perfectOzblue

I think we beat them 4-0 that night. Palmer scored a bullet header. As Frankly Mr Shankly says, in the Championships-era days away fans got the Lookers Paddock, which could hold about 1100 fans. It was packed a couple of times when we played teams like Wolves and Newcastle. Only (I think) West Ham and Sheffield Wednesday had the whole of the RRE that season. I think some other teams with decent followings like Middlesbrough and Barnsley took the large section of the RRE, which I think could hold about 3000. I think a couple of times we also gave sides either the centre block - so standing underneath the scoreboard - or the block closer to the Lookers Paddock. I remember that match against Plymouth. It was Friday night game just before Christmas. We beat them (I think) 5-2 - cracking match. When they scored you could barely hear or see anyone celebrating. Bizarre as they've brought decent numbers on other occasions to BP. I think Oxford (who were complete cack that season, apart from smashing us 5-1 later in the year) only brought a handful of fans as well. Away fans also got a block of seats in the Main Stand - about 235. A bit miserly really. I still remember queuing for tickets for the Liverpool and Man U away matches just before the 91/92 season started. The line stretched from the ticket office out into the RRE. It was ace looking at the Chaddy End, which had just been converted to all-seater, and seeing the new lush grass pitch. Felt so excited! Christ I'm getting old....

Perth Glory have been struggling for the last couple of years and were pretty poor this season. They do though have a cashed-up owner (they had William Gallas this season, although he was injured for large spells) and have just signed one of the best players from one of their A-League rivals. And I guess Perth is probably nicer than Oldham on the face of it. Thoroughly dispiriting yet again though that one of our best players can again leave. Sometimes I think it's impossible that we will ever build a decent squad.

April 10th 1994 didn't happen. The FA Cup semi-final between Manchester United and Oldham Athletic didn't take place that year. The FA Cup doesn't exist. Mark Hughes doesn't exist. Manchester United isn't real. That's what I've told myself every day for the last 20 years. It helps me deal with it.

I was just watching one of those '20 years of the Premier league' fillers on Fox and it showed highlights of the Latics-Saints 'Great Escape' match. I thought that match would live in my memory forever, but I had forgotten one thing - Gunnar Halle's unbelievable miss after being set up by Ian Marshall. Would've made it 5-1, home and dry....And what was going on with the BP pitch that season?! Also, watching that program made me realise (yet again) how we missed the boat. Think of what happened in the two years after we went down. Jurgen Klinsmann...Euro 96 and the 'celebrification' of football....Beckham arrives...Sky TV money explosion...we well and truly blew it, didn't we.

Former loanee Fabio Ferreira has been in good form for Adelaide United in the A-league this season. He also has a tan he definitely didn't acquire at Cheltenham on cold Tuesday night.

http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2014/news/former-weekly-editor-in-bid-to-clear-footballer-of-rape/

Sir Andy Ritchie was usually brilliant...which is what made his miss at Reading which helped send us down to the hellhole of League One in 96/97 so painful.

I was at the match against Nuneaton earlier this season while back home on holiday. They played pretty well (and Nuneaton aren't mugs). Spencer looked a handy player up front and they played a neat counter attacking style. They should've won after taking a 2-1 lead on 90 minutes, but Belezika missed a cross and let his man in to score. Seemed a friendly place with decent pie and chips.

Now I know I've been away from home for too long. I could only understand about 50 per cent of that. "You bottomless get??". Still quality though.

Loved that site. Spent way too much of my time at uni between 1998-2001 faffing about it on rather than working. Did a couple of match reports on it as well. Have an image of them as a devoted middle-aged couple with a home filled with Latics gear/tat.

Thanks very much for putting these goals up. Really appreciate it.

I woke up in the middle of the night with my right eye hurting like hell and god knows what pouring out of it. A visit to the lovely people at Rochdale's Urgent Care centre today has confirmed that I have an eye infection. Sensible option would be to sit at home and take it easy as I fly back to Australia tomorrow. NO WAY am I missing this match today though, gimpy eye or not! I might be in pain and squinting from the Chaddy End but I really want to go to this match! Anybody else ever defied medical ailmets (more serious than this!) in their desperation to watch Latics?

