wiseowl

Commendable decision Underdog. Will stop the incessant questioning via here - I know from experience, that it's impossible to communicate to the satisfaction of all via this message board. Some don't grasp the context of what is said, others disagree for the sake of it, some do it out of mischief and there are a few genuinely malicious people too. Everyone now knows where to go for Trust updates - well done. First signs of a professional and properly thought-out "communications policy" from the Trust.

Correct

Shrewd move - granted. Always a few hundred part timers will get down to the ground when it's free or next to nowt though - they actually make me puke.

Peter Clarke - the word inspirational is much over-used these days - but Clarkey, it's very apt for you. Despite age starting to catch up with you, you have given your all to the cause and remained stoic throughout some very difficult times with us (including being unceremoniously packed off to f - in tosspot Bury). Anyone with the slightest football brain would have ensured you stayed on in some capacity at Latics - in fact, they would have bent over backwards to ensure you stayed on. The fact that hasn't happened shows a) not a lot is known about football at our club by the decision makers and b) perfectly the direction we are heading - and it's certainly not upwards. Thank you for your massive contribution and the very best of luck wherever life takes you.

Re. 2 - my understanding is that the Trust are not directly linked to the proposed ground purchase. More that they are acting in an advisory/consultative/broker capacity on behalf of the fans' consortium that are exploring the deal. Apologies if I am wrong on that point but it is an important distinction to make.

Again - shows what a funny old game football is and how different people see different things. Fane - for me, a great player for breaking up the play (and initially some great bursting runs forward - had that coached out of him by those coaches much wiser than me) - genuinely think he'd have been a real asset at this level. O'Grady - wouldn't pick him for the pub side I watch - seriously.

Think we might need to re-assess the fanbase based on the number of long-time supporters I know who've decided enough is enough now.

Try tuning into your intuitive side deyres. I`ve watched Latics for decades - and witnessed all sorts, as have many others. This, for me, is the worst I have ever felt as a fan. A complete disconnect with the owner (far worse than any other), a fans' Trust that is out of touch with the fan base, consistent opinions from those leaving as to the source of all the problems, the worst squad of players I have ever seen, season ticket sales dropping (and fans now asking, and getting, refunds), a rapidly accelerating manager carousel - need I go on? We should have continued the momentum when a protest was being organised (endorsed by the Trust) for the initial Tranmere game (postponed). Thereafter, we should have maintained pressure via protest. As it is everyone's off on their holidays and, in any event, there is no fans' organisation around to mobilise supporters in that way - never seen such a divided fanbase. It's clear that cashflow is going to be a major problem and, without significant investment, we are not capable of building a squad to stay in this league. That's my opinion anyway - clearly yours differs - let's see what transpires.

Bloody hell - glad I didn't renew my season ticket - we're doomed unless something dramatic happens soon. I`ve decided to hand my season ticket money over to a different bunch of pussies (Pennine Pen Animal Rescue). I think my life long love affair with Latics is over; I can't stomach any more of this shit with absolutely no protest/fight from fans.

Sad isn't it - just watching us fall into the abyss - without there having been any concerted effort to rally the troops and, at the very least, protest very strongly. Unless outside investment is in the pipeline, it looks like budgets are being slashed and, if this season was a disappointment, I fear that next (if we hang on until then) may well see us off. The word "stability" has been mentioned recently (was it intimated at the Trust/Chairman meeting?) - I`ve obviously misunderstood the word's meaning for most of my life.

I know I did - apologies

In all seriousness :- 1 - We will have our worst squad in living memory 2 - Season ticket sales will be the lowest for years 3 - Our hard core home support will drop towards the 2,500 mark (and maybe even lower) 4 - We will be in a relegation dogfight and might well drop out of the football league 5 - The Trust will hang on to their treasured 3% shareholding - "it gives us a seat on the board you know!" and will not see that independence from the club is the way forward in order to unite the fans and increase their low membership. The only thing preventing this will be some sort of dramatic change (e.g. reasonable 3rd party financial investment, new owner/ me winning Euromillions and buying). I will watch with interest as to whether the "ground purchase" by the fans' consortium comes to fruition. If it does, then that may be the catalyst for change - it's about the only glimmer of hope I`m hanging on to. I heard some happy clapper the other day saying he's pretty sure we will get automatic promotion next season! What bloody planet are such people on?

