6 days ago
Oldham and Southend have endured so much and, as they prepare to fight for a place in the Football League, Shrimpers boss Kevin Maher admits: 'It's a shame one of us has to lose'
In a perfect world, the National League play-off final would have been held at Easter and not this week.
Why? Because on Sunday evening an army of battle-scarred fans from either Oldham Athletic or Southend United will be euphoric following a resurrection.
But, as all of those involved in this weekend's Wembley showdown — set to be watched by a record crowd in excess of 50,000 — will readily testify, this is not a perfect world.
There are many stories that underline how far each proud, former Football League club had fallen in the not-too-distant past. At Southend's training ground a year ago they wereperforming rain dances. Not because the pitches needed watering, but because the toilets needed flushing.
'We had buckets down in the gym,' explains manager Kevin Maher. 'There was no running water so we'd collect the water when the roof leaked, which was often, and then we'd lob it down the toilets because we couldn't flush them.'
It is one of many lingering memories of day-to-day survival at Roots Hall under the controversial ownership of former chairman Ron Martin. On another occasion, Maher was forced to drive the kit van home because there was a real concern bailiffs were about to turn up at the club and take it away.
'I collapsed on the settee that night and thought, "What the f*** am I doing?" 'the former player turned manager explains. 'It was as close as I got to packing it in.'
There are similar tales to tell at Oldham. Under another deeply unpopular owner, Abdallah Lemsagam, and his band of ludicrous lieutenants, collapse came quickly. The former founding members of the Premier League had spent 21 consecutive seasons in League One. It took less than five years under the Moroccan for them to fall out of the league.
As an Oldham fan, I'd heard from insiders how bad things had become. One night I got a call from a friend who told me it had been his turn to wash his young son's team's kit that week. He went to the launderette on the main road close to Boundary Park and noticed a lady performing a similar task. 'I asked her which kit she was washing, thinking it might be a team in my boy's league,' he said. 'She turned to me and said, "Oldham Athletic".' With the washing machines disconnected, the club had been forced to take its kit to the cleaners.
The nadir arrived when relegation out of the league was confirmed at home to Salford. Desperate fans invaded the pitch and the game was stopped. When it restarted, stewards held up advertising hoardings to block the view from where those who remained had gathered. They had become a club that was trying to stop its fans watching them play.
That summer, a name from the past stepped in to help provide a future. 'I called my dad after that Salford game from the car and he was in tears,' explains Darren Royle, son of Joe and now Oldham chief executive, who had a season ticket to a horror show. 'We knew we had to do something.'
Royle hit his contacts book and ended up on the doorstep of well-known local businessman andPortakabin king Frank Rothwell. 'He was in a flat cap and overalls and we spoke in his garage,' Royle says. 'I told him of a plan, a vision for the club and town. I wanted him to be part of a consortium but he said "Bugger that!", and after speaking with his family they decided to do it on their own.'
And so, in 2022, with a £1.2million tax bill 'hours' from sending them under, a 127-year-old institution was saved. The Rothwells shelled out around £13million to buy the club, the stadium and the land. Already, as they attempt to rebuild, repair and restore their place in the EFL, they are in for £20m.
On Sunday, around 22,000 will travel south. A group of fans have paid for the father of cult hero Mike Fondop to fly in from Cameroon.
'We've done £20,000 in the club shop today,' says Royle. 'The place is ready for lift-off. We said we want to do something which makes people say Oldham and not Manchester when they get asked where they are from and this is a big step.'
The resurgence is not lost on manager Micky Mellon. 'It's a fanbase hungry for success and it's no wonder,' he explains. 'After what they've been through it's like a relief to see the fanbase still exists, that people are still bothered. You're talking 34 years since the last promotion, so anyone under 40 won't remember it. It's generational stuff. We are hoping this is the start but have a big job to do.'
Oldham found form following a difficult second half of the season and upset York, who had finished 23 points above them, on their way to a first Wembley appearance since 1994. They start as marginal favourites against the Shrimpers.
Southend, who departed the EFL in 2020, will be backed by around 24,000 — a figure that could have been substantially higher had it not been for a ticketing fiasco and a limit set due to the closure of Wembley Park Tube Station.
Regardless, they too will enjoy a hard-earned day in the sun,following a takeover by Australian businessman Justin Rees.
'I have to give all credit to the players,' says modest Maher. 'Because of what they went through, they have such a strong bond. At times, when money was tight, they deferred their own payments to make sure others who needed it were sorted.
'There was a game at Maidenhead when I was in the office until 10 at night wondering if we could put a team out. Butplayers and staff stayed loyal. At the back of your mind you're thinking, "It's Southend". The size of the club — someone has to come in. Fortunately they did.'
Maher, who had a stint at Oldham in his playing days, sees similarities between the promotion rivals. 'They are both what you would call proper clubs with big fanbases who've been through a lot and who deserve better, he explains. 'They shouldn't be here, but here we are.'
Maher pauses, and then captures the mood of all those who will be present on Sunday, and no doubt beyond with his next comment: 'It's just a shame one of us has to lose.'
