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Days gone by v now


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1 hour ago, GlossopLatic said:

On the subject of entitlement its often levelled at clubs on the way down such as Leeds, Newcastle and even Man City circa (96-99) as most of their fans who have become used to a degree of success are forced to accept a lesser existence. A few years ago a group of Newcastle fans held up a banner at a game (think it was Leicester) which read "We don't demand a team that wins we want a club that tries" I think its a fair message really. Now what fans regard as trying maybe itself subjective, but I think the majority of fans are forgiving if they think the club is really trying to push forward even at this level. While i'm sure most of us are realistic enough to know we haven't got the muscle in the transfer market of the likes of Wigan and Blackburn amongst others, Shrewsbury Town have shown us what is possible with modest resources at this level.

 

I agree with that. I do remember a post on here earlier this season that said something along the "lines of we should never be being beaten by teams like Shrewsbury"... well they are top of the league. I for one hope they go up.

Edited by pukka
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Love reading the old stories, especially about the players we had before my time. 

 

I’d love to improve our player turnover. Just one season where we use the same 15/16 players. We’re just a shop window for most players, instead of somewhere they feel can do something. Hope we can change that. 

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1 hour ago, OldHallam said:

Bates interesting for all young and old. 

 

If I may quote;

 

“Adjoining our ground is over six acres of spare land, all owned by the club.”

 

“At Oldham we consistently have the highest gates in the 3rd division.... and many compare favourably with those registered by some second & first division clubs.”

 

“....we have no time for Directors who regard their board membership as a present hobby...”

 

f*kin think about that.... and some of the pr1cks that have run the club since. We have the potential to compete higher up the football league pyramid than we currently reside and don’t let anyone lead you to believe otherwise.

 

We just need an owner with some ambition, a bit of money and a f*kin plan. Let’s hope the lad in the seat today is that person.

Edited by lookersstandandy
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7 minutes ago, lookersstandandy said:

 

If I may quote;

 

“Adjoining our ground is over six acres of spare land, all owned by the club.”

 

“At Oldham we consistently have the highest gates in the 3rd division.... and many compare favourably with those registered by some second & first division clubs.”

 

“....we have no time for Directors who regard their board membership as a present hobby...”

 

f*kin think about that.... and some of the pr1cks that have run the club since.

 

Maybe so Andy, but not sure anyone would want to hold Bates up as the model director.

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6 hours ago, oafcprozac said:

I hope the OP doesn't mind me bringing this into the mid-late 80s. My first year was 86-87 and our most successful year in 13 years. The next two seasons were a struggle at times before excellent second halves of the season saw us pull into mid-table by scoring plenty of goals - not too dissimilar to this season being that we couldn't defend for toffee with a keeper that was pretty inconsistent for part of that time in a young Rhodes. The pitch wasn't an issue as we were on the Plastic Paradise. The team evolved rather than revolved through the door. Of course we sold to survive, in those first three years alone we sold McDonough, Futcher, Goram, Henry, Linighan, Flynn, Wright etc.. but we also replaced them with similar if not better Ritchie, Wright, Rhodes/Hallworth, Barrett, Warhurst, Bunn and brought through youngster Nick Henry. There was a sense of trying to build a future, the team could be guessed walking over Chadderton Way with my dad (Somehow the programme was always wrong though!)

 

Dad was always very frustrated with our attendances in the mid-late 80s, we fluctuated between sub 5,000 to about 8 or 9 if Blackburn or Sunderland or similar where in town. But often when Plymouth or Swindon arrived the town seemed to desert us en masse..Dad would shake his head and say 'Does this town want a club? We're the most entertaining team for miles yet they still don't back us, but they come crawling out of the woodwork when we have a big game'. He was right, perhaps a bit harsh, but he was equally frustrated as he struggled in and out of work during the glory years and he would often have to queue up at the crack of dawn due to not having a ST back then - 'Bloody band waggon, jumpers he'd moan!' As a fan during those heady days, it all felt like a dream, there's never been a sense of entitlement from me, although the years after relegation from the top flight and the first three or four in this league I felt as a club we deserved better. And we underachieved massively, it was like the club accepted it was forever to be shit. We were badly let down by Stott and co, who arguably have more to answer for than Corney and his chums. If we'd brought in investment as the Premier League dawned, who knows? Having said that the council equally let down Stott and co, with the Sports Park 2000 failure. Who knows where we'd have been in a state of the art stadium, not the Blue Peter version suggested at Failsworth.

