Scapegoat

just joined and discovered that my Oldham Pathetic moniker is not unique :-(

I do feel blessed to have been supporting the club in those early days. I was in my early teens when I started to follow Latics more than the occasional game - remember the Play-off heartbreak and then the 'Pinch Me' season. Then my first fully committed world cup in the summer (watching every game, filling out the wall-chart, collecting the Pannini stickers) saw England progress to the semi-finals. The following season was truly amazing, never out of the top 2 all season, playing some absolutely superb football home and away, and then to win the title in dramatic fashion. A comfortable 1st season in the top division, followed by the great escape and then finally last day relegation and another FA cup semi-final replay defeat. A few seasons later as a young adult England host a remarkable home Euros (ending in another semi-final defeat) and I was convinced that Latics would continue to be a good team with a chance of going back up..... Looking back on those early days of being a football fan - I realise how lucky I was. Both club and country played good football and seemed competitive and had hope.... I have never given up my ST and my newborn son will (if I have anything to do with it) become an Oldham fan - but I don wonder if I'd been born later and started to try and watch football in the last 20 years would I have caught the bug?? As for memories of those times - there are many (as much based on the Season videos I watched to destruction as the games themselves).... The titanic 3 match battle with Everton Getting locked out of Southhampton replay game Marshalls Hattrick away at Wolves first day of the season A jam-packed away end at Barnsley in the early season sunshine Finally seeing defeat against Port Vale and feeling crushed at the time 2-2 at Hull - seeing all of Fillary's 13 minute Latics career and two late goals to snatch a point from nowhere 2-2 away at Sheffield Wednesday in front of a packed house - at the time felt like the biggest league game I'd been to Barlows coach racing the Team coach on the way home after securing promotion away at Ipswich Queuing all night to get a Liverpool ticket - and celebrating Earl's early goal Seeing us beat Chelsea 3-0 at home on 'grass' Getting beat 4-2 away by Leyton Orient in the cup The draw away at Everton that seemed to kick-start of run to safety Beating Man Utd when we were bottom of the table The Great Escape run in - and the longest stoppage time in history (not a fact) Watching MOTD and seeing Latics every week....(albeit almost always last on) The feeling when Pointon scored at Wembley (not going to discuss the rest of that game) And (i think) still feeling we had a chance at half-time on the last day the we led at Norwich and other results were going our way...

Given that there has been no official announcement from the Ripley camp, but a number of interested clubs (ourselves included), I'd imagine that all possibilities are still live at the moment. I suspect that we have an offer on the table with his agent and his club - and we have a backup plan also lined up in case that doesn't get taken up. I imagine that the view is that he should be able to get a guaranteed first choice at a 'bigger' club than Oldham and on better terms - but it also seems as though his Dad/Agent is clearly focused on what is the right option for him at this stage of his career - and that appears rightly to be playing regular football. If any of the clubs linked (Bristol / Sheffield United / Blackburn etc) give the word that he is first choice - then that's where he will go. If they don't, it might be that he still does end up back at BP.

With the CR saga, it got me thinking about player motivations generally and how fans react to them. Ripley has a career choice to make - he might be able to stay at Boro and fight for a place that might never come (GKs are the least rotated positions surely) or move to a 'smaller' and/or lower league club and get regular football for a much lower wage. RM could potentially move to another club, whereby he would certainly earn more money but may not be first choice. What would you do in similar circumstances? Would you uproot your family to go to another company on less money - because it might be better for your career in the longterm? Tough sell I think. Makes the decision that Baxter made a few years ago where he turned down a contract at Goodison and came to us all the more remarkable.

