Your Club Your Say Ownership Survey – 14/10/2020

Good Afternoon Latics fans,

Firstly, we would like to place on record our gratitude for each and every one of the supporters who have taken the time to complete our survey. To hit over 1000 responses is a brilliant sample size to use as foundations for what supporters want. After digesting the results, we can provide commentary as below.

Question 1: Are you currently a member of Push The Boundary? (Have subscribed to our website)

Out of a magnificent 1,134 people who completed the survey, just over 60% are members of Push The Boundary and have registered their support for ourselves. We recently passed 1,000 subscribers which just shows the strength of feeling amongst fans right now and the need for a form of action. We can ask no more of you.

Importantly, 446 people who completed the survey are not members of PTB. This was vital to us as we want views from all areas of the fanbase to ensure we are getting a true representation.

Question 2: Abdallah agreed a deal “in principle” to purchase Boundary Park in March. Do you believe that having the club/ground under the same ownership (under the current ownership) would represent a positive step forward?

It is fair to say that this question really divided the support. 

– 40.48% believed that it would represent a positive step forward
– 39.15% didn’t see this as a positive
– 20.37% of people were unsure

There may be a number of factors in play here, including how the deal came about, the confidence that the funds would actually be in place to do this and also legacy issues with previous owner(s) and a desire for a fresh start. What is clear is that fans don’t see the purchase of Boundary Park as pivotal one way or the other. 

What is needed however is clarity regarding the stadium purchase. The club/ground have not been under the same ownership for a considerable period of time and any further details haven’t been forthcoming since it was announced in March (followed by a global pandemic). It’s fair to say that fans have not been taken on this journey by the club at all. Would these results be more favourable if the club hadn’t kept fans in the dark? Perhaps. 

There are also peripheral issues such as funding for maintenance, finishing the North Stand and the ongoing health and safety issue that is festering. As we go through a pandemic that sees the footballing world struggle, it’s sad to see our best and most consistent source of income not being used and/or not spoken about in terms of any tangible progress.

Question 3: Rank each individual item in terms of importance at the current time (1 = not important / 5 = vital)

The following options were given, some that were on previous PTB surveys and some different issues that have appeared more recently:

·       Replace Barry Owen
·       Replace Sporting Director
·       Further Financial Investment
·       Purchase Boundary Park
·       Regular communication with fans
·       Strengthen playing squad
·       Honesty and Openness
·       Redevelop training facilities
·       No interference in any “on the pitch” matters
·       Engagement with fan organisations
 
Having broken them down, the 4 main issues that supporters felt were the most vital in terms of importance at this current time were (out of 5):
 
1. Honesty / Openness – 4.72
2. No interference “on the pitch” – 4.68
3. Regular Communication – 4.55
4. Replacing Sporting Director – 4.49
 
From the results provided, each of these items need addressing but the level of importance differs ever so slightly. For the club to improve these areas, the levels of importance should be taken into consideration for improving certain aspects of the football club moving forward.

We have already stressed the need for honesty in communication from the club to the new CEO, but as with any organisation, this needs to filter down from the very top if people are to adopt it day to day.

The role of the sporting director is of constant discussion and being sat bottom of the football league, it yet again calls into question both the quality of signings made and whether indeed the head coach/sporting director role is one that can be a success at this level of the game. 
 
Question 4: When restrictions allow, would you want to see home fans back in the Chaddy End?
 
– 63% would like to see home fans back in the Chaddy End (once fans are allowed back)
– However, 39% of the above stated that, at the current time this can’t be seen as a priority
– 4% were unsure
– 33% of supporters said they would not like the Chaddy End to be used for home supporters.

So, in short, Latics supporters, in the main, would rather have the Chadderton Road End available for home supporters but it does go without saying that there are more pressing issues at present than the re-housing of supporters into the Chaddy End once more. This has been relayed to the club. 
 
Question 5: We are approaching 3 years of Abdallah’s reign. As things stand do you think he is the man to take our club forward?
 
The results for this question speak for themselves. Out of 1,134 people who completed the survey:

– 51 (4.50%) believe Mr Lemsagam is the right man to take the club forward. 
– 100 (8.82%) people were unsure
– 983 (86.68%) stated that they do not believe Abdallah is the right man to take the club forward.
 
We have seen questions of this nature posed by supporters in the past, but we wanted to offer a definitive view from across the fanbase so that the results can’t be disregarded either in terms of % or the number of people contributing. 

If we filter this question by non-members, the support for Mr Lemsagam rises to 12%. While this is higher, it is certainly not anywhere near the levels that would significantly alter the conclusions we draw. 

The results cannot be underestimated and/or ignored and the feeling amongst the overwhelming majority of the fan base have spoken. This is the sum total of almost three years of decline both on and off the pitch. There are always mitigating circumstances, but fans perception is key and here, it’s irrefutable. There is an undeniable breakdown in the relationship between the owner and the clubs fanbase. 

Once again, these results have been relayed to the club as part of an open and frank discussion about what happens next. These results will also be shared with the new Trust Oldham board as this will hopefully be useful information for them. 
 
The full results are readily available via the link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-BKX2ZMWP7

PTB have had a small amount of time to digest the information from the survey and consider what this means for us as a group that wants to represent you, but also as fans. 
 
Our football club has suffered a slow and painful demise over a number of decades, but this demise has increased in speed significantly in the last few years. To see ourselves sat at the foot of the English Football League is excruciating on every level possible. Things cannot continue in this manner and now more than ever, the voice of the fans needs to be listened to by the people in charge of the club before it’s too late. The divide between fans and the club is wider than it ever has been and this has played a massive part in our current predicament. The time for excuses is over, action is required to ensure we don’t suffer the same fate as Stockport, Leyton Orient, Chesterfield, Macclesfield and Bury (amongst many other unfortunate teams). 
 
Once we have finalised a few areas, we will update you very shortly with details of nexts steps, including our meeting with Karl Evans. In the meantime we didn’t want to delay getting these results to you. 
 
Thank you once again for all of your time and input during this survey process. Your suggestions have all been looked at and considered.

You will be hearing from us shortly. 

Reclaim The Faith!
 
PTB

 

Your Club Your Say – 06/10/2020

“Surely they won’t go down…”

If you utter those words to Leyton Orient, Chesterfield, Notts County & Stockport fans (amongst many, many others), they would probably roll their eyes and shake the heads. The reality of the matter, is that we can definitely go down. When we got relegated we immediately turned our focus to bouncing straight back, this has quickly been replaced by faint hopes of the playoffs and a reality that we are facing a battle for our survival. Again. In a year when we have all adjusted to a ‘new normal’ in our personal lives, we appear to have quickly adapted to ours in a footballing sense as well.

We are a club on the decline, there is no question about this. Even a handful of years ago, we would rub shoulders with Leeds, Sheffield United and Southampton. Now we face the harsh reality that teams come along with bigger budgets, more ambition, better foundations to build from and are overtaking us, calling us their rivals and are approaching matchdays as being favourites with the bookmakers. How is this acceptable in any way shape or form?

Over the last few weeks it’s clear that the mood amongst Latics fans is changing, fans are demanding action. There is talk of protests and a large number of you are feeding back that you are feeling more disillusioned than ever before with no signs of hope. We obviously cannot ignore this. Owners will come and they will go and what remains? The fans. Push The Boundary, amongst other things, want to ensure that there is a fanbase here to support this club, to continue its legacy for years to come.

We have nearly 1,000 members now and so we can represent you all in the best way and to be consistent with how you are all feeling, we want to ask you a few questions. After all, we are all in this together.

We have been fair and always wanted to give the chairman and the board every opportunity to engage with the fans and build bridges. Now, as supporters, we are at breaking point. Can we be convinced that they have the required attitude to turn this ship around and build an all inclusive club that’s fit to move forwards?

“Oh, it’s just another survey”

We always have and always will want the majority of supporters on board to ensure we represent the views of the fans. We can’t hold meetings at the moment so we want to address as many of you in the best way we can. This will help shape the action we take so please pass this survey to friends, family, anyone that cares about this club, this town and wants the best for it, whether they support what we do or not.

Collectively, we have raised a number of red flags in recent months, to name but a few:

– Poor recruitment and on the pitch performance
– Treatment of Staff/ Players / Ex players
– High turnover of managers/staff/players
– Employment tribunals
– Late payment of wages to staff/players
– Non-payment of rent/debenture resulting in a court appearance
– A drop in home fans by over 800 per game
– 50% drop in season tickets
– Ongoing disputes with OEC
– Long-term sponsors turning their back on the club
– Having replacement managers lined up and ready to go, despite offering support to managers in charge

The league table, along with cold, hard facts, don’t lie. We are constantly told things are getting better, or they will get better in due course. We are seeing NO signs of this and this leads us to the conclusion that it will ultimately result in our untimely demise whether it be in form of our football league status and/or our status as a club. Those who think it cannot happen need only speak to Stockport, Bury, Wigan, Bolton & Macclesfield fans. All North West teams which makes it even more concerning. There is absolutely no reason why our club is any different in these circumstances. The same alarm bells are ringing and have been for some time. The days of standing back and letting this happen are over.

As stated above, your responses to this will help us decide our next course of action and preparations are already in place behind the scenes for this to happen. The survey will close on Sunday 11th October at 5pm and the link to complete is below

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/52GPHQ6

We, like you, just want to be there, week in week out supporting the team that we have followed all our lives. Providing money to help the club we love. We don’t want to care what happens off the pitch as it should be ran correctly and we want to spend matchdays with friends and family like we always used to do. The alternative to is completely unthinkable.

