The resignation of manager Paul Scholes after just 31 days has sparked a revolution in the fans of Oldham Athletic. The demise of the club, fuelled by stories of interference by the owner and unpaid bills, has escalated to the extent that a protest march was planned before last Saturdays postponed game against Tranmere Rovers. As a result of the unrest, the owner has offered a place on the newly formed Board of Directors to an Athletic fan who fulfils certain criteria. Even this offer is being met with resentment from some fans who consider that the 'olive-branch' is a ploy, just to pacify the current unrest at the club, as the present Board consists of a sole Director, who just happens to be the owner of the company. There is no mention of any other executive directors joining the new board and there is no payment for the role which is totally voluntary. The role is offered on the official website as follows:
Oldham Athletic are looking to appoint fan representatives to join the newly formed Board of Directors. Over the past year under new ownership the club has tried to rebuild, with millions being invested in the team whilst also paying off past debts. Not everything has gone to plan, with issues on and off the pitch and for certain areas the club has been rightly criticised. With an owner who has the clubs best interests at heart, the events of last week have shown that there is now a disconnect between the fans and the club and the owner wants to repair that. Without the fans there is no club.
As a result, the owner (and currently the sole director) is in the process of reforming the board and is looking to appoint people that can add value in non-executive positions, through fan representatives. Ultimately, the board will run this football club for the benefit of the supporters to create a better future. The board makes decisions on all aspects of the running of the club including commercial, property and staffing issues.
The club would now like to invite applications from those with a genuine love for Oldham Athletic to become a director, setting out their skill set and explaining in writing what they could bring to the role. The role will not be remunerated and there is a requirement to attend all home and away games as a representative, whilst also passing the English Football League’s fit and proper person test.