Last chance to grab cut-price admission

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS . . . former Athletic players (from left to right) Steve Taylor, Mike Lester, Richard Jobson and Darron McDonough were at Waterstones in Spindles to mark the launch of ‘The Who’s Who of Oldham Athletic.’ Andy Barlow and John Platt also attended. There is another signing session at W H Smith in Spindles on Thursday (6pm) when Joe Royle, Jimmy Frizzell, Neil Redfearn, Frank Bunn, Ian Wood and Keith Hicks will be there.

ATHLETIC have reminded fans they have only three days left in which to take advantage of the club’s great Christmas giveaway.

To secure the largest ticket discounts for Saturday’s home game against Leyton Orient, they must be bought by five o’clock on Friday.

A family of four - two adults and two children - can watch the game for only £14.

There is a two-for-one deal for adult tickets, with a pair costing £10, while admission for children is £2. Over-65s can also buy tickets in advance for £2.

Fans paying on the day will be able to buy adult tickets for £10 with under-16s and over-65s £5 – a big reduction on normal matchday prices.

The initiative was devised by the club’s owners in a bid to swell the crowd on the last Saturday before Christmas, which is traditionally the poorest day of the season for attendances.

Athletic have been disappointed by the response to their offer, although they still believe they can attract their target of an 8,000 crowd.

That would be the second largest home gate of the season behind the 8,901 which attended the game against Leicester City.




PETERBOROUGH left-back Tom Williams found himself shunted out of the limelight when Athletic played at London Road on Saturday.

His wife Nicola McLean, the glamour model, was paying her first visit to the club since appearing on the popular television series ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.’

Nicola, who was finding the icy snap hard to cope with after spending nearly three weeks in the heat of the Australian jungle, was inundated with requests for autographs and photographs.




FORMER Athletic player Lee Richardson’s future as Chesterfield manager could hinge on the outcome of tonight’s FA Cup second-round replay at non-league Droylsden.

The pressure increased on Richardson following Friday night’s 4-2 home defeat by Macclesfield when, not for the first time, irate fans staged a protest outside the main entrance.


TELEVISED MATCHES

ATHLETIC fans can pencil in the dates of two televised Coca-Cola League One fixtures.

The away game at Leicester City on Saturday, February 7, will kick off at 5.20pm for live coverage.

And the visit of Leeds United, also on Sky, has been brought forward 24 hours to Monday, March 2.



STUCK for a stocking filler for a Latics fan?

You could do worse than check out the latest book about the club – “Oldham Athletic: On This Day.”

Compiled by ex-pat Oldhamer Dave Moore (now living in Canada), the book is a chronological record of facts, figures and trivia covering every day of the year during the life of Oldham Athletic – and their fledgling club, Pine Villa.

With a foreword by former Latics player Carl Valentine – himself now living in Canada – “On This Day” starts on January 1 and, running through to December 31, charts a fascinating collection of happenings on each particular day throughout the history of the club.

Produced in an easy-to-read format, the book is priced at £9.99 and is on sale at the Oldham Evening Chronicle.

If you fancy an autographed copy, or a chat with the author, Dave Moore will visit the Chronicle offices on Union Street, Oldham, between 10am and 1pm on Christmas Eve.