We have all shed tears of joy and sadness with the club we love, a love that doesn’t just disappear. From Gregan to Liddell, Eyresy to Sheridan, Ritchie to Palmer, Frizzell to Royle, these are OUR memories and we want to create many more. An affinity to a team of players giving everything for the badge we care so much about. We all live and breath every minute of this football club. City, Everton and Liverpool at home, Forest, West Ham and Fulham away in the cup. The support is there, the buzz can return, this is our Oldham Athletic. Our Boundary Park. Our Chaddy the Owl. Our Chaddy End. Ours, the fans. At the minute what is happening to our club hurts and that pain is only increasing.

The last few weeks have shown that supporters have a voice, and it’s so important that we use our voice and make ourselves heard.

We have notified the club, the Trust and the FSA of this course of action and the results will be fed back to all parties.

Reclaim The Faith,

Push The Boundary

Meeting with the new CEO – 18/09/2020

Following the appointment of Karl Evans last week, we felt it was imperative to try and get a meeting as soon as possible. We wanted to introduce ourselves as a group including explanations as to why we set up in October 2019 and to speak about our purpose and aims. We are appreciative of Mr Evans taking the time to meet us at such short notice and being proactive in the arranging of this meeting. We acknowledge that Mr Evans is new to the role and won’t immediately have answers to all fans questions at this stage, so we wanted to obtain a commitment to future meetings so these issues can be discussed. Our key aims for yesterday were as follows, and to achieve this we split the meeting into 4 parts:

 

– Introductions

– Past – how did we get here?

– Present – what matters to fans right now?

– Future – where does the club go from here?

 

Introductions

In our introductions it was established Karl Evans was in the role of CEO for the non playing side of the business, the team isn’t his responsibility. Anything related to the non-playing side of things would in some way shape or form, fall under the remit of his role (supporter services/matchday experience etc). Karl explained his past at Manchester United, Salford City, Bury and more recently Harrogate in a consultancy role to prepare them for the prospect of league football. It was clear from our talks that Karl has had happy times in football as well regrets over his time at Bury but believed he did everything he could, including paying some bills for the club in his last few weeks before leaving. He said while money was coming in, people were getting paid it was very hard to question anything that was going on. The first his suspicions were raised were when Steve Dale turned up to view the club and things moved very quickly after that.

Abdallah approached Karl after this but he felt it wasn’t the right time as he wanted some time away from the game to reflect on what happened with Bury. After more time has elapsed, Karl admitted he wanted a new challenge and this is why he accepted the role. He has told Abdallah that from day 1 he wants him to be totally straight with him.


Background

We explained the recent history of the club both on and off the pitch to provide a level of context. When you live and breathe this 24/7, it’s easy, but for someone who has come in as recently as last week, we appreciate there is a lot Karl will have to catch up on to try and understand fans frustrations. It can be a lot of information to take in and we offered to help with that. We raised the following concerns which brought us to where we are today;

 

– Late/non-payments

– False promises/information released

– Treatment of staff (playing staff and otherwise) and fans

– Lack of engagement with supporters from owners/senior management and missed commercial opportunities 

– Team interference resulting in, amongst other things, an Oldham fan refusing to stay on in his dream role.

– Manager turnover

 

Current Issues

We talked about where we are currently in terms of the real burning issues at the club (from the viewpoint of supporters). The following points were raised with him;

Urgency required to get the North Stand open. We spoke about how long this had been going on for and while we appreciate Karl would have no answers this early in his tenure, we did make it perfectly clear how important it was in the eyes of supporters. Karl did also acknowledge that commercially this is so important for the club both on matchdays and non-matchdays given the extra income it is capable of generating.

Why is David Wheater frozen out and training with the youth team? Again we requested honesty from the manager/owner regarding the reasons behind this as we have seen this with other players under his tenure. While there was some debate around this on the call, we agreed that the situation would play out and all would become clear in due course.

Why are fans walking away in their droves? We have provided our survey results to Karl following the data collected. Karl was grateful for this information. We wanted to ensure we were dealing purely on the facts presented, as we always have done. We explained that these surveys were sadly ignored previously by the club and that a lot of the red flags raised (inc lack of ST’s sold and the ongoing North Stand issue) are now coming to fruition. For us it was definitely a positive sign to see the CEO take a real interest in supporters views and we hope this can be followed through and acted upon.

 

Karl admitted that it was his choice to put the season ticket number in the public domain. He said that it’s a true number and he would be very open and honest about if in future there are a number of complementary tickets being offered out. He also advised that last season we had circa 2,500 + 1,000 complementary tickets.

We added that while wins on the pitch help, in the eyes of some fans more is required from the club now. Stability off the pitch will lead to success off it (and not the other way around).

 

Future Plans

We discussed how Karl has found things so far, what his vision is for the club and how he intends to achieve this. This as well as trying to ascertain the remit that Karl has been given by the club to make required changes.

He knows we need more staff to help out behind the scenes and he will make a start on this. He wanted to get to know everyone at the club top to bottom and has already made a start on this. He mentioned Boundary Park and that fans should take pride in its appearance, he’s noticed quite a few things he would change at little cost and will act on these where possible. This is not withstanding other obvious issues regarding the stadium which we have already touched on.

 

Karl Evans & PTB

Karl asked us what our expectations were for the relationship going forward. How often we meet/speak and what information we would want. We initially said that no contact with us and total honesty and transparency over club matters with all fans would suit us but we are obviously more than happy to be involved and act on behalf of the fans we represent.

As mentioned previously, getting and maintaining traction with the club has been somewhat difficult over the last few months, so we wanted to ensure the door for future dialogue remained firmly open (both ways). We also explained the full extent of neglect and lack of respect that supporters have felt in the last few years and how this has resulted in a number of long-standing season ticket holders now walking away from the club. We also addressed the fact that may have stated they would not return until their was a change in ownership. We offered advice around how the club can go about rebuilding trust with the fanbase. They HAVE to be more open with communication with fans (whether relaying good or bad news) and while it may be difficult at first, with criticism thrown at them from different quarters, they have to start somewhere. Karl acknowledged this.

We are happy to offer the thoughts of fans and we advised that while he may not always hear what he wants to hear, it will always be a constructive viewpoint based on a view FOR the fans, FROM the fans. We want to be firm but fair, and create an open door policy to bridge the ever widening gap between fans and the club. It’s evident that little progress has been made in this area as a result of ignoring the views of supporters.

It was clear that we can expect more communication and that Mr Evans won’t shirk any meeting with the fans whether that by via PTB, the Trust or in any other format. He said he loves football and likes to think he understands it and what fans want, despite admittedly not being an Oldham fan.

Because you support us in the way you do, it makes our collective voice so much louder and one that simply can’t be ignored. We are hopeful that by having the ear of someone willing to listen to the voices of supporters, we can start to see significant development around the areas that REALLY matter to supporters and we can start to be treated the way that we, as loyal supporters who have followed this club through thick and thin, up and down the country, deserve.


Overall, we thought it was a positive first meeting and Karl came across as an honest man who definitely has the interest of fans at the heart of how he wants to communicate and move forwards. We shared views and hopefully conveyed a constructive message and hopefully put his mind at rest over common misconceptions about PTB. Hopefully this will be the start of more positive and regular engagement with the club so that fans voices can finally be heard.

We have committed to a call once a month for now plus any additional contact when required. As soon as government guidelines allow, we will conduct a face to face meeting.

If you have any feedback following this, please let us know and as soon as we have another meeting lined up, we will open this up for queries from supporters so we can get as many questions answered as possible.

Reclaim The Faith

PTB

World Cup of Kits – 16/09/2020

World Cup of Kits Winner

You will remember that in the summer, we held the inaugural Oldham Athletic World Cup of Kits. You will probably also recall that the winning shirt was the 1991/1992 home shirt, a shirt we wore in the famous Sheffield Wednesday game on the last day of the 1990/91 season and our first full season back playing top flight football. It’s clear, whilst there were some contenders to the throne, this is shirt we all remember dearly.

Many players who live fondly in the memories of Latics fans wore this shirt, including Mike Milligan, Nick Henry, Earl Barrett, Gunnar Halle, Richard Jobson, Rick Holden and of course Andy Ritchie and Roger Palmer.

We wore this kit for some memorable games as well, including the 3-0 demolition of Chelsea in our first home game of the season, the 4-3 win against Notts County when Ian Marshall’s thunderbolt won it late on and the 5-1 against Luton, where Graeme Sharpe scored 4 goals.

Following requests from many supporters since the World Cup of Kits for a number of months we have been working on it and we have now partnered with a company able to produce and supply a modern take on this kit that can now be yours to own. We are delighted that we have managed to get this over the line, partly because it’s a fantastic way to raise money for a great cause and also because we think it’s a fantastic design of a shirt that is notoriously difficult to obtain online. A big thanks also has to go to Lendlease for allowing us to use the Bovis sponsorship.

The price for the shirt will be £31.60 for adults and £25 for Juniors + £4.99 UK P&P (as they will be required to be signed for) and all pre-orders will be taken between Wednesday 16th September and Friday 9th October. Similar to the badges, any shirts being sent abroad the P&P will be determined by Royal Mail charges. In terms of the design, you will see the classic sponsorship and attention to detail with the design. The shirt is made from bird eye polyester and the badge is embroidered, the rest will be sublimated. Here are a few of your questions answered:

What sizes are available?

