LaticMark

Under the original Oldham Arena plans it was estimated that it would take 16 months to complete the new Broadway Stand. I remember thinking at the time that this was a long time!

It would cost the club too much to pay off a full year of his contract, so unless the club or Feeney have another trick up their sleeves it looks like we are stuck with one another. Given our small budget it could also seriously hamper our attempts to bring in another few players!

+ 1 The main stand paddock is also where my late father first took me to watch Latics, resplendent in tangerine and blue, playing in the old 4th Divsion. I'll stay there until they knock the main stand down.

Just got in - what's the score?

The old Oldham Arena had plans for a new South Stand to be rebuilt into a single-tier structure with an estimated capacity of about 3,000.

Simon Corney said that the Council plan would go ‘some way to helping us start the development’. ‘The majority of the money would go back towards paying my partners for the land at Failsworth.’ ‘There won’t be a great deal left to build a stand.’ Simon also mentioned a figure of £6m to £7m to build a stand that included all the facilities. As well as the usual conferencing and banqueting, he also mentioned the possibility of a min-supermarket, a gymnasium, and perhaps a little bit of retail. Given that Simon has stated that the Failsworth land cost around £3m, and the current figures being mentioned are slightly inaccurate, it would suggest that the club would end up with around £2m at the most. That’s a decent deposit on a new stand, but still leaves the club needing to raise around £4m to £5m just to complete a new main stand. Hopefully more details will emerge next week.

There have been a few comments over recent months from fans with contacts in various places, suggesting that they knew of some developments. However, they were advised to keep their counsel so as not to potentially ruin the club’s chances of getting it right this time. Were these the plans the chosen few had heard about? Like a number of fans I would have preferred a new state of the art stadium within the borough, but maybe this is the club’s best last option? Just out of interest the original Oldham Arena plans had the following proposals for the new Broadway stand: NORTH STAND ‘Currently the Broadway Stand, this would become the new main stand with a seating capacity of 5,200. At ground floor level it would accommodate the main players' and executive entrances with a shop, ticketing office, cafe and restaurant, with turnstile access to the first floor concourse. Conference/banqueting facilities for up to 1000 guests would be provided for match and non-matchdays. Upper floors would house club offices, a directors' suite and executive boxes with external seating. Above third floor level would be 85,000 square feet of lettable office accommodation on up to three separate levels. Ian Hill said: "At present, large business conferences, school presentation evenings, wedding receptions and any event at which a large number of people gather are being held outside of town. "With this in mind, we propose to build facilities within our new main stand that would accommodate 500 people for banqueting and 1,000 people, theatre-style for conferences." Additional facilities around the arena would be capable of hosting meetings from 10 people upwards to satisfy smaller requirements.’

Anybody know how much money the club will get from this?

Marc Fernandez?

Maybe someone told him it was an away match!

Half Time 0 - 0. A fairly even half it would seem.

Still 0 - 0 by the way!

Click on Latest News, you'll find it there.

According to Wikipedia: Ranson's playing career ended due to injury in 1995. A year later he took a job working for Benfield Greig, the insurance company owned by Chelsea director Matthew Harding. Ranson invested heavily in the company, and sold his stake for several million pounds in 2002. He then started a venture funding football transfers on a sale and leaseback basis, including several deals with then Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale. In recent years, Ranson has taken an interest in taking over a football club. Ranson twice headed a consortium in unsuccessful attempt to purchase Aston Villa. The first bid £30 million in April 2004, and the second takeover attempt was valued at £45 million. In April 2007, he then bid an offer of what is thought to be £90million to buy former club Manchester City. However, on 30 May 2007, he pulled out of the proposed takeover bid of Manchester City after failing to come to an agreement with the then board. In October 2007, Ranson attempted to take over Southampton on behalf of hedge fund company SISU; however in December 2007 Ranson completed a deal to take over Coventry City, with just 30 minutes before the club was set to go into administration.

It's also live on Latics Player.

Tonk and Mvoto signed on 4th or 5th August 2010. Season started 7th August.

Jenny Warburton Another new signing!

Link Our old friend John Battye was asked why he stood for the council again and his reply was: “Unfinished business.” His biggest regret is not being around in 2001 to finish the Sports Park 2000 project which would have given Oldham Athletic a new home on Clayton Playing Fields. He lays the blame squarely at the feet on the Liberal Democrats, who took charge of the council in 2000 when he lost his seat. “One more year, that is all that was needed,” he mused, adding: “The majority of the money was in place, the planning permission was in place and we had permission from the Charity Commission to develop Clayton and replace the football fields on the site of the old stadium." “Lots of untruths have been spoken and published about the project. There were three sets of plans: a 20,000-plus seater stadium with a roof at £27 million; a smaller stadium with a retractable roof at £20 million and a 16,000-seater standard stadium without cover." “That last was our preferred option. We had £11 million in the bank from the sale of Westwood running track to B&Q, we had a further £2 million promised for stadium naming rights which left a shortfall of £3 million which could easily have been sourced at competitive rates on a stadium that was all-but funded." “We had verbal promises from BSkyB to use the stadium as their northern hub for parking of their outside broadcast vehicles and as a northern studio." “Everything was in place — and we just needed another 12 months.” “Unfinished business.” He was the asked 'where are we then, with the stadium situation?' The article then says: The response spoke volumes — nothing of substance was said other than “We as a party, as a group, are prepared to make and take decisions..." A bit of a cryptic response! I wonder what he could mean?

Time for bed

Will renew over the weekend.

An undisclosed sell-on clause?

If he scores a couple of goals will it be a case of 'double diamond works wonders'? Am I showing my age!!

Excuse my ignorance but how do I know which version (ie: 800x600, etc.) to use on my laptop?