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45 Years of Following the Latics


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May I first of all say, I don't post much but read a lot and I'm totally disillusioned at the present time.

I started following OAFC 45 years ago when I got married to Barbara and we moved from Droylsden to Shaw.

It was a very exciting and interesting time and as my family and business interests flourished we then moved back to the North Manchester area but I had been bitten by the bug, and OAFC was in my blood, I encouraged my wife and my 2x boys to follow the Blues at every opportunity we could.

We became both sponsors and ardent club followers of Latics, we went through the ups and down that this brings you to the heights of promotion, the Premier greed years, Wembley we did it all home and away.

Then came the lows relegation down the divisions, the Chris Moore era both good and bad, administration and bucket collecting we did it all. Then along comes my pal Sean and his pound coin with Neil Joy and we all rallied round because OAFC is our club not just the wim of somebody who has a bit of money or see's a way of making a fast dollar.

The 3x Amigo's appeared on the scene and invested in our little club but some very bad management decisions we're made and eventually after lot's and lot's of battles with the council, the housing crash it all fell apart and two of the saviours left the club in limbo taking their ball and bat with them but leaving their gofer as chairman with very limited support.

We carried on sponsoring and supporting the club to a very high level, it all started going sour for me about 4x years ago when Barbara was diagnosed with MND, but we carried on going to the games with her in her wheelchair slowly disintegrating away in front of our eyes, we'd sponsored Jean Yves M'Voto that year and he actually came to the house to see Barbara in these last days and she loved it, such a smile to lighten up the start of the dark days. In August she passed on and to me it seemed the doom of Oldham everything has gone downhill since then, I'm not blaming anybody but where are we now:-

The local circus act, manager after manager. Bad decisions all round, poor management and even poorer results. I'm now at my wits end with supporting the club I've loved for the last 45 years. I'm now moving to Worcester to follow my heart and my new life, but I still read the internet and I'm on Latics PlayerHD I even still try to go to as many home and away games as possible, but I'm totally disillusioned by what's happening, so could we be given some answers please.

Simon Corney - please tell us what you are trying to achieve at the moment, is your heart still in the club if not move on and let others try and bring our little club back to life and Simon please don't bring Barry into any more major decisions, a puppet for you he may be but unfortunately the majority of fans hate him for one reason or another and he only upsets people with his blunt attitude.

Finally, a statement of the clubs intentions would be good, silence isn't always golden unlike the latter years of my life.

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May I first of all say, I don't post much but read a lot and I'm totally disillusioned at the present time.

I started following OAFC 45 years ago when I got married to Barbara and we moved from Droylsden to Shaw.

It was a very exciting and interesting time and as my family and business interests flourished we then moved back to the North Manchester area but I had been bitten by the bug, and OAFC was in my blood, I encouraged my wife and my 2x boys to follow the Blues at every opportunity we could.

We became both sponsors and ardent club followers of Latics, we went through the ups and down that this brings you to the heights of promotion, the Premier greed years, Wembley we did it all home and away.

Then came the lows relegation down the divisions, the Chris Moore era both good and bad, administration and bucket collecting we did it all. Then along comes my pal Sean and his pound coin with Neil Joy and we all rallied round because OAFC is our club not just the wim of somebody who has a bit of money or see's a way of making a fast dollar.

The 3x Amigo's appeared on the scene and invested in our little club but some very bad management decisions we're made and eventually after lot's and lot's of battles with the council, the housing crash it all fell apart and two of the saviours left the club in limbo taking their ball and bat with them but leaving their gofer as chairman with very limited support.

We carried on sponsoring and supporting the club to a very high level, it all started going sour for me about 4x years ago when Barbara was diagnosed with MND, but we carried on going to the games with her in her wheelchair slowly disintegrating away in front of our eyes, we'd sponsored Jean Yves M'Voto that year and he actually came to the house to see Barbara in these last days and she loved it, such a smile to lighten up the start of the dark days. In August she passed on and to me it seemed the doom of Oldham everything has gone downhill since then, I'm not blaming anybody but where are we now:-

The local circus act, manager after manager. Bad decisions all round, poor management and even poorer results. I'm now at my wits end with supporting the club I've loved for the last 45 years. I'm now moving to Worcester to follow my heart and my new life, but I still read the internet and I'm on Latics PlayerHD I even still try to go to as many home and away games as possible, but I'm totally disillusioned by what's happening, so could we be given some answers please.