Adult (Chest to fit size)
XS 33-35″ S 35-37″ M 37-39″ L 39-41″ XL 42-45″ 2XL 45-47.5″ 3XL 48-50″ 4XL 51-53″ 5XL 53-56″

Women (Chest to fit size)
XS 29-31″ S 32-34″ M 34-35.5″ L 36-37″ XL 37.5-39″ 2XL 39.5-40.5″

Junior (Chest to fit size)
XSJ 26” SJ 27.5” MJ 30″ LJ 31.5″

Where will my money go?

As per our recent online vote that took place from Sunday to Tuesday, our chosen charity for the 2020/21 season will be Melanoma UK, and ALL proceeds from sales will go directly to them.

How do I place an order?

All orders are taken as pre-orders via email. The prices are fixed and to be perfectly transparent, PTB will not make a single penny from any sales. All of the price you pay (less production costs and delivery) will go to our chosen charity. To order you just need to do the following:

Email info@pushtheboundary.co.uk with the following details:

– Quantity
– Size(s)
– Full Name
– Address (inc Postcode)

We will then email you back with a unique reference number and details of where to send your money. BACS will be the payment option.

How long will it take to arrive?

All shirts are bulk produced and will take around 4-6 weeks to arrive from the close of the pre-ordering time period.

Can I send my order back if it doesn’t fit?

As these are pre-orders, they are all produced at the same time (to order a significant number of shirts in different sizes wouldn’t be financially sound in the event that not all shirts are sold) so returns will not be accepted, however what we will look to do is create a “swap shop” where fans can exchange shirts for another that fits however we would strongly advise you to check your size/ measurements properly before ordering.

Obviously if you have any queries around the process then please let us know and we will try our best to respond in good time. We are really excited about this and we hope you are too.

Reclaim The Faith

PTB

Melanoma UK Confirmed Charity Partner – 15/09/2020

Firstly, thanks to all who voted for their preferred charity for the 2020/21 season. The votes have been counted up and the winner is….Melanoma UK! The full split in votes is detailed below:

29% – Andy’s Man Club
31% – Oldham Foodbank
3% – Action Oldham
36% – Melanoma UK

https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-8RHQRDSH7

It goes without saying that all charities picked in the final 4 are fantastic and all offer something vastly different to the local community.

We are therefore delighted to pledge our support for the recently commenced 2020/21 season and will immediately look to engage with the charity to raise as much money as we can in this time. We have a number of fundraising ideas and can’t wait to get started.

While we are always open to ideas and suggestions we can undertake ourselves, if there are people who would like to raise funds on behalf of the charity, we are more than happy to help promote this cause so please contact us if you have any ideas.

Melanoma UK is a charity especially close to the hearts of Latics fans, as the disease claimed the life of the former player Ernie Cooksey in 2008. Ernie was a popular character both on and off the pitch and his playing style was epitomised by his tireless energy and willingness to chase down a seemingly lost cause. He was 28 years of age when he passed.

Regarding Ernie, Gillian Nuttall, CEO of Melanoma UK, recently said “In 2008, one of Ernie’s old team mates from Rochdale contacted me to ask if I could help Ernie. We made contact and I did what I could to try to get him some treatment. I went with him to one of his clinical appointments in London, but it was very clear at that point that he would not survive. In the space of just a few weeks, my friend had died. We’ve never forgotten Ernie, how could we?”.

We are excited at the prospect of working alongside Melanoma UK and helping them raise much needed funds to prevent this disease claiming more lives and also to raise awareness of skin cancer across all generations.

We will be in touch very shortly as to how our fundraising will commence.

Regards

PTB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Boundary Park Alert System – 14/09/2020

🎙NEW PODCAST🎙

You can now listen to ‘The Boundary Park Alert System’ podcast discussing the events from the last week at #oafc with presenter and Oldham fan Matt Dean along with Adam and Dan from PTB. Every week there will be new guests new chat and a format which will develop weekly. This is for you, the fans and we would love as much engagement and feedback from you as possible to help shape it! We hope you enjoy! It’s available now on YouTube, Spotify, Anchor FM and Breaker;

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/4TpGI08qT7M0H5EeZJ0kSz?si=49LhU_vpTAyuAR5yUG2rew

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1LEbtiL8EeLYyJvDErGaMg

Anchor

https://anchor.fm/bp-alert/episodes/The-Boundary-Park-Alert-System–Coming-soon-ejfo20

Breaker

https://www.breaker.audio/the-boundary-park-alert-system

Charity Partner 20.21 – 13/09/2020


A new season is upon us, and we feel the time has come to hand over the valuable money PTB and more importantly you, the supporters, have raised for Dr Kershaws and pledge our support to a different charity.

We have absolutely loved raising funds for Dr Kershaws. Trying to raise funds during a pandemic was obviously a challenge and while we wish we could have done so many more events, we had to be inventive with what we chose.

We visited them in February of this year and were blown away by the dedication and commitment of the staff to helping people at such a critical and emotional time in peoples lives. I think it’s fair to say that you could never ever truly appreciate the time and effort that put in to keep organisations like Dr Kershaws running from year to year. Our thoughts and respect go fully to all the people that make it work.

The support of the media team along with Community Fundraiser, Lille Winterbottom, was heartwarming and the constant contact to spur us on or congratulate us will never be lost on us.

We raised in total £2,983.49 (including just giving, gift aid and offline donations) and the key highlights have to be Steve’s Charity runs, the PTB Badges that sold fantastically and the fantastic donation from Will’s Birthday fundraiser that a number of you contributed to on Facebook. All of these events, along with many more, contributed a significant amount of this figure.

Dr Kershaws will also have a special place in our hearts and we will continue to support them however we can, but we feel the time has come to find a new charity for a new season and we want your help. Please complete our vote and help us decide where to direct our funds for this season. The link where you can place your vote can be found below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9MY5LMF

The charities we have shortlisted are as follows:

Andy’s Man Club – https://andysmanclub.co.uk/

Men’s mental health is a topic under the spotlight at the current time. The ultimate aim of Andy’s Man Club is to halve the number of suicides amongst males under the age of 45. They want to do this by getting men to talk about their issues using their mantra #ITSOKAYTOTALK

Oldham Foodbank – https://oldham.foodbank.org.uk/

Oldham Foodbank help local people in crisis. They provide nutritionally balanced meals to people who need them the most and they aim to combat hunger and poverty in the UK over the longer term.

Melonoma UK –https://www.melanomauk.org.uk/

Skin Cancer is the deadly disease that claimed the life of former Latics midfielder Ernie Cooksey. He was such a popular figure amongst the fanbase and with the charity based in Shaw, we wanted to show our support for this incredibly worthwhile cause

Action Oldham – https://www.actiontogether.org.uk/

Action Oldham support, advise and help local individual volunteers, groups and organisations. If you have good intentions they will formulate this into a plan to help turn your idea into reality

Our voting will close on Tuesday at 12pm so please share your views over who you would like to see us fundraiser for the 2020/21 season.

Thanks

PTB

Club Staff Update – 10/09/2020

Good Morning Latics Supporters,

Firstly, we hope that this updates finds people in good health during this uncertain and difficult time.

We write to you all following the positive result in the Carabao Cup last weekend and how we should be looking to build on that with our opening league game against Leyton Orient. Instead this has been interrupted by further news of a senior member of staff seemingly being ousted from their role within the club. This time in the form of Managing Director Natalie Atkinson who endured a 15 month stay with the club.

Whilst the relationship between PTB and Ms Atkinson was not always plain sailing, we are certain that she understood why we took the approach we have, as far as trying to represent supporters and obtain answers to pertinent questions. Difficult conversations needed to be had and for reasons that are becoming clearer by the day.

While we didn’t always see eye to eye over her approach, we do thank her for her efforts, especially during the pandemic, when it became clear that she was running the club day to day while the chairman and his brother were out of the country. We understand business is business and we are in an environment where results are key, however the timing and circumstances around her departure (and subsequent replacement) once again have left us questioning whether the club have acted in a wholly appropriate manner. We obviously wish Natalie the best for wherever the future takes her.

Moving on, we welcome the new Chief Executive Officer (‘’CEO’’) Karl Evans to the club and acknowledge the experience he has held in previous roles within football. This is experience that he will require given the incredibly challenging role ahead of him. We acknowledge his recent involvement with Bury Football Club but we approach this appointment with a fresh pair of eyes and can only see this as an opportunity to try and once again develop and maintain meaningful dialogue with the club.

As a result, we have already contacted Mr Evans and requested a meeting with PTB at the next available opportunity. We are happy to announce that this request has been accepted by Mr Evans and we are in the process of finalising a date/time. This way, we can introduce ourselves, establish our aims as a group and address the expectations of our long suffering fanbase. This is following his opening statement including the line “I will always take into account the fans opinions as well as being open and honest”. This is as well as hearing the vision that Mr Evans has to take the club forward in our 125th year. Openness and honesty are key for supporters as the revolving door at Boundary Park continues to turn and as we strive for some semblance of stability yet again.

We will keep you informed of our progress on this matter. We are glad this request has been received positively and, once the opportunity arises, would certainly look to put as many of your questions to him as we can and we will give you every opportunity to do so.

Thank you as always for your patience and support and hope that Harry Kewell and the players get off to a good start in League Two on Saturday.

