Boundary Park gives Corney the blues

Simon Corney: difficult decisions

SIMON Corney has warned that Athletic could become a non-league club by remaining at Boundary Park long-term.

The chairman said without the financial support of former directors Simon Blitz and Danny Gazal, current losses of up to £800,000 per season cannot be sustained.

With Failsworth declared a no-go, the hunt is on for a new home which could provide Athletic with a more sustainable future.

But without the carrot of upgraded facilities elsewhere, the trend of declining crowds lead Corney to state that fortunes on the pitch would inevitably nosedive.

"The danger is that in 10 seasons' time, we could be looking at 500 season ticket holders," said Corney, who hasn't ruled out an option to stick around at Boundary Park for next season, provided there is a new plan quickly put in place for a new stadium. "It could happen.

"It isn't just us, either. I talk to a lot of other clubs and all the numbers are down.

"We have Manchester United on our doorstep, probably the biggest club in the world, then from nowhere we suddenly have the second biggest with Manchester City too.

"I think City has had an impact and will have a big impact on the kids coming through. It is on our doorstep.

"You can stay where you are, go with the flow and see what happens.

"But at the current rate, we lose between £600,000 and £800,000 a year and last year it was a lot more.

"Let's say we were only prepared to lose £200,000 next year. We would have a squad that would almost definitely get relegated. It would take an absolute miracle for Paul (Dickov) to finish outside the relegation zone.

"If you go down to League Two, you are up against some pretty big teams now with money to spend.

"Look at Stockport — they have totally gone. They don't own their own ground, they have no assets on the pitch.

"Or a club like Macclesfield, who are all about just surviving.

"We could be like that so easily."

A chink of light was provided by Corney's statement that 'one or two' options are being examined regarding possible sites for a new stadium.

And though as far away as ever, should a Chesterfield-style complex be made reality then the Athletic chairman believes it will bring back plenty of fans who find the Boundary Park experience unpalatable.

"Unless we get some kind of investment, where someone comes in who is not really interested in what happens to his money and throws resources at the club, you are not going to be able to stay at Boundary Park," Corney added.

"It needs to be completely rebuilt. The offices are a state, the stands are a state, the facilities are poor and you go to the bathrooms on match days and it is a horrible experience.

"It doesn't encourage people to come along. If you look at the stadiums that have been built over the last few years in League One and Two, the vast majority of those sides have done very well.

"You just have to look at Chesterfield this year for example, who have added another 4,000 to their gate.

"We can stay at Boundary Park. It is not really a problem but what will happen is, we will lose a few hundred fans every year.

"Eventually you are down to 2,000 and you can't sustain a League One or even a League Two club on those numbers.

"You can't actually sustain a League One club on the numbers we have now.

"We didn't come to Oldham to stand still. We came to take it forward. We have made mistakes, we know that.

"But to stay at a ground which goes downhill year after year will see us end up a non-league club."