For you non - Oldham residents

[leeslover]

The funny (or odd) thing about this thread is that it has made me think again about if I bred kids down here in South London - clearly they would be given a certain level of guidance in terms of football team they supported (nudges along the lines of waterboarding, starvation and the like) but of they chose to support the local team then I don't suppose there is a lot you can do or fairly object to, within the confines of the law, and I guess that's how a fair few of you lot ended up coming to get your dads to take you to Latics. It just goes to show, poison their minds young and they are hooked before they realise the futile madness of it.

 

The other part of my musing is that any offspring of mine who don't support Lancashire at cricket will be sold off to work down some African diamond mines. Apparently you have to be cruel to be kind sometimes.

[Unbelievable Jeff]

I am an Oldhamer, my mum was from London (Chelsea fan) and she told me you support your local team, so took me to boundary park and I was hooked!! I moved about half an hour away when I was 11 and became surrounded by City and United fans but not once did the thought cross my mind that I should support any team other than the team where I am from!! I still live about half an hour away and go to most home games and about a quarter of away games (yes I was there on Tues!). The thing I am worried about is when I have kids, how can I get them to be Oldham fans and equally importantly how can I make sure they are not United or City fans?!!!

[Lags]

I am an Oldhamer, my mum was from London (Chelsea fan) and she told me you support your local team, so took me to boundary park and I was hooked!! I moved about half an hour away when I was 11 and became surrounded by City and United fans but not once did the thought cross my mind that I should support any team other than the team where I am from!! I still live about half an hour away and go to most home games and about a quarter of away games (yes I was there on Tues!). The thing I am worried about is when I have kids, how can I get them to be Oldham fans and equally importantly how can I make sure they are not United or City fans?!!!

 

Don't have Sky in the house, use Latics wallpaper in their bedrooms, make sure they always have a Latics strip and take them along to the matches from the age of 4. If that fails stop their pocket money and blame the wife/partner!

[Hometownclub]

Don't have Sky in the house, use Latics wallpaper in their bedrooms, make sure they always have a Latics strip and take them along to the matches from the age of 4. If that fails stop their pocket money and blame the wife/partner!

That sounds like a pretty comprehensive list of options, if all that fails you really are struggling.

[jimsleftfoot]

My Dad was a City fan who lost interest in football in the 80's for many reasons. He never really tried to influence me in regards to football which shows you how dissolussioned he must have been. He used to tell me stories of how he used to get the bus to the matches when he was a kid and the some of the players were sat at the back.

 

First match I ever went to was a Manchester Derby (must have been about 84). The atmosphere was good but the match was boring and I can't remember any of it. In actual fact, the only thing I can remember is the goal keeper warming up and asking my dad why he was running out his box and he replied that the game hadn't started yet.

 

I started supporting Oldham due to a couple of mates who were 4 years older than me (my brothers age). They were ardent Latics fans and always used to go on about all the different players. My brother went with one of them to Junior Latics but he never really liked football. First match I went to was Latics V Portsmouth in about 87. Another 0-0 draw where I spent most of the time running up and down the steps of the Lookers paddock. Yet again the only thing I can really remember was Andy Goram who after hearing so much about was amazed to see him in real life.

Edited August 29, 2008 by jimsleftfoot

[singe]

My Dad was a City fan who lost interest in football in the 80's for many reasons. He never really tried to influence me in regards to football which shows you how dissolussioned he must have been. He used to tell me stories of how he used to get the bus to the matches when he was a kid and the some of the players were sat at the back.

 

First match I ever went to was a Manchester Derby (must have been about 84). The atmosphere was good but the match was boring and I can't remember any of it. In actual fact, the only thing I can remember is the goal keeper warming up and asking my dad why he was running out his box and my dad saying that the game hadn't started yet.

 

I started support Oldham due to a couple of mates who were 4 years older than me (my brothers age). They were ardent Latics fans and always used to go on about all the different players. My brother went with one of them to Junior Latics but he never really liked football. First match I went to was Latics V Portsmouth in about 87. Another 0-0 draw where I spent most of the time running up and down the steps of the Lookers paddock. Yet again the only thing I can really remember was Andy Goram who after hearing so much about was amazed to see him in real life.

You were quite old then!!

 

It is amazing how many people have not been Latics fans all their lives. Good to see.