Just seen this thread - very moving. I find it sad that "Ziggy", a real former character in the Main Stand does not feature. A Polish war veteran (D Day landings) his name was Zygmunt Makowski and, after the war, he settled in Oldham. He ran the Polish ex-servicemen's club in Glodwick for a while and was Latics through and through. I presume these people have to be nominated somewhere in order to feature but his daughter is a steward at Latics and he featured in the match day programme following his death in September 2018 at the grand old age of 94, so I`m really surprised he's not in the video. Never mind, Ziggy, you'll never be forgotten - one of the best.

Well.... I certainly got confused, Glossop. I was all ready to support the (Trust endorsed) peaceful fans' protest against Tranmere. With the match being postponed, many people I spoke to saw the TV game as the ideal platform for that to be resurrected. It wasn't and the stance has changed - and the season will be over - and issues will peter out. To be honest, I`m also getting past caring any more (and never thought I`d say that). The Trust, undoubtedly, has some committed individuals and I can't knock them. I just feel it needs to re-invent itself and communicate better, so we know what it stands for. If you think, after a recent surge in recruitment, that circa 300 members represents success; that's fine. I don't and it gives the owner carte blanche i.e. at present, he can legitimately say that the Trust does not represent the fans because of its low membership. Someone else commented on here recently that it seems like "our way or the highway" - that's sometimes true - the Trust can come across as defensive and resistant/dismissive to suggestions/ideas from fans outside of it. Good luck - I`m logging off now - and won't be on again until next season. Think I`ll attend the last home game and maybe do a lone protest for maximum effect lol! (you can come and throw bad eggs at me) No hard feelings to anyone - we just remain hopelessly divided as fans.

It's all about consistency of message and leadership though isn't it. There's little point (and sorry Trust but I am only using as an example) saying "the new owner is like a breath of fresh air" to then saying "he doesn't engage with us etc." the next. We then had "we endorse a supporters' protest" (i.e. against Tranmere - match postponed) to "we don't endorse or encourage a fans' protest". That just creates confusion and frustration - and ultimately division or apathy amongst fans i.e. even the most passionate supporter will not get behind something if there are "mixed messages" coming out. Maybe at the next board meeting of the Trust, they should have a debate and a vote on what a) their "goal" is in the current climate and b) how they intend to reach that goal. Once fans know what their aim and strategy is in regards to the current issues, then the supporters can decide to join and support them or not. To have any true effect the Trust needs to represent a much larger % of the core fan base. It's been mentioned on another thread that, after a glut of new joiners recently, the membership is up to circa 300. I would say once it reaches circa 1,000 minimum, it can justifiably start to claim to have the "fans' mandate". In these troubled times, if we can't reach those sorts of numbers then it shows that not as many fans as we had hoped are actually that bothered. That, ultimately, may turn out to be the case. I will certainly join and support the Trust once I am in general agreement with their position on a) and b) above.

There's probably little doubt that the focus will now shift to the shenanigans around the owner again. In some ways that's quite sad i.e. the focus should never have shifted. Unfortunately, we will now get absolutely nowhere, as all momentum has been lost, the Trust changed tack (i.e. from their original position of endorsing a supporters' protest) and the opportunity offered to protest via the televised game was lost whilst the usual "part time supporters" turned up and handed over their fivers. Some of us have boycotted and, like me, have refused to renew our season cards. Again, I don't think that will have much effect because others have just not been able to resist the "early bird" offer (and that's not a personal criticism - it's your choice). In the final analysis, there seems to be far too few of us prepared to stick to our guns and our supporters are generally apathetic. The ones who are more passionate are hopelessly divided and there seems to be no leader (individually or organisational wise) to unite us. The owner will see little threat from the fanbase. We can all clearly recall the clamour to get the last owner out. He's history - and since then the much heralded new one has presided over our relegation to the bottom tier, a management merry-go-round (including an embarrassing failed vanity project with PS), we have a squad as poor as it's been for many a year and some of our better players may well leave at the end of the season. For me, in all kinds of respects, this just doesn't feel like "my/our club" any longer and not one more penny of mine is being handed over unless there is radical change. Despite everything that has gone on in the past, I have never been more concerned for the club's future. I can't exactly quantify why but something just feels very, very wrong. I sincerely hope it's me who is wrong.

