Oldham Athletic ...1 Fleetwood Town ...0
Saturday 15th August 2015
@The Sports Direct.Com Park
Kick Off 15:00
BRIEF HISTORY
Formed as Pine Villa in 1895 the club changed it's name and colours four years later, becoming Oldham Athletic and changing from red and white stripes with blue shorts and socks to a more familiar blue and white stripes with white shorts and blue socks.
The club joined the football league's division two in 1907-08 season replacing Burslem Port Vale
and worked their way up to the first division within three seasons. In the 1914-15 season Oldham finished second in the table by one point behind Everton, this was the latics highest ever placing in the English football league. War broke out and football was put on hold for five years and when it returned in the 1919-20 season Oldham found it hard with most of their squad retired or killed in the war and so the latics made a return to division two in 1923.
Oldham then found themselves fluctuating between divisions two and three until the 1959-60 season when the then new fourth division was formed and the latics were relegated into it finishing in 23rd place and having to apply for re-election to the said league which they passed for the league decided to relegate Gateshead instead who had finished above Oldham.
The latics fortunes changed in the 60's and 70's since that close scare of non league football and arrived back in league two in the 1973-74 season under the management of Jimmy Frizzell. Joe Royle ex Everton and England striker took over in 1982 and after nine years in charge brought Oldham back to the top flight of English football making them a founder member of the Premier league.
Oldham made two Wembley appearances under Royle losing 1-0 in the 1990 league cup final to Nottingham Forest and drawing 1-1 in the 1994 FA cup Semi finals to Manchester United United won the replay 4-1 at maine Road which demoralised Oldham who didn't win another game till the end of the season and saw them relegated back into division two (Now the Championship) on the last day.
Athletic are now in league one which is the English third flight after being relegated in the 1996-97 season under Greame Sharp the ex Everton and Scotland striker, finishing in 15th place last season.
RUN UP TO THE GAME
As I was travelling down to Exeter last weekend the latics visited my home town Walsall where a
late goal from Jonathan Forte who came off the bench to secure a share of the spoils equalising Ronaine Sawyers 8th minute goal for the Saddlers. Darren Kelly makes three changes to his main eleven bringing in Connor Brown for Brian Wilson, Danny Philliskirk for Carl Winchester and Dominic Poleon for Rhys Turner up front.
Fleetwood were at home to Southend to start their campaign this season and came away with the same result as the Latics, McManus putting Town ahead in the 33rd minute with David Worrall equalising from the bench for Southend with just six minutes of normal time remaining. Graham Alexander has named an unchanged starting eleven for this match.
THE MATCH
This was a scrappy encounter for the opening league game of the season at the newly named Sports Direct.Com Park. Both teams had chances early on in the first half with Fleetwood slightly edging it but their finishing can only be described as abysmal. Players had nothing to blame for their wayward attempts on goal as the pitch looked immaculate and could be compared with the green baize of a billiards table The only saving grace of the first half in fact of the whole match was the goal coming after 36 minutes when a long ball was flicked over the Fleetwood defence by Rhys Turner and Danny Philliskirk raced into the Town penalty area to smash home his second goal of the season.
Lee Croft had a good chance soon after to double his sides advantage but again poor finishing saw
him squander it from close range.
Fleetwood came out early to start the second half but their enthusiasm stopped there as the game carried on in the same vein as the first with neither side looking likely to add to the scoreline and when the referee blew for full time I think that everyone was relieved that it was finally over. Not a good advert for British football at all and I can only hope that it doesn't get any worse than this on my travels this season.
THE SPORTS DIRECT.COM EXPERIENCE
Wish I had looked deeper into my preparations for this trip as I could have saved some money and some energy cutting out a lot of the walking I had to do. Mistake number one was taking a taxi from Piccadilly station to Victoria which cost me £8 when I could have taken the tram for £1.20. I caught the train from Victoria station to Mills Hill which is the nearest train station to the ground but is a two and a half mile walk were as I could have taken the tram again from Picadilly to freehold which is only a twenty minute walk from the ground at a cost of around £4 return.
Boundary Park or the Sports Direct.Com Park as it's been renamed is a 10 and a half thousand
capacity all seated stadium built in 1906 which is under-going some much needed modernisation with a new stand being built on one side of the pitch, it looks quite impressive with what looks like executive boxes at the back of the blue plastic seating area that leads down to pitch side. On the other side is the George Hill main stand which is two tiered and covered but only stretches about two thirds of the touch line evenly straddling the half way line with a business suite to the left (looking at the pitch), and some unused terracing at the other end. There are supporting pillars which can restrict your view pending on where you are sitting, I was lucky and could see most of the main action areas. The seats are most uncomfortable and have very little leg room all are coloured blue in each stand with some white ones to spell out initials or names related to the club. I had a shock when I visited the toilet on the way out of the ground for it was just one lavatory cubical for use by one person at a time, I'm glad I didn't get involved in the half time rush although there may be other toilets around I didn't move too far away from where I was sitting.
