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If we got relegated I’d go — Corney
Reporter: SIMON SMEDLEY
Date online: 01 March 2013
ATHLETIC chairman Simon Corney has revealed his fear of failure as the club’s battle for League One survival continues.
Corney wasn’t pessimistic in a frank interview last night - but clearly his future at Boundary Park would be in serious doubt if Athletic were relegated.
He also revealed some players will leave at the end of the season. Asked where he sees Athletic in two years’ time, Corney revealed on the club website: “I used to make predictions but now I take it day to day, even hour by hour.
“We’ll have a new stand — that’s why I’m here, I want to get that built. If I then leave when the stand is built I can go with my head held high.
“Some may argue whether I’ll have achieved anything - we were in League One when I arrived - but this stand (which he expects to start building in the summer) will help generate income that can help project us to the top of the division.
“It may, with the right manager, give us an opportunity to get in the play-offs or even secure automatic promotion and Championship football.
“Who knows? If we got relegated I’d also go because, I’d look at that as failure.
“If it goes down under my watch then I don't think I would be here.
“I don’t even want to contemplate that though, because I love being here. It’s a great club with a good fan base.”
Corney says the team will lose some players at the end of the season.
“In one or two cases it’s out of our hands. A couple of agents have already indicated players won’t be staying, so what can you do?
“It’s not a case of money; we’re not able to compete with Championship clubs.
“There are four or five players we do need to tie down - but if we try to start next season with the basis of what we’ve already got, we've got a very good base to build on.”
Comments
having critisised simon and co in the past regarding latics being a real estate cash cow to them. i admire simons honesty and the way he has dealt with things since the other amigos got bored. i dont understand how he is able to leave though without doing a chris moore. if it is that easy to walk then i admire him more for still being sat there now.
Go where? Unless my undersatnding of business ownership is incorrect.... which I doubt.... Corney [Blitz and Gazal] have a financial interest in both the club [probably not worth much] and the land [probably worth a reasonable amount].... and so without a buyer for one or both facets, are going nowhere. My reading of the situation suggests they are generic football fans, who fancied running a club, but ultimately saw the land as the investment.
...if he goes.... there appear to be 3 ways of going...
1. Sell club and land - they'll want a lot to cover their investment.
2. Sell club - for a quid... but keep the land and give the new onwer(s) a lease, ergo earn their money that way.
3. Put the club into administration to offload debt.
All fans out there should consider this carefully. Whether you agree or with all his decisions [or motives] or not... we are only in existence beacause of Corney... so, support him and the club!
Lets hope we stay up then as who would we get who has the clubs best interest at heart, i know hes made mistakes who hasnt his main one was keeping faith with that failure dickov. So come on team lets get them 5 wins sooner rather than later i dont think this is any good for my heart.
How ironic Lookers says all this now but when I said the same many moons ago, I was talking what he termed a rubbish, and I had not a clue. Seems some on here only want to believe when it is relative to their own views.
At least Simon is honest enough to say it as he sees it. I have said a lot recently about supporting him in what he is trying to do. We can start showing our gratitude for what he isw doing by turning up in vociferous numbers tomorrow when the team will need all the support we can muster.
we will not go down- all we need is new owners some point corney has been great with out him there is no football club.
54321, Oldham Scotland and others.The cynicism about SC is mind numbing. But then maybe none of you were around in 1960 or 68/9 as I most certainly was can remember pretty vividly the state of things then. I assume you allcan recall 2003. SC is honest and in some ways very naive -witness the appointment of Talbot. But in the final count he is a realist as well, he has to be.
Pablatic I was around watching Oldham since 1967. When the three took over this club it was in a very healthy state, fan base and league, since then this club has gone down hill a fact you cannot dispute, and the cup run is just a distraction from the poor running of this club, only a fool would say any different. I am sure many a fan are glad Mr Corney is still here funding the club, but the stark fact that most of the losses he endures are of his own making!, and not the fans.
Mr Corney, from a long suffering latics fan, your comments in the last month and the action you took to get rid of the back room staff was in my opinion spot on. You have been superb in managing oldham athletics and I also agree if we go down you will walk away and so will I and my friends. Enough is enough we have watched oldham from the bottom to the top and back down again but with out you in the back ground oldham would have gone to the wall so please Mr Corney keep up the good work .