[fleetwood Blue]

I also tried to get my mrs hooked but chose a stinker of a game Peterborough at B.P. a few years back. It was 0-0 and about -10c, she hasn't been back since, not that im complaining.

Edited August 29, 2008 by fleetwood Blue

[DavidCollinge]

For me my family have always supported Latics so I have followed suit, the usual reasons tend to be for the above, which begs the question why don't more people support Latics? Especially these people who are born and bred in Oldham, probably have family who support Latics, some of you say lack of Marketing, other reasons may be just a lack of catchment area, it might just be a lack of success, in other threads we've tried to discuss how to solve the problems, but what would you say is the root of the problem? I'm torn personally

 

 

Growing up in Blackley in the 70s i can honestly say at our school (Plant Hill) Latics weren't on the radar even though they were the nearest ground at only 7mls. away, i can only remember one latics fan in the whole of our year and we all thought he was a bit weird!

I fell into the blue camp as my old fella was a red.

Converted to latics in the early 80s when i was old enough to make my own mind up re where i watched footie - reason, started drinking in Miggie and got in with an Oldham crowd.

For the past 20 years I have lived in Glossop and unfortunately i cannot say i have seen much change in peoples perception of our club.

It riles me to say this but we are an unfashionable, unglamourous, averge third division side and that is not going to change in the short term.

Reading some of the above comments it is obvious that most parents have enough trouble getting there own offspring to support Latics never mind kids from red and blue households.

We have to widen our net re. school advertising, lets get into the schools in some of Manchesters nearer suburbs Blackley, Moston, Crumpsall, etc. put together some family packages where 1 adult and 2 children can gain admission for the price of 1 adult and 1 child or variations on the theme. target the kids / families who do not currently watch live footie, make them welcome, put aside family areas where they can come buy refreshments easily, see the game without having the aggro of asking people in front to sit down. and not be subject to or in the vicinity of swearing louts.

BP is big enough to accomodate a lively banter filled area (RRE) and find places for the more reserved public.

[ghostofcecere]

Great thread this; really interesting to read about the different journey's we all took to find the light

 

[mahdlo99]

started life as an armchair Liverpool fan (80's) as we lived in Runcorn, then moved to Stockport and lived there from age 8-24 and took a lot of initial stick from Manure fans...

My dad worked in Ashton and his work colleague took him to the Frankie Bunn Scarborough game. My first game was Southampton at home in the cup I think and was in the lookers paddock. Remember getting my glasses nocked off and knocked about 10 rows down when we scored...(must have been 13years old)..

Then season ticket the following year and went to most home and away games that season.

Then many games through the years, but have been in exile for last 8 years, but tend to go to away games. highlights include West Ham away FACUP, won plenty of ££ and also Everton last season won some ££ again by getting both scores right

 

Took now wife to Cardiff away when she lived in Cardiff but she has not visited BP yet. We now live in between Leicester and Northampton. So plenty of opportunities for more away games this season. Junior latic on the way which may curtail funds but interested to see the many methods of creating the next generation of Latics.

[Scapegoat]

The funny (or odd) thing about this thread is that it has made me think again about if I bred kids down here in South London - clearly they would be given a certain level of guidance in terms of football team they supported (nudges along the lines of waterboarding, starvation and the like) but of they chose to support the local team then I don't suppose there is a lot you can do or fairly object to, within the confines of the law, and I guess that's how a fair few of you lot ended up coming to get your dads to take you to Latics. It just goes to show, poison their minds young and they are hooked before they realise the futile madness of it.

 

The other part of my musing is that any offspring of mine who don't support Lancashire at cricket will be sold off to work down some African diamond mines. Apparently you have to be cruel to be kind sometimes.

 

One the senior managers at work is a Forest fan, but moved up to Yorkshire in his 20s. He goes to about 50% of their home games and 'local away' games these days.

 

He told me the story that his son came home from school aged 7 and said he was a Manchester United fan because 'they were the best'. He told him it was OK and he could support United if he wanted to, but he'd never let him watch them on their TV, he'd never buy him a shirt / merchandise or ever take him to a game. His son then burst into tears.

 

He let him cry until he stopped. Then he told him that his view was still the same and he cried again.

 

The son now supports Forest and goes with him. He said he had to be cruel to be kind and that if he had come home and said he wanted to support the local team (Huddersfield) with his mates and go regularly, he'd have been upset but probably let him, but would not accept a 'glory hunting Utd fan'.

