Latics legend Roy is back with more incredible Boundary Park memories

Roy Butterworth's latest Latics book - 'Straight Outta Crompton'

Book review

Most die-hard Latics fans know that the football club has had a rich and varied history since being founded 130 years ago.

For almost half that time one person has been as much a mainstay as the Boundary Park outfit itself, and that is Roy Butterworth - a stalwart volunteer and press officer.

Roy, who turned 85 earlier this month and recently celebrated over 60 years with the club, has produced several books about Oldham Athletic, and his latest missive is “Straight Outta Crompton – Memories from Boundary Park”.

The book chronicles his relationships with the club, board and press starting with his initial contacts in the 1950s, including watching an 11-2 victory over Chester (whilst at the same time mentioning fascinating issues such as the relationship between Shaw and Crompton where Roy has lived for many years).

It quickly moves on to his arrival in 1963 and life under his first Chairman Harry Massey.

He explores the vintage years when Ken Bates was at the helm in the swinging sixties before moving on to later run Wigan, Chelsea and Leeds with all the glamour of lofty ambitions, a tangerine and blue kit, the Boundary Bulletin newspaper style match programme, a club shop (way before its time) and of course Roy’s emergent Radio Latics.

Then came the 1970’s and Jimmy Frizzell, promotion to Division Two together with consolidation in the second tier of the football league, before the Joe Royle era took us beyond our furthest dreams to reach, a League Cup final, FA Cup semifinal, promotion to Division One, and the founding of the Premier League.

Sadly, to say the fortunes of the club during the second half of Roy’s tenure was not so successful would be an understatement – relegation in 1994 (their first relegation in 25 years), a journey then through the second, third and fourth tiers before finally ending in the National League in 2022.

For each of the chairman he worked with Roy is fair and objective – describing Ian Stott “probably the most successful chairman of the lot” and of course pays homage to the remarkable work Frank Rothwell is now doing.

“What you see is what you get. The club is lucky to have him and the family at the helm.”

After gentle nods of appreciation to some of the key figures and the contribution they made such as Alan Hardy and Darren Royle, next under scrutiny are some of the press Roy has worked with such as Jack Crawshaw, Jim Williams, Mike Keegan, John Helm and John Stapleton and of course clear praise for one of his closest colleague and friend over the years Gordon Lawton.

The book is typically Roy, full of anecdotes, respect for the people he has come across, but what strikes the reader most of all his love of the club and the sheer pleasure and enjoyment he takes in his work.

As selfless as ever, all profits from the book, which is on sale at the club priced £10, will go to the Maggie’s cancer charity.

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