Oldham Athletic v Harrogate Town

RETRO LATICS
WITH PETER BERRY
TODAY WE TAKE A LOOK
AT FOUR PAST EDITIONS
AGAINST WHITE ROSE
OPPOSITION…
Latics haven’t faced many
clubs from North Yorkshire
over the years, but league,
cup, and friendlies have
thrown up clashes both home
and away.
In a geographical sense, the
closest team to Harrogate is
York City and Oldham have
played the Minstermen on
many occasions.
In 1974/5 both clubs were
celebrating their promotion
into the old Second Division,
Latics coming up as
champions. The programme,
“Boundary News,” for 19
October 1974, proudly
displayed the championship
trophy, as well as action
photos of matches from the
previous season.
At 10p, the glossy production
of 20 pages was in blue, white,
and tangerine on the covers
but just black and white inside.
Whilst just half a page was
about the visitors, Latics’
goalkeeper Chris Ogden had
a full-page feature, disclosing
that his dad, Fred, had played
in the same position at
Boundary Park helped him deal
with any pressure, and that his
favourite meal was steak.
Manager Jimmy Frizzell
was very disappointed in
the previous week’s display
at Orient, but Oldham still
sat eighth in the table,
one below York. There was
news of upcoming Texaco
Cup matches against “star
spangled Southampton” whilst
a proposed friendly against
Polish champions Gornik had
been cancelled.
York won 3-2, home goals
from Ian Robins and Alan
Young, in front of 12,141
fans, the start of a poor run
for Latics, not winning in
11 league games, the next
victory coming on Boxing Day
- the 1-0 win over Man United.
Worth waiting for?
Scarborough were in the
Football League from 1987
to 1999 but only in cup
competitions have they
come up against Latics.
On 18 November 1972, the
non-league side visited
Boundary Park for an FA
Cup First Round tie.
Oldham sat fifth in the
old Third Division and
were firm favourites.
The two pages of notes
and pictures about them
pointed out they had
“one of the best defences
in the Northern Premier
League”, well organised
by player-manager
Colin Appleton, the ex-
Leicester City stalwart.
The 16-page “Boundary
Bulletin” had featured
lots of local adverts,
Oldhamers were invited
to visit “The Grapes”
30 @OfficialOAFC | oldhamathletic.co.uk