Reclaim The Faith

PTB

Sustain The Game – 21/08/2020

PTB are backing the Football Supporters Associations ‘Sustain The Game!’ campaign. The 5 Principles are in line with our own values and ideas for how we should progress as a club not only that but they are so relevant to our club. 

Please see the link below for more details;

https://thefsa.org.uk/news/fan-groups-politicians-and-pundits-call-for-urgent-action-to-protect-the-very-existence-of-clubs/

Macclesfield Statement – 18/08/2020

We are sure that you have all heard the news over the last 48 hours regarding Macclesfield Town. Without delving too deep into the backstory, the situation played out as follows.  Macclesfield Town were given a 17 point deduction which was an amalgamation of failing to pay players on time and also fulfil fixtures. They also suffered a 2 point deduction for the failure to operate with a valid safety certificate. This, along with the subsequent ‘points per game’ adjustment that was applied, meant that Macclesfield dropped 19 points and fell below Stevenage into the only relegation spot leading to their relegation to the National League.
 
Macclesfield Town appealed this decision as you can understand. The foundation of their appeal being that, because there is no start date confirmed for the commencement of the National League season for 2020/21, they are in breach of regulation 7.7A – Application for and Relegation from Membership.  This is in conjunction with the following at the foot of the official club statement on their website (published 16.08.2020)
 
“In addition to this, we hope that the EFL Board will be making a statement regarding the news that has emerged today (Sunday) which suggests a fellow League Two member has been late or has not paid player wages for a substantial part of the 2019/20 season.  It was alleged that the relevant Club has not been sanctioned for this – despite the EFL having knowledge of these Regulatory breaches”
 
We know that the club in question here, is Oldham Athletic, which is clearly a massive concern. We feel it’s important to acknowledge and investigate this matter further given everything that has gone on in the last few weeks/months.
 
Sky Sports News ran with a story on Sunday that related to the non-payment of wages to Oldham players for the last 4 months during furlough, as well as late payment of wages in January, February & March. We are unable to confirm the source and/or validity of these claims however, in order for Macclesfield to base a portion of their appeal around this and for the EFL to be discussing this, we would suggest that there is enough to at least have valid concerns. We have managed to find references that would support the above:
 
* BBC Radio Manchester Sport tweeted on 28.02.2020 that ‘payment of wages could be up to a week late’ but the club declined to comment
* BBC Radio Manchester also tweeted on 22.04.2020 ‘We understand the players yet to accept furlough are willing to agree, but first seek assurances from the club over payment of outstanding March salaries
* In the club statement dated 22.04.2020 it was stated ‘The Oldham Athletic players will be paid their full March salaries’ which indicates that at this stage, they were already 3 weeks late
* In the July 2020 Trust meeting (published 19.07.2020), it was stated by Abdallah that ‘remittance of funds from Dubai is subject to extensive bureaucracy, which can be subject to delays’
 
In our update on 24.07.2020 https://pushtheboundary.co.uk/ptb-update-24-07-2020 we raised the issue of ongoing player disputes that specifically related to a number of playing staff who didn’t accept furlough in March and we asked that the club address this issue with much needed urgency.
 
The EFL statement on Monday stated that the relegation of Macclesfield Town to the National League will be upheld. Although there wasn’t any mention in the EFL ruling of our situation, we wouldn’t necessarily expect this to be the case at this stage. This was not our appeal, after all.
 
As a result of these developments, Push The Boundary have contacted members of the press to try and obtain information that could be of interest to supporters. It is too early to speculate on what action may or may not be taken by the EFL in terms of ourselves, but we do remain concerned given the recent tough stance taken by the EFL over a number of financial issues at Macclesfield Town as well as Wigan Athletic, Charlton Athletic & Bury.  We have contacted the club once again to try and speak to them regarding these issues and there has been encouraging discussions with the FSA about potential next steps. We will continue down this route and keep you updated of our progress.
 
We, as supporters, have continually been advised that the financial footing of the club is significantly better than it has been in recent years, but we yet again we find ourselves having to address issues which have found their way into the public domain. 

When will these issues dissapear and what assurances are we being given by the club to put our minds at rest? We have, once again advised the club of the importance of keeping supporters up to date with matters that may influence decisions to buy season tickets (stadium purchases, North Stand issues, financial stability etc) as there is little question that this is having a direct impact on season ticket sales with the first ball being kicked in under 3 weeks time. In an ideal world we can just concentrate on matters on the pitch, rather than off it, but sadly feel we are some way from this point.
 
At the current time, with the league yet to start and no fans allowed in stadiums for the time being, we have to resort to being effective and applying pressure in different, more varied ways and rest assured we are doing this and will continue to do so. We thought it was important to provide an update for those who may not have been aware of these recent developments and advise supporters that this is something we are taking very seriously and trying to find more information on your behalf.  We live in hope that this will come to nothing and we can continue our preparation for the upcoming season but it would be foolish to assume our problems disappear as a result.

We have seen some good (although much needed) additions to our first team squad but we wish to make it clear that there is a distinct separation between progress on the pitch and progress off it. Macclesfield and Bury are both perfect examples that success on the pitch doesn’t equate to stability and it’s this stability that we are asking for from the club. Yet again, we are asking for open and honest communication between the club and it’s fanbase, as this simply can’t continue in it’s current guise.
 
Reclaim The Faith
 
Steve, Danny, Adam & Will
Push The Boundary

Trust Update – 13/08/2020

Over the past 48hrs the news has been announced that Trust Oldham has had a number of resignations, which has resulted in stand-in directors taking the Trust forward to an AGM.

Since we were advised of this news, we have contacted Trust Oldham and the FSA and offered our assistance and support to try and see them through the current time. We obviously sympathise with the parties that remain and acknowledge they are trying to steer the Trust through these rocky waters to a more positive outcome. 

Regardless of the views towards the effectiveness of the Trust in recent times, a fully operational Trust is vital. They have a 3% share in the football club and it’s incredibly important that this 3% is retained by “the supporters”. The fans worked hard to gain the 3% and not many supporters groups across the U.K. can say they own a share of their club. It is therefore hugely important, especially at the current time, that this remains in place in order for the club to have a level of accountability towards the fans. Having someone level headed and strong, from a new trust set up, going onto the club board is crucial if this is the way supporters vote.

One thing we can all agree on is that the Trust needs serious reform to be the voice it should be. We have offered to assist in helping reform the Trust or being there in an advisory capacity. Anything we can do to ensure the Trust is operating efficiently again has to be the main goal.

There has been talk of PTB taking on the 3% and we have, to date, refrained from commenting on this publicly. Regardless of the logistics (which we think would be longwinded), PTB do not believe there is a requirement for us to be taking on the 3% unless the only alternative was the 3% being lost by supporters and returned to the club. In the event of this, further discussions could take place and we have advised the FSA of the same. 

We have never had any desire to take the place of the trust and we feel our place is, and will always be, as an independent group that has the best interest of fans at it’s core and can push for answers to pressing matters. We can do this in a different way than the Trust ever could. Both parties can play an important role in moulding the clubs future but they HAVE to be working efficiently and effectively, both groups can carry out different roles to benefit each other and the club. 

If we took the place of, or had representation on the Trust board, our collective voice would be somewhat strangled and we cannot allow that to happen.
Looking at the Trust as an organisation, this feels like the most significant opportunity to shape its future and turn it into an organisation that can be everything to supporters that it needs to be in a time when supporters need that more than ever. The Trust was set up in order to safeguard the future of the club and avoid a repeat of 2004 and we must ensure that going forward it’s fulfils this purpose. Therefore, we would encourage all members of the Trust to complete the survey when they receive it as this is a chance, as with the survey PTB completed, to have your say on what happens next.

We don’t know what the outcome will be following the survey/AGM and we can therefore not make any firm decisions about what the future holds, but we will keep a watchful eye on proceedings and be on hand to provide any help we can. For us, as a group, we feel that this only serves to highlight that something isn’t right within our club, in that it has driven such a difference of opinion on our supporters Trust.

We will, as always, keep you up to date following any further developments. Any comments suggestions or ideas please let us know via the usual channels.

Reclaim The Faith

PTB

Dino Maamria – 01/08/2020

Good Afternoon Latics fans.

Here we are again. It’s an unsurprisingly familiar scenario and feeling today, as we enter a new dawn. From supporting this club, getting a new manager has always been seen as a fresh start, a chance to rebuild and move the club forward. As we wake up and try to process the news from last night, it’s becoming increasingly clear that this doesn’t feel like a fresh start. We’ve been here before and the harsh reality is that it feels like we will be here again.

It goes without saying that as with Dino, the new manager will have our full support in order to try and improve the position we are in. We obviously wish Dino well with whatever happens in the future. The timing of both the sacking AND the appointment are somewhat bizarre given the last few months and while there have been murmurings about the future of the manager, I think it’s safe to say we were all preparing for the new campaign with Dino in charge. Has this been move planned for sometime? Was it a knee jerk reaction? Is this a reaction to poor season ticket sales as was the case with Ronnie Moore? We will do our best to find out on your behalf.

People who want to justify the timing of this decision to sack Dino will do so, as with all the others, but the reality is that our new manager will be our 9th in 2 and a half years, under the current regime. This all has to bring into question the decision making process at the club. We want to make this clear – this doesn’t mean we think Dino was an amazing manager, he did ‘ok’ in his time here. It’s about the way it’s all being handled. Again.

