Oldham Athletic

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Oldham Athletic
Template: Infobox Football Club / Maintenance / No picture
Basic data
Surname Oldham Athletic
Association Football Club
Seat Oldham , England
founding 1895 (as Pine Villa FC )
Board MoroccoMorocco Abdallah Lemsagam
Website oldhamathletic.co.uk
First soccer team
Head coach AustraliaAustralia Harry Kewell
Venue SportsDirect.com Park ,
Royton , Oldham
Places 10,818
league EFL League Two
2019/20 19th place
home
Away

Oldham Athletic (officially: Oldham Athletic Association Football Club ) - also known as The Latics - is an English football club from Oldham . It was founded in 1895 under the name Pine Villa Football Club and changed the name in 1899, which is still valid in this form today. Oldham joined the Football League for the 1907/08 season and rose to the top English league a few years later. Today the club plays in the fourth-class EFL League Two .

The club's nickname, "The Latics", is an abbreviation of Athletic , which is shared with the neighboring club Wigan Athletic .

A few months after the club went into bankruptcy and almost bankruptcy in the 2003/04 season , the currently valid Ltd. founded. The club's immediate future was secured on February 3, 2004 by a group of American- based English businessmen who bought the club and founded Oldham Athletic (2004) Association Football Club Ltd. founded.

The club's traditional rivals are Bolton Wanderers , Manchester City and Bury FC . In addition, the club cultivates rivalries with the clubs from Yorkshire , Huddersfield Town and Bradford City , and to a lesser extent with the neighboring clubs Blackpool FC and the Tranmere Rovers .

Early history of the association: 1895 to 1925

Founded in 1895 and later attaining professional status in 1899, the Latics first played in the local Manchester divisions before joining the Second Division in 1907 . Unlike many other clubs, Oldham immediately introduced himself to the new environment optimally, was able to finish the first season in third place and narrowly missed promotion, although they remained undefeated in home games, with only two missing points. After another very positive season, the club rose in 1910 as second for the first time in its history and relegated Hull City to third place due to the better goal difference.

The Latics started well into the first season of the First Division , finishing in seventh place in 1911. After a nearly seized relegation in the season 1911/ 12 , the club reached 1,913, in addition to a secure mid-table in the Championship, the semi-finals in the FA Cup . When the outbreak of the First World War then suspended the game, Oldham Athletic celebrated its greatest success to date with the runner-up behind Everton FC in the 1914/15 season , although the title itself was lost through two defeats in the last two matches was.

The interruption of the war was negative for the early development of the club in several ways. After the resumption of play in 1919, the majority of the players had already withdrawn from football or were killed in the war. The club could not recover from this bloodletting and rose after several seasons in the lower half of the table in 1923. The last away game against Cardiff City should mark the club's last top division game for the next more than six decades.

1925 to 1940

In the first seasons in the second division since 1910, Oldham was mostly in the midfield and missed promotion in the 1929/30 season by just two points behind second-placed Chelsea . The attendance record, which is still valid today, dates from this year, when 46,471 visitors came to the FA Cup game against Sheffield Wednesday on January 25, 1930 . In 1938, the club then even rose from the Second Division and then had to compete in the Third Division North for the first time in its history .

Since only the champions were allowed to move up in the league, attempts to return to the second division were difficult. Despite several placements in the top five, Oldham was never really able to intervene in the promotion campaign until the outbreak of World War II in 1939 interrupted English league football until 1946.

1946 to 1970

Again a war had a lasting negative impact on the development of the association. The results deteriorated continuously and resulted in 19th place in the 1946/47 season - as weak as ever before. After further midfield positions in the subsequent years, the club was able to secure promotion to the Second League as champions of the season 1952/53 after the commitment of the former English national player George Hardwick as player- coach in 1950 . The high expectations in Boundary Park were disappointed, however, as the club had to leave the second division after only 25 points from 42 games and 17 away defeats.

Immediately after returning to the Third Division North , the club quickly found themselves in the lower half of the table after only a year-long absence. The 15th place at the end of the 1957/58 season then ensured that the club had to become a founding member of the newly established Fourth Division . The development was still negative and led to the fact that the club could only just get its professional status in 1960.

The arrival of Ken Bates as the new club president in the 1960s then ushered in a trend reversal and the club rose to the Third Division in 1963 with coach Jack Rowley . Despite the improved financial opportunities, Oldham was only just able to hold the class in 1965 and 1966 and was relegated back to the fourth division in 1969. As a result, Bates left the club, which in 1970 only graduated from the bottom class in 19th place, and left a weakened financial structure.

