I'm not quite sure how to put this...but the scenes at Boundary Park this week, absolutely stink!!!
It's the same, every time. If there's a big occasion, the part-time fan will creep out of the woodwork and expect to be 1st in the queue. The Latics have always been known to get their hangers-on (as have most clubs) and this was most evident in our hay-day in the Premiership. Only against Chelsea in the FA Cup in 1999, have we recently seen strangers flocking down Sheepfoot Lane masquerading as true Latics fans. It'd be foolish to think of it being any different, but it's about time someone made a big deal about this and told these shameless Boundary Park visitors what us true fans REALLY think about them!
When commenting on so-called "fans" like these, the first question that you need to ask yourself is "what position are the Latics in to refuse these hangers-on, when the club desperately needs the money?" Well, the answer is obvious - no position at all. Oldham Athletic Football Club can't say a thing. But as a true, loyal, paying fan of 23 homes games and many away games this season, I think I'm in an excellent position to have a pop at them - as are most true Latics fans. We know who we are and we are all of sick of seeing these strangers sat nearby us during these huge games.
If I'm honest, I admit that most of my comments will probably fall on deaf ears and these part-timers won't be back until the next big game comes along. But on the eve of our biggest game in years - it really is the right time to say something. It's funny how these so-called fans always have a convenient excuse for not being there on Saturdays, yet their excuses suddenly disappear when days like tomorrow arrive. Even more convenient will be the re-appearance of these excuses when it suits them.
Having worked closely with SAFE, the emphasis was always on trying to build the fan base. The maths is simple to work out - off a fan base of around 5,000 the club cannot be sustained and it is very easy to see how the club has come so perilously close to going under. The truth is that if it wasn't for loyal Latics supporters, the club would not be here now to stage such a massive game. Nor would it be, had the club not taken the bold move of offering next seasons season ticket, at this seasons discounted price. Therefore, for this 4 to 5,000 hanger-on support to turn up for one day only at Boundary Park tomorrow - well, quite frankly it stinks. Travelling Latics fans have sung "where were you at Boundary Park?" to opposing fans all season - tomorrow, it would be fair to sing it to those strangers sat all around them.
It's bad enough that for all the suffer, worry and effort that true Latics fans have gone through this season, we've still had to ponder how we'd make it through to the end of this season. And it's bad enough that as loyal fans, we've had to worry about the possibility of not getting a play-off ticket due to a sudden rush of part-timers (I had to take a morning off.) But what is most annoying of all is the bare-faced cheek these hangers-on have. Like many times before, these shameless Oldhamers will end up talking to true Latics fans in shops, bars and workplaces in the coming weeks, months and years and they'll tell us "I was at the play-offs in 2003." My question is "where were you for the other 40-odd games before?"
Supporting a football club doesn't necessary have to be an obsession though (to me it often is). If I've pictured that it does, then that's not the case. The constraints of supporting a team can be huge (I use most of my holidays at work to get to midweek games.) However, I find it hard to believe that a club getting 13,000 in the Premiership can then get around 3,400 for a midweek game like we did a season or two ago. We should be getting at least 8,000 a game, especially for a town with a reach of well over 60,000 people. Ask people around the country to name something successful to come out of Oldham's history and a few might say "the test-tube baby." But more often than not, it'll be Oldham in their Premiership days. We can't get back to that without a proper fan base, so it's no good them turning up just for this one-off game.
The problem may be deep routed in football, with TV offering a fast-track for viewing instant success. But Oldhamers that turn up tomorrow for 1 game only need to realise that this might be the last match they'll ever see at Boundary Park if we fail to win promotion. These "glory-hunters" might claim that they only want to watch a successful team and during SAFE meetings, real Latics fans often convinced themselves that this true. It was agreed that is was the only way to get the town to embrace it's football club. Yet this season has failed to prove that even that theory is true.
During September and October, the Latics hit top spot and went on an 8-game winning streak. Yet attendances failed to improve, hitting a high of 7,600 (1,600 were visiting fans) for a 4-0 win against Huddersfield (our 6th win in a row.) Gradually as the season has come to a close, the Latics have accumulated around 6,500 paying Latics customers (based on Swindon match, minus away support & an estimated 500 free tickets.) So why will we have approximately another 4,500 fans turning up from nowhere tomorrow?
My message to all you part-timers, hangers-on, glory-hunters or whatever best suits your description, is this.....
Come along tomorrow, buy your programme, buy your shirts, buy your scarf's, shout for 90 minutes and then call yourself a fan. Call yourself a proud Oldhamer or a Chaddy boy or whatever you want and say I was there in the play-offs. And then compare yourself to a real Latics fan, who pays for his season ticket & tries to get to as many away games as possible. It is you, as a part-timer follower, that lets this club down and causes situations where QPR are promised an extra 1,6000 tickets but are then denied because you decide "I might have a trip down today."
Yes, Oldham Athletic need you. Nobody is going to dispute that fact. But don't be surprised if those who have sat in their seats for 23 home games this season, give you as a stranger, a dirty look!!! The club is lucky to still be around to play this game. Think about that when you walk back to your car at 4.45pm and make sure it isn't the last time you come until the next big game - or else I'll be back on your case!