alwaysblue - you are entitled to your opinion, as others are to theirs. I`ve been boycotting despite having paid for my season ticket, because I think there are genuine concerns. For what it's worth, I don't actually think it's going to get me/us anywhere now because our fan base is quite apathetic. With regards to "leave it to the proper fans", I`m sure there are many of us boycotting who might be classed as proper fans. Now.... let me think..... decades of support.... trips to the south coast, Barrow on a freezing Tuesday night.... driving back from Swansea midweek in the pissing rain having had my windscreen put through by the Jacks (!)... tens of thousands of pounds spent............. bucket shaking when the chips were really down..... holidaying in the Isle of Man just to watch my team in a pre-season tournament..... please could you consider my application to be a "proper fan"

Same here - often sing my head off - I wasn't there (season card holder) - wish I had been tbh. Seems like "the protesters" are dwindling rapidly though?

0-0 away at West Ham one Tuesday night (might have been Wednesday) in the very early 80's. Memorable because :- 1) I think there was only our "van full" there that night from Oldham - so seven of us - seriously. 2) Never laughed so much seeing my mate running towards the van being chased by a large gentleman wielding a machete! He was screaming, "start the van, start the van" - transpired he'd not paid as much as he should have for the services of a lady in Soho - and the pimp was not amused. We got away safely. 3) We played well. It was a good 0-0 draw. We did make the mistake of singing one Oldham song in their main stand at the time - big mistake - later. 4) The West Ham fans were a sporting lot and applauded Latics off for their efforts. 5) It was only once outside the gound we realised it was a mistake having revealed ourselves by singing because there were literally hundreds of very mean looking skinheads on the hunt for us. One even asked one of us if we'd seen the "Norvern Cants" and my mate was as cool as a cucumber when replying in the negative in his best cockney accent! Call us shithouses but we would literally have been dead had we been found out. Great days they were when away support (for Latics anyway) was sparse to say the least (I even recall us only taking about 50 to Sheff Weds away) - the coppers threw us in the bloody Sheffield end - was a nightmare! The camaraderie amongst the loyal few was amazing.

I do know of two (from same family) very long-standing Latics fans who switched to Huddersfield - and are actually season ticket holders there. They have been for a number of years, so they won't be amongst these stats - but it does happen - how anyone can support Huddersfield after being an ardent Oldham fan is simply beyond my comprehension.

Don't know what happened there! (typo above). Apologies to Andy b as it appears my original question has opened a can of worms. I posted it (and saw Andy's answer) before dashing off somewhere (and I don't have a smartphone so only just seen the subsequent comments). I am quite happy with Andy b's reply - I`ve met him personally and he's a very level headed and committed fella. I know we all feel passionate about Latics, and messages on these boards can be miscontrued, but I`m sure the vast majority all have the same ultimate goal. Keep up the good work Andy b !

It would appear I`ve inadvertently opened a can of worms here - sorry to Andy b. My original question was a quite innocent one before I

Sorry to be a pain but I`m not on FB (and never intend to be) - are these people going to be at Latics on Good Friday at 9.30pm ? What a bloody strange time if so lol - nevertheless, I'd like to show my support, so please could someone confirm for me? Ta.

Careful mike.. you risk the wrath of the usual protagonists. For what it's worth though, completely agree - talk about "out of the frying pan and into the fire"! You couldn't make it up.