21st December 1999    

Oyoinmi to join Iron
Chairman's statement
Year in review

ATHLETIC have defied their financial problems by launching a shock bid to sign Bury striker Ian Lawson. Despite having plenty of forwards already in his squad, manager Andy Ritchie is making a second big effort to sign the 22-year-old, who has hit 10 goals so far this season. Athletic are not releasing any figures, but I understand the offer is in the region of £60,000. If Bury accept that fee, Lawson will become the most expensive signing at Boundary Park since Matthew Rush in March, 1997. Ritchie was on the verge of signing the 5ft 11ins former Huddersfield man at the start of this season. He was available on a free transfer but, just when Athletic thought they had clinched a deal, he opted to join Neil Warnock at Gigg Lane. Lawson made a flying start to his Bury career and there is no doubt caretaker-manager Andy Preece, who took over when Warnock moved to Sheffield United, would like to keep his leading scorer. But Bury have even bigger problems than Athletic. 

They could be forced to take the money and make a killing on someone they signed less than six months ago. Athletic chief-executive Alan Hardy said: "I can confirm that a bid has been made for a striker with a North-West club, but it would be unfair for us to name him. "We want to strengthen our existing squad and we think it's a realistic bid in relation to his record." As Ritchie is so keen on Lawson, Athletic may even stretch themselves a little further to get their man. 

LOOK-OUT

They already have Mark Allott, Steve Whitehall, Craig Dudley, Matthew Tipton, Ryan Sugden, Paul Beavers and the transfer-listed David McNiven available to play up front. The manager has been trimming his squad recently, but he is constantly on the look-out for new talent and was given the go-ahead to offer more money than he has ever spent on one player. Tonight's home reserve-team game against Manchester City has been postponed. 

The Boundary Park pitch is frozen and last night's snowfall is preventing it thawing out. Athletic are still hopeful that their Boxing Day match against Scunthorpe United will go ahead. 

Bright future ahead, insists club chairman

CHAIRMAN David Brierley has hammered out a defiant message following the release of Athletic’s latest balance sheet. “We are very positive about the future,” insisted the Boundary Park supremo, whose club plunged £2.7million into debt in the last financial year. The crisis was so severe that Mr Brierley and his fellow directors decided to sell the stadium, plus its surrounding land, to Hiretarget, a company partly owned by Oldham Council. As a result of the £3m deal, they have paid off the club’s debts and believe the corner may have been turned. Athletic’s bank overdraft almost doubled in the 12 months before May 31 of this year, reaching an enormous £1.7m — the interest on which would have been crippling. That contributed to an annual loss of £1,044,699 and, in turn, meant Athletic owed exactly £2,727,462. Like several lower-division clubs before them, they were at the point of no return. An offer was on the table and, with their creditors unwilling to bail them out, they had little option but to cash in on their biggest asset. “We had reached a stage where the bank weren’t prepared to increase the overdraft facility,” revealed Mr Brierley. “Nor were they prepared to increase the company’s loans. “They were asking for reductions in accordance with previous agreements and it was certainly getting into a very serious financial situation.” Athletic are still saddled with part of their loan for rebuilding the Rochdale Road End — a project for which they received a £1million grant — and, as the operating statement shows, it is nigh on impossible for a club in their position to show a profit without raking in big transfer fees. The danger must be that those debts will simply begin to build up again. But Mr Brierley is upbeat about Athletic’s chances of staying on a healthy financial footing. “There are areas we need to look at,” the chairman said. “But we certainly aren’t lying on our backs, sticking our feet in the air and giving up. “We have already addressed one problem by pruning our playing staff, which we had needed to do for some time. “We are still running at 32 professionals and that needs to come down to a more sensible number. “We are also looking at developing Latique Travel, because it’s a healthy company which is successful and profitable. It’s a very positive aspect of the club. “On the commercial side, we have to explore every avenue we can to maximise our profits. We are covering all eventualities. “I know our financial position hasn’t been good in the past. And it isn’t going to be easy, not by any stretch of the imagination. “But I must stress that we have reason to look on the bright side. Our intentions are positive and we really can get ourselves on an even keel.” Athletic’s total income between May 1998 and ‘99 rose by £300,00 to £2,479,914. Not far off £1million of that came from gate receipts and season ticket sales, which showed a healthy rise on the previous year. General revenue was also up, but the company’s loss — before transfers are taken into account — was still £1.2m. That was reduced to the final figure (£1,044,699) once transfers entered the equation. The sale of Carl Serrant to Newcastle helped to make a profit on players of £560,000. But football club accounts are allowed to spread the cost of wages, signing-on fees and the like, so the actual figure was less. Athletic’s total expenditure for the year rose slightly to £3,719,892, even though the wage bill was slightly reduced.THE shareholders’ annual general meeting is scheduled for January 17 at the Clayton Arms. It is later than usual this year due to the protracted sale of JW Lees’ holding in the club.