Simon Corney - please tell us what you are trying to achieve at the moment, is your heart still in the club if not move on and let others try and bring our little club back to life and Simon please don't bring Barry into any more major decisions, a puppet for you he may be but unfortunately the majority of fans hate him for one reason or another and he only upsets people with his blunt attitude.

Finally, a statement of the clubs intentions would be good, silence isn't always golden unlike the latter years of my life.

Great post good luck in your move.
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May I first of all say, I don't post much but read a lot and I'm totally disillusioned at the present time.

I started following OAFC 45 years ago when I got married to Barbara and we moved from Droylsden to Shaw.

It was a very exciting and interesting time and as my family and business interests flourished we then moved back to the North Manchester area but I had been bitten by the bug, and OAFC was in my blood, I encouraged my wife and my 2x boys to follow the Blues at every opportunity we could.

We became both sponsors and ardent club followers of Latics, we went through the ups and down that this brings you to the heights of promotion, the Premier greed years, Wembley we did it all home and away.

Then came the lows relegation down the divisions, the Chris Moore era both good and bad, administration and bucket collecting we did it all. Then along comes my pal Sean and his pound coin with Neil Joy and we all rallied round because OAFC is our club not just the wim of somebody who has a bit of money or see's a way of making a fast dollar.

The 3x Amigo's appeared on the scene and invested in our little club but some very bad management decisions we're made and eventually after lot's and lot's of battles with the council, the housing crash it all fell apart and two of the saviours left the club in limbo taking their ball and bat with them but leaving their gofer as chairman with very limited support.

We carried on sponsoring and supporting the club to a very high level, it all started going sour for me about 4x years ago when Barbara was diagnosed with MND, but we carried on going to the games with her in her wheelchair slowly disintegrating away in front of our eyes, we'd sponsored Jean Yves M'Voto that year and he actually came to the house to see Barbara in these last days and she loved it, such a smile to lighten up the start of the dark days. In August she passed on and to me it seemed the doom of Oldham everything has gone downhill since then, I'm not blaming anybody but where are we now:-

The local circus act, manager after manager. Bad decisions all round, poor management and even poorer results. I'm now at my wits end with supporting the club I've loved for the last 45 years. I'm now moving to Worcester to follow my heart and my new life, but I still read the internet and I'm on Latics PlayerHD I even still try to go to as many home and away games as possible, but I'm totally disillusioned by what's happening, so could we be given some answers please.

Simon Corney - please tell us what you are trying to achieve at the moment, is your heart still in the club if not move on and let others try and bring our little club back to life and Simon please don't bring Barry into any more major decisions, a puppet for you he may be but unfortunately the majority of fans hate him for one reason or another and he only upsets people with his blunt attitude.

Finally, a statement of the clubs intentions would be good, silence isn't always golden unlike the latter years of my life.

.

 

Great post and good luck in Worcester fella, nice part of the country to live in.

 

How Barry has been put into a position where he can make important decisions for the club will always baffle me.

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I hope the club / Simon understand how many people are feeling like this. It's not the fairweather fans they are losing here, they went a long time ago. We are losing those fans we would never have believed we could lose. The results are not helping but ultimately it is not the defeats that are leading to people walking away it is a disillusionment and a disconnect with the club.

 

As a lower league club, you can only survive by the fans feeling they are part of the club. It is something of a cliché but it is a family. I don't know anyone who feels like that's the case at the moment.

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I think everyone is at a low point for pretty much everyone under 50 LaticsPete can remember worse but he's 104 (just kidding)

 

It sucks at thr moment crap board crap managee crap players but I'm sticking it out. It's my club it's Saturday I'm off to the game my expectations are lower than ever but I would not want to be anywhere else today.

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I started following Latics in 1970, and this season is probably the lowest I've felt about my home town club.

 

I started in 1959, when we were in our lowest league position ever, the football on display was worse than now.

Football fortunes can change quickly and the following year Bobby Johnstone was signed with the crowd leaping from around 5,000 to 17,000.

I've seen ups and downs, hopefully this is just a blip and next season with a bit of enterprise form the club it will be like 1960 all over again.

No matter what division though home wins are vital for keeping fans interested, and this is something that has got to be addressed.