We are a selling club - always have been, always will be. We need transfer income to help keep the books balanced. If RM is of interest and can command a transfer fee, we have to be sensible. The amount he can bring in is likely to be "undisclosed" as is our normal position - but the figure £600k is an interesting one. For Latics fans it seems generally fanciful as we are used to seeing our players go for low values (when known or rumoured), so £600k for a player that isn't substantially different quality to others we have lost does seem unlikely. But then on the other side, players from other clubs go for much better fees, and £600k is not a big amount in the grand scheme of football. Key factor might be in the number of clubs interested - is there are 2 or 3 after him, then that will generate a higher fee. £200k would still seem sensible given our over finances - but £600k and you take it every day.

Likely to be able to get Championship though, or at least a 'big League One' team? Location might be helpful for us though - easy to commute to if you are going to Huddersfield currently.

Oldham 1-1 Oxford (ht 1-0) Gardener 4210

Just paid and looking forward to my inaugural season. I suspect it will be like most of my Fantasy Leagues, in that I will forget most of the time and have players that no longer play for us in my predictions.

Would be a great acquisition. But it would impact on our ability to win the Checkatrade Trophy as he'll not be allowed to play against his parent club? Deal off ;-)

But Coleman and Ripley have shown that good young keepers can be decent. Need a mature experience centre half in front of them - but with Clark and Gerrard we have that covered.

If JB has turned down an offer at Everton that would certainly mean never playing first team football, I think that says he wants to play and not sit on a bench/or in the reserves and take the cash. In fact, when we first signed him hadn't he turned down a contract with them in order to get first team football?

I am tempted by the iFollow £110 sub and a VPN if it works - concern is that whilst a VPN will allow me to watch iFollow by fooling it into thinking I am not in the UK, its the process of setting it up in the first place I am unsure of. I will need to provide payment details and a billing address - as I don't have an international bank account I cannot see how I would get this to work? When people in Spain have Sky subscriptions, they are normally linked to a UK address and bank account I think. If someone gets this to work I am having it. I am a ST holder, and will still go to my normal amount of away games - but if I get 10-15 games a season on this I wouldn't normally see I'd be happy.

Colleague at work suggested that we are reportedly interested in Mansfield forward Matt Green according to their local press. His view was mixed. Has pace to burn and scored a bagful when they got promoted from the conference; signed for Birmingham but got injured almost immediately and barely played; came back to the Stags last season and scored c.15 but wasn't quite as good as last time. Wasnt sure if it was injury / not able to play at higher level / confidence. Also, needs a good target man alongside to get Best out of him (Holloway?).

Along with others, I'd take a different result in the 94 semi-final over the 90 final. But it's a tough call. A win against Forest, and we'd have actually won a major trophy. Something of a landmark. But without that wonderful season ending with nothing to show for it, I am not sure we'd have been quite so determined to get it right the next season - and maybe Promotion wouldn't have been achieved? And it felt like a 2 season build up to winning the Championship the next season. Either way I don't think that result had a negative impact on our future. 1994. Quite simply knocked the stuffing out of us, and from what I think would have been relatively easy safety and a chance to win the FA Cup - it resulted in us sliding out of the league. Many believe that goal changed our future for the worse...and I agree. As for the manhole...Chris Moore

It's very hard to see where this may end up. I don't think anyone is pleased to see B teams in the competition, and there is no doubt that you can argue it's the "thin edge of the wedge" and that money can buy a lot more influence than we'd like. Then there is the fact that the Premiership has loads of cash, lower league teams are desperate for it. And the then the adage that players develop better in genuinely competitive games - no amount of reserve football compares to games that count. Finally, the mere fact that B teams in the league format is a point of discussion, means that it's at least being considered at some level. It would be a siesmeic shift, akin to the formation of the PremierLeague, and would undoubtedly change our game. But there are lots of reasons why it wouldn't work - Premiership "fans" would never see it as a true representation of their club and therefore follow it and (more importantly) spend money to watch it on TV etc. I felt anything for reserve games when we had them. Therefore is there money in it? If not, it will fail.

