THERE will not be a penny more to invest in Oldham Athletic, the new trio of major shareholders told fans today. Existing Latics chairman Mr David Brierley and two fellow directors, Mr Peter Chadwick and Mr Derek Taylor, have bought J W Lees's 48 per cent stake in the club, they revealed today. Mr Brierley, a board member for 22 years and chairman since January, said the club — which is about to clear its £2 million-plus debts by selling the Boundary Park ground — needed a "hands-on stability". But the club will stick to its youth policy, he said, adding: "We will not be investing money in the club.

"We are not millionaires, or Jack Walkers, but we felt it was important to bring controlling interests into the boardroom. "My colleagues have put in over 15 and 16 years with the club and, in that time, we have put in an awful lot of hours which can't be quantified financially, but it is a lot of money." Lees's chairman, Mr Richard Lees Jones, said there were four other major bidders, including Bernard Manning jnr, but insisted: "None came up with an acceptable offer. There was no acceptable bid." And he said there was no millionaire saviour for Latics: "There was no Jack Walker. Rupert Murdoch has taken his money to Manchester City and Sheikh Mohammed is staying in racing."

The news was greeted with dismay by Mr Carl Marsden, of the Latics' fans' pressure group Stop the Rot, which wanted to see J W Lees out or investing money in the club. He said: "I don't see this as a major change. These people have been on the board for many, many years and their track record is very, very poor. "They haven't come up with new ideas to get us out of the situation we are in. "They have said they were powerless — now they can't hide behind J W Lees's skirts."

And former Independent Supporters' Association secretary Mr Dave Moore said: "This doesn't give me any heart at all. I don't think we are going to move a step forward." The new trio, who will split the shares equally between them, were revealed at a press conference at the brewery this morning. Mr Chadwick is head of a local plumbing company, and Mr Taylor is a retired former Halifax building society director and is also on the club board's finance committee.

He said: "Finances are the same since I joined the board in 1982 — extremely difficult." Mr Brierley denied that receivers had ever been close to being called in at Latics, but said: "They are always in the background — finances are very tough. "Shortage of money has to be addressed. You sell a player or bring income in from some other directors, but ultimately sell a player. "However, there is not pressure from the bank to sell anyone and we won't do." He also denied the purchase was a stop-gap measure, but added: "That doesn't rule out any opportunity for another individual to make us an offer, which, if it is in the best interests of the club, will be considered.

"We have stepped in to buy the shares and we are going to make sure that everything possible is done to support our manager and team, and give the fans success." Mr Lees Jones said that most fans have been very supportive, said: "The majority have acknowledged what the brewery has done for the club. However, others have regrettably caused a bit of pain and we regret that."

Oldham Council is expected to announce in the next two days that it has completed the purchase of Boundary Park for a seven-figure sum, via its joint-venture company Hiretarget.

ANDY RITCHIE is still demanding more from his team despite Athletic's hard-earned success at Chesterfield on Saturday. The Boundary Park boss, who is now preparing for tomorrow's home match against Millwall, is far from content with a run of one defeat in seven games. The vast improvement has seen Athletic climb from bottom place to 16th in less than a month. They are unbeaten in four on their travels, but have a tendency to lose their way when they return to Boundary Park.

Starting against tenth-placed Millwall, who won 4-1 at Scunthorpe on Saturday, Ritchie says Athletic must start repeating their away form to make home advantage count. He explained: "We need to change the trend. It's important that we pick up more points and don't waste what we did at weekend. "Millwall had a great result and will be very difficult opponents on the back of that. They will be just as keen as us to build on a very good win." Ritchie has picked out Athletic's finishing as an area which needs to improve fast.

Before Saturday, they had hit 167 shots in 14 games —but only 15 of them had counted. Ritchie said: "I've been looking at the figures and there are three teams with more shots on target and only two with more shots off. "It shows we are attacking people and having a go, but the percentage we are putting away isn't good enough." Athletic returned from their 1-0 weekend victory with no new injuries. There are likely to be unchanged tomorrow, although Steve Whitehall and, in particular, Ben Futcher again did well as substitutes.

ATHLETIC’S form away from Boundary Park is settling into a distinct — and successful — pattern.