The "era of Jimmy Frizzell"

The Scottish defender Jimmy Frizzell took over the role of player-coach during the 1969/70 season and led the club against all predictions to the contrary for promotion in 1971. After a midfield position in his first third division season as a coach, he missed the following season by just three points a second climb. This he then succeeded in the 1973/74 season, when Oldham with ten wins in a row, which is a record to this day, ensured the return to the Second Division, in which the club was able to play again for the first time after 1953.

Frizzell managed to keep the Latics away from the relegation places despite a tense financial situation and compared to the competitors lower audience numbers. The dismissal of the popular Frizzell in 1982 came as a surprise after 12 successful years. Yet he laid the foundations for the immediate events that were to follow.

The "Joe Royle Era": 1982 to 1994

One of the most successful and longest coaching periods in the history of Oldham Athletic is associated with the name Joe Royle , who took over the post from Frizzell at the beginning of the 1982/83 season. After four seasons in the midfield of the league, a positive development emerged in the 1986/87 season.

During this season the team reached third place on the newly created artificial turf , which would have been sufficient for promotion to the First Division in the previous thirteen years. However, since a play-off round was played for the first time in 1987 , the club had to play in the semi-finals against Leeds United and lost on the return leg due to fewer away goals scored. After two then mediocre seasons, Oldham managed to draw attention to itself in an exceptional 1989/90 season, although promotion was missed in 1990 as well.

The 1989/90 season

The season got off to a mixed start with a 1-0 loss to neighboring Blackburn Rovers and two home draws against Swindon Town and Watford FC , and there was nothing to indicate the exciting events that would follow. The Oldham's team consisted mostly of players that the club had bought at a "bargain" price, and of non-transferable players. Rick Holden was the most expensive player with a transfer fee of 165,000 pounds, which Oldham had to pay to Watford. Andy Rhodes and Jon Hallworth competed on the goalkeeping position . On the defensive were Paul Warhurst , Denis Irwin , Earl Barrett , Andy Barlow , Andy Holden and the versatile Ian Marshall of the Oldhams defensive line. In midfield acted Neil Adams , Mike Milligan , Nicky Henry , Rick Holden and Neil Redfearn and were on the offensive from the strikers Andy Ritchie , Frankie Bunn and the scorer Roger Palmer completed.

After the first home win of the season, when Plymouth Argyle could be defeated 3-2, Oldham started a run in the League Cup 1989/90 (under the name Littlewoods Cup at the time ) and eliminated Leeds United in the first round with 4-2 goals to Hin - and return leg. In the second round, Oldham defeated Scarborough FC, the surprise winner against Chelsea FC from the first round. In the 7-0 win, Frankie Bunn scored six goals alone (Ritchie scored the seventh). When the club found itself on the promotion places of the Second Division, he entered the third league cup round against Arsenal FC , the reigning English champions. In front of 15,000 spectators, Oldham was able to win this game 3-1, with Ritchie twice and Nick Henry with a long-range shot overcoming John Lukic in the goal of Arsenal.

With this victory, the Latics reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup for the first time, in which they played against the first division club Southampton , who were sixth at the time . After Matthew Le Tissier's early lead for Southampton, Ritchie equalized with ten minutes remaining. After another goal from Le Tissier five minutes from time, everything looked like a defeat for Oldham. However, it was again Ritchie in the fourth minute of stoppage time who converted a cross from Holden to the final score of 2-2. Oldham won the replay at Boundary Park 2-0 after a Ritchie header and another goal from Captain Milligan.

In the semi-finals, Oldham faced promotion competitors from the Second Division, West Ham United , and won the first leg in their own stadium 6-0. After an early goal by Adams, Ritchie met again twice as well as Barrett, Palmer and Holden. The subsequent 3-0 second leg defeat at West Ham's Upton Park did nothing to change the fact that Oldham was allowed to play a game, the League Cup final, at Wembley Stadium for the first time in the club's 95-year history . In this final, the Nottingham Forest team, trained by Brian Clough , was waiting .

