Diego_Sideburns

No!! All competitions exclude family members (or cheats) from entering.

Welcome parigby. It's good to have someone else on here who has been supporting Latics for as long as I have. Don't let these young whipper-snappers grind you down.

It's nothing to do with Latics.

No.

If you're willing to sing, come into the Chaddy where a warm welcome awaits.

No.

No.

No, but it's during the close-season.

No, but Latics' fans and other fans still empty glasses before matches during the close-season.

They're all in the bars busy emptying glasses.

No.

It's not - think outside the box!

Here's something to exercise the grey matter and pass the hours before the fixtures are announced tomorrow. Where is the picture and what was the match? http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1238/543929...8aa20ee.jpg?v=0

I know who my money is on for first goal in our defeat at Vale Park next season, with all those chavs to our left der der der-ing!!

The rarely wrong Stoke Sentinel says Rocky has been signed by Vale after being released by Latics from the final year of his contract.. http://www.thesentinel.co.uk/displayNode.j...;pNodeId=158418

Now you're beginning to sound like a Latics' fan talking about Chris Porter!

Psychic or what?

I bet our new friend can't wait to tell us that two of our players are being unveiled as Vale signings tomorrow. Does he know whether Constantine is coming to us?

You mean a photo like this one of me and oafc_ok with Rick, when he was playing for the Isle of Man in 1997. When Rick was based in the Isle of Man he had a job as a physiotherapist at the hospital and a successful private physiotherapy practice. He was also player/coach/physiotherapist for the Island's International team. He also played for Peel and helped them to win trophies and boosted their gates considerably. In the 1998 pre-season tournament Latics played the Isle of Man to determine which team would get the wooden spoon. I bought a Manx decorated wooden spoon, with the intention of getting Rick to present it to Stitch (then Latics' manager), but Stitch avoided the embarrassment by bringing himself off the bench to get the only goal of the game. I took the spoon with me each year after that, but we never did as badly again. The Island's only win against a professional club was when Burnley were the victims. When Stitch was acting manager at Barnsley, Rick was the physio, and then he was Stitch's Assistant when apointed manager. Even then Rick was still playing for Embsay (where he was born and bred), whenever his Barnsley commitments allowed. _____________________________________________________________________ When Rick was appointed at Barnsley a Sheffield newspaper interview read: From early days the Skipton born all-rounder was well aware there is plenty going on outside football. He played rugby union and cricket to semi pro level and was determined to study. "I enjoyed the core sports, tend to think that I could have been successful in any of them. "Rugby certainly equipped me well for football, I was well used to the stuff dished out by so called hard men of the day," he recalled. He was offered full-time terms with Burnley as a youngster but insisted on completing a sports science degree at Carnegie College, Leeds, before opting for football. That achieved, his career really kicked off at Halifax. He moved on and up the leagues to Watford, playing on the opposite wing to former Barnsley boss Glyn Hodges before he switched to Oldham for the first of two spells. Peter Reid splashed out £90,000 to take him to Manchester City. "I'd admit to the City fans that they didn't see the best of me, though we reached the cup quarter-final," he said. Some small consolation is that last year Holden was in the Man City side that won the Masters' tournament for the over 35s. At that time he was coaching amateurs and settled on the Isle of Man. The call from Barnsley followed in June this year. "Oakwell has and always will have a poignant memory for me. It was September 8 1990, Oldham had won 1-0 with Ian Marshall heading in and we went top of the league...we were celebrating. "I remember it, not because it was the day before my birthday but because Dave Longhurst collapsed and died at York on the pitch. He was 25. We were at Halifax together. It puts everything perspective." _______________________________________________________________ I think I'm right in saying Rick's favourite tipple was Theakston's Old Peculiar, which he had sent over specially to the Isle of Man. Danny Standring and his mates would know as they spent many nights drinking with Rick on the Island in '97. Rick is back on the Island as manager of Peel. This link includes a link to an interview with Rick last month after Peel had beaten St. Mary's 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out to win the Cup for the 30th time, after a poor game. http://www.iomonline.co.uk/isle?articleid=2860490 So rickholden27, unless Rick gets a job with Stitch at Huddersfield, you'll have to go to Peel to get that dream photo you want so badly. I once read a story from a Citeh fan, who remembered Rick demolishing Perry Groves' wedding tackle with a strong clearance, then holding both arms up to the crowd in triumph as Groves writhed in agony. So he's remembered for something at Citeh! One other memory of mine. In the build-up to Latics' Wembley League Cup Final, Rick and Andy Rhodes did a TV sketch based on the 'Alas Smith and Jones' TV series, with the pair of them sat facing each other at a table, with a funny script, while trying not to laugh - absolutely brilliant! Is anyone still doubting why Rick is a legend?

Rick could cross the ball (in modern terms) like Beckham, but Rick could do it with both feet. He was also prone to going down easily but clumsily - the only part of Rick's game that Chris Taylor has copied effectively so far. My favourite Rick moment was when he was playing against us at Maine Road. He was running down the wing in front of the Latics' fans, when he dived following a slight challenge and won a free kick. A chorus of boos came from the Latics' fans. Rick was still on the ground and he raised himself onto one elbow, turned to the Latics' fans and winked. The boos turned to a round of applause for his cheek! When Mrs Sideburns and I were in the Isle of Man we drove from Douglas to Peel one morning and called in at Peel's ground, where Latics were training. We'd been listening to a tape I have of radio commentaries on Latics' great cup ties. Rick was stood at the side of the Peel pitch and we talked to him about those games on the tape. He reminisced with us and said it was impossible for such a team to ever be assembled again.

Shez has been looking for a big mouth to organise from the back.

These were the scenes after the final whistle. On the second picture, is the lad with red hair standing on the fence Paul Scholes? http://farm1.static.flickr.com/244/5162194...988955d.jpg?v=0 http://farm1.static.flickr.com/224/5162194...f5b22c4.jpg?v=0 http://farm1.static.flickr.com/204/5162194...12c5df9.jpg?v=0

Correct! I might have known you would remember it. 27th April 1991. The crowd waiting for the final whistle so that they could celebrate Latics getting back into the top flight for the first time in 68 years.

Where and when was this picture of Latics' fans taken? http://farm1.static.flickr.com/221/5161258...111deb4.jpg?v=0

Ian Wood was signed by Gordon Hurst, who had played for Charlton Athletic, before retiring from football. He worked for Oldham Council in the Treasurer's Department (I played with him for NALGO) before being appointed Latics' manager. I believe Ian Wood's total of 525 league games over 14 years' service is still the Club's appearance record. In the 1967-68 season he wore seven different numbered shirts, and in the last game of the season he wore the No. 10 shirt and scored a hat-trick in the 3-5 home defeat by Bristol Rovers.