Plus ca change...

[LaticsPete]

"It will take a lot to remove a bitter taste from the mouth of many fans who once sported the team's colours". 

 

A sentence from the Latics' programme editorial of December 9th 1969, very nearly 50 years go. It was written at a dire time, probably worse than now, when , in a run of ten matches without a win (including an 8-1 drubbing at Peterborough) , the club was in grave danger of going under. Down in the basement slots of Div 4, Latics were , and again a quote from the programme,  "under the hammer of auctioneeers, liquidators - and various other people who might have been called on to act on behalf of former chairman Ken Bates, who had a strong and understandable desire to get back his loan money".

 

The programme was for a game that pretty much summed up the plight of the club. It was a FA Cup Second Replay against South Shields from the Northern Premier League. After a struggling 0-0 draw in the first match, Latics were humiliated at home, losing 2-1.  

 

The club was saved, mainly due to John Lowe, a director who came on board at about this time and took the "chance to check the files and weigh up a policy which the public are going to believe is sincere and in the right direction".  Ironically, given current goings on at Gigg Lane, John Lowe had been on the Board at Bury but resigned in Oct ober 1969 because of "a disagreement over policy" and "Bury's domestic difficulties". Anyway he gradually righted the ship off the pitch and the appointment of Jimmy Frizzell as Manager did the same iin playing matters, keeping us out of the bottom four and gaining promotion the season after.

 

I post this not out of a sense of "don't worry everything will turn out ok like it did before". Those of us who were around at the time know it was a really depressing period and the future was very bleak. It did work out alright - and from a worse position than we are now in - but I don't know if there are lessons to be learned.

 

Maybe we need a new John Lowe, a man who didn't get into publlc wrangling, and who stabilised us for years to come. Could the FLG assume that mantle? I don't know .

 

 

 

 

[al_bro]

5 hours ago, LaticsPete said:

"It will take a lot to remove a bitter taste from the mouth of many fans who once sported the team's colours". 

 

A sentence from the Latics' programme editorial of December 9th 1969, very nearly 50 years go. It was written at a dire time, probably worse than now, when , in a run of ten matches without a win (including an 8-1 drubbing at Peterborough) , the club was in grave danger of going under. Down in the basement slots of Div 4, Latics were , and again a quote from the programme,  "under the hammer of auctioneeers, liquidators - and various other people who might have been called on to act on behalf of former chairman Ken Bates, who had a strong and understandable desire to get back his loan money".

 

The programme was for a game that pretty much summed up the plight of the club. It was a FA Cup Second Replay against South Shields from the Northern Premier League. After a struggling 0-0 draw in the first match, Latics were humiliated at home, losing 2-1.  

 

The club was saved, mainly due to John Lowe, a director who came on board at about this time and took the "chance to check the files and weigh up a policy which the public are going to believe is sincere and in the right direction".  Ironically, given current goings on at Gigg Lane, John Lowe had been on the Board at Bury but resigned in Oct ober 1969 because of "a disagreement over policy" and "Bury's domestic difficulties". Anyway he gradually righted the ship off the pitch and the appointment of Jimmy Frizzell as Manager did the same iin playing matters, keeping us out of the bottom four and gaining promotion the season after.

 

I post this not out of a sense of "don't worry everything will turn out ok like it did before". Those of us who were around at the time know it was a really depressing period and the future was very bleak. It did work out alright - and from a worse position than we are now in - but I don't know if there are lessons to be learned.

 

Maybe we need a new John Lowe, a man who didn't get into publlc wrangling, and who stabilised us for years to come. Could the FLG assume that mantle? I don't know .

 

 

 

 

I remember this as well. However Bates left, whereas AL won't go. I can only hope there is a John Lowe around somewhere, but they aren't at Bury. Maybe on a board of another well run club somewhere. 

[BP1960]

5 hours ago, LaticsPete said:

"It will take a lot to remove a bitter taste from the mouth of many fans who once sported the team's colours". 

 

A sentence from the Latics' programme editorial of December 9th 1969, very nearly 50 years go. It was written at a dire time, probably worse than now, when , in a run of ten matches without a win (including an 8-1 drubbing at Peterborough) , the club was in grave danger of going under. Down in the basement slots of Div 4, Latics were , and again a quote from the programme,  "under the hammer of auctioneeers, liquidators - and various other people who might have been called on to act on behalf of former chairman Ken Bates, who had a strong and understandable desire to get back his loan money".

 

The programme was for a game that pretty much summed up the plight of the club. It was a FA Cup Second Replay against South Shields from the Northern Premier League. After a struggling 0-0 draw in the first match, Latics were humiliated at home, losing 2-1.  

 

The club was saved, mainly due to John Lowe, a director who came on board at about this time and took the "chance to check the files and weigh up a policy which the public are going to believe is sincere and in the right direction".  Ironically, given current goings on at Gigg Lane, John Lowe had been on the Board at Bury but resigned in Oct ober 1969 because of "a disagreement over policy" and "Bury's domestic difficulties". Anyway he gradually righted the ship off the pitch and the appointment of Jimmy Frizzell as Manager did the same iin playing matters, keeping us out of the bottom four and gaining promotion the season after.

 

I post this not out of a sense of "don't worry everything will turn out ok like it did before". Those of us who were around at the time know it was a really depressing period and the future was very bleak. It did work out alright - and from a worse position than we are now in - but I don't know if there are lessons to be learned.

 

Maybe we need a new John Lowe, a man who didn't get into publlc wrangling, and who stabilised us for years to come. Could the FLG assume that mantle? I don't know .

 

 

 

 

 

A board of local businessman was always the way for me, each chipping in with a good financial contribution. Maybe the FLG can offer that?.AL may not leave though and continue to do it his way, therein lies a problem.

[latics22]

The difference being that its much bigger numbers and prob more catastrophic if we failure.

[SweeperKeeper]

I hope we don't take anyone on from Bury's board as a saviour this time!