ThaiLatic

A couple of promotions and I could be watching The Latics in Bangkok in a few years Seriously, this is just ridiculous. I'm speechless!!

An interesting question. I don't really have a "hometown". I was born in Oldham and ALL my family come/came from Oldham but I left there in 1975. I spent my adolescence and early adult years in the Burton area before moving to Cumbria. I then moved back to Burton. In 1997 I moved to Thailand. I've lived in SriRacha almost as long as I lived in Oldham. I'll always support the Latics but certainly don't consider Oldham to be "home". In fact I don't even consider England to be "home" anymore and haven't for a long time but I continue to cheer for the national team. I support my local team here and Thailand when they play internationals. I think I'm with Ian Brown on this one. "It's not where you're from, it's where you're at!"

But I'm seriously beginning to worry that it's my fault we're still in the 3rd division. I was initially only coming to Thailand for 12 months and thought that it would be a good break and when I returned the Latics would be back in the second division. However, nearly 11 years later I'm still over here and Oldham are still down there!! Coincidence?!!

That was the exact moment I decided to emigrate!! Seriously!!

You live in Burton on Trent and support Oldham Athletic?!!! What kind of nutter would make that journey every other week for a "home" match? Shame on you. You should be following the Brewers. Your hometown club

My memory isn't what it was but I'm pretty certain it was a Saturday night. However, I've been wrong before! Maybe it took me longer to get home than I thought!!! My close up came just after Pat Nevin had been brought down and was receiving treatment. I think that this was also the match when The Shed decided to single out Gary Hoolickin for a load of "gingerist" stick. He earned himself a round of applause by going over to them at the end and clapping them!! Brave man!! The journey home was also interesting. A few of us were waiting for the tube train at Fulham Broadway(?) and looking over our shoulders. When the train arrived, it was packed full of Newcastle fans. Thinking we were Chelsea fans they were about to wade into us when someone piped up, "We're from Oldham." Their mood changed and they welcomed us aboard with open arms.

Was that the Chelsea match when we lost 3-0 against the Dixon, Nevin, Speedie era team? If so, I was there and featured in close up on MOTD leaning against a crash barrier in my Bunnymen mac!! However, this was shown on Saturday night as I can remember just getting home in time to watch it!! We used to get tiny away followings in the late '70's and early '80's. I remember one match at Ashton Gate during this period when there were about a dozen of us there. A few Bristol fans had come in to our end looking for trouble but ended up chatting and smoking with the Latics fans. Lowest number of Latics fans for a relatively short journey must be Sheff Wed away after the "riot" match. There were less than 50 of us there tucked away in a small section with the home fans on the Kop. Very unpleasant!! Southport away on Easter Monday, 1974 gets my vote as the most away fans for a league match. What a great 4 days that was!! Three wins in three matches. Also, it would be interesting to know how many fans travelled to Plymouth when we won the league on that Tuesday night. Not many, I bet!!

This isn't really much help to you but I once took a suitcase into Vicarage Road. I'd been staying with a friend in London (where I also saw The Telescopes!!) and stopped off at Watford, to watch the Latics, on my way home. I had no trouble getting the case into the ground and the policemen on duty didn't even want to search it once I'd told them it was full of a weeks dirty washing!! It even came in useful as a makeshift chair during the match, as this was in the days before all - seater stadia. If it had been big enough I probably would have climbed inside as we were awful that day, eventually losing 3-0!!

I think that this is the reason that Don Revie changed the L**ds kit to white (and not the myth that he wanted them to look like Real Madrid). The thinking being that white is easier to pick out in a split second. It's also why Jack Charlton introduced the broad white band to the front of the Middlesbrough shirt in the early '70's. And, I believe, why teams choose to wear white socks. However, as our home home socks are white this doesn't appear to be working for us!!

There may be some mileage in this shirt business. I went to watch Chonburi play Jonbuk Hyundai Motors (Korea) in a pre season friendly on Sunday and the visitors were wearing a fluorescent green kit. My word did they stand out under the floodlights!!

As getting to tonight's match would involve a 12,000 mile round trip for him, I don't think he'll be that bothered.

