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Was watching 'The Big Match - replayed' on ITV4 earlier today, one of the main games was Watford v Villa from February 1983. Jobbo was playing for the Hornets...............on the left wing AND beating players for fun, with great skill and sticking crosses over, even getting to the by-line a few times!!! No wonder he was such a cultured centre-back! It also answers where the hell his stunning turn and pass in the oppos box at the Manor Ground vs Oxford in the League Cup in '94 came from to set up Stitch's leveller.

For me he's one of THE best defenders I've ever seen in a Latics shirt.

It's artificial turf not cling-film.

I've said this before on a similar thread. What do we expect the players to do when they read something like this. Some of them do actually read this forum. They will be well up for playing when they read half of the fan base want rid of them. The time for this kind of discussion is when the season is over IMO. I don't think this encourages anybody to play their hearts out for us does it?

Hell Terry, if the players can't stand the heat................

S'ok, I've found it now.

Oh inside info eh.

Not really Chris. Just loose tongues!

Someone get it watched then get us the news

I heard about 3 weeks ago that demolition was due to start at the end of march and the building process would take 72 weeks.

Wasn't sure if it was meant to be kept quiet though so didn't say 'owt.

OK, squad wise here goes, and I am going to be quite brutal.

 

Crossley - keep as second string and GK coach.

 

Eardley - get rid if we can get a transfer fee, if we can't still get rid. Good tackler but dynamite in his boots, can't do the basics correctly with the ball at his feet.

 

Stam - mistake addled crock. Get rid.

 

Hazell - keep, he has been consistent other than tonights abberation, Decent footballer and made the most of his chance with us.

 

Gregan - undecided. I would be tempted to cut our losses if he is going to be a consistent attendee on the physios bench.

 

Lomax - keep. Criminally under used.

 

Thompson - Ha!!! Not worked out for either party, see ya!

 

Kalala - Garbage and talentless. A poor mans Allott any day of the week. Get rid.

 

Allott - player of the season so far and give him the arm band for gods sake. Keep.

 

Gary Mac - keep if he is in a position to play attacking centre mid. If he is going to consistently be used as the left over piece get rid he just isn't effective playing all over the place.

 

Lids - keep on pay as you play deal. Neds to be fitter for a contract but I would love to see him get one.

 

Taylor - got to sell him whilst other clubs are fooled into the fact that he may have some promise. Ring back Mr. Oyston please!!!

 

Livermore - not been impressed so far so send him back.

 

Jarrett - worth a further look but needs to prove to us and himself that he really can cut the mustard.

 

Hughes - as much as I dislike the moral reasons behind signing him, I would say keep if we can get him close to fitness. This season was always going to be a tough one for him physically and so it has been proved.

 

Davies - keep and get someone to kick his backside with a big size 11. Great prospect but needs to think about the team a little more.

 

Smalley & Allesandra - keep 'em both. Probably too much football this year in a debut season for Deane but great promise from them both.

 

Wolfy - sorry Matty, time to say goodbye. Always been on the cusp but your juniors are proving to be better prospects. Time to go.

 

Not much to build on there. A lot of additions needed to make that skeleton into a squad.

 

KtF,

 

Derek.

Crossley - Agree - I was very critical of him early in the season but he's proved as he's got fit that he's a very good keeper at this level. Should be thinking about utilising him as a coach more for next season though

Eardley - Keep - Think he's suffered badly from not having a decent wing man in front of him meaning more often than not he has to hoof it - and his distribution in NOT great.

Stam - Pay as you play at best

Hazell - Keep. Been very solid on the whole at CB and was looking VERY good alongside Gregan as a partnership.

Greegan - Keep him. If he's fit and has cut out the 'games' he's easily still amongst the best in this league. Needs a quick man alongside him though.

Lomax - Keep - and for gawd sake give him a run in the team

Thompson - Undecided but keep him for now. Was woeful at the start of the season but players don't become pants overnight and he was highly rated by some. Might see a different player next term.

Kalala - Release him. Offers little.

Allott - Gravy this season - Keep.

Macca - Agreed - Keep him but utilise him where he can be effective.

Liddell - One year deal at reduced terms if he can stay fit, or pay as you play. That said I think we have missed him badly this season.

Taylor - Undecided but probably keep him, but in the name of sanity, play him on the frickin right. Oh yeah, and kick him up the arse from time to time.

Livermore - Underwhelmed so far but need to see more of him.