At the business suite end of the main stand behind the goal is the Zen Office (Chaddy Road end)
which is an old structure with supporting pillars running across and houses the away support, the stand is covered and has around 16 hundred seats. The opposite end is the Rochdale Road stand (Verlin Stand), which has been recently built and is a fair sized stand and fully covered.
No club shop which was a big surprise they used to have one but closed it down, this is the first time I've come across this on my travels and , of course, I couldn't buy my usual souvenir scarf, managed to get a match programme inside the ground.
I was told by people who had already visited Boundary Park to try the chicken balti pies which I did and must say that it was well worth the visit just for that reason although a mite expensive with one pie and a bottle of diet coke coming to £5.
My ticket cost me £22 which is about right for league one football but I must say that although the ground is being modernised there are parts that are old and tired and need bringing up to date very soon. Not the most memorable of trips but another ground ticked off the list and one in Greater Manchester at that. Very tiring day, no problems getting there or back but could have made life a little easier and less expensive for myself.
MATCH DETAILS
Formed as Pine Villa in 1895 the club changed it's name and colours four years later, becoming Oldham Athletic and changing from red and white stripes with blue shorts and socks to a more familiar blue and white stripes with white shorts and blue socks.
The club joined the football league's division two in 1907-08 season replacing Burslem Port Vale
View approaching from Boundary Park Road |
Oldham then found themselves fluctuating between divisions two and three until the 1959-60 season when the then new fourth division was formed and the latics were relegated into it finishing in 23rd place and having to apply for re-election to the said league which they passed for the league decided to relegate Gateshead instead who had finished above Oldham.
View from Sheepfoot Lane |
Oldham made two Wembley appearances under Royle losing 1-0 in the 1990 league cup final to Nottingham Forest and drawing 1-1 in the 1994 FA cup Semi finals to Manchester United United won the replay 4-1 at maine Road which demoralised Oldham who didn't win another game till the end of the season and saw them relegated back into division two (Now the Championship) on the last day.
Athletic are now in league one which is the English third flight after being relegated in the 1996-97 season under Greame Sharp the ex Everton and Scotland striker, finishing in 15th place last season.
RUN UP TO THE GAME
As I was travelling down to Exeter last weekend the latics visited my home town Walsall where a
Teams coming onto the pitch |
Fleetwood were at home to Southend to start their campaign this season and came away with the same result as the Latics, McManus putting Town ahead in the 33rd minute with David Worrall equalising from the bench for Southend with just six minutes of normal time remaining. Graham Alexander has named an unchanged starting eleven for this match.
THE MATCH
Oldham preparing to shake hands with opponents |
Lee Croft had a good chance soon after to double his sides advantage but again poor finishing saw
Two teams take part in usual pre match sporting gesture |
Fleetwood came out early to start the second half but their enthusiasm stopped there as the game carried on in the same vein as the first with neither side looking likely to add to the scoreline and when the referee blew for full time I think that everyone was relieved that it was finally over. Not a good advert for British football at all and I can only hope that it doesn't get any worse than this on my travels this season.
THE SPORTS DIRECT.COM EXPERIENCE
Wish I had looked deeper into my preparations for this trip as I could have saved some money and some energy cutting out a lot of the walking I had to do. Mistake number one was taking a taxi from Piccadilly station to Victoria which cost me £8 when I could have taken the tram for £1.20. I caught the train from Victoria station to Mills Hill which is the nearest train station to the ground but is a two and a half mile walk were as I could have taken the tram again from Picadilly to freehold which is only a twenty minute walk from the ground at a cost of around £4 return.
Boundary Park or the Sports Direct.Com Park as it's been renamed is a 10 and a half thousand
New stand still under construction |
At the business suite end of the main stand behind the goal is the Zen Office (Chaddy Road end)
Zen Office (Chaddy Road End) |
No club shop which was a big surprise they used to have one but closed it down, this is the first time I've come across this on my travels and , of course, I couldn't buy my usual souvenir scarf, managed to get a match programme inside the ground.
I was told by people who had already visited Boundary Park to try the chicken balti pies which I did and must say that it was well worth the visit just for that reason although a mite expensive with one pie and a bottle of diet coke coming to £5.
My ticket cost me £22 which is about right for league one football but I must say that although the ground is being modernised there are parts that are old and tired and need bringing up to date very soon. Not the most memorable of trips but another ground ticked off the list and one in Greater Manchester at that. Very tiring day, no problems getting there or back but could have made life a little easier and less expensive for myself.
MATCH DETAILS