History of Oldham Athletic A.F.C. facts for kids

The history of Oldham Athletic A.F.C. football team started in 1895. This club, known as the Latics, has a long and exciting past filled with promotions, cup runs, and memorable moments.

Early Days and Big Wins (1895–1923)

Oldham Athletic in 1905 with manager David Ashworth (far left)

The club began in 1895 as Pine Villa F.C. It changed its name to Oldham Athletic in 1899. That same year, they became a professional team. The Latics played in local Manchester leagues at first. Then, in 1907, they joined the Football League Second Division.

Just two seasons later, the team earned its first promotion. They finished above Hull City because they had scored more goals. In their first season in the top league, the Latics finished in a strong seventh place.

Oldham reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1913. They also finished in the top four of the league in the 1913–14 season. The start of the First World War happened during their best league season ever. In 1914–15, the team finished second in the Football League. They missed winning the title by just one point! After the war, however, the team struggled. They often finished near the bottom. This led to them being relegated in 1923.

Tough Times Between Wars (1923–1940)

Oldham was back in the Second Division for the first time since 1910. For several seasons, they finished in the top half of the table. In 1930, they almost got promoted. They missed out by only two points to Chelsea.

After some mid-table finishes, the club was relegated again in 1935. This time, they dropped to the Third Division (North). They had good seasons there, finishing in the top five a few times. But then, the Second World War began. This stopped all league football.

Post-War Challenges (1946–1970)

Manager Jack Rowley helped Oldham get promoted in 1963.

Just like after the First World War, the club's results got worse after the Second World War. When football started again, they finished 19th in their first season. After some disappointing seasons, things changed in 1950. Former England player George Hardwick joined as a player-manager. He helped Oldham win the Third Division (North) championship in 1953.

Hopes were high, but the Latics were relegated after just one season back in the higher league. They only earned 25 points from 42 games. They lost 17 of 21 away games. Back in the Third Division (North), Oldham stayed in the middle of the table. In 1958, they became a founding member of the new national Fourth Division. Two years later, they almost dropped out of the Football League entirely.

In 1963, under manager Jack Rowley, Oldham was promoted to the Third Division. Two years later, Ken Bates became chairman. Even though Bates spent money on players, the team barely avoided relegation in 1965 and 1966. They were finally relegated back to the Fourth Division in 1969. Bates then left the club, leaving them in a tough financial spot. They finished very low in the Fourth Division in 1970.

Frizzell's Era: Climbing Back Up (1970–1982)

Scottish player Jimmy Frizzell became player-manager during the 1969–70 season. He led the Latics to promotion in 1971. Back in the Third Division, they finished in the middle of the table in 1972. The next season, they just missed promotion by three points.

In the 1973–74 season, Oldham had an amazing run. They won ten league games in a row! This is still a club record today. This great form helped Oldham win the Third Division title. They were back in the Second Division for the first time since 1954.

Frizzell did a fantastic job keeping the Latics safe from relegation. This was impressive, as they had less money and smaller crowds than many rival teams. It was a surprise when the popular Scotsman was sacked in 1982. He had been in charge for twelve very successful years. But he had set the stage for even more success to come.

The Joe Royle Years: A Golden Age (1982–1994)

Chasing Promotion (1982–1989)

Joe Royle became one of Oldham Athletic's most successful managers. He took over from Jimmy Frizzell just before the 1982–83 season. Royle's first four seasons saw the team finish in the middle of the table. Then, in the 1986–87 season, success started to show.

The club finished third in the Second Division. They played on a new artificial pitch. This position would have meant automatic promotion in earlier seasons. But in 1986–87, promotion play-offs were introduced. Oldham lost to Leeds United in the play-off semi-final.

Reaching Wembley (1989–1990)

The 1989–90 season was incredible for Oldham. They reached the final of the Football League Cup. In the second round, striker Frankie Bunn scored six goals. This was a League Cup record! Scarborough was beaten 7–0.