Dino was a man that was courted by the club, he was their choice to take us forward and he lasted 10 months (including a 5 month period of lockdown). We have 6 contracted players (with some players still involved in a wage dispute) who are yet to return to training, a seemingly absent owner and are soon to have a new manager 5 weeks before the start of a new season.

Fan Engagement

Taking a step back here, what is abundantly clear is that something isn’t working. Something isn’t right. We said in October 2019 when we set PTB up that our club is broken, we firmly stand by those words. There’s no cohesion whatsoever between the club, the fans and the town and decisions like this only serve to create an even bigger divide. The continued lack of communication with fans by Abdallah (the owner) shows a complete disregard for the life blood of the club.

We have seen and read everything there is to read on this matter and have repeatedly seen a consistent message from fans that this is where the buck stops. Whether that’s a withdrawal of financial support via not renewing season tickets, people who have supported this club for years are quickly losing interest. Even the mere suggestion of those words seems ridiculous to write.

We don’t want to be guilty of any instinctive reactions as a group and we are reacting to this news at the same time everyone else is, so we will regroup and work out what happens next, what options are open to us and what is within our power at the current time.

We want your thoughts 

If we can ask one thing of you, it’s to tell us how you feel and for you what happens next in your eyes as a supporter. We’ve all slept on it now and may feel the same or we may feel different. Email us, tweet us, DM us, we just want to understand if you’re feeling the same frustration, annoyance or simply have that “Groundhog Day” feeling about this like we do. Your responses will shape our next steps.

We want the best for this club, it’s staff to be treated with respect and decency, for people to think of us as a solid, well-run, professional outfit that goes about their business in the right way. We’re not asking for Champions League football or for multi-million pound signings. We just want our club back. OUR club. A club that packs away stadiums, sings for 90 minutes, has a gallows sense of humour, has new and old friendships across the fanbase and takes absolutely no interest in what is happening in the boardroom. Quite frankly, right now, we are a laughing stock in the footballing community. This is NOT good enough. As supporters we will not stand by and watch our club drop down the leagues.

We will, as we always try to do, respond to you in a timely manner but we are here for you all, so let us know what you’re feeling.

Reclaim The Faith.

PTB

PTB Update – 24/07/2020

We hope you are well and have been encouraged by the green shoots of recovery in the last few weeks as we step closer to a semblance of normality in our day to day lives.

We wanted to give you an update on where we are as a group so that fans can be reassured that despite us not being all over your social media timelines and your email inboxes every day (some may be grateful for that!), there are still lots of things happening behind the scenes.

PTB Kits

We have loved bringing you the Oldham Athletic kit World Cup and the PTB badges. It was great to see all the engagement amongst fans and the generosity you showed. It was brief respite from what was a tough time for a lot of people and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

125th Year

We have seen the 125th anniversary celebrations and the new kit launch. We hope that both of these will be a catalyst for success on the pitch and stability off it. Massive congratulations go to Oldham Athletics media team and Mike Holden of @oafcmemories on twitter as they have both pulled together a string of great videos and posts to celebrate this momentous day.

However, we are first and foremost a group that wants to represent you and make sure that your voice is heard. Our concerns for the future of the club remain and we appreciate that there are a lot of unanswered questions at the current time.

Concerns Raised

We have been maintaining dialogue with the trust and the club with varying degrees of success but this is an area we will continue to pursue answers. The red flags and areas of concern we have raised with both parties (and the FSA) are as follows:

– Home attendances down by 840 from the 2018/19 season
– Away attendances down 36% on the 2018/19 season
– Suggestions that only 250 season tickets sold so far, for the 2020/21 season
– 86% of 411 fans state the performance of the Trust as ‘Poor or ‘Very Poor’
– 82% of 411 fans surveyed state the performance of the Trust rep as ‘Poor’ or ‘Very Poor’
– 77% of 732 fans said they ‘definitely wouldn’t’ or were unsure about purchasing a season ticket for 2020/21
– 94% of fans in a recent poll wanted Abdallah to sell the club
– Our newest/commercially viable facility shut for Health and Safety reasons following a dispute with the landlord
– Recent court appearance due to lack non-payment of rent, debenture and WUP
– Player disputes and currently we have only 6 contracted players

Trust Oldham Minutes

As reported on social media in the last few days ‘Trust Oldham’ released their minutes for Julys meeting, it was suggest that a trust member removed themselves from a whatsapp group with PTB which was set up for engagement due to a ‘high volume of traffic’. While we have no issue with being known as a group who ask probing questions of the club and the Trust, this whatsapp group consisted of 31 messages (excluding intro’s) over 15 days and included 1 request for info (5 questions). We don’t consider this “a high volume of traffic”. This has been raised with the Trust and we have requested that lthis be rectified due to its misleading nature.

Update on PTB/ Club meeting

We are hopeful that soon we will be able to speak to the club about pressing issues that are on the minds of fans. This is something we have been pushing for, for some time now.

From issues with the North Stand to season ticket sales, there are some vital areas that need reassurance and clarification and as soon as we have more information for you in this regard, we will provide a full update.

Red Flags

Rick Parry (EFL chairman) mentioned in a recent interview that there are clear signs when a club is in crisis and administration looms. These included issues with payments to creditors, unpaid tax bills and late (or non) payment of wages to staff and players. Whether there are extenuating circumstances regarding our issues with each one of these (we are sure that this is the case with most clubs) the fact remains that we continue to tick every box.

PFA Dispute

We understand that this is still ongoing and an agreement is yet to be reached with the players who refused to accept furlough. Some of these players are still contracted to the club and therefore until this situation is resolved, it is our understanding that they are free to move clubs for no fee. We would ask the club to address this matter with much needed urgency.

North Stand

Season tickets are now being sold for the ‘Joe Royle’ North Stand however no confirmation has been received to suggest any agreement is in place between the OEC and OAFC. We will be chasing this up with both parties.

The club has failed to address the fact that the initial investigation into concerns raised by the club have been dropped by GMP regarding transactions pertaining to the North Stand. With this investigation now closed and the unpaid rent now settled, can fans be reassured that rent payments will be kept up to date and we won’t end up in the same situation again?

Bids for Oldham Athletic?

We have been asked by a number of supporters recently as to whether any offers have been made to the club. To the very best of our knowledge, an offer was indeed submitted for the club but subsequently rejected. We understand that there is separate interest in the club and we will endeavour to find out more information as to the validity of this interest. This information supports our view that Oldham Athletic is a viable purchase for prospective buyers.

Get in Touch

As with everything that we do is we are here to represent you. If there are any concerns that you have and would like us to raise please get in contact however you wish and we will do our upmost to find answers.

Once lockdown restrictions are lifted further we hope to be able to engage with you on a more personal basis but In the meantime we want you to know that we are doing everything we can to ensure the club treat fans with the respect they deserve.

Reclaim The Faith

PTB

Trust Survey Results – 29/06/2020

Over the past few weeks PTB has been running a survey which has been focused on Trust Oldham. This survey was part of a group of surveys completed on not only the Trust but also the Club and ourselves (both can be found on our website).

With the Trust currently having a 3% share hold in our club and more importantly the future of it, we believe is massively beneficial to help the Trust evolve, especially given their recent intention to revamp and reinvent themselves. We all want the Trust to succeed and believe PTB and the Trust need to be working at the best of their ability to ensure we hold the club to account in a professional and respectful manner. Part of this is to understand the perception amongst the fanbase. For those who completed the survey that are not currently members, they are still potential future members and therefore all views must be represented.

The link below is the results from the survey. The results will not surprise many but we believe they can be used to benefit the future of the Trust and how it is shaped going forward. The free-format comments will be passed to the Trust for them to review.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-MBF8YKBF7/

We want to thank the 411 supporters who filled this in. Your feedback can be and hopefully will be used to evolve the Trust in the future.

Reclaim The Faith

PTB

Kershaws to 2K! – 28/06/2020

As you are probably aware Oldham Athletic fans and PTB have been raising money for Dr Kershaws hospice since the start of the year, which was decided by the supporters. So far fans have raised over £1500 for this fantastic cause. This has been raised via such things as collections, football cards, Facebook fundraising and of course our ‘PTB badges’ where a considerable number of you donated extra in order to support this charity in its time of need. We are delighted with this and your continued support, however, fundraising efforts have been hampered by the COVID-19 situation, yet we retain a desire to push this total on as much as we can.

In an effort to push us beyond the £2000 mark PTB wanted a slightly more physical challenge than what has gone before. Therefore, in the absence of the Great North Run, this year there is an alternative challenge which has been proposed by the organisers. This will involve running 40 times over 78 days from the 28th of June 2020 to the 13th of September 2020. Full details can be found below:

https://www.greatrun.org/virtual-running/great-north-run

Our very own Steve Shipman will be taking part in this challenge in an effort to raise as much money as possible. He will be providing regular updates on his progress as well as logging all of his contributing runs. For an additional prize a medal can be earned for running over 300 miles in total. This equates to 12.5 km per run.

Your support since PTB started back in October 2019 has been nothing short of amazing and we know, with your support we can make more than our £2000 target. Your generous donations to date are greatly appreciated and you can make these donations by visiting our just giving page. We will also set up an option to donate via Facebook. Any fundraising you would like to do on behalf of PTB for Dr Kershaws, whether that be a football name card or joining Stephen for his run then please get in touch.