This valuable victory at Saltergate made it four games unbeaten on their travels and was a familiar blend of doggedness, attrition and unquenchable spirit.

On this occasion, a dollop of good luck was mixed in after Neil Adams scored what turned out to be the 38th-minute winner.

Yet that shouldn’t detract from the high endeavour which has come to characterise Athletic’s away displays — after all, who needs poetry when pragmatism is bringing home the points?

That isn’t to say that the work ethic is cast aside at Boundary Park, merely that Athletic seem to thrive on the adversity on soaking up a home team’s pressure.

With outstanding contributions from Lee Duxbury and goalkeeper Gary Kelly, they survived the scares to leave Chesterfield in the grip of a serious crisis.

The Spireites are now without a win in 13 games — during which time they have scored just four goals — and have such massive injury problems that they couldn’t even raise a fifth substitute.

They lost another key man after only six minutes and, outside the ground, there were furious protests against chairman Norton Lea, who last week put the club up for sale, and also manager John Duncan.

Some argued that the logic of blaming Duncan for the decline was as twisted as the town’s famous spire.

Others claimed that he and Lea were equally responsible and should both pack their bags.

But, whatever the backdrop of turmoil and politics, Athletic had a job to do — and they did it without a hint of mercy.

The fundamental basis of their success was the first clean sheet for nine League games, a feat which doubled their tally for the season.

The fact that they have won both those matches shows how precious that commodity can be when wins are hard to come by.

Athletic were also grateful for the defensive nous of Richard Graham and Scott McNiven, while Adams again played well at wing-back.

Up front, Craig Dudley showed what Chesterfield had been missing when they ignored his talents during an early-season loan spell.

It was Dudley who produced the first sniff of a goal when his second-minute cross caught on the freezing wind and almost sailed over ’keeper Mark Gayle.

Athletic then had an unexpected bonus with the departure of Chesterfield’s Ian Breckin — an injury which meant the hosts were without all three of their first-choice centre-halves.

In the re-organisation, former Notts Forest striker Jason Lee took his physical power back into defence. And, despite the disruption, Athletic’s struggle to keep the ball meant Chesterfield already had the lion’s share of possession.

They were giving the visitors few problems, however, and the game became a blank canvas which was crying out for a splash of colour.

With half an hour gone, goalmouth action had been almost non-existent and the trend was for misplaced passes and misread ideas.

The problem wasn’t one of desire, more an inability for either side to match passion with precision.

Chesterfield captain David Reeves had a half-chance in the 36th minute when he volleyed straight at Kelly from 12 yards.

But the much-needed flash of inspiration finally arrived after Lee was punished for a foul on Dudley.

John Sheridan swung over the free-kick from the right and Adams arrived with the style of a bustling centre-forward to hammer in his header from six yards.

Dudley picked up a loose ball well inside his own half and set off on a lightning charge through the home defence.

He played a one-two with Mark Allott, but Gayle was off his line quickly to save well from eight yards.

Allott missed an even better opening when he headed over McNiven’s cross from close in and, before half-time, there was still time for Athletic to enjoy their biggest escape of the afternoon.

Chesterfield’s spadework was done by Marcus Ebdon and Roger Willis, who combined to set up Jonathan Howard just inside the 18-yard box.

Howard’s left-foot drive looked destined for the top corner, only to crash back off the crossbar with Kelly beaten.

The match had now burst into life and Dudley brought a full-stretch save from Gayle when his angled shot almost finished a move the young striker had started himself.

Kelly came to the rescue with a last-gasp clearance and was then happy to see Lee’s effort bobble wide as the big man — now thrown back up front — became a real handful.

After Lee wasted another chance, Athletic responded by bringing on the lofty Ben Futcher in place of Mark Hotte.

Paul Rickers could have put the result beyond doubt in the 77th minute before Kelly made his best save, diverting Lee’s downward header over the bar with the use of impressively-quick reflexes.

In the closing stages, and with the bounce of the ball going their way, Athletic came close to cracking under Chesterfield’s intense pressure.

This, though, was very much their day. And, in the final analysis, whether with good luck or bad, with art or artisanship, victory had been safely tucked away.