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS...

JANUARY

1999 begins with a bang as Athletic are narrowly beaten by star-studded Chelsea in the FA Cup third round. Most headlines are reserved for the flying hot dog which hits referee Paul Durkin. “It was an unsavoury incident,” muses Andy Ritchie. The first storm of the year erupts when chairman Ian Stott admits having informal merger talks with his Bury and Rochdale counterparts. Although claiming his words were taken out of context, Mr Stott resigns, citing embarrassment caused to the club. He swops roles with vice-chairman David Brierley. It’s a busy time for contract negotiations — new deals are agreed by Mark Innes, Lee Duxbury, Paul Rickers, Matthew Tipton, David Miskelly and another young ’keeper, Jamie Campbell. The team coach breaks down en route to Fulham, forcing the players to warm up on a grass verge off the A4.

FEBRUARY

THREE defeats in four games leave Athletic treading water just one place above division two’s relegation zone. On-loan Paul Mardon scores two of only three goals all month, fellow defender Stuart Thom claiming the other. Not surprisingly, Ritchie steps up his efforts to bring in a striker on loan. The first target is former team-mate Ian Marshall, but Leicester rule out any move. Undeterred, Ritchie looks to Wigan’s Graeme Jones, Sunderland’s Michael Bridges — now starring for Leeds after a £5million transfer — Bristol City’s Colin Cramb, Aston Villa pair Darren Byfield and Alan Lee, plus West Brom’s Micky Evans and Brian Quailey. For one reason or another, every attempted signing falls through.

MARCH

MORE frustration on the transfer front before everything falls into place on deadline day. Craig Dudley signs permanently from Notts County and is joined, on loan until the end of the season, by Paul Beavers, of Sunderland, and Notts Forest’s Andy Gray. Winger Rory Prendergast arrives on non-contract forms from York, while Steve Cherry’s signing as emergency goalkeeping cover means he has worked for 10 different clubs. John McGinlay quits the professional game through injury after starting only six games for Athletic. Miskelly and Tipton play under-21 internationals. But, back home, their club remain only just above the relegation zone.

APRIL

BEFORE kicking a ball in anger for Athletic, Dudley heads off to Nigeria to play in the under-20s World Cup. Meanwhile, tension is building at Boundary Park. Home draws against Luton and Burnley are separated by defeat in the last-ever visit to Wigan’s Springfield Park. Next come a fine comeback victory against Bristol Rovers and a late Andrew Holt goal to seal the points at Wrexham. When the month closes on a sour note — a 4-1 hammering at home to Gillingham — Athletic are right back where they started. They are relying on their goals-scored record to stay out of the bottom four and there are only three games to go . . .

