Nohairdontcare

Martin Ling formally of Layton Orient is 'emerging as a shock candidate' according to newswires...

I work in a newsroom. The newswires like Mercury etc, aren't online. They're only on newsdesk computers so apologies but I can't post a link. I did post a cut-and-paste from the Mercury newswire that was forwarded to me by a colleague on the newsdesk - that's about as much as I can do. I've seen the report on his computer screen too, so he wasn't winding me up.

Eh, no I won't.

Oops - it's on the Mercury newswire, not PA.

Nice one Diego - you should work for the Press Association.

This is what's going out on the PA newswire... Joe Royle is quitting as Oldham boss next week after a brief nine game spell at the League One outfit. The veteran boss held talks over extending his stay but the two parties have decided to go their separate ways. Royle rejoined Oldham for a second stint in March with high hopes of guiding them into the play-offs. But has he failed to win any of his eight matches in charge and his final game will be Saturday’s clash with Walsall. In his time at the club Royle has made huge cost savings with Lee Hughes being sent out on loan to Blackpool and Steve Kabba and Andy Liddell also being moved on.

Sorry if this has already been posted or is common knowledge, but I've just seen that the Press Association are reporting that Joe's leaving next week.

We need luck. Haven't had any for years. Some money would be good too.

One of my mates in Cork looks like Lee Hughes - aka he's bald as a cue ball - and he has been on at me for a while to bring him over to a Latics game... I've two other mates who've been over with me before too, so I can probably round them up before the end of the season. So that's four of us - not exactly a plane load but hey, it's a start!

Well there is certainly at least one lifelong Irish Oldham fan in Dublin - I'm one... My grandfather was from Oldham so I inherited supporting Latics via my father. I'm glad you had a good time over here - and any time I'm over in Oldham it has always been great fun talking to other 'tics in the bars and all that. A lot of my friends always keep a close eye on the Oldham result because there are connections between Ireland and Oldham that go back to Denis Irwin - and people haven't forgotten our classic cup runs... Funnily enough, I often wear my Oldham jersey out to the pubs here and am often asked by people if I'm from Oldham, they're often surprised to hear my Irish accent when I answer... Sheridan is a hero here because he was such a classy player for Ireland - even when Jack Charlton just wanted the team to kick and run... I remember Oldham played a friendly against Cobh Ramblers in Cork years ago that I went to with my dad, but there hasn't been a Latics friendly in Ireland since... perhaps it's time for another one?

My mate who is a football reporter in Dublin was telling me about George last night - he rates him fairly highly and reckons he could do a good job for us. He is very popular in Cork, he's a skinny enough lad but a powerful enough attacking midfielder. He's a bit of a jack-the-lad too and doesn't mind a pint or the occasional bet on the horses - overall, he would be a good signing for us. So says my mate anyway.

I love defenders that make defending look easy - Jobbo did that, as did Irwin... they always looked unphased.

I love a good old fashioned row. No I don't. Yes I do. No I don't. Why don't I go off and support manure then? I don't need supporters like me around here...

I've always liked Les - chatted to him once and he was genuinely friendly - sad if he goes, and I wish him all the best.

I reckon that we'll scrape into the playoffs - but for some reason I think scraping in will be an advantage. I think the teams above us will be under more pressure from their fans but if we scrape in we'll be on a high - and so the team will perform better... Of course like all my football theories that's based on nothing whatsoever, but hey, I like the sound of it!

I read somewhere (possibly even on here) that Scholes doesn't have an agent. That alone gives me hope he'll play for us...

Ta Mark!

Lads, if anyone on here knows Dave Roberts tell him the Irish lad he met in Cobh said to say hello and best wishes and keep the faith. Unlike back then, I can buy a pint legally now so I'll be sure to get the first round in if we run into eachother again...

I always suspected that there would be people on here who were at that Cobh Ramblers game Martjs! I remember being a bit in awe of the players as they strolled off the pitch - Nick Henry was particularly nice to me and had a chat... Then Sharp walked past me with a scowl - might have been something to do with my old man shouting BRING BACK ANDY RICHIE at the top of his voice right beside the Latics subs bench after Gunnar Halle had blasted a shot over the bar! I even remember the Cobh Ramblers manager coming over to me in the second half asking for tactical advice, cos he knew I knew a bit about the latics players... boy didn't I feel important for a young lad! The Latics fans I met after that game were a really great bunch and got us in on a photograph and let me and my mate hold the flag... what a day!!!

Interesting thread this! I think Dave Roberts is the chap I met many years ago when Latics came to Cork to play Cobh Ramblers (a dire 0-0 draw with Sharp as manager - and no Andy Richie!) ... I was just a young lad then, but it was brilliant to meet Dave and the lads after in the small clubhouse for a couple of pints (yes, I think I was under the legal drinking age!)... I can remember swapping addresses with Dave - but being a silly teenager I lost the slip of paper I had his on. Yet - presuming I have the right guy here - there's still a Christmas card every year since then from the London based Latics! At a Latics match about 9 years ago in Boundary Park (the last one I went to with my Dad, who is responsible for bringing me up a Latics fan, before he passed away in 2000) I put a note up on the notice board in the Clayton Arms thanking anyone who was at that Cobh Ramblers match for some good post-match memories. If I have the right guy, and anybody can pass this on to Dave, can you pass on Christmas greetings for the last 15 years or so? I certainly owe him quite a few Christmas pints!

Cheers lads... Since I told my mates the Bunn shirts were in the pipeline they've become a much saught-after, must have fashion statement over this way!

Sorry to be so impatient lads - but any idea when the Bunn t-shirts will be in the official site shop? I have two non-latic supporters here in Ireland who want one now... The six of the best really appealed to supporters of bloody brilliant football.

This guy is clearly a disaster... does anybody think another club would be duped into signing him? One other thing, it is sad - no matter what - to see a guy who once had obvious talent make a big mess of what could have been a good career. I'm sure there are players with a quarter of the talent he had who have and will go on to achieve greater careers. What a waste.

One point hammered home to me yesterday - as players agreed to join us then vanished - is how tough the whole business of bagging players is. Like it or not, we're in a position where agents (hiss) can screw us over and over again and that's what's happening. So, I'm not happy with the activity and I'm sure Shez isn't either. Agents = scum of the game.

Shocking stuff. sickening.