 

Do I expect more now? Yes, prior to arriving in this league we were in the top two divisions for 23 Years very much punching above our weight, however by the late 70s we were battling it out in the top half and save for 83/84 and 84/85 we were troubling the top half year on year. That's not punching above your weight, that's a well established second tier team. We blew the golden goose by not investing after the Great Escape in '93. We limped along and cut our cloth too fine. The advent of Bosman and the increased power of the PL has killed smaller clubs like us, forced to be grateful for the minute crumbs flicked from the top table means we have to rely on loanees. We can't produce too many home grown players as it isn't cost effective given that the bigger clubs can snap them up and pay minimum compensation. The TV deal and solidarity payments to League One clubs are minuscule and in prior times would relate to a starvation wage. Without real investment the club is going nowhere. However, investment does not guarantee success but investment in infrastructure is a beginning.

 

My biggest issue is the way the club has been run in the last 10 years, so many clubs perceived as smaller than us have built teams on shoe strings and had success, Colchester, Southend, Burton, Luton etc.. have all had their days in the sun. We've simply been told to be grateful for survival in the third tier, with no hope of a challenge at the right end since 2007. That for a club of our size and potential is criminal, we have no divine right to be successful but surely we have a divine right to be allowed to compete? The infrastructure of the club has been allowed to rot, ok the stand has been built, but that it has transpired is not FULLY benefiting the club. Previously we had directors like Norman Holden and Peter Chadwick, local men made good - directors who would put money in when they could. The local links have died in the boardroom, although the appointment of Mr Snoddy may be a return to that.

 

When I first started to come to games in the 80s the club had a real identity, we played in blue and white no gimmicks. Home fans were in the Chadderton Road Stand, we played two up front and set out to win EVERY game, bog rolls greeted the team onto the pitch and the whiff of tobacco, bovril and piss purveyed every sense. The Old Chaddy End was a thing of beauty, the wit, the moaning, the clinging or sitting on the fence. Many a late winner was sucked in. Arriving home to Sholver on the 404 and Grandad had made his meat and potato pie, arriving home to a lovely warm house. If we'd won he'd greet us with "What a team!" if we'd lost 'Wouldn't pay 'em in washers'. 

 

Sadly we will never return to those times, what I hope we get under Mr Lemsagem is investment in the infrastructure and we are allowed to build the club again so that at some point in the next two or three years we can have a bloody good go at promotion again. We can all remember some of the good times, wouldn't it be great of some if those young lads that go everywhere could enjoy a bit of success - a promotion season?!

 

 

 

 

In the event that I may 1 day become famous, please can I ask OAFCProzac to be my Biographer?! You have succinctly illustrated almost all of my life. Super Stuff!

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13 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

There was hope but there was no great expectation or sense of entitlement. 

Spot on. The spectators' seemed to be in the here and now. We went to watch this one  game, today's game

  Now everybody seems to be thinking 4 games ahead. 'Well we'll beat these and then at least 4 points from the next 2 away games and we'll be in the top 6. Top half finish this season and play off's next.'

Why can't we just go and watch the next game?

Also if you are talking about hope and expectation. I started going in 1970 aged 12. If you'd told me then I'd see us play at Wembley , FA Cup semi against the pride of all Europe  and play in the First Division (sorry old habits die hard) I'd have said you'd been sipping too much OB ( younger readers ask your grandad)

So again for you younger readers look forward to and enjoy our next game.have hope but don't let it  be a hostage to fortune. You never know what might happen in your life as a blue. Look what happened to my generation and my latics was a lot lower than yours is now.

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21 hours ago, League one forever said:

This is mainly to pick the Brains of our older members. 

 

We currently play in the third division, on a bog. We’re skint, and heady days seem a long way away. 

 

In the good old days, (I’m talking in the 60s/70s, earlier if your old enough! ?) Did you have more hope? Enjoy your football more? Did the standard seem better?  Or is it much of a muchness with now? 

 

You didn't have squads of 35 players in the old days, in fact some teams went through a whole season using less than 20.

Your good players were often retained for 5 years and more.

Having said that in 1959 the club's future looked bleak. Loved the kit though back then.

 

 

Edited by BP1960
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23 hours ago, UsedtobeWozzer said:

Remember all that! Southport away on Easter Monday was actually my 10th birthday, which by simple maths makes it 15 years to the day prior to the Hillsborough disaster. We achieved a lot in that 15 years. 