Oldham was doing well in the Second Division. Then, League champions Arsenal came to play in the League Cup third round. More than 15,000 Oldham fans watched as the champions were beaten 3–1. This win put the Latics in their first League Cup quarter-final. They drew 2–2 away against First Division Southampton. Andy Ritchie scored a late goal to force a replay. Oldham won the replay 2–0.

Next, they beat promotion rivals West Ham United 6–0 in the first leg of the semi-finals. A 3–0 loss in the second leg didn't matter. Oldham was going to Wembley for the first time in 95 years!

At the same time, Oldham had another great cup run in the FA Cup. They beat Birmingham City after a replay. Then, they won a tough game against Brighton & Hove Albion. In the fifth round, First Division Everton visited Boundary Park. Everton led 2–0 at half-time. But Oldham fought back to draw 2–2. The replay was also a draw. A second replay was needed. Oldham won 2–1!

They then beat First Division leaders Aston Villa 3–0. This put them in their first FA Cup semi-final since 1913. They played against local rivals Manchester United. The game was a classic, ending 3–3 after extra time. The replay was also exciting. But Manchester United won 2–1 in extra time. A goal by Nick Henry for Oldham was wrongly not given.

After their FA Cup semi-final, Oldham lost 1–0 to Nottingham Forest in the League Cup Final.

Promotion and Premier League (1990–1994)

The 1990–91 season was amazing. The Latics returned to the top league after 68 years! Oldham stayed in the top two all season. They secured promotion with a 2–1 win at Ipswich Town. On the last day, they played Sheffield Wednesday. Oldham needed to win to have a chance at the Second Division title. They were losing 2–0, but goals from Ian Marshall and 17-year-old Paul Bernard tied the game. In injury time, Oldham got a penalty. Neil Redfearn scored, and Oldham won the Second Division championship!

In the first season of the Premier League (1992–93), Oldham stayed up by a tiny margin. With three games left, they looked like they would be relegated. They needed to win all three games. They also needed Crystal Palace to get no more than one point from their last two games.

Oldham's first game was away at second-placed Aston Villa. Oldham won 1–0, which helped Manchester United win the title. Three days later, Liverpool were beaten 3–2 at Boundary Park. Crystal Palace only drew their game. For Oldham to survive, they had to beat Southampton at home. They also needed Crystal Palace to lose at Arsenal. Oldham won 4–3. Palace lost 3–0. This meant Crystal Palace was relegated on goal difference!

Oldham reached another FA Cup semi-final in 1993–94, again facing Manchester United. The match at Wembley was 1–0 to Oldham until Manchester United scored a late equalizer in extra time. A poor performance in the replay ended Oldham's hopes. They then had a terrible run of results. A month later, they were relegated from the Premier League after three seasons.

Changes and Struggles (1994–2001)

Joe Royle left Oldham to join Everton in October 1994. Striker Graeme Sharp became player-manager. But he resigned in February 1997. Three months later, Oldham was relegated to the third tier for the first time in 23 years. Sharp's replacement, Neil Warnock, left after 15 months.

Former striker Andy Ritchie took over in 1998. He struggled to improve things. His first season was almost a disaster. Many key players left. Ritchie's team of free transfers and young players struggled. They only avoided relegation by winning their last two matches. The signing of experienced Irish midfielder John Sheridan was a bright spot.

Hopes were high for the 2000–01 season. They won their first game 4–1. But then, they went 11 games without a win. The club dropped to near the bottom of the league. The signings of winger David Eyres and midfielder Tony Carss helped. The Latics recovered and finished comfortably in the middle of the table.

Financial Worries (2001–2003)

In 2001, local businessman Chris Moore bought Oldham Athletic. He promised to get them into the Premier League within five years.

The 2001–02 season started well. But then, the Latics lost three games in a row. They dropped to eighth place. Manager Andy Ritchie was sacked, even though he had led them to first place earlier. His replacement was Mick Wadsworth. Moore spent a lot of money on new players. But the team finished a disappointing ninth. Wadsworth was also sacked. His assistant, Iain Dowie, took over.