MAY

WALSALL celebrate promotion after a 3-1 win over Athletic, but the result is horrendous news for the strugglers, who are now in the drop zone. Against Stoke City at Boundary Park, things go from bad to worse as Thom is sent off for a professional foul in the 22nd minute. But Athletic show the grit demanded by their manager and a priceless second-half goal from Beavers earns a 1-0 success. On the final day, there are enough permutations to bewilder Einstein. Athletic do their bit by beating Reading 2-0 and, by the spookiest of coincidences, former manager Joe Royle completes the equation when Manchester City beat York 4-0, condemning the unlucky Minstermen to division three. Two days beforehand, Ritchie had signed a new contract taking him to the summer of 2001. A pretty good week for the man who, also this year, won a fans’ poll to find the club’s greatest-ever player.

JUNE

THE Chronicle reveals that JW Lees’ 48 per cent majority shareholding in Athletic is up for sale. Disillusioned fans rejoice, hoping a millionaire will ride into town and leave his cashcard number with the manager. Instead, Ritchie is given permission to bring in two players on free transfers. He is close to capturing Huddersfield pair Ian Lawson and Sam Collins, only to see predecessor Neil Warnock — stopping off at Bury on his way to Sheffield United — step in at the last minute. Ian Stott, vice-chairman at Athletic, is elected to a similar position with the FA.

JULY

NEIL Ad-ams returns from Norwich after five years away. Junior Agogo (real first name later emerging as Manuel) signs on loan from Sheffield Wednesday. Paul Reid rejoins Warnock after refusing a new contract, following Lee Sinnott (player-coach at Scarborough) and Toddy Orlygsson (released) out of the exit door. Athletic win the Isle of Man tournament and enjoy an unbeaten build-up to the new campaign, including a 0-0 draw with Blackburn in Ritchie’s testimonial match.

AUGUST

BEAVERS arrives to sign a two-year deal after much deliberation by Peter Reid, his manager at the Stadium Of Light. Ex-Newcastle man Jordan Tait joins him, but Dudley heads off on loan to Chesterfield and Agogo goes. As pressure builds on JW Lees to sell their shares, Bernard Manning jnr throws his hat into the ring. There has also been interest from two local businessmen and a consortium of six. Meanwhile, on the pitch, Athletic fluff their lines big time. The record book reads: lost 0-1; lost 0-2 (Worthington Cup); lost 0-2; lost 0-1; drew 1-1 (Worthington Cup); lost 0-1. Surprise, surprise, they are bottom of the table.

SEPTEMBER

ANOTHER defeat, this time at Gillingham, completes the worst start in the club’s history. No prizes for finding the cause — the first league goal takes nearly 7 hours to arrive. But the return of Warnock sparks a dramatic return to form as Bury, parading four ex-Athletic players, are beaten 2-0. The following week at Bristol Rovers, John Sheridan scores with a free-kick from 44.9 yards. The dreadful start to the season brings the first whispers of discontent about Ritchie’s management. Chairman Brierley defends his man and also hits out at potential shares buyers who have made their interest public.

OCTOBER

BOUNDARY Park is sold off to Hiretarget, Oldham Council’s joint-venture company, as Athletic attempt to clear their worrying debts. The seven-figure deal ends a century-long ownership of the ground, which they will continue to use as tenants. Fortunes on the field finally improve. Luton and Blackpool are beaten in the league before Chelmsford are brushed aside in the FA Cup. Although Athletic are off the foot of the table, optimism is tempered by home defeats to Notts County and Reading. It’s a bad time for defenders, with Thom breaking his collarbone and both Tait and Shaun Garnett undergoing hernia operations. Garnett — proving he doesn’t believe in half-measures — has a double.

NOVEMBER

OLDHAM Athletic Association Football Club Ltd is sold to its existing chairman, David Brierley, and two long-serving directors, Peter Chadwick and Derek Taylor. They pay an undisclosed sum for JW Lees’ 48 per cent stake after deciding uncertainty over the future cannot continue. Many fans are up in arms after the new majority shareholders say they will not be investing. The three men reply that they are bringing stability to the club and will listen to any serious offers. Geoffrey Butterworth retires from the board and is appointed club president. Five young professionals leave, while two more are given free transfers, as Athletic trim their wage bill. But Paul Jones arrives from Leigh RMI and a record of only one defeat in seven league and cup games helps to take people’s minds off the boardroom controversy. Suddenly, Athletic are up to 14th.

