oafcprozac Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Is there the stomach to fight for change or do we accept what is inevitable? The group over the summer had good intentions but were confused in their aims and struggled to articulate their grievances. So I'll say again is there the stomach for a fight to at least put forward our grievances and to gain maximum exposure for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafcprozac Posted November 13, 2016 Author Share Posted November 13, 2016 November last year post Crewe away defeat "I have always prided myself on my support for MY home town, team and club. When I first started following Oldham Athletic I could have easily chosen Liverpool or Everton the two top teams of the time. Or perhaps gone following United or City, both were in the doldrums but both were relatively cheap and all my mates followed one or the other. But, No. I chose my dads team Oldham Athletic. The team I fell in love with prided themselves on being a family club with a loyal fanbase that had been brought up on attacking football. Theyd been struggling in the second tier for 12 years but had always tried to play the right way and the number one aim was to entertain. Football like it or not is an entertainment business and the number one aim is goals. I was lucky I began supporting the team in 1986 and for the next eight years or so it was thrills and spills all the way, there were a couple of poor periods in late 1987 and late 1988 but overall the team won the majority of its home games, ok we were crap away but week after week you were guaranteed goals at Boundary Park. Another thing, the directors were local men, the players were contracted to the club and we had stability with a management team that wanted to win football matches played the right way. The ground was a dump, we didnt care it was ours and we were all in it together from the chairman to the tea lady. Fast forward to the summer of 2003, my darkest days as a Latics fan but also some of the best. I was proud to be a Latics fan seeing how we rallied round and pulled together to try and save our club, the togetherness I felt in that 2003/04 season is something that will live with me forever. We knew the good times were well and truly behind us and the club was fighting for its very existence. Luckily three New York Businessmen rode in and saved the club from oblivion. They had great ideas to move the club forward, yet were halted and then delayed by a council lacking vision. Still we began to move forward on the pitch and between 2005-09 we saw FOUR consecutive top ten finishes which saw the club in a good place and consistently in the right half of the league. However, eventually those frustrations off the field resulted in the Chairman walking away and around the same time saw John Sheridan sacked. Ever since our fortunes on the field have nosedived, the fanbase has become demoralised and half of those fans that worked so hard to keep the club afloat in 2003, the same fans that were simply happy to have a club have walked away. Washing their hands of a club that is only heading one way. It wont happen They say, well ask Grimsby Town, Tranmere Rovers, Stockport County, Lincoln City, Wrexham etc. all similar sized clubs to us these days. Well it happened to them! With each cock up we inch closer to oblivion. 2015 has been a nightmare for Oldham Athletic Ched Evans Saga. Were these the actions of a family club, one I and my kids proudly support? Lee Johnson to Barnsley. He was under contract, he stays until the end of the season. THE CLUB COMES FIRST. Dean Holden being placed in charge. Just what was the plan here? IT smacked of little Oldham giving up and part of the reason we have only 3 wins in 28 league games. An unforgivable lack of ambition. Darren Kelly A joke of an appointment handled pathetically and stinks of rying to save a few quid. Re-signing: Croft and Wellens Both well past it jobs for the boys and obvious external interference. Dunn: A mistake from the start. The Stand: It should have been OAFCs moment to savour, it should be Simon Corneys legacy. Instead it will be remembered for delay after delay. It feels like an anti-climax when it should be celebrated for the wonderful achievement it is! Barry Owen: Need I say any more? I know times have changed in football and many clubs of our size live hand to mouth, I can cope with that. Thats the reality of 3rd tier football however, the clubs very identity is at stake. A procession of loanees year on year kills any affinity people feel with the club. I assure you that, the team yesterday would not have witnessed such vitriol if it wasn't so top heavy with loanees and short term deals. Fans can see when players are holding back and not giving their all. That is a bare minimum we expect. Oldham is a hard working town but not a well paid town. £22 + travel + refreshments is a large chunk of your average Oldhamers income, they deserved more yesterday. I can honestly say in my 30 years of supporting the cub I have never felt so detached from the club, The fans, owners, directors, management, coaches and players have never felt so distant. Why? Well just what is our aim as a club? What is the vision to move the club forward? What is the vision to make the club sustainable in a way that will see crowds improve? Some fans are gone for good BUT there is a big interest in the club in Oldham, many fans cant afford it or are lapsed but a modicum of success or even consistent attacking football will see people return. Make the product marketable with a team the fans can identify in and some will return. How do we change things and move forward? (1) Have an owner that is either here more often or delegates true power to the board can the present directors be trusted to do this?! If not show true desire to find a viable owner that can do the above. (2) Develop a manageable vision statement how the club will move forward in the next THREE to FIVE years (3) Employ a manager and coaching team with an ethos of attacking and scoring goals not simply to go out and not lose. Like it or not this has been the ethos of our last FOUR full time managers. (4) Insist home grown talent gets a chance on merit. Contracted players are OUR players so why the need for a constant stream of short term deals and loanees? Emergency loans should be just that. Not used as an excuse to bin the previous managers contracted players. (5) Reintroduce reserve team football to help develop our own players and keep the squad fit. (6) Stop treating the fans like idiots with the constant criticism in the press. I do have sympathy for a lot of what Simon Corney has had to put up with in the last 6 years since his partners pulled