Scapegoat

I'm another in the "I don't think he'll sign camp". Yes he has enjoyed his time at Latics and has made some good mates etc, but in the end its a job, and he'll go where there is the best deal. And we cannot compete financially with other teams that might be interested in him. Also I think if he's going to sign for us. it would be in time to play at Everton. Massive game, which the squad must be anticipating eagerly. Cannot see him missing out on the game and then joining us later. I wish him well - even if he goes to another League One side and comes back to haunt us (which to be honest - is more than likely)

Nice. Though one that could be painfully out of tune...

I am definitely in the former camp - its a while back now, but I seem to recall Sharp being out for 10 games due to injury and Latics form during that period was awful. I really believe he did a great job for us. Not the most charsimatic of players I'll grant you, and a terrible choice for manager, but in terms of his input to the team - worth it. I think we'd have stayed up that season if he wasn't injured for those games.

This thread is diverting into players we just hate, rather than ones that we hated then signed for us. But G Sharp - disagree. A class player at BP in my opinion and very underated - he was out for a while whilst we were in the top division and the results showed it. He hled the ball up, and brought players into the game incredibly well and helped the rest of the team. Still - that miss near the end of the semi-final.....he would have been a LEGEND if he'd have put it 6 inches t'other way...

Pretty much warm to them via the "he may be a w*nker, but he's our w*nker now". Though some more than others obviously. I'd imagine, Savage fits into that criteria. Complete git who winds up opposition players and fans - great when he does it FOR your team. Agree with Wellens though - never felt he was truely a Latic.

Crikey! Another exciting day at BP in what is noramlly a very quiet period of the year. TV programme being filmed at BP. Link? Don't know - I kind of hope so, otherwise it present some ominous signs for the future. Compensation payment. Always struck me as a bit odd this with regards to Porter. My understanding on the reason behind this system was that if that a young player moved on after his contract the club that developed him got some recognition of the time and money invested in him - via a financial payment. For my money the Porter situation is not in the spirit of this rule. Bury were the team who put the time and effort into developing a youth player to a decent professional standard - they got financial reward via our transfer fee. We bought a player, didn't sell him when we had the chance instead took a risk and gambled on promotion (that we felt he might help us acheive). We didn't get promoted, we have offered a deal to stay, if he doesn't stay he should by rights be able to go elsewhere for free. Yes the change in the rules regarding football has made the player more incontrol and not the clubs - but at the end of the day they are people who deserve the same employment rights as anyone else, and that is why the rules changed. It might not feel right to the supporters, but then again niether is treating a footballer differently to other progressionals. Tough luck I'm afraid IMO. OK if he goes to an English side, by the letter of the rule we will get something, but I'd imagine the money would be low as we have not invested lots of development into him, just signed a player and he didn't renew his contract. If we wanted the cash, we should have taken the £700k. TTA gambled with the Porter money, and have lost. The response is 'odd' and is the first real 'chink' in what IMO until now has been a relativelely strong and positive public image. There are all sorts of rumours re QPR etc. And to be honest if TTA go, but we end up owned by someone else who keeps us afloat I'd still thanks them for saving the club and wish them well.