DECEMBER

THE balance sheet shows a loss of over £1million in the last year. It also illustrates how the sale of Boundary Park kept the club afloat. Ian McLean joins David McNiven and Iain Swan on the transfer list, while ten-man Athletic go out of the FA Cup at Preston. A small band of club officials, plus guest, mark Christmas by donning paper hats in a hotel outside Cambridge. The players, preparing for the next day’s match, watch from afar and find this very, very amusing.

. . . AND LOOKING BACK EVEN FURTHER

IN THE LAST 100 YEARS . . .

Athletic have had 21 managers. The first of them was Irishman David Ashworth, the man who took the club from the Lancashire Combination to the Football League. Ashworth had two spells in charge, as did Jack Rowley during the 1960s. Bob Mellor took the reins on three occasions between 1924 and 1945.

The full roll of honour reads: David Ashworth, Herbert Bamlett, Charlie Roberts, Bob Mellor, Andrew Wilson, Jimmy McMullan, Frank Womack, Billy Wootton, George Hardwick, Ted Goodier, Norman Dodgin, Danny McLennan, Jack Rowley, Les McDowall, Gordon Hurst, Jimmy McIlroy, Jimmy Frizzell, Joe Royle, Graeme Sharp, Neil Warnock, Andy Ritchie.

Athletic have played 3,515 league games. The first, on September 9, 1907, brought a 3-1 victory at Stoke. The last of the century is at home to Scunthorpe on Sunday. The first floodlit match at Boundary Park came during the 1961/62 season, while 1986 saw another revolutionary move — the installation of the plastic pitch. The league fixture at Middlesbrough on April 3, 1915, was abandoned after one of the most notorious incidents in the club’s history, full-back William Cook refusing to leave the field after the referee sent him off.

Athletic have WON 1,288 league games. Perhaps the most celebrated — if only because it was so recent — is the match against Sheffield Wednesday on May 11, 1991. The biggest ever win came in a division four match on Boxing Day, 1962, when Southport were trounced 11-0, Bert Lister bagging six goals.

n Athletic have DRAWN 892 league games. Does anyone out there remember the 2-2 draw at Hartlepools, as they were then known, in 1959? It saved Athletic from finishing bottom of the Football League for the only time in their history.

Athletic have LOST 1,335 league games. One of those defeats, at Tranmere on Boxing Day, 1935, secured Athletic’s place in the Guinness Book of Records.

The incredible 13-4 scoreline made it the league match which has featured more goals than any other.

At the time, football was also played on Christmas Day and, twenty-four hours earlier, Athletic had beaten the same opponents 4-1!

Athletic have scored 5,051 league goals. Roger Palmer leads the way with 141 of those strikes, beating Eric Gemmell (110).

The highest league scorer in a single season remains Tom Davis, who hit 33 in 1936/37 — a record which may never be broken.

Athletic have conceded 5,179 league goals. For the meanest defence in the club’s history, you have to go way back to 1909/10 when Athletic let in only 39 on their way to promotion to division one.

At the other end of the scale, an eight-year period during the fifties and sixties made Boundary Park a haven for struggling strikers. During that spell, they let in 89, 68, 86, 74, 84, 84, 83 and 88. Oh dear.

Athletic have had 18 current internationals on their books. The man most capped was Gunnar Halle, who made 24 of his 62 Norway appearances when an Athletic player.

There have been four internationals from each of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Three Athletic players have represented Wales and two have won caps for the Republic of Ireland.

Apart from Halle, other internationals in the 1990s were Earl Barrett (three games for England), Mike Milligan (one, Republic of Ireland) and Paul Bernard (two, Scotland).

The most famous former international at Boundary Park was probably Ray Wilson — the left-back in England’s 1966 World Cup winning team.