He's had ten years and nothing has improved. Indeed, most things have got worse. One or two of us saw early on that these owners weren't going to invest to move the club forward and so it has proved. The defection of Blitz and Gazal showed what they were in it for. At least Corney stayed on but his sporting and business decisions have been dire. If he wants Latics to stay up, how about appointing a manager and coaching staff?
It's stunning how easily you can re-write history OS. We got to the play-offs on the back of your mate Moore's millions and that's why the crowds went up. Then, all saleable assets went in a fire sale, we had no ground, played in a crumbling stadium and had to beg, steal and borrow players. We then went into Admin. We avoided relegation fortunately but had football debts of £50k a month due to Moore's profligacy You seriously call that a healthy state?
SC wants to book his flight now, if he books early he might get it cheaper. That today was a mess, almot half the fans were away supporters, perhaps that's why it was the largest attendance outside of the cup when the hangers on turn up. The club is finished.
Totally agree with you Mason. I too have watched Oldham since they were in the old 4th Division. Apart from Ian Stott no Chairman has shown so much passion and commitment to this club. I wont walk away though no matter what level we play at. SC has promised a new stand to replace the old shabby Lookers even if he leaves. Its the players on the park that are not doing the job not him! The fans need to show how much it matters too by packing the park - No one wants success more than Simon Corney
OS; only a ‘fool’ would consider ‘administration’ healthy, no matter what the League position (16th). The crowds were also down substantially on the previous (play-off) season. TTA made major errors on several financial fronts. Not least, thinking there were easy pickings in OAFC ownership. From up your gum tree, with a clear view of the demise of Football League clubs, big and small, you still think success is a right. It’s not. TTA are still here, as is the club. Where is ‘your’ White Knight?
what happened to the big season ticket announcment no manager appointed there must be things happening about the future of the club but as usual the fans will be the last to know
Whatever the reasons - whatever the future - things need to be sorted out and quickly. If TP is not going to be manager then fair enough but I thought there were 125 applicants for the manager's job including EPL players? Maybe they have a manager lined up but won't say anything until everything is 'cut and dried'? Maybe? You never know. Failing that the applicants can't have been that good.
Mikey, again you and Latics4life read something I never put!, I said a good fan base and league position, and in no terms did I say we was in a financially sound position. If Mr Corney and the three amigo's had done the job proper then, we may have been in the Championship, instead with all the injuries sustained at the time sit on their backsides and did nothing. But what is true Mr Corney is responsible for his own losses through poor running of the club.
OS; the statement you make... "When the three took over this club it was in a very healthy state"... is nothing short of flabbergasting. As mikeymike points out, only a fool would consider our parlous post Chris Moore 2004 state of administration with the threat of closure, a healthy one. Either your understanding of the seriousness of this situation, or your memory are failing you!
most of you fools who think he has been a bad chairman and the club has not progressed in 10yrs are living on a dirfferent planet.
he admits things havent progressed as he had hoped for and maybe a few bad decisions managment wise but what chairman hasnt messed up at this level. crowds are down due to the recession its the same at all lower league clubs bury and rochdale in the same boat. sky has made it too easy to stay at home and watch football not SC keeping fans away. please stay simon
just dont read what scotland ammy and co write its never going to change even the next chairman next manager they are on a hiding to nothing. if simon gets this stand built then what a fantastic chairman to pull that off.
as for knocking down the lookers being a mistake. why?
it was an health and safety risk waiting to happen. why spend money upgrading it for several years.
crowds will never come back to the 6000 or so of 10yrs ago gate money gone up players earning far too much
OS - Ok, you have chosen to gloss over the fact that we were in a parlous financial state but still are ignoring that the Club that reached the play-offs in 2003 (agreed, decent crowds and good league position) was a totally different entity nearly 12 months later when TTA took OAFC (2004) Ltd out of Administration. Do you think the intervening period may had had an adverse effect? Most sane people would.
Then again, why let facts get in the way - you've never worried about that in the past.
Have Your Say
Not really into this glory hunting by the chairman, good chairmen are seldon heard, SC seems to want to be in the headlines more than the team.
No investment only subsidsing the team year on year,reduced budget year on year, and he has the cheek to say he'll go if what he is causing comes to fruition.
Also please don't forget who knocked down the ford stand as soon as he had outline (not full)planning permission for all those new houses & flats on the car park.
By 54321 @ 01/03/2013 13:21:00