Some other memories - Formby away in the FA cup - so close to the pitch that when George Jones scored the ball nearly hit me in the face as the net bulged. Liverpool away in the cup - lost 3-1 but outplayed them for long periods and they only sealed it after Steve Heighway dived for a penalty. Never heard a Liverpool player booed at Anfield so loudly by thousands of ‘tics. 

It certainly seemed more enjoyable back then but that’s just the innocence and wide eyed expectation of youth I guess combined with year after year of relegation battles for what seems like forever. 

Highlights of that Liverpool game on the big match revisited now on BT 1

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I think there is argument that suggests that we can all look back at earlier dayys through rose tinted glasses and we have a natural inclination to look back on the good times rather than the bad. I was 10 in 1970 and had a inkling towards Chelsea (typical young football fan, following the top teams), Chelsea won the FA Cup that year and followed up with the European cup winners cup in '71, an attractive team to follow. At that time my dad would take me to see them at United and City, we went to a few other matches in Manchester around then too. 

Then something magical happened, a neighbour took me to see my local club at Boundary Park, a night match, v York City I think, did we win 2-1?, I don't really remember. What I do remember is the excitement of watching at night under floodlights. This was my town's own club, this is for me. I couldn't care less that it was division 4. Unbelievable that, having seen Osgood, Hutchinson, Hudson and  Best, Charlton, Law, and Bell, Summerbee, Lee that I couldn't help but fall for Latics! They were my team now, walking from Oldham and down Sheepfoot Lane with my scarf tied round my wrist trying to look hard (I was 10/11/12!). Wood, Whittle (did he ever not score from a penalty or free kick?), Bebbington, Bryceland (my favourite), and of course Shaw. I'm one of those who love the tangerine strip by the way, didn't know we had played in blue historically at the time. Of course we got promoted that year and won enough money month after month from Sporting league sponsors Ford to build a new stand. So successful was our unglamorous fourth tier team that Ford never sponsored in that way again, always makes me smile that. It was around this time that Grovesey arrived. I often wonder if he was as good looking back as we all believed, this was, after all, third tier football, the answer? Course he was, spell binding dribbler and entertainer, again a cracking side going on to get promotion from the third tier in style, Groves and McVitie, two entertaining wingers.

We then spent a long time in what's now The Championship, Loved the Paul Atkinson/John Ryan partnership, Simon Stainrod of course, Alan Young and the underrated Mark Ward., I always felt hat was our rightful level, even on the way back down from the top. Not convinced now, maybe good times ahead. It's in your blood isn't it.

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45 minutes ago, Stainrod said:

I think there is argument that suggests that we can all look back at earlier dayys through rose tinted glasses and we have a natural inclination to look back on the good times rather than the bad. I was 10 in 1970 and had a inkling towards Chelsea (typical young football fan, following the top teams), Chelsea won the FA Cup that year and followed up with the European cup winners cup in '71, an attractive team to follow. At that time my dad would take me to see them at United and City, we went to a few other matches in Manchester around then too. 

Then something magical happened, a neighbour took me to see my local club at Boundary Park, a night match, v York City I think, did we win 2-1?, I don't really remember. What I do remember is the excitement of watching at night under floodlights. This was my town's own club, this is for me. I couldn't care less that it was division 4. Unbelievable that, having seen Osgood, Hutchinson, Hudson and  Best, Charlton, Law, and Bell, Summerbee, Lee that I couldn't help but fall for Latics! They were my team now, walking from Oldham and down Sheepfoot Lane with my scarf tied round my wrist trying to look hard (I was 10/11/12!). Wood, Whittle (did he ever not score from a penalty or free kick?), Bebbington, Bryceland (my favourite), and of course Shaw. I'm one of those who love the tangerine strip by the way, didn't know we had played in blue historically at the time. Of course we got promoted that year and won enough money month after month from Sporting league sponsors Ford to build a new stand. So successful was our unglamorous fourth tier team that Ford never sponsored in that way again, always makes me smile that. It was around this time that Grovesey arrived. I often wonder if he was as good looking back as we all believed, this was, after all, third tier football, the answer? Course he was, spell binding dribbler and entertainer, again a cracking side going on to get promotion from the third tier in style, Groves and McVitie, two entertaining wingers.

We then spent a long time in what's now The Championship, Loved the Paul Atkinson/John Ryan partnership, Simon Stainrod of course, Alan Young and the underrated Mark Ward., I always felt hat was our rightful level, even on the way back down from the top. Not convinced now, maybe good times ahead. It's in your blood isn't it.