[jimsleftfoot]

You were quite old then!!

 

It is amazing how many people have not been Latics fans all their lives. Good to see.

 

Yep i'm 124 years of age now but sometimes I still get ID'd as people think im only 117.

 

My mate has converted his Prestonian Girlfriend to Latics even though she swears she hasn't. Her sister then came along to the Dale game and it took her 5 mins to refer to the Latics as "we". I hope Simon is reading this.

Edited August 29, 2008 by jimsleftfoot

[singe]

This thread has recalled the memory of being at Diggle Junior School in the early 70's, and being taunted (one was a gir a bit older so I wasn;t trauatised or anything) by some United fans calling Oldham Pathetic. Stuck to my guns though, I have always been a bit stubborn. Best retort I could come up at the time with was Puny-ted, which wasn;t a bad retort for a 7 year old!!! I don't recall too many fellow Tics at the time, unfortauntely.

[oafc_ok]

He told me the story that his son came home from school aged 7 and said he was a Manchester United fan because 'they were the best'. He told him it was OK and he could support United if he wanted to, but he'd never let him watch them on their TV, he'd never buy him a shirt / merchandise or ever take him to a game.

 

I've often thought about what I would do if either of my kids came home saying they supported ManUre. That just about describes how I plan to approach it.

 

Both currently support Latics but the youngest at 5 is now becoming aware that at school he is in a minority of one. I can easily see this scenario happening. If he wants me to take him to the match on a regular basis his choice is Latics or Burton Albion.

[Scapegoat]

I've often thought about what I would do if either of my kids came home saying they supported ManUre. That just about describes how I plan to approach it.

 

Both currently support Latics but the youngest at 5 is now becoming aware that at school he is in a minority of one. I can easily see this scenario happening. If he wants me to take him to the match on a regular basis his choice is Latics or Burton Albion.

 

I recall being at school and my form teacher was a Rochdale fan. He asked in my first year how many people supported Rochdale, 1 kid put his hand up. How many supported Oldham, and 2 of us put our hands up. He then asked for Man Utd and then Liverpool and loads of hands went up.

 

4 years later he took assembly and asked very similar questions on the stage. Pretty much the entire school put their hand up to show they were Oldham fans.

 

I started secondary school in 1986. Would be nice if your son could post a similar tale in a few years time.

[Andyt84]

I've always lived in Rochdale but supported Latics because my Grandad did. He was born and bred in Oldham and took me to the League final when I was 6 then a few other games as I got a bit older then when we got into the top flight he bought me a season ticket and I was hooked. I can remember the first home game back in the 1st division against Chelsea when about 10 of my family went to the game and we all sat in the Chaddy end. The whole experience of being at the football amazed me and the noise the crowd made seemed deafening.

[skiptonlatic]

My dad was brought up in Grotton and has followed Latics for 50 years so it was only natural I was to follow rather than watch Burnley, Bradford or dirty Leeds thank god I never went against my dads wishes!

[Diego_Sideburns]

Just got back from Burnley - went the long way round!

 

Born at Boundary Park Hospital. Lived in Stansfield Street, behind the Queen's pub, running between Rochdale Road and Featherstall Road. Next door but two to me lived the mother of Billy Hilton, a fomer Latics player. As a young lad I could hear the roar of the crowd from BP (no problem with acoustics in those days) and could calculate how many goals Latics had scored. Played on the football special buses parked in my street during the games. From age 7 went to BP with my Dad, and went with my pals to Reserve games. Went with my Uncle to first away game aged 9 on 4th April 1953 at Port Vale - drew 1-1.

 

OAFC is like part of my extended family. I consider that being a Latics fan is a privilege. The Club is special. You have to have a sense of humour to support the Club, and the fans are able to take the piss out of the Club and themselves better than any outsiders.

 

I have experiended indescribable lows and occasional highs while supporting Latics, and in the whole scheme of things, there are not many people who have shared such experiences. To me football spectating is about taking part in an outdoor event, smelling linament and Bovril, chanting, singing, putting the world to right.

 

There are many times when travelling the 70 miles home late at night makes me feel that the experience has not been worthwhile, but I can't wait for the next match.