Jarrett - Looked ace on his debut and has been decent of late (apart from last night when he looked miles off the pace to me). Keep but he needs to step it up a level.

Hughes - No brainer - get him fit with a full pre season - Keep

Davies - Keep - has the potential to be an excellent player but needs to keep listening, learning and playing for the team a bit more.

Smalley & Allesandra - Keep. If we can treat them right (blood them properly instead of throwing them in at the deep end) they both have very good potential, particularly Allesandra.

Wolfenden - Agree - nice kid, tries hard but likely to cut it now. Get rid.

Shopping list minimums

GK - New no.1

CB x 1 or 2 depending on who stays

CM - Creative ball player

LW - Genuine left winger please - and invest a few quid in the process

CF - Big target man to get on the end of all those lovely crosses that our star new LW is gonna be pinging in

RW - A genuine option to Taylor on RW - Taylor can be utilised as cover on left in needs be.

I agree Coco BUT Shez has not learnt from his mistakes from last season .............. I hope has has now !

 

As he has quoted on the OS he needs to use the rest of this season to get his act together.

 

Sort out who the retaining list should be , get rid of what he thinks are the dead wood and make a big effort to get the replacements in early doors to work with the players instead of this last minute stuff.

Completely agree with that exile. Was having a conversation with Parigby a few weeks back (during the window) and he was saying that he feared that Sheridan was making the eaxact same mistakes during this window as he did the last. The fact that we have also had Greegs Lidds and Hughes all out injured has left us criminally short of experience.

I DO NOT think that getting rid of the manager is the right thing to do, but I think we have to see real progression next season, in terms of NOT seeing these mistakes recurring.

Just been told that his wife is expecting too.

Come on Ernie, fight like you always did!

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family!

Best wishes fella!

Good Luck Big Les and thanks for the memories!

If it is the early season Liddell I ain't especially looking forward to it. I'm hoping that the injury was what caused him to be pap for nigh on a year, but I'm not expecting much myself. Would rather Sheridan reorganise the team so he doesn't get near it.

Think Liddell is exactly the player we've been crying out for in recent months. Somebody who can come off the bench to actually CHANGE things for us. We've badly missed somebody with his kind of experience to come on with half an hour to go. The bench on saturday consisted of Bell, Black, Wolfy, Smalley and Lomax, none of whom have more than a handful of games under their belts.

I'm going to have a bit of a rant - unusually it is not Chris Taylor related.

 

Over the last few days whilst I have been opining about Taylor I have noticed something quite worrying on here; and that is the lack of chance/ patience/ respect (delete or add as applicable) that those that have a view differing from the norm are treated with on this here super moderated board.

 

Before everyone starts to jump down my throat give me a chance to explain.

 

In the past as a 'Latics supporting community' we have had choices about where we would like to post our viewpoints and spend our time, but as time has gone on this board is the only place that still exists as a thriving board - the others have sadly (in my opinion) died a death.

 

OK, so time and tide wait for no man (or woman in these PC (or Mac?) days) and progress must be made, but why have some of these people not moved along to this newly found community?

 

I put it to you that this board is seen by some as what I have seen described as 'the happy clappers' board. Ergo, if you don't agree with the consensus of opinion then you are there to be jumped all over by all and sundry.

 

I have stated before that I am not happy about the passing of older boards and that I am really not a fan of this format either, but as it is the only board that is continually in use I have a choice to use it or talk to myself elsewhere. I know some of you wish I would but no such luck.

 

There should be arguments and differences of opinion about how we see things - I have no problem with this at all - but when posters don't agree with things that are said many times the response ' Go and watch United' or 'The club don't need fans like you' are seen. If only OAFC were so richly blessed with fans that they could afford for those that viewed things a little differently to go off to Old Trafford at the slightest hint of discontent. I would bet my last penny that TTA would rather have ten thousand like me that have a gripe than a few thousand that have blue tinted specs welded to their skulls.

 

It has been touched on before, and I think Lags posted about the very same thing only last week - knocking other fans, moaning at ourselves because we can't get more than our regular 5,000 in through the gates etc etc. Those that go ARE needed, if they moan and gripe then so be it, they have paid their monies and are entitled to their opinions so far as I see it.