 

Awesome post, wish I could upboat more than once. :applause1:

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1 hour ago, Stainrod said:

I think there is argument that suggests that we can all look back at earlier dayys through rose tinted glasses and we have a natural inclination to look back on the good times rather than the bad. I was 10 in 1970 and had a inkling towards Chelsea (typical young football fan, following the top teams), Chelsea won the FA Cup that year and followed up with the European cup winners cup in '71, an attractive team to follow. At that time my dad would take me to see them at United and City, we went to a few other matches in Manchester around then too. 

Then something magical happened, a neighbour took me to see my local club at Boundary Park, a night match, v York City I think, did we win 2-1?, I don't really remember. What I do remember is the excitement of watching at night under floodlights. This was my town's own club, this is for me. I couldn't care less that it was division 4. Unbelievable that, having seen Osgood, Hutchinson, Hudson and  Best, Charlton, Law, and Bell, Summerbee, Lee that I couldn't help but fall for Latics! They were my team now, walking from Oldham and down Sheepfoot Lane with my scarf tied round my wrist trying to look hard (I was 10/11/12!). Wood, Whittle (did he ever not score from a penalty or free kick?), Bebbington, Bryceland (my favourite), and of course Shaw. I'm one of those who love the tangerine strip by the way, didn't know we had played in blue historically at the time. Of course we got promoted that year and won enough money month after month from Sporting league sponsors Ford to build a new stand. So successful was our unglamorous fourth tier team that Ford never sponsored in that way again, always makes me smile that. It was around this time that Grovesey arrived. I often wonder if he was as good looking back as we all believed, this was, after all, third tier football, the answer? Course he was, spell binding dribbler and entertainer, again a cracking side going on to get promotion from the third tier in style, Groves and McVitie, two entertaining wingers.

We then spent a long time in what's now The Championship, Loved the Paul Atkinson/John Ryan partnership, Simon Stainrod of course, Alan Young and the underrated Mark Ward., I always felt hat was our rightful level, even on the way back down from the top. Not convinced now, maybe good times ahead. It's in your blood isn't it.

Sorry for being a knob, but felt hats are how the Rugby got their nickname, nowt to do with Latics ;)

Edited by leeslover
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22 minutes ago, OldHallam said:

loved reading that. Remember the Liner trips to Cambridge, etc happy days. 

Yes .I went on it to Bournemouth,Wimbledon ,Hull as well.Fab train with disco!!!!

Got Sir James Frizzell's autograph on way back from Bournemouth.Great times indeed a d so glad I have lived through this era.

20 hours ago, yarddog73 said:

 

 

Edited by Flemboy
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  • 9 months later...

There are two good articles in the January 2019 edition of 'When Saturday Comes'. One by Brian Simpson titled 'Team Spirit - Latic Acid', about dropping support for Man U and supporting Latics from Premier League to Checkatrade. The other by Dan Turner titled 'Distant Echoes' about supporting Latics after moving down south.

Edited by Diego_Sideburns
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2 hours ago, Diego_Sideburns said:

There are two good articles in the January 2019 edition of 'When Saturday Comes'. One by Brian Simpson titled 'Team Spirit - Latic Acid', about dropping support for Man U and supporting Latics from Premier League to Checkatrade. The other by Dan Turner titled 'Distant Echoes' about supporting Latics after moving down south.

 

Really good read, as was Dan Turner's entry. Although his line about singing 'Always look on the bright side of life', and having it returned back at us with gusto after you know what brought back some long since repressed bad memories :bigcry: 

 

A mate of mine chucked a podcast my way about our 89-94 seasons too. It's a bit shambolic, but it's a fairly nice listen, and I enjoyed it overall.

 

https://www.acast.com/nessundorma/s2ep3-oldhamathletic1989-1994 

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1 hour ago, Chorlton_Latic said:

 

Really good read, as was Dan Turner's entry. Although his line about singing 'Always look on the bright side of life', and having it returned back at us with gusto after you know what brought back some long since repressed bad memories :bigcry: 

 

A mate of mine chucked a podcast my way about our 89-94 seasons too. It's a bit shambolic, but it's a fairly nice listen, and I enjoyed it overall.

 

https://www.acast.com/nessundorma/s2ep3-oldhamathletic1989-1994 

Yeah that got recommended to me by a mate, not had the chance to listen to it yet but will do.

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