Support your team

Last updated : 13 November 2007 By The Chairman

Simon Corney is asking for as many fans as possible to support the clubs plans for a stadium development. On his blog from the Official Website he made the following passionate plea:

The support of the fans is always vital to running a football club at any level, but I would like to appeal to each and every one of you to help us out this Wednesday. The club's planning application for the new stand on the Broadway side of the ground goes before the Planning Committee at 6pm on that day, and to say a positive result is vital for the club would be something of an understatement.

These plans are the result of years of hard work by a number of people, and hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of investment. This has all been done with the best interests of the club front and centre, and the plans are vital to the future survival of this club. We see clubs around the country flourishing in redeveloped stadia, and we want to be able to compete on that same footing. The revenue streams opened up by new facilities are vital to sustaining the club as we push on towards our goal of becoming a well-established club in the Championship.

But we're not just doing this for the club, and in this sense our fans can also help make a difference for the town of Oldham as a whole. The kind of facilities we're offering -- such as conference and banqueting areas -- aren't currently on offer anywhere else in the town, and the new development could be the catalyst for an exciting time of change for Oldham. But how can you effect this change?

Here's where we get to the crux of it. We need as many people as possible to get down to the Council's planning meeting at 6pm on Wednesday to give a real show of strength on behalf of the club as the Councillors rule on a development which could make or break football in Oldham. Some of our opponents are bound to be there, and it would be brilliant if we could

outnumber them with a large band of supporters all showing just what this development would mean not just for Oldham Athletic, but Oldham as a town as well.

Please don't just leave it because "someone else will bother to turn up" -- we need people to be pro-active and get down there to make sure our dreams become a reality. Although the planning department have recommended the scheme for approval, we're not there yet. Of course, a decision was delayed at the last planning meeting pending a report from the Highways Agency, and this report has now been received. Therefore, we're all set for a decision this time around.

This club belongs to everyone who cares so much about it -- I hope to see you at the Civic Centre on Wednesday as we strive together for the outcome we all want so much.

Simon."