My two penneth. The footballer the player he was when the incident happened was a far higher standard than anyone else in League One. The 'premiership' tag is a little generous, more a Top quality Championship player playing for a team struggling in the Prem. 3 years is a long long break from the game, both physically and mentally - and given where he is, there is no way of acertaining whether he can ever be the player he was. But, as long as the deal doesn't cripple Shez's options for strengthening/retaining the squad from a financial point of view, then on a footballing front it seems like a worthwhile risk. How else could we get a player of that potential? The criminal convition Tough one. Any individual that is convicted of a criminal offence and has served their sentence has the right to return to society (some offences carrying lifetime restrictions e.g. holding a fire-arm licence, working with children etc). Because that person was a professional footballer and therefore attracted more media attention, should not change that. On that basis - he has the right to do what he is doing. You may (myself included) feel that the severity of the sentence and the length of it served is perhaps inappropriate, but in the end he is about to be released and should be allowed to re-start his life. There are many criminals whose crimes seem particulary unacceptable - drink driving is one of them - but our system does not diferentiate this. Oldham Athletic The fact that its Latics that have decided to take the decision to employ him is interesting as it makes our club the centre of a lot of attention, some of it unwanted. The club will attract media attention. The fans will attract strong views from opposition fans (terraces and messageboards). The player will attract abuse from oppostion fans (home fans?) and players. The club can hopefully deal with this - the media attention will fade after he has played a few games (unless he gets into more trouble). The fans will probably rally behind him from the terraces and he will become a kind of cult figure - its the Fergie "everyone hates us" mentality that will probably make a lot of our fans close ranks. Also because he his playing for us, we will choose to support him due to cognitive dissidence (look it up!) and the alternative option is to not-support a Latics player. Many of the comments on here and JK saying give him a chance etc. would be in the other camp if Tranmere / Blackpool etc. Because its Latics, we feel more like backing the situation. Its natural. Therefore we can expect a large amount of baiting from opposition fans - and all I can say is I hope we rise above it. It terms of the player. He is going to have to be incredibley strong mentally to cope with the 'sledging' etc he will get. I don't know what his temprement was like before this - but can you imagine the needle he will get almost every game? It could be this, not his footballing ability that is the biggest risk. There is a danger that the one individual and associated circus could detract from the rest of the team and be a disruptive factor. Equally there is the risk that he gets his head down, doesn't react, and scores 25 goals. In the end I fall onto the 'give him a chance' side of the fence. I know people that have served prison sentences, and I know how difficult it is to get a foothold back into normal society (jobs etc) - so I believe in the second chance (or 3rd or 4th in some circumstances). But there are some harsh and difficult times ahead for Lee, the club and ourselves if he does indeed pull on the blue shirt.

Reported as a rumour by 5Live this morning - though called Chris Harris from Oldham. Could be them just reporting based on the previous media specualtion.

Living in Yorkshire I REALLY want the 'big time charile' mentality Leeds Fans to suffer. But as my Borther-in-Law supports City - they'd be a close second. Think City are safe - and Leeds are so close to safety they will get out though. But we can dream

You have the Roger Rap? I'll PM you if so. And worse? Who let the Owl out perhaps?

Anyone got this in MP3 format? Also the Roger rap and Fanfare for the Common man would be good as well.

Fanstastic. Cheers - will be a superb ringtone on my new phone!

Only 2nd to go for? Probably right, but then again we win Scunthorpe lose on Saturday and its back on ins't it. THat's why football is a great sport. 2 bad results and still in second. Unbelievable - need to put it right on Saturday though, cannot slip up again. At a similar time of the season in our last promotion season we lost 2 on the bounce and it worked out alright. Come on Latics, sort it out.

and chance, and chance, and chance. "Goal Machine" being the most guitly by sounds of it.

"Porter rounds the goalkeeper............[silence], its difficult to describe" ARRRGGGHHH

My Latics World is sllllooooooowwwwwwww. The post above and Sky sports reported the goal before I heard it on LW. Pay for live commentary and don't get it. Knackers - cannot see us bagging 2.

Ronnie's Rovers back in it. Take a point tonight lads - come on. The non-league assasin to come off the bench and save us???

Season-defining game? Hmm. Not sure about that. If it wasn't Vale Park maybe, but if you looked up bogey ground in the Oldham Athletic dictionary, it would have a picture of that bloody place. Not ideal if we lose - but it would be a minor slump - worst case 4th spot (if Bristol won their game in hand) and a point off second. And still 10 points clear of Play-offs. Wellens and Gregan back and all to play for.

Plenty of time yet, but we will see what our back-up players can do. My fear has been that we would struggle if we lost key players - time will tell.

Weird??

How live is LW commentary? Soccer Saturday had it down as FT on the vidiprinter a good 2 minutes before Gordon agreed on the commentary.

Also anyone know any good sites to see detailed stats on Latics and the individual players? Wondered what Taylors shots/shots on targets figures are? How many corners we have had this season and how many goals we score from them (I have a theory that we have the worst record on any team with corners)? etc etc

Eeek...really under cosh now by what I can tell from LW. Come Gregan and the boys....try and keep them out.

Yeolvil have come back. Good result if they get a win in Cumbria

Sounds more even 2nd half. Come on lads