Yours,
The Dukinfield Dazzler.
It's the same, every time. If there's a big occasion, the part-time fan will creep out of the woodwork and expect to be 1st in the queue. The Latics have always been known to get their hangers-on (as have most clubs) and this was most evident in our hay-day in the Premiership. Only against Chelsea in the FA Cup in 1999, have we recently seen strangers flocking down Sheepfoot Lane masquerading as true Latics fans. It'd be foolish to think of it being any different, but it's about time someone made a big deal about this and told these shameless Boundary Park visitors what us true fans REALLY think about them!
When commenting on so-called "fans" like these, the first question that you need to ask yourself is "what position are the Latics in to refuse these hangers-on, when the club desperately needs the money?" Well, the answer is obvious - no position at all. Oldham Athletic Football Club can't say a thing. But as a true, loyal, paying fan of 23 homes games and many away games this season, I think I'm in an excellent position to have a pop at them - as are most true Latics fans. We know who we are and we are all of sick of seeing these strangers sat nearby us during these huge games.
If I'm honest, I admit that most of my comments will probably fall on deaf ears and these part-timers won't be back until the next big game comes along. But on the eve of our biggest game in years - it really is the right time to say something. It's funny how these so-called fans always have a convenient excuse for not being there on Saturdays, yet their excuses suddenly disappear when days like tomorrow arrive. Even more convenient will be the re-appearance of these excuses when it suits them.
Having worked closely with SAFE, the emphasis was always on trying to build the fan base. The maths is simple to work out - off a fan base of around 5,000 the club cannot be sustained and it is very easy to see how the club has come so perilously close to going under. The truth is that if it wasn't for loyal Latics supporters, the club would not be here now to stage such a massive game. Nor would it be, had the club not taken the bold move of offering next seasons season ticket, at this seasons discounted price. Therefore, for this 4 to 5,000 hanger-on support to turn up for one day only at Boundary Park tomorrow - well, quite frankly it stinks. Travelling Latics fans have sung "where were you at Boundary Park?" to opposing fans all season - tomorrow, it would be fair to sing it to those strangers sat all around them.
It's bad enough that for all the suffer, worry and effort that true Latics fans have gone through this season, we've still had to ponder how we'd make it through to the end of this season. And it's bad enough that as loyal fans, we've had to worry about the possibility of not getting a play-off ticket due to a sudden rush of part-timers (I had to take a morning off.) But what is most annoying of all is the bare-faced cheek these hangers-on have. Like many times before, these shameless Oldhamers will end up talking to true Latics fans in shops, bars and workplaces in the coming weeks, months and years and they'll tell us "I was at the play-offs in 2003." My question is "where were you for the other 40-odd games before?"
Supporting a football club doesn't necessary have to be an obsession though (to me it often is). If I've pictured that it does, then that's not the case. The constraints of supporting a team can be huge (I use most of my holidays at work to get to midweek games.) However, I find it hard to believe that a club getting 13,000 in the Premiership can then get around 3,400 for a midweek game like we did a season or two ago. We should be getting at least 8,000 a game, especially for a town with a reach of well over 60,000 people. Ask people around the country to name something successful to come out of Oldham's history and a few might say "the test-tube baby." But more often than not, it'll be Oldham in their Premiership days. We can't get back to that without a proper fan base, so it's no good them turning up just for this one-off game.
The problem may be deep routed in football, with TV offering a fast-track for viewing instant success. But Oldhamers that turn up tomorrow for 1 game only need to realise that this might be the last match they'll ever see at Boundary Park if we fail to win promotion. These "glory-hunters" might claim that they only want to watch a successful team and during SAFE meetings, real Latics fans often convinced themselves that this true. It was agreed that is was the only way to get the town to embrace it's football club. Yet this season has failed to prove that even that theory is true.
During September and October, the Latics hit top spot and went on an 8-game winning streak. Yet attendances failed to improve, hitting a high of 7,600 (1,600 were visiting fans) for a 4-0 win against Huddersfield (our 6th win in a row.) Gradually as the season has come to a close, the Latics have accumulated around 6,500 paying Latics customers (based on Swindon match, minus away support & an estimated 500 free tickets.) So why will we have approximately another 4,500 fans turning up from nowhere tomorrow?
My message to all you part-timers, hangers-on, glory-hunters or whatever best suits your description, is this.....
Come along tomorrow, buy your programme, buy your shirts, buy your scarf's, shout for 90 minutes and then call yourself a fan. Call yourself a proud Oldhamer or a Chaddy boy or whatever you want and say I was there in the play-offs. And then compare yourself to a real Latics fan, who pays for his season ticket & tries to get to as many away games as possible. It is you, as a part-timer follower, that lets this club down and causes situations where QPR are promised an extra 1,6000 tickets but are then denied because you decide "I might have a trip down today."
Yes, Oldham Athletic need you. Nobody is going to dispute that fact. But don't be surprised if those who have sat in their seats for 23 home games this season, give you as a stranger, a dirty look!!! The club is lucky to still be around to play this game. Think about that when you walk back to your car at 4.45pm and make sure it isn't the last time you come until the next big game - or else I'll be back on your case!
Yours,
The Dukinfield Dazzler.