Carling Cup draw

Last updated : 15 June 2008 By The Chairman

Athletic have been drawn away in the first round of the Carling Cup to their closest neighbours Rochdale, and assistant manager Tommy Wright is delighted with the draw. It is the first time that the clubs will meet in a competitive match for over 30 years.

Wright told the official Oldham website, "Obviously it would have been nice to get a home tie but this is still an excellent draw for us. Rochdale were nearly promoted last season and I know a lot of our fans were looking forward to them coming up. We usually play Rochdale in pre-season, but this tie will be much different to that kind of game. We'll go there knowing it will be a difficult task. It's early in the season so there's no real form involved, and I watched Rochdale play a number of times last season and they've got some good players and play to a decent tempo."

"It goes without saying we want to do well in the competition. We got knocked out despite playing very well against Burnley last year, and the financial benefits for the club could be massive if we can put a run together."

The tie will be played at Spotland during the week beginning August 11th.