In the same season, Oldham was also extremely successful in the FA Cup and was in the third round against the third division Birmingham City at St. Andrew's Stadium . After Birmingham led 1-0 and everything looked like a surprise, Bunn leveled to 1-1 late and forced a replay at Oldham. In this, both teams neutralized each other for a long time before Holden then completed a solo effort through the entire opposing defensive to the 1-0 winning goal. In the fourth round, Oldham won 2-1 at home in Boundary Park against second division club Brighton & Hove Albion , with Oldham trailing 1-0 after the first half and still in the game with two hits within a minute by McGarvey and Ritchie flipped a victory. Everton, one of the leading English clubs at the time, made its rendezvous at Boundary Park in the fifth round and led 2-0 at halftime after goals from Tony Cottee and Graeme Sharp , who would later be the Oldham player-coach. With a fierce show of strength, Oldham equalized with a penalty from Ritchie and a header from Palmer to make it 2-2, which resulted in a second leg at Goodison Park , also with a draw after a goal from former Everton player Marshall for Oldham and a controversial penalty from Kevin Sheedy for Everton, ended. Another replay became necessary. In this, Oldham was able to win 2-1 after an early goal from Cottee and two own goals from Palmer and (by penalty) Marshall. In the second round, Oldham played again at home, now against the first division leaders Aston Villa . Oldham won the game surprisingly 3-0 after a long-range goal from Holden, another goal from Redfearn and an own goal from Villa by Chris Price . In the first FA Cup semi-final after 1930 Oldham waited in the Maine Road home ground of Manchester City who, Red Devils of Manchester United .

Despite the general opinion that Oldham's performance outside of the local boundary park was significantly weaker, the encounter with the local rival became a memorable sporting event. After Barrett's opening goal for the Latics, Bryan Robson was able to equalize at 1: 1 at halftime. After Neil Webb scored another goal for Manchester 20 minutes before the end of the game, there was much to be said for a win for United. However, Marshall's volley goal forced extra time just five minutes later , in which Manchester took the lead again through Danny Wallace , but could not hold it again and had to play a replay after the 3-3 equalizer in the second half of extra time.

The second encounter between the two teams showed an exciting game and was discussed controversially in retrospect. After Brian McClair gave Manchester the lead, Ritchie leveled with ten minutes from time. The decision was made in stoppage time, when Oldham-born Mark Robins , who later scored crucial goals against Oldham, scored the 2-1 winner for Manchester. After reviewing the television images, it was found that referee Joe Worrall had refused to acknowledge a legal hit from Oldham. In this context, supporters also found the fact unhappy that Worrall was a season ticket holder for Manchester United.

Despite this disappointment in the FA Cup semi-finals, the League Cup final was the first Wembley game for Oldham on the program. There, the team, which was clearly weakened by the exertion, lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest.

The 19 cup appearances had left clear traces in the substance, so that the club had no reserves in the fight for the play-offs in the championship, in the end only took eighth place and thus had to end the season without counting. Nevertheless, the hopes for an early promotion in the coming season were now very high.

The 1990/91 season

In the 1990/91 season, the Latics managed to return to the top English league after more than six decades: in the season they were always in the first two places and secured themselves with a 2-1 win against Ipswich Town from four remaining games the promotion. On the last day of the match, the club faced fellow promoted Sheffield Wednesday . In order to win the second division championship, Oldham had to win the game and at the same time trust that West Ham would not defeat fourth-placed Notts County at the same time . First place seemed out of reach very early in the game when Wednesday was two goals ahead, but goals from Marshall and 17-year-old debutant Paul Bernard equalized. When in the 92nd minute a foul by former Oldham player in the ranks of Sheffield, John Sheridan , resulted in a penalty, Redfearn converted it and secured Oldham's second division championship in the last second.

In the subsequent first First Division season since 1923, the Latics occupied a safe midfield position with 51 points after 42 league games.

The Premier League years

In the first season of the Premier League at all, Oldham was only just able to keep the class with 49 points and had already looked like a certain relegation three game days before the end of the league table. No less than nine points were necessary for the rescue and at the same time Crystal Palace was only allowed to get a maximum of one point from the last two games. In the first of the three games, Oldham was a guest at the runner-up Aston Villa, who in turn had to win in order not to end the championship ambitions. The decisive goal to victory for Oldham was scored by Nick Henry in the middle of the first half and kept Oldham's hopes of relegation alive with the victory. Just three days later, the Latics beat Liverpool 3-2 in their home game and Crystal Palace only took one point at Manchester City. This led to the situation that Oldham had to defeat Southampton FC, which was only marginally higher in the table, at home and had to rely on a defeat by Palace at Arsenal London in Highbury . Oldham won the game after a clear 4-1 lead in the end only just 4-3 and Crystal Palace relegated to the second division after a 3-0 defeat against Arsenal due to the worse goal difference.

Oldham reached in the 1993/94 season again the semi-finals in the FA Cup, in which you had to play again against Manchester United. At Wembley, Oldham took a 1-0 lead, which was then equalized by Mark Hughes in the last minute of stoppage time. The replay in Maine Road showed a poor team performance Oldham and after being eliminated from the current competition, seven winless games followed in the championship. Just a month later, Oldham rose again to the second division after three seasons in the English top division. In the opinion of the supporters of Oldham, the late Hughes goal had such a negative effect that it was only through it that the performance kink in this form was caused.