[lincoln_latic]

This thread has recalled the memory of being at Diggle Junior School in the early 70's, and being taunted (one was a gir a bit older so I wasn;t trauatised or anything) by some United fans calling Oldham Pathetic. Stuck to my guns though, I have always been a bit stubborn. Best retort I could come up at the time with was Puny-ted, which wasn;t a bad retort for a 7 year old!!! I don't recall too many fellow Tics at the time, unfortauntely.

 

I'm neither born nor schooled in Oldham, but moved to Grasscroft in 1973, where we lived in to the 80's. Latics were the first team I ever watched regularly, and with the likes of Alan Groves, Maurice Whittle and co in the team who could help but follow them. The rest is history.

 

The post above reminds me of my brother and I catching the 180 into town for matches, and being given abuse by the city/utd clowns already on the bus. It always amazed me that these people could travel through Oldham, but then go on to Manchester to watch their football. Mind you, more recentley I met my bro in the Cambridge in Werneth before a latics game, and got the same abuse from the "oldhamers" in there watching the Manc derby. Some things never change.

[ThaiLatic]

This is an excellent thread and proof that M*n U*d don't have a monopoly on glory hunting fans from around the globe ;)

[KYLEOAFC]

Diego,

 

I Couldnt Agree more!

 

My first memory of BP was its smells believe it or not lol

 

I am an Ashtonian so not that far for me really.lol

 

My Granddad was an Oldhamer and his first season of watching Latics was in 1914 when we missed out on winning the first division to Everton and his last was in 1991.

 

He supported them all his life but when we got to Wembley in 1990 aged 83 he couldn’t bring himself to go, to emotional for him.

 

I got the Latics blood & Bug from him and if we ever get to Wembley I know who I will be thinking of.

 

Latics isn’t a choice it’s a calling lol

[real]

Not sure if I fit into the non-oldham bit but I wasn't born in o/m and no-one in my family supports latics, so;

 

I was born in Colchester but dad was from mcr and was in the army there, mum was from stoke but they moved to mcr when I was 2. 2 yrs later we moved to moorside but dad was a city fan still.

mum and dad split up when I was 6, mum had a b/f who took me to a few latics games but dad took me to city once or twice, I saw myself as a city fan cos my dad was.

A few mates at school were latics, and in 87/88 I went in the chaddy with them for latics vs city. Became a latics that day. First club that I chose to watch.

 

So for me, the reason is cos my mates were latics.

[boboafc]

Just got back from Burnley - went the long way round!

 

.

 

OAFC is like part of my extended family. I consider that being a Latics fan is a privilege. The Club is special. You have to have a sense of humour to support the Club, and the fans are able to take the piss out of the Club and themselves better than any outsiders.

 

I have experiended indescribable lows and occasional highs while supporting Latics, and in the whole scheme of things, there are not many people who have shared such experiences. To me football spectating is about taking part in an outdoor event, smelling linament and Bovril, chanting, singing, putting the world to right.

 

.

i think it thats apply's to nearly all of us who support latics

[marhar]

by rights i should be a bolton fan, my dad took me on new years day in the late 80's to watch oldham play blackburn because he was impressed with the football we were playing. bolton were in the basement division back then. i just stuck with oldham since then, even though i have no connection with the town at all. i still see a lot of bolton games and they are a close second team

[oafc1955]

For me my family have always supported Latics so I have followed suit, the usual reasons tend to be for the above, which begs the question why don't more people support Latics? Especially these people who are born and bred in Oldham, probably have family who support Latics, some of you say lack of Marketing, other reasons may be just a lack of catchment area, it might just be a lack of success, in other threads we've tried to discuss how to solve the problems, but what would you say is the root of the problem? I'm torn personally

 

I have always lived close to the ground and have supported Oldham all my life and took my son from being 4 years old. Now we live in Dukinfield and although still fairly close if you want a drink then it's 2 buses to the ground and 2 buses back.

 

I work shifts so I probably attend about half of the home games with my son and as many away games as we can. Problem is when I'm working my son doesn't go as all his mates are Man U or City and he can't be arsed going on his own.

 

We've been on the train to Hudds, Tranmere, Wolves, etc...win or lose have a booze and it's always a great day out.

 

He is out of work at the moment but under normal circumstances, I am certain if he had a companion to go with regularly he would buy a season ticket and go home and away.

 

With so many closet Blues and reds I'm sure this is a common problem as to why many fans don't attend.

 

Is there a supporters branch in the Ashton area as I am sure there are other supporters in surrounding boroughs in a similar situation.