The Manchester Evening News has reported that all players and staff at Oldham Athletic Football Club haven’t been paid for September. The League One club confirmed the situation in a statement, but said it was ‘working to resolve the situation as soon as possible’. One angry employee, a matchday steward, said he now feared for the club’s financial state. He said stewards were considering staging a ‘sit-down’ protest ahead of a game, which could possibly threaten the fixture involved, if they don’t get answers from management. He accused club bosses of failing to engage and discuss the full situation with staff. The employee, a steward with more than 20 years’ experience at Boundary Park, said he was due to be paid for the month last Friday, but has received nothing. The club confirmed his fears that playing staff and all other office staff weren’t paid for September either.
In a statement to the M.E.N., Oldham Athletic said: “The club can confirm the players and staff are yet to be paid for September. The club are working to resolve the situation as soon as possible.”
Latics sacked manager John Sheridan late last month but are currently celebrating three wins out of three under interim boss Richie Wellens. The club steward, who asked not to be named, said matchday stewards were paid £32 a match.
He said: “It is not just me. It is all the other stewards, players and full-time staff at the club. I rang up and no one from the top - the directors - would speak about it. Without the stewards there would be no matches, and I would say there are around 50 at the club. There are talks of a protest involving the stewards and a possible sit down ahead of a match to get people to speak to us. It is terrible. No one is talking to us from the club. We keep getting promises then things go quiet."
The M.E.N. told last month of a possible investment of money into the club by Dubai-based Moroccan businessman Abdallah Lemsagam. Accounts were conducting due diligence and the process was ongoing, said chief executive Mark Moisley. Meanwhile the club confirmed that ‘a number of candidates’ have been interviewed for the position of manager, but Richie Wellens would continue to lead the side.