Edited by BP1960
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I think those of us who have been through the high & the low (my first game was in 1980/81), been sponsors (as I and my various businesses have at one time), bought ST and just turned up on the day, share your sentiments and frustrations - and you've summed it all up very eloquently.

 

The answer is of course, investment, both in terms of finances, coaching and playing staff. The question is, where will it come from? I know Simon quite well and have had a few conversations with him (usually in San Carlos Manchester), and I still believe that he has the good of the club at heart, but I think his hands are tied behind his back from afar.

 

As for Barry, the less said the better..

 

Best wishes for the future!

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I think everyone is at a low point for pretty much everyone under 50 LaticsPete can remember worse but he's 104 (just kidding)

 

It sucks at thr moment crap board crap managee crap players but I'm sticking it out. It's my club it's Saturday I'm off to the game my expectations are lower than ever but I would not want to be anywhere else today.

Have just arrived from north Yorks - still driving at 104 isn't bad ?

Like Glossop it's about hope more than expectations at present. All I can say to those who are angry, frustrated, sad or whatever is to echo his comment that if its your club - stick by it

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Have just arrived from north Yorks - still driving at 104 isn't bad

Like Glossop it's about hope more than expectations at present. All I can say to those who are angry, frustrated, sad or whatever is to echo his comment that if its your club - stick by it

 

I hope that wasn't 104mph.

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May I first of all say, I don't post much but read a lot and I'm totally disillusioned at the present time.

I started following OAFC 45 years ago when I got married to Barbara and we moved from Droylsden to Shaw.

It was a very exciting and interesting time and as my family and business interests flourished we then moved back to the North Manchester area but I had been bitten by the bug, and OAFC was in my blood, I encouraged my wife and my 2x boys to follow the Blues at every opportunity we could.

We became both sponsors and ardent club followers of Latics, we went through the ups and down that this brings you to the heights of promotion, the Premier greed years, Wembley we did it all home and away.

Then came the lows relegation down the divisions, the Chris Moore era both good and bad, administration and bucket collecting we did it all. Then along comes my pal Sean and his pound coin with Neil Joy and we all rallied round because OAFC is our club not just the wim of somebody who has a bit of money or see's a way of making a fast dollar.

The 3x Amigo's appeared on the scene and invested in our little club but some very bad management decisions we're made and eventually after lot's and lot's of battles with the council, the housing crash it all fell apart and two of the saviours left the club in limbo taking their ball and bat with them but leaving their gofer as chairman with very limited support.

We carried on sponsoring and supporting the club to a very high level, it all started going sour for me about 4x years ago when Barbara was diagnosed with MND, but we carried on going to the games with her in her wheelchair slowly disintegrating away in front of our eyes, we'd sponsored Jean Yves M'Voto that year and he actually came to the house to see Barbara in these last days and she loved it, such a smile to lighten up the start of the dark days. In August she passed on and to me it seemed the doom of Oldham everything has gone downhill since then, I'm not blaming anybody but where are we now:-

The local circus act, manager after manager. Bad decisions all round, poor management and even poorer results. I'm now at my wits end with supporting the club I've loved for the last 45 years. I'm now moving to Worcester to follow my heart and my new life, but I still read the internet and I'm on Latics PlayerHD I even still try to go to as many home and away games as possible, but I'm totally disillusioned by what's happening, so could we be given some answers please.

Simon Corney - please tell us what you are trying to achieve at the moment, is your heart still in the club if not move on and let others try and bring our little club back to life and Simon please don't bring Barry into any more major decisions, a puppet for you he may be but unfortunately the majority of fans hate him for one reason or another and he only upsets people with his blunt attitude.

Finally, a statement of the clubs intentions would be good, silence isn't always golden unlike the latter years of my life.

Superb heartfelt post - shame no one at the club will read it

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Great post Ian heartfelt and from a true blue, I asked the club to comment on the open letter I wrote in late December - instead via a third party the only reply I got was Barry more concerned about me taking a cheap shot at him. It's time the club publicly responded to the fanbase and let us know what the intentions of our owner and board are.

 

But they won't their silence beggars belief....there's 10/15 of us that usually go everywhere this season we've filled a minibus once - the opening day. The lads I go with were die harsa and now they're increasingly thinking ':censored: it' the sad thing is my mates are not unique they are a growing number amongst the remaining 3,500 I'm still dragging myself to home games but away games I haven't bothered for weeks....