out but if we keep with the present board we will continue to stagnate and slip towards oblivion. I know Simon doesnt want that and Im sure one day he will be very proud of his legacy the North Stand. Will he be as proud to see us struggling in league 2 next season, because with the current board and management structure it is inevitable? I feel we have reached a tipping point over the last few weeks, fans are voting with their feet the Millwall attendance will be sub 3,000 I guarantee it. After what I have seen at Chesterfield and yesterday with fans arguing with themselves and the reaction the players got. You know what I simply dont want to be part of such a toxic set up. So with a heavy heart Im going to take a break from following the team I love away from home initially, until I see a change in atmosphere and maybe even home games too, season tickets or not. I know I'm not alone, there's a close group of about ten of us that go everywhere that number has dwindled massively over the last month - many of us have missed only 6 games or so in the last three years and when lunatics like us are fed up and walking away, I really do think it is time to sit up and take notice." We can now add to this Stand still not finished Sheridan walking Pre season chaos and fire sale Ever dwindling crowds Feel free to add Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_mighty_bosh Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 I agreed with the idea although not the way they did it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlossopLatic Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 A group that has a clear message to find new investment for the club could gather momentum. Their are people with mixed views on Simon Corney some hold him responsible for our mess others remember that he saved the club in 2003 and while he has made a number of mistakes has always tried to do his best for the club. A group that just shouts Corney out will just divide people. However love or loathe Corney we all agree we are only going to go anywhere by getting new investment. If they cant find fresh investment why is that? Anthony Gee said in the summer that 5 parties were interested what has happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitygoo Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Ive generally stuck behind corney and the job he did with his group and continued to do on his own. That was until 2015 when we just started to unravel. 2016 has been equally as bad. If we don't do anything, we will be in trouble soon. We cannot continue to exist with an aim of just staying up. One yeat soon, probably this season, we will go down and like others, we will find league 2 difficult to escape. The fight needs to start now... And everybody needs to join it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philliggi Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Fully agree with everything prozac says. I've been saying for years Corney will be the death of this club but always been shouted down. I've not got the time to be proactive in any organisation having a newborn six weeks ago, but I will back and attend any action that does get organised Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP1960 Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Where is Barry Owen these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP1960 Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 (edited) N/t Edited November 13, 2016 by BP1960 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcfluff1985 Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 All well and good saying we need investment to go anywhere but how many clubs at our level get it? He has made mistakes no doubt about it but always with the aim of doing his best for the club. How many chairman can you name that haven't hired an absolute whopper as manager? I can't think of any. If anyone has any ideas if how to get investment then put those forward. Until then he is at least keeping us afloat. People have mentioned previously having the trust running the club. Bollocks. We'd be far worse off with zero money to back us up when we're struggling with income. Has he made mistakes? Yes Is he intentionally ruining the club? No Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forte_Baby Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Maybe the fact the Trust have put the application in towards getting Boundary Park. Is a sign there already looking beyond Corney already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philliggi Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 All well and good saying we need investment to go anywhere but how many clubs at our level get it? He has made mistakes no doubt about it but always with the aim of doing his best for the club. How many chairman can you name that haven't hired an absolute whopper as manager? I can't think of any. If anyone has any ideas if how to get investment then put those forward. Until then he is at least keeping us afloat. People have mentioned previously having the trust running the club. Bollocks. We'd be far worse off with zero money to back us up when we're struggling with income. Has he made mistakes? Yes Is he intentionally ruining the club? No Difference is the trust would actually give a :censored: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarddog73 Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 There is that much apathy around BP that fans can't even be arsed to protest, all that happens is they stop going and don't return once they realise there's more to life than being took for a :censored: by Corney and Co, what a :censored:ing failure the bloke is and how anyone can continue to defend him is beyond me, whilst other clubs fans manage to get a protest together our own critics get shouted down by those who somehow see him as a saviour, in reality he's killing the club to the core whilst all the arse licking happy clappers preach to us how lucky we are to have a football team. Does he still attend games these days or has he jacked it in like many of our fans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forte_Baby Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Difference is the trust would actually give a :censored: Agree unlike a few years ago I do feel more comfortable with the current line up of the trust especially since Barry gone. Obvious stuff won't happen overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpwild Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Corney has to go if anything is to change, simple as that. One bad decision and mismanagement after another has cost this club dearly and we're losing fans every week. The price change won't