Douglas Ireland

Tag: Football Nostalgia

  • Back in the League

    We did it.

    Oldham Athletic are back in the Football League.

    Sunday’s final at Wembley was ridiculous, brilliant, stressful, and completely unforgettable. We came from behind twice. Took it to extra time. And somehow, we came out the other side with the win. I was shouting at the telly, pacing the room, laughing and swearing. You know, the usual.

    It still doesn’t quite feel real.

    After all those years of decline, all the false dawns, all the mismanagement and the near-misses. After dropping out of the league for the first time in our history. After the protests, the boycotts, the bargain-bin squads. Somehow, here we are again. EFL club. It’s got a nice ring to it.

    I’m proud of the players. I’m proud of the fans. And I’m proud of the club for finding a bit of its old spirit.

    Next season will be tough. No illusions there. League Two’s no joke, and we’ll need to strengthen in key areas. But we’re in a much better place now than we’ve been in years. And for the first time in a long time, there’s proper hope.

    I’ll still be watching from afar up here in Scotland. But I’ll be watching.

    Once again, there’s a spring in the step at Boundary Park.

  • Premier League Dreams, Non-League Streams

    My team, Oldham Athletic, have reached the National League play-offs. The match on Wednesday is an eliminator. A one-off play-off game at home to Halifax. Win that, and we’re into the semi-final away at Solihull. Win that, and it’s Wembley on Sunday 1 June, with a place in the Football League on the line.

    I’m feeling quietly confident about the match. We’ve got the home advantage, and we beat Halifax 2–0 at Boundary Park back in March.

    I won’t be attending the game. It’s a bit far for me to get to. I’m living in Scotland these days, but I’ve found a streaming service so I’ll be able to watch it on TV. Wednesday evening is sorted.

    I started following Oldham when I lived in the town as a 10-year-old boy. The early 90s were the pinch-me years. We had amazing success. In 1990–91 they won the Second Division and got promoted to the top flight for the first time in nearly 70 years. A year later, they were part of the very first Premier League season.

    Since then we’ve received the dubious distinction of being the first team to be relegated from the Premier League all the way down to the non-league.

    Getting this far might not seem like much to some, but if you’ve followed Oldham over the years, you’ll know it means something.