Stephen Shipman is fundraising for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, here is what Stephen had to say about the challenge;

“I am a keen runner (time permitting) and since lockdown I have tried to find new ways to challenge myself to run further and to get quicker so this challenge fits perfectly with both of those aspirations. I’ve complete 5 half marathons which I’m incredibly proud of but it now feels time for something new.

While this is a solo run, I’d love nothing better than to have others running it with me, so if you fancy a challenge, you can sign up using the link at the top of the page!”

Let us as a fan group top 2k for kershaws.

To make a donation to help us get there please click on the link below;

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/pushtheboundary

Reclaim The Faith

PTB

Trust Survey – 12/06/2020

Survey

We are releasing a survey for all supporters to complete. This survey will be focused on the performance of Trust Oldham. Since our inception in October 2019 we have conducted surveys based around our own performance and the performance of the club, therefore we feel it is only appropriate that the same is conducted of the Trust. 

We are fully aware and appreciate that the Trust polarise opinions across the fan base so we think it is important that we gather as much data as possible in order to make fair assessments and reasoned judgements.

We have already notified the Trust of our intention to complete the survey and have provided details so they may send this out to their members and we will happily provide all feedback so they can act accordingly.

The Trust have openly admitted that changes are required within their organisation and want to get opinions from fans along with other groups, so we hope that by carrying out this survey we are assisting them in their quest for change. As supporters we have all at some point put money into the trust via shares when the trust started/ membership or fundraisers and it’s something which needs to find its way again. We are all in this for the same reasons, we all love our club. Hopefully the answers can help the trust model it’s future.

Push the Boundary want to see all facets of the club and the parties that support it, working to the best of their ability. We are very self-critical about how we operate as a group and we think it is important that all feedback is taken on board and used appropriately to change for the better.

We will advise well in advance when the survey is to close but we want to ensure that we get a fair and substantial dataset so that our results are as fair as they can be.

The club is going through an incredibly difficult period at the moment and it is therefore even more important that the groups and organisations that surround it are functioning to the best of their ability, working side by side, to ensure that all fans have a stable and successful club to watch when we come out of the other end of this crisis.

Please see the link below;

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NWDVNK8

Kind Regards

Ste, Will, Danny and Adam
PTB

Club Update – 11/06/2020

During this current climate, Push The Boundary understands and acknowledges the difficulties football clubs, especially ours, are facing and the challenges we are likely to face in the coming days, weeks and months.

Following a number of queries regarding a wide range of concerns that supporters have aired via various platforms, we decided to check in with the club to try and obtain updates on behalf of supporters. Following a response from both Natalie Atkinson (Managing Director) and Richard Bowden (Fans Representative Board Member), they both suggested a meeting via “Zoom” as a good way to communicate rather than via email.

Yesterday evening, Push The Boundary emailed Natalie and Richard to advise them that we would like to accept the offer of a virtual meeting and we are keen for this to become a regular method of communication, in order for supporters to be kept up to date with any developments given the period of uncertainty that surrounds both Oldham Athletic and football in general.

We will, as ever, be completely transparent and relay any information back to supporters in a timely fashion.

PTB hopes that a response will be received with dates that will suit all parties involved. We will keep you informed.

Danny, Adam, Ste and Will
PTB

Trust Response – 11/06/2020

Following on from our early post, we have now received a response from the Trust, and we have published the full unedited version below with their blessing.

We will digest all the information accordingly and report back once we have concluded our findings but in the interested of being timely and completely transparent, we wanted to get this out to the fans as quickly as possible.

Trust Email

Hi guys

In reply to your points.

PAYMENTS TO PLAYERS
We can give no further update on this at the moment, the information
that we have shared is one we are comfortable with sharing – it’s for
the club and players to resolve and at the moment as neither party has
put further information in the public domain, we have to respect that as
much as we know people would like to know more.

We continue to liaise with the club on these matters but there is no
further information to share at this point.

END OF SEASON
It is for the club to disclose the number of season tickets purchased.
Fans must make a judgement themselves on if they are comfortable
purchasing a season ticket at this time, and Darren has seen
communication from fans who want to renew to support the club – there is
a comment on our website that states exactly that from the recent
article [1] or not.

This comment from another fan sums it up too:
_”We renewed because we are aware of the terrible cash flow plight of
the Club and we want to help – if we don’t want another Bury we need to
help the Club to survive not make the cash crisis even worse”_

ACCOUNTS
Our article is clear on the MOU and the effect that has on the NDAs that
were signed by the Trust Board.

The club has no legal requirement to undertake an Audit and could cost
tens of thousands of points If they did – given the level of funding the
club gets from its owner, I thing it would be unreasonable to expect
them to do that.

The situation is different with other clubs such as Grimsby who are a
PLC and their owner John Fenty was kind enough to give us some insights
on how clubs differ on an accounts perspective and the way they work
with their Trust.

Just to re-iterate on this as it’s non-negotiable to the Trust. The
Club should publish accounts which fully comply with all the
requirements of the Small Companies disclosure regime as laid out in FRS
102 Schedule 1A.

MEETING MINUTES
Again, we’ve been clear on the status of these – they will be
published in due course. In the past these have been too slow to be
published, however this is something that can now improve in the future.
An effort to be less bureaucratic and more responsive will certainly
help with that.

Finally – could we politely request the deadlines are removed from
future correspondence – we don’t believe since our meeting that at any
point the Trust have kept you waiting for information and they are not
necessary.

We do want to work on a basis of respect and understanding with you –
some of the board have questioned if this is recipricated given members
of PTB are liking comments derogatory comments towards our organisation.
This is not something we would reciprocate and sends a confusing
message.

Many thanks

Kenny on behalf of Trust Oldham

 

 

Trust Update – 05/06/2020

Please see our response email to Trust Oldham this evening following their earlier club update;


Hi all,

Firstly thank you for your timely response and for addressing all of the issues in our original correspondence. We understand these are testing times, however we are an independent supporters group who have the fans interests at the heart of everything that we do and everything that we put out. Therefore it would be unfair to correspond and not ask the questions our supporters want the answers to. In life and in business sometimes the most difficult conversations are still the right ones.

Progress has been slow and it is very difficult to see any real signs of positive change both on or off the pitch. There is no point in sugarcoating it as these days are pivotal to the clubs future.

In response to your email please see our comments below.

Payment to Players

Your comments regarding the timeliness of wages are taken on board. We will be keen to monitor this going forward given the measures that are being put in place by regulatory bodies regarding points deductions for late payment of wages. It was unclear from your correspondence whether a resolution was in sight regarding the senior members of staff who had refused the offer of furlough. Therefore can you provide an update? These players will be free to seek out new clubs which would therefore make a positive resolution less likely by the day.

Employment Tribunals

We would imagine that most employment tribunals come as a result of a breakdown between employer and employee so this wouldn’t be out of the ordinary. What is a worry is the frequency at which they seem to occur with our club. Your comments are noted that this shouldn’t happen again and we would expect this to be the case.

Ending of the Season

Your comments are concerning in this regard. An announcement is being delayed with regards to the end of this season but you have admitted that sales are still taking place for next season, which as it stands, is just as much up in the air as the conclusion of this season. This begs 2 questions:

1. How many season tickets have we actually sold to date? You will note the results from our most recent survey regarding this as our concerns were raised prior to the current pandemic. It is noted that no formal response was given to these results by either the club or yourselves.

2. Do you think it is morally right to take money from fans when the club don’t know what will happen next season (in terms of allowing fans in the stadium) while simultaneously holding back the offer of refunds for the current term? Refunds that fans are entitled to.

We are surprised that this wasn’t raised by yourselves. The ownership and the stadium purchase will no doubt play a big part in the decision to renew so we would encourage this response as a matter of urgency in the interest of being fair to supporters. To see individual responses to supporters by the MD without an official stance being publicised by the football club has been very disappointing as it offers current season ticket holders no clarity. This comes after a proportion of season ticket holders were removed from their allocated seat due to the closure of the North Stand. Another situation where we are yet to see a clear resolution.

Club Accounts

We would argue that it is not a positive that the club has been cooperative, it should be an expectation based on your shareholding in the football club that they would provide full copies of the accounts for you to analyse in detail. It is sad that there has been no resolution possible to the accounts from the previous period and we would expect at the very least that lessons have been learnt on both sides to avoid a situation like this arises again.

With regards to the latest set of accounts can you please advise whether the current nondisclosure arrangement will remain in place or whether you will be able to provide full commentary around the accounts that you see from the last accounting period. Can you also inform us whether these accounts will be fully audited or whether it will be an abridged/unaudited copy as per the 2017/18 period.

While writing, we note that we are yet to see the minutes from the Trust meetings in January, February and March and would like to agree a deadline for supporters so these can be published. It is your obligation to fans to produce these minutes in a timely fashion for supporters but this is something that you consistently fail to deliver.

Your urgent attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated at this current time. Given that all you are doing is providing clarity on specific issues, we see close of play on Wednesday as a very achievable deadline considering you have a trust meeting on Monday.

Just so you are aware, we will be publishing this for the benefit of the fanbase.

Regards

PTB

PTB Badges Money Raised – 04/06/2020

We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has bought a ‘Push The Boundary’ pin badge. We can’t wait to see you wearing them with pride and your kindness has raised a fantastic £721.19 for Dr Kershaws Hospice to help the Hospice ensure they can continue to provide the fantastic care they provide on a daily basis. Your support in raising this money has been truly amazing.