Dowie's expensive team started the 2002–03 season with a loss. But they only lost seven more games all season. The Latics just missed out on automatic promotion. They earned 82 points and made it to the play-offs. But their play-off dream ended sadly. Queens Park Rangers won with a late goal.

Even worse news followed. Chairman Moore decided to stop funding the club. He wouldn't cover losses of £50,000 a week. The club had to go into administration in October 2003. It was close to closing down. But American businessmen Danny Gazal, Simon Blitz, and Simon Corney bought it in February 2004.

Fighting to Stay Up (2003–2007)

Dowie left the club in December 2003. In March 2004, Brian Talbot became manager. The team lost only one of his first thirteen games. They finished safely in the middle of the table. In the 2004–05 season, the Latics beat Premier League club Manchester City in the FA Cup. But manager Talbot left the next month.

Former Rotherham United manager Ronnie Moore took charge. The club just avoided relegation. They won their final game of the season against Bradford City. Moore was sacked in June 2006. Reserve team coach John Sheridan immediately replaced him. In the 2006–07 season, Oldham finished sixth. But for the second time in five seasons, they lost in the play-offs.

Recent Years (2007–2022)

In the 2007–08 season, Oldham finished eighth. They were nine points away from the play-off spots. Oldham started the 2008–09 season well. They didn't lose any of their first eight games. After two years, manager John Sheridan was sacked in March 2009. Former manager Joe Royle immediately replaced him. Royle decided not to stay permanently. Darlington F.C. boss Dave Penney was announced as the new manager. Oldham finished tenth in the 2008–09 season.

Dave Penney was dismissed in May 2010. His assistant, Martin Gray, took over temporarily. In June 2010, Paul Dickov became Oldham Athletic's player-manager. He left in February 2013, even after Oldham had just beaten Liverpool in the FA Cup. In March, Lee Johnson became the new manager. At 31, he was the youngest manager in the Football League. The club barely avoided relegation in the 2012–13 season. They finished 19th, just three points above the drop zone. The club did better in Johnson's second season, finishing 15th.

In January 2018, Moroccan football agent Abdallah Lemsagam bought most of the club. This ended Simon Corney's 14-year time with Oldham Athletic. Corney had bought the club in 2004, saving it from closing.

Lemsagam owned 97 percent of the club. The Supporters Trust kept their 3 percent share. The deal did not include Boundary Park's North Stand. The club used it on match days but didn't own it. Before Lemsagam bought the club, Oldham had faced problems with unpaid tax bills. Their ground was even visited by tax officials in November 2017.

Oldham Athletic was relegated to League Two in May 2018. The club faced more tax issues in late 2019 and early 2020. A former owner tried to put the club into administration in March 2020 because of debts. But some debt was paid, and the case was delayed.

Former Australia international Harry Kewell became Oldham manager in August 2020. He left in March 2021. Keith Curle took over. His efforts to build a stronger team were hard. There was a transfer ban, COVID-19 illness, and fan protests against the owners. In September 2021, Lemsagam said he didn't want to sell the club. Curle left Oldham in November 2021. In December 2021, three fans were banned for "promoting their dislike" of the owner. The bans were overturned, but protests continued. Lemsagam then said he would sell the club. There were concerns about unpaid salaries and player strikes. John Sheridan was appointed manager in January 2022. But he couldn't stop the team from being relegated. Oldham dropped out of the English Football League after a home defeat. Fans protested on the pitch during the game. Oldham became the first former Premier League team to drop into non-league football since 1992.

Playing in the National League (2022–Present)

After relegation, Lemsagam and the Boundary Park owner agreed to a sale. In June 2022, it was reported that Oldham Athletic could be sold to a local business. In July 2022, businessman Frank Rothwell bought the club. Oldham then bought Boundary Park from former owner Simon Blitz in August 2022.

Oldham started their first National League season with only two wins from their first eight games. Sheridan stepped down as manager in September 2022. David Unsworth replaced him. Unsworth led Oldham to a 12th-place finish.

After winning only one of their first nine matches of the 2023–24 season, Unsworth was sacked. The Latics were in 22nd place in the National League.