Do people think that SC should be stumping up that kind of money (or even half of that) out of his own resources to keep our club going? I personally don't think he should be expected to, or condemned if he doesn't. He bought a club that was in serious financial trouble, and for the most part has kept the club going reasonably well. Its hand to mouth, and seasons where we don't get a bonus from a cup game / televised game(s) / player sale are obviously more challenging financially. He has stated that he is trying to seek to someone who might be able to put more money in, and there has been a modicum of improvement to our facilities. Id guess in the bottom 2 divisions we are on par with most in terms of financial stability - or lack of. Unless you have a benefactor, it's always a tightrope, and under SC we are still balancing. Mistakes have been made, and more will be made undoubtedly - but I do struggle with the insinuations that SC et al are bleeding the club dry.

I cannot remember when this FLT started - was it always a completion for the bottom 2 tiers? There was another cup competition - Simon / Zenith Data Systems etc that we played in during the late 80s/early 90s. Remember getting done 7-2 away at then 1st Division Sheffield United (we were 2-0 up!), and playing Man Utd away and losing a close game 1-0 - that if I recall both managers fielded a decent side for.

The inclusion of the B teams is a nonsense, that wasn't made as obvious this season because non of them made to the only match to get any real coverage - the final. Personally, having a cup completion for the lower league clubs, is something that has grown on me. I used to look at it with disdain 20 years ago, but it now represents a genuine chance to win something and get to Wembley for an enjoyable day out. Get the format right and the prize money and it would be amazing decent addition to L1 and L2 teams (maybe even conference) many of whom are out of the cups before Christmas.

The 89/90/91 team was full of players that seemed to always want the ball. Good players, in a team with confidence and real self belief, generally will look for the ball. The really great players are the ones that will do that when things aren't going well. More often than not it's a midfielder. I think Beckham v Greece in the qualifier at Old Trafford is perhaps the best ever demonstration of that I have seen. Over the last 25 years - its not something we have seen very often . Mentioned already, Sheridan did it - I think he saved us on his own one year under Ritchie. Duxbury - another that was always there with his head up. Eyres and Carss - together could control and take a game to the opposition. Kilkenny - in his first spell, alongside Croft, had it about him as well. Wellens, Baxter etc - could do it, but also went missing in too many games for me.

"Vast majority of clubs have signed up.." So only games of teams that have signed up will be available. If Latics are one, then home games will be available, but away games would depend on the "home club" having also signed up - so may not be all away games. VPN will no doubt get you access to the streaming site, but it's the "equivalent to £110 a season" that might be the issue. Payment will be electronic, and therefore via a Bank Transfer or credit/debit card - guessing the billing address might be the tricky point? No payment accepted from a U.K. Billing address? Paypal might solve, but I think they are still linked to your billing address? Get an overseas friend to buy and share details, and transfer the cash to them maybe. £110 for the season is tempting for away games and home matches you cannot make

I do wonder what sort of season we need to spark increased attendances. My suspicion is that supporters are far more easily lost than they are gained. Latics have a good start to the season and are top half - will we see a noticeable increase? I think probably not. Perhaps if we then have a good home game against a local rival, it might out a few hundred on. I think we'd need to be top 6 for a sustained period before we'd see an impact - particularly if we keep our low scoring resolute approach.

Agree with most of that. Dunne looked OK before injury, Ngoo could be a nuisance

I think based on the season pre and post Sheridans return - it's unfair to judge the performances of players before JS. Erwin, Banks, Green, Fane - all completely turned it around and I would be more than happy to see any of them in the squad next season. We have the basis of team capable of being top half next season - and would back anyone that Shez thinks should be here

Oops. Didnt realise we managed 3 seasons in the Championship before we got relegated to this league.

Last season a combination of Gerrard, Main and Palmer were all critical in keeping us up This season, it feels like the loan players were less impactful and our success was more about getting the most out of the existing squad (admittedly that included some loans e.g. Erwin). In previous seasons I recall Kilkenny and Croft appearing to transform our team into one full of attacking verve and confidence.