Reid wasn't too bad for us. Solid left midfielder/wing back. Signed too late in 96/97 (along with Duxbury) to save relegation, but he looked okay in League One. He left to join Bury (may have followed Warnock there) a couple of years later. Latics fans gave him dog's abuse in both the home match of the season (think we won 2-0 to end a run of five straight defeats to open the season) and then in the return match at Gigg Lane. Anyway, after half-time he scored a penalty at the other end to equalise for Bury and opted to leg it back to the other end of the pitch to celebrate in front of us. Didn't help that (I think) Paddy Kenny also joined in an exuberant celebration for good measure. We re-took the lead but (again if memory serves) Andy Preece scored an injury time header to get them a draw. Apart from that, nothing about that match sticks in my memory!

"WE ALL DREAM OF A TEAM OF KOREY SMITHS.....". Ringo Starr would be proud.

The main difference for me is that I feel our last two managers (maybe three, although I have a soft spot for Shez) have just spouted typical "let's get at 'em," style quotes all the time and have given me no confidence whatsoever that we're going anywhere. When LJ says things like, "this group of players can win promotion,"though, I honestly believe him.

Racing the length of the pitch to celebrate our late winner (either Cooksey or Eyre) at home to QPR in 2003/04 was my favourite Pogs moment. Didn't he also have a blinder at QPR away that season in a 1-1 draw? Paul Murray scored a cracker for us as we inched to safety.

I recently met Liam Miller, the former Man U player who now plays for Brisbane Roar. Nice bloke. I asked him if he'd ever played at Latics. He said he couldn't remember, but said he'd met Ian Moore while they were both at Leeds who'd told him "a few stories" about Oldham. He didn't elaborate but did nod when I asked him if they were bad!

I think there was still a feeling of 'Wow, Latics are now spending 750k on players?!' so everyone was expecting him to be Pele. He was a bit lightweight and looked a bit disinterested at times (from what i recall) but you're spot on - he scored some pretty crucial goals and was really handy. if we'd had him fit for 93/94, rather than past-their-bests Sharpe and Palmer, inconsistent Beckford and not Premier League standard McCarthy, I think we'd have stayed up.

Yeah..didn't maybe Furlong (or Richard Pacquette) slam one from about eight yards - somehow he managed to push it over? Unbelievable save. AGAINST Latics, I remember Mark Tyler having an absolute blinder against us in a cup replay for Peterborough, maybe year 2000-ish?

Great shouts. Still love John Gilder's commentary on the 90/91 season video. "Currie...chance to make a name for himself...." just before he blasts one into the net against County. Apart from that (and maybe a goal against Chelsea at the start of 91/92 I think?) he was terrible. Imagine if we'd had decent replacement strikers for Ritchie and Marshall rather than Moulden and Currie in the Championship season. I'm with you as well - I would defend Olney forever as a Latics player. If he'd stayed fit for 93/94 we might've stayed up. Banger started off really well but was utterly, utterly useless after he signed. Summed up our decline really.

Not sure why people are tipping Bradford as potential outsiders...okay, they had a dream cup run but they only just squeaked into the League Two play-offs. Can't see them being that great. Agree that it's going to be a pretty tough league this season. Brentford will be hard to stop. Peterborough and Bristol City are likely to be up there. Can't see Wolves storming the division as they've had so much turmoil in the last couple of years. Definitely think if we sign Rooney we could be a decent outside shout for the the play-offs. Would think Colchester, Stevenage, Port Vale and Shrewsbury are possibles for relegation.

Matthew Rush versus Swindon, 96/97. He was brilliant that day. We won 5-1, had us believing that we would stay up. Some hope. Also seem to remember John Gannon (who was absolutely gash in his few appearances) returning after several months out and actually having a decent match. Must've been a night game, maybe 1995-ish. He WAS terrible though.

Yeah, remember the latter - think he let a soft one in against Cardiff on the opening day and then spilled on into the net to gift a very poor Wycombe side a win against us at BP. Thank Christ he improved. Also remember Kelly somehow punching one into his own net at Swindon away in a horrible night match loss, early 2001. Only recall it so clearly because I was at Cardiff Uni at the time so didn't have to travel far back and I did the match report for the old JKLatics site. See also: Gerrard gifting Weasel Sheringham two goals with terrible kickouts against Spurs, early 93/94.

Another distraction for the Aussies as they prepare for round two... http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/michael-clarke-called-shane-watson-a-cancer-on-the-team-says-former-coach-mickey-arthur-20130716-2q26s.html

Still plenty of time before the start of the season but those other three teams would be among my list of probable relegation candidates. Walsall have lost key players and are/were perennial cellar dwellers. Carlisle weren't great last season and seem to be going backwards. A lot of the promoted clubs (unless they are cashed up) tend to struggle so I think Port Vale are likely to be in the bottom four. I think it's worth a punt.