 

Another thing that saddens me is the lack of the old fashioned raconteurs, wind up merchants and miserablists on here. That is not to say that there aren't decent posters on here because there are some very good ones, why, I can think of two off the top of my head right now . Seriously though, the old boards used to have some good characters on them and it just doesn't seem to be happening here. Ok you don't necessarily have to agree or like their opinions, but their opinions are just as valid as everyone elses - they don't have to have a pack of blue tinted rabid 'happy clappers' jumping down their throats because they have something a little more controversial to express in their postings.

 

Where have the likes of Stipey (yeah, he is a wind up merchant, but he knows a hell of a lot about the club and has some quite fantastic tales to tell) and Wildy gone? Those two used to have some right barnies along with Nik, but when they saw each other there was always a smile and a laugh about the fact they had disagreed yet again. As much as many think he is the devil incarnate, what on earth has happened to any substantial posting from the good old Senor? (I will admit he makes me sound quite happy clappy, but most of the stuff he came out with I agreed with and he has been an excellent catalyst for making discussion happen in the past). Even BB80 has disappeared.

 

Seriously folks, I think this board needs to give all and sundry a chance. I'm not sure if it is a little too close to the club and doesn't want to seem to be giving air time to those that are perhaps a little more barbed in their opinions. This isn't meant to be ultra critical of this format, I know there have been some fantastic things organised through this since its inception, just a plea to others that maybe they should realise all opinion is valid.

 

Other than all that above, I think we should also be able to swear .

 

KtF,

 

Derek.

Shut up Wilson you moronic k**b!

You forgot to add pale fatty .

Pastey. Not pale.

Here is the story on the Official Oldham Athletic Website :

 

>HERE<

32 year old?!

He's about 25 isn't he?

Oh good what a relief. If only we had 4,300 fans like you we would be soooo lucky! Imagine the support, the players would soooo enjoy playing in front of a load of your sort. Good or bad, black or white, ginger or brunette, if they wear the blue of Owdum and work their socks off I will support them 100%. Seen some rubbish too but never boo them at matches. I have obviously been doing it wrong all these years. You are such a pillock sorry pillar of the club, long may your positivity continue! My hero!!

Not being funny Leezy but I don't think I've EVER heard Wilson boo/berate a player during a game. Groans/shouts/strangled strings of expletives borne of exasperation or whatever - like the rest of us - but usually 110% support. He will though, down the pub or wherever, tell it as he sees it. Always one with the courage to stand by his convictions in public, which takes a fair amount of balls when you are as short, skinny, speccy and ginger as he is!

I think what he was on about with his 'public rant' admission was that someone was alluding earlier in the thread that the internet 'gave a voice' to people like him, which couldn't be further from the truth.

I dont believe a club shop in Oldham would generate a great deal of money for the club, however I do like to think it could at least break even. If that was the case the shop would bring other advantages and opportunities such as:

 

1) A presence in the town (finally).

 

A major plus. Look how busy the town is even mid-week. Its free advertisment reminding people we are here instead of only all these Man U posters in windows. Shove Latics in the towns face for a change! Posters in the windows of us at Wembley, of beating United, of the new ground. Flyers for the next 3 games being dished out with promotions on them. Kids at least would notice the club, and realise we are no Stalybridge Celtic as some seem to believe! Maybe get players in the shop 2 days a week and a full time Chaddy working there. All of a sudden a kid wants to go in the shop to see Chaddy/Andy Liddell and have a photo, then the kid nags for a latics football and a pencil case - then hopefully wants to go to a game and grows up a latic! Pro-active Boundary Blues recruitment also? Mothers love their kid to be in a club!

 

2) More accessible tickets.

 

As already said tickets selling in town would make things easier for many. Also If tickets can be bought on impulse in town then more WILL sell. Not many more, but as it is with tickets and merchandise only retailing at the club it is hard to get anybody to buy other than those who buy anyway. Any offers eg Teamcard currently go down the old 'preaching to the converted' route. I think good value family tickets would sell in town. Somebody mentioned a while ago the idea of the old chron stand being taken over to sell tickets - good idea, why not do that? If it sold 5 a day I expect costs would be covered! Also the odd occasions our ticket office can't cope the pressure could be eased.

Having read what I have written it is maybe wishful thinking, but I do think these simple ideas are reasonable especially if a premises could be secured at the right price and it is done the right way. It has to be a fun shop, not a dreary shop with a few latics shirts hung up and no music or mascot or anything! Part of the problem is people see us as dreary!!