We are continuing to raise money for Dr Kershaws over a slightly extended period due to the Covid 19 situation. Any further donations anyone would like to make can be made via our just giving page;

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/pushtheboundary

We have added a little video onto the media page of our website where we have announced the amount raised, with two very well known faces amongst Oldham Athletic supporters. We would like to thank Neil Kilkenny and Jonny Smith for announcing our final figure. Take a look below;

We hope you are all keeping well and as always should you need any support, assistance or just a chat during these strange times please don’t be afraid to contact us at;

info@pushtheboundary.co.uk

Take Care and thank you once again!

Danny, Will, Steve and Adam
PTB

PTB World Cup of Oldham Kits – 30/05/2020

🏆 WORLD CUP FINAL 🏆

After nearly 2 weeks of competition, 32 teams have been whittled down to the final 2!!

Tomorrow on Twitter is your chance to vote for your favourite! Don’t miss your chance to pick your favourite ever Oldham Athletic Shirt. The final two are;

85/87 Home Shirt


Vs

91/92 Home shirt

Supporters wearing their badges – 30/05/2020

Today PTB received a video from a family in Clarinbridge, Co Galway, Ireland. The family consisting of Billy, Brid, John & Brendan Scanlan recently received their PTB badges in support of Dr Kershaws and they sent us a video of John aged 6 and Brendan aged 2 wearing their badges with pride! Watch the short clip below 👇

If you have a short clip or picture of you with your PTB badge send them to info@pushtheboundary.co.uk and we will display them on the website!

 

Remembering The 22 – 22/05/2020


Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the horrific events that unfolded less than 20 miles away from Oldham at the Manchester Arena. A calm Monday night in May should have been remembered for a dazzling performance from Ariana Grande and an evening full of joy, elation and happiness. Instead, this turned into one of the most fateful nights in the history of Manchester, causing heartbreak for many and after which the UK was left to grieve the loss of the 22 angels that were tragically taken from us.

In the days, weeks and months that followed, a show of defiance, togetherness and love consumed hearts and minds, all whilst remembering the 22 people who lost their lives. Just 13 days after the attack, Ariana Grande returned to Manchester to perform along with many other artists such as Coldplay, Take That, Justin Bieber and Liam Gallagher in a bid to show the strength that we have as both a city and as a nation, as well as to honour the ones we lost and to bring happiness to the 55,000 in attendance and many, many more people around the globe.

A city so close to home. A concert that many people would have known somebody in attendance. A night which will be forever etched in the memories of everybody but as Robbie Williams sang at the One Love concert, “Manchester, we’re strong”. A line that shall never be forgotten. In the aftermath of this tragic event, Manchester could have chosen hate and anger, but it didn’t.

Too many attacks which result in the loss of lives are remembered as just a number. Each number represents a life and as such those names should, and will, always be remembered.

Saffie Rose Roussos, 8
Martyn Hett, 29,
Georgina Callander, 18
Olivia Campbell, 15,
Elaine McIver, 43,
John Atkinson, 26,
Kelly Brewster, 32,
Alison Lowe, 44,
Lisa Lees, 43,
Marcin Kils, 42,
Angelika Kils, 39,
Nell Jones, 14,
Jane Tweedle-Taylor, 50,
Michelle Kiss, 45,
Sorrell Leczkowski, 14
Chloe Ruterford, 17,
Liam Curry, 19,
Eilidh MacLeod, 14
Wendy Fawell, 50
Courtney Boyle, 19
Philip Tron, 32
Megan Hurley, 15

Badges SOLD OUT – 21/05/2020

That’s it, all badges are gone! Under a week after going on sale, we have managed to shift the whole lot. Just awaiting some final payments and we will let you know the final amount.

HUGE thanks to all that contributed in any way, your support is and will always be greatly appreciated.

PTB Badges Update – 20/05/2020

We are incredibly grateful to each and every person who has purchased a badge so far. We have a small number remaining and would love to shift them all. Thanks to all your orders we have already made over £550 just from the badges for Dr Kershaws. 

All PTB badges that have been requested and paid for have been sent out the same day if paid for before 12 midday or the following day if after midday. All parcels have been sent 2nd class postage. Due to Covid 19, Royal Mail have advised on posting them, that it could take up to 10 days for delivery due to staff shortages. Any issues after the 10 days please email us.

If you haven’t ordered a badge but want one, don’t delay as we anticipate selling out in the next day or so!

Email is your name, Address, Postcode and badge quantity to Info@PushTheBoundary.co.uk

 

 

Kit World Cup Update – 17/05/2020

So, the World Cup of kits starts on Monday and will run for 2 weeks. 32 kits have been chosen and already there are lots of comments around those omitted, who will be in the final and potential winners.

We narrowed down the kits ourselves and tried to pick a variety of home & away shirts as well as from each decade to give a good spread of kits for all age groups. This obviously provides a healthy amount of debate as different kits mean different things to different people.

At PTB, we like to think we can take feedback on board. As a result, we have come up with a wildcard selection. Here is how it will work…

1. Groups will be chosen in the manner already stated (votes between 4 shirts and the top 2 will proceed)
2. The shirt with the lowest votes in second place across the groups (that’s votes, not percentage) will be pitted against 3 other shirts that have got a lot of public support.
3. The winner of this will proceed to the final 16 and the competition will proceed as normal.

The three kits that will be given a Denmark (Euro ‘92) style reprieve are as follows:

If anyone has any queries, please let us know. We hope you really enjoy the competition and make sure you get voting for your favourite.

Regards

PTB

PTB Update – 16/05/2020

Good Morning Latics fans,

We hope you’re well and adjusting to a ‘new normal’.

It’s been a busy few weeks for PTB with having to set up a new twitter account, planning and releasing the ‘protect the NHS’ videos which we can’t thank all the players and staff enough who contributed, planning our upcoming World Cup of kits, making our instagram debut as well as trying to keep abreast of happenings at the club. Thanks to all of you that have shown continued support.

Yesterday we announced that we would be giving fans an opportunity to purchase PTB memorabilia to raise money for charity. The badges are selling well so please ensure you buy one before they sell out! All of your £3 donation goes to Dr Kershaws. 

We have wanted to stay visible for you all and keep things fun during the lockdown period as we appreciate how this has been a difficult time for a lot of people. We enjoyed bringing you the NHS video with ex-players and managers, as well as the Great Escape footage and this was well received and thanks for your feedback. We are here to represent fans first and foremost and want to seek and give assurances over what the future will look like once we come through these troubled times. We can assure you we are trying incredibly hard to engage with the club over this behind the scenes.

We can’t ignore the ongoing dispute with some ‘senior members’ of the playing staff as this is attracting yet more negative media attention. The issue of furlough and players wages is a hotly disputed one and it is not our place to comment on personal circumstances for players/staff involved. What is clear and we feel needs urgently addressing is that the players in question believe the only avenue left for them to air their concerns is via the press. Should the players have been treated with respect from the beginning and wages paid on time we would not be in the position we are now. We want to see unity within our football club as that breeds success on the pitch. Regardless of the circumstances, we don’t feel that by the club passing comment in a public forum (club statement), that this is helping to solve any of the issues and bring both parties together.

We have encouraged the club to speak out and use us as a platform to give assurances over the future of our club, especially over the following issues that are at the forefront of people’s minds:

– Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak deal was agreed in principle to purchase the stadium. Does the current situation affect this in any way?
– If there are funds available to purchase the stadium how do we find ourselves in a situation where March wages were only paid at the end of April?
– Reports of yet another settlement for a former employee in an unfair dismissal case. This is disappointing to see, especially with a member of staff who has been at the club for 21 years.

We understand this is a difficult time for the club with a lack of income and the furloughing of a large number of staff, so we are trying to assist the club as much as possible in trying to promote positive relations. We will more than likely need all the help we can get once we come through this, but one thing we know about Latics fans is that we will rally around our club when it needs us most, but there has to be a willingness from the club to embrace its fanbase at a time like this. Sadly the communication between club and PTB has stalled but we will continue to try and obtain the answers fans deserve.

Seeing all the recent videos of our great escape and the title winning game have made us even more determined to try and rekindle the passion & spirit that made us such formidable opponents. We have to believe that those days can come again and we can create a new era that fans can be proud of in years to come. We keep fighting.

Reclaim The Faith.

PTB

Push The Boundary Badge – 15/05/2020

Due to the current Covid 19 pandemic we feel that Dr Kershaws has missed out on much needed revenue through fundraisers and other events being cancelled, because of this we have been looking at ways to maximise the money we can make for them during these difficult times.

Push The Boundary has had a number of enquiries from fans in relation to having a piece of PTB memorabilia produced, due to this and the requirement for more funds to be raised in new ways for our current charity, over the last few months we have been working hard to find a supplier to create a PTB pin badge. The badge created is a soft enamel badge with a butterfly clip to the back. If this proves popular we will look again at other Memorabilia opportunities for next years charity.

We are pleased to announce the badges have now arrived and are available for a donation of £3 each with a 65p postage charge per postal order to cover the cost of delivery due to the current Covid 19 guidelines. There is limited stock so the badges will be sold on a first come first served basis. Every single penny of your £3 donation towards your badge will go to Dr Kershaws via our Just Giving page.

To place an order, please email us at info@pushtheboundary.co.uk with your Full Name, Address, Postcode and quantity of badges required. We will then respond to you with a code to enter as a reference along with bank details of where to send your payment.

We will do what we can to ensure we continue to do our bit for Dr Kershaws during these difficult times. We hope you will be able to help us too!