make any difference if the product and atmosphere is dreadful (which it has been for years). I'm sick of scrapping at the bottom every single season and I think this is the year we'll finally go and we won't come back up when we do. Something's got to change. I was fully behind the protest but it never got any real support to make a difference. Not even a reaction from higher up. What does that tell you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcfluff1985 Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Difference is the trust would actually give a :censored: I don't think Corney doesn't give a :censored:. My point is though that giving a :censored: doesn't put money in the coffers to keep the club afloat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kusunga_Is_God Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Waiting for McFluff to get into the groove accusing you of being a weapon and saying we're lucky to even have a football club. mcduff also loves 0-1 losses and defensive football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcfluff1985 Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Waiting for McFluff to get into the groove accusing you of being a weapon and saying we're lucky to even have a football club. mcduff also loves 0-1 losses and defensive football. Feel free to answer my valid points in a sensible fashion at any time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philliggi Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 It's got to the point where personally I would rather support a club lower down the leagues with a fan Base that cares about the club and win a few games than watch us implode season after season. I know how bad that sounds and I can't believe I would accept relegation but if relegation guaranteed ridding ourselves of corney I'd snap your hand off. I want to enjoy supporting this club again. We had a crap team under Ritchie late 90s early 2000s but it was our Club. We had the passion and didn't mind losing because you knew the players had given it everything and we had players who were latics through and through. We only made 4 or 5 signings in a summer not 20. All that has gone now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aarondo Westy Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 (edited) Nothing will happen until it's too late. Everyone has there own opinion and it's fair enough but we had a shambles of a summer and we have set up to fail this season. It's not the managers fault at all it's the owner. As has been said above some people are firmly in the "we are lucky to have a club to support" camp. I feel that even a relegation wouldn't spark mass protest and we will hear "been punching above our weight too long" spouted about. Yes the group in the summer could of been handled a bit better, we did have a meeting with corney set up myself and someone else went down and he was a no show. I took loads of abuse and threats and tbh Ive reached can't be arsed stage with latics, and it hurts I won't lie. Ive done 3 games this season and worked for Bolton and dale away and it didn't bother me in the slightest, there is a protest going on now a silent protest I'll be surprised if I make it to double figures in games this year. I still check here, twitter and results but am more meh about it now. Ive said am going to attend a game at the end of November at home but can't even remember who we are playing and I might go to Lincoln but neither are set in stone. Edited November 13, 2016 by Aarondo Westy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nonaenever Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 I care passionately about the club and feel the same way as many. For the first time ever, I would support (and actively help out) a proper, reasoned protest group. In fact, I think I'd be happy to lead the thing if needs be. It needs doing properly - although obviously a conflict situation, it's conflict that has to be handled in a mature way - a sensible drawn-up plan, "buy-in" from the club in order to get dialogue going but most importantly - it needs the genuine fans behind it - this is where I am worried - far too many now seem to have accepted the dross being served up as "our level". It's not - we ARE better than this and we are capable of pulling in more supporters - but this is going to need a real concerted effort for the long term. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Has he made mistakes? Yes Is he intentionally ruining the club? No Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nohairdontcare Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 Times are grim. I'm in Ireland but I can hardly muster the enthusiasm to listen to Latics Player any more - so for those paying whatever in cash to go to a game only to see dross, I feel your pain! I make one, maybe two games a season. I was at Crewe away last year - As as been well documented that was abysmal. The rot has continued - and while the club conducts surveys (when the problems are so obvious), I think a firm blunt point has to be made. If something can be organised to make the point - which I believe is that those of us left are witnessing the club die, and want change - at least we'd die having tried to do something. We don't need a march, or a boycott, just a way to get an agreed message across - would a walk-out in the 80th minute of a match get attention? Combined with a designated supporter delivering a statement to the Chron and the club? Whatever happens, I think owtb will be crucial in uniting us, agreeing a statement, and an attention grabbing action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarddog73 Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 One problem, I'm normally gone by the 80th minute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP1960 Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 One problem, I'm normally gone by the 80th minute We usually play well in the last 10 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nonaenever Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 We don't need a march, or a boycott, just a way to get an agreed message across - would a walk-out in the 80th minute of a match get attention? Combined with a designated supporter delivering a statement to the Chron and the club? Whatever happens, I think owtb will be crucial in uniting us, agreeing a statement, and an attention grabbing action. If it helps, I could certainly get something sensible via the Chron (I used to have regular articles in the paper and have the contacts) and also have the ear of Radio Manchester. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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