Having given this some thought I remembered that the last time (only time!!) we played an "away" match at BP we lost to Blackburn!! Maybe we should just accept our fate and look forward to Swansea on Saturday

To take this a step further................... We could give up the other three sides of the ground to the Carlisle fans and all the Latics fans can sit in the RRE. The police could then keep you all in for 20 minutes after the match (or not!!). The teams can switch dressing rooms. Shez and the subs sit in the away dugout. Don't play "Mouldy Old Dough" before the match. Get someone with a north Cumbrian accent to make the announcements over the PA. Ask Joe Laidlaw or Jimmy Glass to make the half time draw. Anyone who iintends going to the match should set out at least two hours earlier than they usually do for a home game. It's worth trying anything to get us a home win

The match at Bristol Rovers on the Saturday between the two Easter fixtures v Southport in 1974 was on MOTD. It may be worth trying the BBC. I'd love to see some footage of Gus!!

And, did anyone else own a "It's Hell With Groves" window sticker? I bet they'd be worth a fortune on e-bay!!!

Spot on. I used to sit on the wall right on the half way line in the Broadway Paddock during this time. Alan Groves was an absolute legend. He was/is my mum's favourite ever Latics player. I remember one match when he refused to tackle or even chase balls anywhere other than on the touchline. Someone in the crowd shouted, "Get stuck in Groves". He replied that the boss (Frizz) had told him to stay out on the touchline and that's what he was doing!! A genius. A unique talent and someone that I am proud to say I saw play for Oldham Athletic. Can anyone else remember the Chaddy End chanting "Groves is a Golliwog" when he returned to BP as a Blackpool player?

I've finally got my hands on a copy of "This Is England". I intend watching it tonight after I get in from playing football. I can't wait!!

I hope that he does get a good reception and I'm sure that he will. A great player and a thoroughly decent bloke. I also hope that he goes home unhappy!!!

A point gained. My boss is a Gillingham fan (or Charlton, depending on which way the wind is blowing!!) so defeat would have been unbearable.

I currently have my dad staying with me and yesterday he was bemoaning the fact that he would miss a lot of Latics matches whilst he was here. (Stop smiling, Diego!!) As he, and my mum, are season ticket holders who go to every home game but very few away matches we calculated that they would miss six, or possibly seven (Port Vale away). As I pointed out to him, my last match was Scunthorpe away in the League Cup, August 2003, it has been nearly five years since I last saw Oldham Athletic "in the flesh". I was wondering, what is the longest anyone on here has gone without watching The Blues? And you'd better have a good enough excuse. Like mine!!!

I go to watch the mighty Chonburi FC every week. We won the Thai Premier League last season and will be playing Champions League football next season. I also go and watch the Thai national team whenever they play at home. However, my loyalty is being tested at the moment as Wacky Tacky seems to be using them as his own personal PR exercise. He couldn't have cared less about football, not even Thai football, whilst he was PM but now seems to be it's number one fan. What a c o c k that man is!!!! I used to go and watch Burton Albion at Eton Park when I lived in the area. Likewise Carlisle and Netherfield (now Kendal Town) when I lived in Cumbria.

Not a drive but a train journey. And a long walk!! Brighton away in the early '80's. We lost 4-0 and it took an absolute eternity to get back to Burton on Trent on the train via the south coast and London. Even after arriving at Burton station I still faced a momumental walk home in the wee small hours. Freezing cold, wet, tired and miserable. Hated every minute of it!!! Worst drive home was probably after watching us lose away against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park during our relegation season from the Premier League. The drive down wasn't much better; roadworks, hold-ups and getting lost (doesn't everyone get lost looking for Selhurst Park?!). The only high point was when a Wimbledon fan gave me a free ticket as I approached the ground fifteen minutes after kick off. To make matters worse, it was a midweek match and I had to get up for work the following morning, after rolling in totally fed up at some unearthly hour!! Arrrggghhh!!!

Bangkok Post http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=124897 Siam Gila http://www.siamsport.co.th/25510106-036.html

A very merry Christmas and Sawasdee Pee Mai from Thailand. Here's hoping for a happy and prosperous new year for all Latics fans wherever you may be. Best wishes ThaiLatic

Do those things still go on at the FA? I thought all that nonsense stopped after Sv*n and Mark Palios left!!