 

 

 

 

Twitter World Cup of Kits – 10/05/2020

Twitter World Cup

What does your favourite kit mean to you and how is it chosen. Is it nostalgia? Was it your first kit that you bought, or were bought? Could a new kit still sneak in there?

We don’t think a really comprehensive vote on kits has taken place so we thought it was time that changed! Kits are a massive cause for debate across our fanbase and the new kit is always greatly anticipated as it can symbolise a form of hope for a new season.

All the 32 kits chosen have navigated some tricky qualifying rounds against tough oppositions like 1983-85 away & 1916-1920 home but the cream of the crop are in there and hopefully you will see yours represented!

The format (below) will be a standard World Cup format, with groups of 4 teams and the top 2 proceeding to the round of 16, and so on and so forth until we reach the dazzling spectacle that is the World Cup final, where the fans favourite Oldham Athletic kit will be crowned.

Voting will be carried out solely on twitter via a poll that will run from 7am through to midnight so we can canvass as many votes as possible. The top 2 from 4 in the group stages will proceed and then it’s a straight head to head battle once the knockout stages are reached.

This week we will be releasing details of all 32 kits so you can check the form etc and after that, the competition is entirely in your hands. We have shortlisted the final 32 kits as a group (there were some interesting debates taking place) but we feel these kits represent the finest we have had in our 125 year history.

Group Stages

Monday – Group A & B
Tuesday – Group C & D
Wednesday – Group E & F
Thursday – Group G & H

Round of 16

Friday – Winner Group A v R/U Group B (1)
R/U Group A v Winner Group B (2)

Saturday – Winner Group C v R/U Group D (3)
R/U Group C v Winner Group D (4)

Sunday – Winner Group E v R/U Group F (5)
R/U Group E v Winner Group F (6)

Monday – Winner Group G v R/U Group H (7)
R/U Group G v Winner Group H (8)

Quarter Finals

Tuesday – Round of 16 (1) v Round of 16 (2)
Round of 16 (3) v Round of 16 (4)

Wednesday – Round of 16 (5) v Round of 16 (6)
Round of 16 (7) v Round of 16 (8)

Semi-Finals

Thursday – Winner of QF 1 v Winner of QF 2
Friday – Winner of QF 3 v Winner of QF 4

Final

Saturday & Sunday – Semi Final 1 v Semi Final 2

The kits are picked. The training camps are chosen. Who knows, Shakira is probably doing us a song somewhere. The talking is over. It’s your votes that will decide the winner. Let’s go…

Push The Boundary

Reliving the Great Escape with Oldham Fan Andy Halliwell – 08/05/2020

We spoke to Oldham fan Andy Halliwell and he kindly gave us his take on the Great Escape day and his love for Oldham Athletic. This day meant so much to so many and it rounded off an amazing, nail biting week to be a Latics fan.

Thanks for sharing your memories Andy!

Reliving the Great Escape with Jack Dearden – 08/05/2020

BBC Radio Manchester’s Jack Dearden was happy to share his memories of this tense, brilliant day in our history where we overcame the odds to win 3 games in the final week of the season to survive the drop and maintain Premier League status for another season.

Thanks for your time Jack!

Reliving the Great Escape with Joe Royle – 08/05/2020

Following the reliving of the events of 8th May 1993 on Twitter and Facebook today, it was only right to seek the thoughts of the man in charge. We are absolutely delighted to give you, Mr Joe Royle…

It was a pleasure to speak to Joe Royle, what a brilliant manager and an even nicer person. This was a real highlight for us as a group. 

 

Thanks for the memories Joe! 💙

 

 

Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives – 02/05/2020

Since lockdown the message to all has been clear;

Stay Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives. 

This is a message we felt needed to be pushed by current and ex players of Oldham Athletic, so that is what we did!

Not only did players new and old take part but celebrities also offered their time to help us!

We hope you enjoy the videos but also take on board the strong message passed. 

Push the Boundary are still in a position to assist anyone in need of any support whether that be a food run, medication collection or simply a phone call to talk about the good times at Oldham. If you feel yourself or someone else needs support please contact us on;

info@pushtheboundary.co.uk

 

 

COVID-19 Support

Good Afternoon Latics Supporters,

We are writing today to offer any help that we can provide to those most vulnerable during this increasingly worrying time in relation to the Coronavirus and its knock on effects.

Some people have been asked to work from home, some schools are closed which is very similar to situations around Europe at present. What is worrying is the isolation of people aged 70 or above and/or supporters with underlying health conditions who require measures such as “social distancing” in order to be protected sufficiently during this troubling time.

Given that we have supporters of various age groups, PTB wishes to let all supporters know that, where we can, we will assist fellow Latics fans who may be in vulnerable positions. Whether that be to collect essential shopping items, a chat over the phone or collection of essential medication. We will do our best to assist where possible as ultimately, we are all in this together.

Should supporters want/need to contact us or pass on details of someone who is in need of some extra support please drop us an email on info@pushtheboundary.co.uk

Don’t be afraid to ask for support, we all need it from time to time.

This is a hugely difficult time for everybody and we are keen to develop a mentality amongst our fan base where we look out for each other, are compassionate to help not only our families but also the wider community wherever possible.

If there is anyone who wishes to offer assistance of any kind at this time, then please feel free to contact us via email or social media and we will try to facilitate this where possible or help you make appropriate arrangements.

Finally, we hope that everybody takes all measures to stay in the best possible health and in the meantime, we wish the wider community well and urge all to follow the guidance from the Government provided by Public Health England if you are presenting any symptoms – https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

PTB

Email to the Club – 16/03/2020

Following the results of the survey being released on 13th March, we have emailed the club to request their comments on the results as well as raising further issues regarding our current situation. The below email has been put out to remain totally transparent, as with all communication with the club;

Dear Natalie/Richard,

You will have no doubt seen and taken keen interest in the most recent survey results that were released on Friday 13th March 2020.

We are contacting you regarding this survey out of common courtesy in the hope that you will engage with fans (not just via small matchday engagement groups) and fully address these issues which are clearly not going away. We are now in a position where we have a starting point to work from in terms of whether we can see signs of progress being made, or not being made, by the club. The attached document (link to survey release on website ) highlights the following areas:

 

– Where fans who are attending are currently sitting in Boundary Park

– Whether fans would be willing to purchase a season ticket for the 2020/21 season

– If people aren’t willing to purchase a ticket, what would change their minds

– How engaged fans feel with the football club

 

The purpose of releasing another survey was to see if our perception of the situation has changed amongst the wider fanbase. We have over 700 people complete the survey which equates to circa 20% of fans inside Boundary Park on a matchday and 50% of the people who completed the survey were existing season ticket holders. We feel this is the most comprehensive survey of fans that has ever been done so we feel as though the results are accurate and trustworthy.

Please take the time to digest this information and how you will look to respond to the fanbase, whether that be via ourselves or not. We said you would be judged by your actions and not words, and this rings true even more so now. Fans are walking away from the club, we are over 800 fans down on average at home games and as history proves, this cannot be totally reversed just by results on the pitch. Fans find other things to do with their time on a Saturday and the club loses a dedicated fan forever, when in reality, all this could be avoided.

23% of the current number of season ticket holders would equate to 598 season tickets. If we assume people who are unsure also renew that is a maximum of 1,326 season tickets for next year. This would be unacceptable.

In terms of fan engagement, the scores were as follows both now and from our follow up survey recently completed:

This is the closest thing to a tangible measure to assess the performance of the current regime and as you can see, fans are speaking and not seeing any improvement. PTB are happy to meet up to discuss these results and if required, offer more information that would enable you to try and reverse the downward spiral the club is on, but you have to be open about being ready to change and admit that some of your decisions to date have been poor and very divisive. You may hear things you don’t want to hear, but it would be in the best interest of the football club, which I would expect us all to have as a basis for our decision making at this time. We can make ourselves available for a meeting should you be open to this.

In recent weeks we have seen the news of players/staff being paid late, a winding up petition & the threat of administration looming over us. We have had the court case adjourned and the WUP has been paid along with (we believe) the staff & players and on top of this, the club have agreed a ‘deal in principle’ to purchase the stadium. We are sure you can understand the feeling amongst fans that when one day we are unable to pay staff/players and subsequently, we are making reported bids of over £6m for the entire stadium, there is some nervousness around this. Therefore we have raised the following questions, we believe, are hugely important in offering clarity and transparency to worried fans:

1. Has the police investigation been dropped in relation to the North Stand? We would suggest that making a bid for the stadium would be an admittance that the North Stand, as reported, was transferred to Brassbank due to money owed by the club. Can you provide further detail on this? 

2. Can you categorically state to the fans of this football club, that the money being used to fund the purchase of the stadium, is not and will not be funded by Laurence Bassini, as has been widely reported in the media.

3. What comfort can you give to the ever dwindling fanbase that there is a financial plan in place to take this forward should the purchase of the stadium be completed? We have seen issues arise in recent months and history with other clubs has shown that these issues do not disappear overnight and we would want to assume an even bigger financial burden is not being placed on the club when it doesn’t have the means or expertise to maximise the potential of this stadium (in particular the North Stand)

4. How would you respond to the Trust comments around the fact that information was kept from them in terms of the financial issues that are currently in play?

 

Just for your reference, this email will be released to the fans so we are being totally transparent in terms of communication. We are sure you appreciate that at this time, fans should be kept in the picture as much as possible given the uncertainty that surrounds the future of the club.

Regards

PTB