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Great post Ian heartfelt and from a true blue, I asked the club to comment on the open letter I wrote in late December - instead via a third party the only reply I got was Barry more concerned about me taking a cheap shot at him. It's time the club publicly responded to the fanbase and let us know what the intentions of our owner and board are.

 

But they won't their silence beggars belief....there's 10/15 of us that usually go everywhere this season we've filled a minibus once - the opening day. The lads I go with were die harsa and now they're increasingly thinking ':censored: it' the sad thing is my mates are not unique they are a growing number amongst the remaining 3,500 I'm still dragging myself to home games but away games I haven't bothered for weeks....

The board have proven themselves to be a disgrace this year and Barry Owen can accuse people of having a personal pop all they want - he is neither qualified nor competent enough to be a director. He is only there because he's been Corney's yes man when he was meant to be OUR representative - he's a leech and nothing more, and if his lawyers are reading sue me.

 

The club has completely alienated the fans and they don't even care.

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pcassist, I echo your sentiments completely! You should post/email your original post to the club and see if it elicits a response.

 

I started watching 30 odd years ago (probably shouldn't admit to it on here but used to sneak in through a gap at the back of the Chaddy). I, too, have been an ST along with both my kids and a pay-on-the-dayer when finances became stretched and an ST was a luxury. I willingly gave what I could afford at the Survival Match and bought the DVD when it was released. In recent years I have even been privileged enough to work for the club on matchdays.

 

The euphoria of promotion to the old First Division, founder membership of the Premier League and trips to Wembley are but a distant memory. The heartbreak of two relegations, the false dawns of two play off appearances, my son only ever seeing us play in League 1 and occasional "giant killing" in the FA Cup have finally taken their toll on me.

 

I no longer feel any connection with the club and I don't know where this comes from? Is it the constant changing of playing personnel, changes in management, car crash media coverage, the boards inability to keep fans informed, the appointment of moronic directors or the lack of tactical nouse during matches (or all of the above)? Whatever the reasons are my love affair with Oldham Athletic AFC is dying a slow and painful death!

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pcassist, I echo your sentiments completely! You should post/email your original post to the club and see if it elicits a response.

 

I started watching 30 odd years ago (probably shouldn't admit to it on here but used to sneak in through a gap at the back of the Chaddy). I, too, have been an ST along with both my kids and a pay-on-the-dayer when finances became stretched and an ST was a luxury. I willingly gave what I could afford at the Survival Match and bought the DVD when it was released. In recent years I have even been privileged enough to work for the club on matchdays.

 

The euphoria of promotion to the old First Division, founder membership of the Premier League and trips to Wembley are but a distant memory. The heartbreak of two relegations, the false dawns of two play off appearances, my son only ever seeing us play in League 1 and occasional "giant killing" in the FA Cup have finally taken their toll on me.

 

I no longer feel any connection with the club and I don't know where this comes from? Is it the constant changing of playing personnel, changes in management, car crash media coverage, the boards inability to keep fans informed, the appointment of moronic directors or the lack of tactical nouse during matches (or all of the above)? Whatever the reasons are my love affair with Oldham Athletic AFC is dying a slow and painful death!

Your last para resonates with my feelings and I think with many fellow fans. We are just fed up with the whole circus. Although we played well for 25 minutes today the crowd had an overreaction to that phase of play because we have been starved of excitement for so long. A throw in in our favour now becomes an incident for celebration.

 

There is no empathy between board, players and fans. We all think that Kelly is our best player,but as leader of the Latics not in the frame. No empathy as captain with the fans,too quick off the pitch for me,only beaten by the spoiled brat James Wilson, leaving the rest of the team to clap the fans,who were for me in the circumstances man of the match.

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A great post!!!

I started following Latics when my dad took me to a game in 1988. I wasn't born in Oldham, have never lived in Oldham but my dad was and for him it was a very proud moment to take me and my older brother, his 2 boys, to Boundary Park and become part of the Oldham family.

My dad passed away nearly 15 years ago and me and my brother still try to get upto Oldham to see a game when we can. My brother has 2 young children, 2 boys, and is currently having an internal fight whether he can subject them to what is today's Oldham Athletic.

We talk constantly about it and how my dad would have loved to have taken his grandsons to there first game, taken their allegiance away from one of the premier league bores and introduced them to our 2nd family. Unfortunately I and my brother feel that if something drastic is not done very very soon, we will have no decision to make as there will be no Oldham Athletic to speak of.

