Up and at ’em!

New stand: intimidating opponents a priority

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HOSTILITY at home will be paramount for Athletic next season.

With the plush new North Stand opening to supporters, boss Darren Kelly wants opponents in 2015-16 to fear playing at a venue that will again have three sides holding Athletic fans at every game.

One key to intimidating rivals will be a fast start - in a fixture list which first pits Kelly’s men at home against Fleetwood on August 15, then Shrewsbury at home a week later.

Another will be the noise from Athletic supporters — some of whom will make up a designated singing section in the Rochdale Road Stand — to spur the team in the newly four-sided arena.

“What is important to our chances is making Oldham Athletic’s ground a fortress,” Kelly said. “We don’t want any visiting side to look forward to coming here.

“It is really important that the supporters are our 12th man. I want them to provide that voice, loud and clear, so that no side relishes turning up here.

“I remember going to certain grounds as a player and fancying it; then there were other places I would go to thinking this is going to be difficult. We want teams to fear playing here.”

Kelly is content with progress being made behind the scenes in the hunt for new players: “Things are coming along nicely,” he said. “I am very happy with the feedback I’m getting from agents and hopefully in due course, everything will be sorted.”

:: FORMER Athletic fitness coach John Harbin has got a new job — at a mystery League One club.

The 68 year old had been working as Plymouth’s performance manager under John Sheridan for two seasons.

Harbin, a former Oldham RL coach before moving into football under Iain Dowie, said: “I can’t disclose the name of the club but I will be starting work in the last week of June.”



ATHLETIC hasn’t yet been contacted by any clubs wishing to make alterations to the fixture list published yesterday. One game which could potentially suffer an altered kick-off time is Blackpool away on Boxing Day, which police might think should have an earlier start.