An interesting anecdote from this period says that Oldham managed to defeat Chelsea four times in six games between 1991 and 1994, which is astonishing in view of the contrasting developments later on.

Post Royle: 1994 to 1998

When Everton FC poached Royle from Oldham in October 1994, the Latics signed 34-year-old Graeme Sharp as their new player-coach. However, this did not succeed in leading Oldham into the promotion battle, although a large part of the players from the Premier League time were still in the squad. After his resignation in the 1996/97 season, the club even rose in 1997 to the third division.

Sharp's successor was Neil Warnock , who had previously been able to celebrate promotion successes with Scarborough FC, Notts County (twice), Huddersfield Town and Plymouth Argyle. At the Latics he could not repeat this in the 1997/98 season and left the club disappointed after a year.

The "Andy Ritchie Era": 1998 to 2001

In the summer of 1998, Oldham signed Andy Ritchie, the former striker from his own ranks, as a coach. Ritchie did not succeed in reversing the trend either and he experienced a further deterioration in sport in his first season. After the club had to give up a number of key players and Ritchie was able to close this gap only with a few free transfer players and those from their own youth division, the Latics quickly found themselves in the relegation battle of the 1998/99 season. Only two wins in the last two home games against Stoke City and Reading FC prevented relegation to the lowest English professional league. The only bright spot in the season should be the signing of former Irish international and midfielder John Sheridan .

The following season started weak for Oldham, who lost the first five games and remained goalless in the first four games. Then the form of the team stabilized, which could only be beaten four times in the next 19 away games. This was enough for a secure midfield position and 60 points from 46 league games.

Expectations rose again when the 2000/01 season opened with a 4-1 win over Port Vale . After a series of 11 games without a win, the club found themselves again in the lower half of the table and in acute danger of relegation. After the commitment of the experienced winger David Eyres and midfielder Tony Carss, the team's performance improved again and the Latics ended the season in a midfield position.

The "Chris Moore Era"

At the end of the 2000/01 season, businessman Chris Moore bought Oldham Athletic and promised to return to Premier League football in Oldham for the next five years.

After a successful start to the 2001/02 season, the Latics lost three games in a row and coach Ritchie was surprisingly sacked, which annoyed many Oldham supporters as Ritchie was very popular with them. He was replaced by Mick Wadsworth , a kind of "coach nomad " through his many previous activities , and many player commitments initiated by Moore followed. The club finished the season in ninth place and this raised hopes for a good next season. Nevertheless, Wadsworth was also fired and replaced by his cotrainer Iain Dowie .

The expensive team started the 2002/03 season with a narrow home defeat against Cardiff City , but lost only seven more games (only two away games) for the remainder of the championship round and finished in fifth place with 82 points from 46 games. As a result, the Latics missed direct promotion and had to go to the play-offs , where they were defeated by the Queens Park Rangers after a tough fight by a late goal on Loftus Road .

Far more serious for the club was the resignation of Chris Moore, who, much to the displeasure of the fans, left behind a large mountain of debt and a decimated squad of players.

The time after Chris Moore

When the 2003/04 season began, it was long unclear whether the season could be played to the end in view of the financial problems; in addition, the club was in immediate danger of relegation due to the departure of many important key players.

The club was in October 2003 in a bankruptcy process and coach Dowie left at the end of the year after a poor run the Latics towards Crystal Palace. The economic rescue of Oldham was then ensured by three English businessmen living in the USA, who, much to the delight of the association, paid off all debts. The veteran players John Sheridan and David Eyres temporarily took over the coaching post after Dowie's resignation, before the former England international Brian Talbot was hired by Rushden & Diamonds . Talbot lost only one of his first thirteen games (against relegation candidate Wycombe Wanderers ) and safely prevented relegation.

The 2004/05 season began with renewed optimism, but it was only after the loan of Neil Kilkenny, Mark Hughes and Lee Croft that it could be converted into performance with seven wins in a row before Christmas. The good form could not be kept despite good performances in the FA Cup, in which they first beat the first division club Manchester City, but then lost 1-0 to local rivals Bolton Wanderers. Talbot then left the club and there followed eight defeats in a row, including a 1: 5 at Bristol City . With Ronnie Moore, the former coach of Rotherham United took over the team and prevented relegation by beating Bradford City in the last game.

For the 2005/06 season the squad was almost completely renewed. The high expectations could not be fully met again. Although the club stayed in the upper midfield for a long time and still kept the possibility of sixth place open, which would have entitled to participate in the play-offs for promotion to the Football League Championship , this goal was finally missed by the 10th place in the table .

League affiliation

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