 

Today's Oldham Athletic no longer feels like a family, it feels like a burden. I implore Simon Corney and his mates to give us back our family. It's done Simon, you had a go, you did a great job for a while but you don't have the fight for it anymore. We need to start concentrating on saving our club, not our season, not our league 1 status but OUR club.

 

Oh I'm posting this at 443am on a Sunday morning as I feed my 4 week old daughter who will not be an Oldham fan she will be far too civilised for that!

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Today's Oldham Athletic no longer feels like a family, it feels like a burden. I implore Simon Corney and his mates to give us back our family. It's done Simon, you had a go, you did a great job for a while but you don't have the fight for it anymore. We need to start concentrating on saving our club, not our season, not our league 1 status but OUR club.

 

Oh I'm posting this at 443am on a Sunday morning as I feed my 4 week old daughter who will not be an Oldham fan she will be far too civilised for that!

I echo all the above posts but this got me the most. I had no connection to Oldham but choose to support the club in the mid 80s, opting to do so over Derby, Wolves or Coventry (the three teams my dad or brothers supported). You will all question my sanity but in the following 10 years it all paid off with promotion, being an inaugural member of the Prem and playing in Cup semi-finals and a final.

 

I started to spend serious money on travel - home and away but a home game involves 130 miles - and tickets when the decline started but comtinued to go even in the darkest days. Even convinced my wife to change allegiance from Villa and both my girls support the club despite the pressure from in-laws to support Villa or school friends to support the big 4 in the Premier League.

 

Three years ago I started going less due to work and family commitments. This last summer, for the first in almost 22 years, I couldn't be bothered to attend the first game even though it was ironically on my doorstep. Shamefully the desire and interest wasn't there. I've even stopped following matches on social media waiting for final score because I'm expecting the same result now knowing there's no sign of improvement or positivity.

 

My love for the club remains; my belief in the current owners has died. Hopefully one day soon ownership changes and I see signs of improvement....

 

...all I can say to celliott83 is pass on support of your club to your newborn. Us fans are the only ones who can keep this club alive even if it's in name until something positive happens be it in this league or below, these owners or others.

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A great post!!!

I started following Latics when my dad took me to a game in 1988. I wasn't born in Oldham, have never lived in Oldham but my dad was and for him it was a very proud moment to take me and my older brother, his 2 boys, to Boundary Park and become part of the Oldham family.

My dad passed away nearly 15 years ago and me and my brother still try to get upto Oldham to see a game when we can. My brother has 2 young children, 2 boys, and is currently having an internal fight whether he can subject them to what is today's Oldham Athletic.

We talk constantly about it and how my dad would have loved to have taken his grandsons to there first game, taken their allegiance away from one of the premier league bores and introduced them to our 2nd family. Unfortunately I and my brother feel that if something drastic is not done very very soon, we will have no decision to make as there will be no Oldham Athletic to speak of.

 

Today's Oldham Athletic no longer feels like a family, it feels like a burden. I implore Simon Corney and his mates to give us back our family. It's done Simon, you had a go, you did a great job for a while but you don't have the fight for it anymore. We need to start concentrating on saving our club, not our season, not our league 1 status but OUR club.

 

Oh I'm posting this at 443am on a Sunday morning as I feed my 4 week old daughter who will not be an Oldham fan she will be far too civilised for that!

 

Uncannily similar to my own circumstances! Except I'm the only one of the family carrying the torch forward. And nowadays that's from afar (although at least in the same country now).

 

My first is due in a few weeks and I'll take her to a game when she's ready so will give her every chance to continue the family curse of being an Oldham fan.

 

But i completely agree with your sentiments about the current state of the club, and what's been written by pcassist and others. I've never been obsessed about getting back to the premier league, actually it wouldn't bother me if it never happens.

 

I love supporting a little club but where's that identity and connection gone? It just feels totally non existent at the moment. Simple things like messages from the chairman might help. Or even something other than 80% shop sale retweets from social media. The fans feel like the least important part of the whole club at the moment and I'm desperate for that to change.

 

I want to be coming on here discussing initiatives by the club, not arguing about what the manager implies in an interview. Whether a player has the ability not whether he can be bothered. Interesting potential targets, not divisive jailbirds. It's all so depressing at the moment and league position is actually only a small part of that for me.

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