 

With regards to the premises maybe a deal could be struck on a space for sponsership as someone suggested? Maybe the bloody council could help?!?! Maybe we could organise a Carlotti/Latics shop and they pay all the rent and we sell their gear.....

Totally agree with these sentiments Stitch, especially things like the Boundary Blues recruitment.

BB currently have around 450 members which is approx 10% of our home gate. It's £50 to join for under 16's and for that they get a season ticket in either the NSM or the Chaddy (that's a saving of £109 on an U16's ticket) , they get use of the lounge which has a low cost tuck shop, playstations, board games, table footy etc plus they get reduced cost selected away trips, and get to go to the Christmas and end of season parties to meet the players. They also get entered into the mascot draw as well. (Incidentally the £50 ST is saving of £157 per season on the advance match ticket price and a massive £203 on the pay on the day prices for U16's!).

The point about all that is - how many average Oldham parents who drag their kids round the Town Square and Spindles on a Saturday know that they can get all that for the equivalent of £2.17 per game? In fact, how many regular BP attendees know this? That they could bring along a son/daughter/niece/nephew/neighbours kid or whatever for less than £2.50

I think it would be brilliant to have a town centre presence - enabling us to try to compete with the plethora of premier:censored: shirts and merchandise which can be bought, and allowing the kids to see that Latics is a brand which can be 'cool' or whatever. I'm fairly certain that if we could publicise stuff like this in a direct manner i.e. through a retail outlet in the centre of town we would be able to persuade a generation of 'armchair kids' to get down to BP on a Saturday instead of swanning round in their ManUre/Ciddee/Liverpoo shirts or whatever.

Who else did we send to Chesterfield at the same time? I've a feeling another one scored against us.

Mark Innes.

Picture courtesy of the rarely wrong Chron. Mods, are we allowed to use this for caption suggestions?

Corney to Blitz "....and do you know, whislt we've been throwing good money after bad, some cheeky has been flogging knock-off tangerine scarves on the sly!!"

ruddy hell....... i thought EVERYONE knew that it was him that did that filthy trip (!!) on Andy 'puddin in a muffin' Barlow

also as a side note there was a few players who became managers in that team too....

 

anyone want to have stab???

Danny Wilson, Shez, Redfearn.

Carlton Palmer? Rick Holden (IOM)?

he has got a point which is why i ignored the sillyness and took my time to explain mine. hes trying to look at the bigger picture which is admirable, but i would do it my way and get our own player now who can always be sold rather than given back.

There's nothing wrong with that philosphy daz, I think we'd all rather do it that way. The fact still remailns though that you have to be able to 1) attract players of a high enough calibre in the first place 2) be able to offer contracts that secure them, and 3) be able to retain (the majority) of them in the future to allow the 'settled' squad we've all been banging on about.

Relating it specifically to Eastwood, there's not a snowballs chance that we could afford the sort of deal that been hinted at on here. If we had the spending power of Leeds or Forest or Donny or whatver then maybe it worth the investment. We simply don't have that kind of cash at the minute.

so, like a finishing school? did you not notice my question was retorical?

Ok, so you don't wanna be anybody's finishing school. Ok. Super. Neither do I. Not long term at least, but as it stands we are a 3rd division club who - on gates of 5000 or so - can't really compete financially to sign players of proven quality which is why we are constanly outbid by clubs like Donny, Leeds, Forest etc.

If we can utilise a player of his ability (or someone similar) for 3 months or half a season or whatever, then how can that be a bad thing? Particularly if we can negotiate a wageshare where the loaning club still foot a good percentage of the players salary.

This is what gets me about some of our supporters. We aren't a big club and as Corporal Jones points out we're gonna get smaller if we don't at least have plans in place to make a concerted effort to get out of this league.

Loan players, if used sensibly can help us achieve that.

I said rotten cabbage, not smelly fruit

so why would they lend him out?

They'd potentially send him out on loan for precisely the same reasons that we'd send the likes of Allessandra and Smalley out on loan if we had enough senior striking options at our disposal.

I do however think it much more likely that he'd be loaned to a Championship club rather than a League 1 club in view of the fact he's already notched in the Prem.

I'm tempted to travel up for the game now, with my rotten cabbage............

Andy, don't talk about markoasis like that!!

Poor player but tried his heart out for the team. Will get a great reception and he deserves it

I think poor is a bit harsh ritchie. Not brilliant but certainly not poor. As RBL says, he just ran out of steam in the end.