rochdale or Wigan (Wallgate). As with Oldham Mumps it's about a 40 minute walk to the ground.
If walking: leave the station towards the traffic lights and past the Rose Of Lancaster (or stop, the beer and food are cheap) and continue along Haigh Lane. When you reach Chadderton Comprehensive School and a set of traffic lights bear right and continue along Burnley Lane until you reach Chadderton Park Inn and a large roundabout. You'll now be in sight of the stadium. Use the subway in the direction of the ground and keep going. You'll eventually hit the ground at the away end.
| | | Away fans get part of the Rochdale Road Stand. It's currently called the Leesfield Developments Stand. Photo © 2005 Ciderspace
|
By Bus
From Manchester Piccadilly Bus Station the 181 and 182 for Rochdale pass near Boundary Park and take half an hour or so. From Oldham town centre the 408 and 409 for Rochdale run closest to the stadium.
Taxis
A selection of Oldham taxi companies can be found here
Back to Top of Page
|
 Oldham Athletic : Web Resources | |
Back to Top of Page
|
Oldham Athletic : Food & Drink
|
General :
There are a reasonable number of pubs in the general vicinity (up to fifteen minutes walk) of Boundary Park, though not many particularly adjacent. However they are all much of a muchness, and the variations between most of them is so marginal that you might as well use one as another. So, to be quite frank, I can't be arsed to give details as to whether one serves a different brand of mainstream fizzy stuff to another, when even the shrewdest palate would have no chance of differentiating in a blind tasting. The one big plus point is that if coming from the South you should find the prices cheap in comparison. The downside is that what you get for your money is generally mediocre. As the locals themselves admit: "it must be one of the worst grounds in the country for fans to have a drink prior to the game". We've provided below two that are amongst the closest to the stadium, plus one that's relatively convenient for the route most travelling by road will be coming in on, and two in the town centre, of which one, the Ashton Arms, is excellent. If you have previously used the Clayton Arms, which was the closest pub to Boundary Park, this has now closed so has been removed from the listings below. However a new hostelry the Clayton Green has opened a few hundred yards further away. As with the previous pub this is very much a home venue, but no reports that visiting supporters need to steer clear.
Club Bar :
Alcohol in the ground is only served in the Main Stand and the Lookers Stand - both home areas.
Local Pubs :
| Best pub for quality beer (and cider) in town by a mile © Martin Baker
| Ashton Arms: Some distance (about a mile and half) from the ground, near the shopping centre and opposite the old Town Hall, but included as it's the only place in Oldham we know that serves traditional cider and is far and away the best pub in town. There are seven constantly changing guest ales, mostly from local and micro breweries, as well as a good range of authentic continental bottled beers. Lined glasses are used, and there's a designated smoking area on the premises at the back. Opening is 11.30 - 11.00 p.m. (11.30 p.m. Friday and Saturday). Food is lunchtimes only as far as we are aware. There was the unexpected bonus of a beer festival the last time we used the place.
Ashton Arms, 28-30, Clegg Street, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL1 1PL. Tel: 0161 6309709. Map: Click Here.
|
Chadderton Park Inn: Across the terminal roundabout of the motorway standard section of the A627(M) and ten minutes or so walk from the away end.
Chadderton Park Inn, Burnley Lane, Chadderton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL1 2QS. Tel: 0161 6273883. Map: Click Here.
|
Old Grey Mare: Well frequented by home fans but visiting supporters are welcome. Few minutes walk from the stadium and five from the away end. Conservatory and beer garden for the summer. It's claimed the beer is kept rather better than at most establishments in the area. Food served.
Old Grey Mare, 331, Oldham Road, Royton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL2 6AB. Tel: 0161 6242719. Map: Click Here.
|
Up Steps Inn: The J.D. Wetherspoon in Oldham, opened in 1998. As one would expect in the centre, so 1.5 miles from the stadium. Has child certificate - though in our experience whether Wetherspoon pubs have child certificates or not means little either way. Opening is 9.00 a.m. - 12.00 midnight Sunday to Thursday, 9.00 a.m. - 1.00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. No outside area so it's smoking in the street. The Wetherspoon chain beer festival runs from 30/10 to 16/11 so expect more choice than usual in most outlets.
Up Steps Inn, 17–23, High Street, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL1 3AJ. Tel: 0161 6275001. Map: Click Here.
|
White Hart: Reasonably large traditional style pub about 150 yards further from the ground than the Old Grey Mare (above). Under the Courage badge. Serves food. In its favour is the pub posting on the greenroom forum to emphasise its away fan friendly welcome.
White Hart, 233, Oldham Road, Royton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL2 6BB. Tel: 0161 620 7772. Map: Click Here.
|
Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You :
Too busy chuckling at 'Famous Sons' Cannon and Ball.
Top-Tip :
The second highest league ground in England. 3rd October: hope for an Indian Summer.
Back to Top of Page
|
Oldham Athletic : Local Amenities
|
Local Guesthouses and Hotels
Go to A1 Tourism's Online Guide
to find Guest Houses/Hotels in the town and surrounding areas.
Other Points Of Interest
Such is the shortage of interest in Oldham the town's website lists Cannon and Ball and Syd Little as coming from "a long tradition of Oldham comics". Expect to slit your wrists rather than split your sides if that's as funny as they get up there.
[No responsibilty is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice.]
Back to Top of Page
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|