Behind the Goal Line 2025:A Ball Boy’s Mum’s View of Life with Oldham Athletic

A Rollercoaster Afternoon at Boundary Park Back at Boundary Park for the 3pm kick off. Is today the day we get back to winning ways? Can we finally find the back of the net? The questions were hanging in the air as kick off approached. Boundary Park was bouncing, the sun was shining, but that wind – absolutely freezing. Still, there was optimism in the air. Surely this was our day. First Half Frustrations We started well, passing the ball nicely, even hitting the crossbar. But here’s the problem that’s becoming all too familiar – we just can’t find the back of the net. We’re creating chances, plenty of them in the first half, but we’re back to wanting to pass it into the goal. Come on, someone, anyone – just have a shot on target! It got to the point where even the half time challenge couldn’t find the net, let alone the gap in the tyre. Sums it up really. Nightmare Start to the Second Half The second half kicked off and I honestly think we were still in the dressing room. Twenty-two s...

A Frustrating Afternoon at the Peninsula Stadium Wasn’t lucky enough to get a ticket for this one, so settled in to watch the 12:30 kick off on Sky Sports+. What followed was an afternoon of what-ifs and frustration as the Latics fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against our neighbours. Bright Start Turns Sour We started brilliantly. Pett came so close early on, rattling the crossbar with what looked destined to be a stunning opener. That set the tone for what we hoped would be a positive afternoon, but football has a cruel way of punishing you when you don’t take your chances. Salford broke forward and Manny’s tackle earned him a yellow card and gave away a penalty. Harris stepped up and hit the post from the spot – Lady Luck seemed to be on our side for a moment. But they were sharper to the rebound and tucked it away. That’s the difference at this level – you have to be alert to every second ball. Injury Worries Mount Then came another blow. Hannat took a nasty tackle and had to be subbed...

Back at Boundary Park for a late kick-off, courtesy of Sky Sports. It was our first game without our captain Tom, who’s sadly out for the season. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Tom – you’re already missed. So up steps Tom Pett to take on the captain’s armband. A Rare October Gift Glorious sunshine bathed Boundary Park, which for October is incredibly rare but absolutely stunning. It set the scene for what we hoped would be a memorable afternoon under the cameras. First Half: Good Play, No Finish The first half saw us passing and playing well, building some promising moves. The problem? Once we got to the box, no one seemed willing to pull the trigger. Manny and Will at the back were standing strong, a solid defensive partnership, and with Hudson between the sticks, nothing was getting past us. The frustration was simple – we just couldn’t get it into their net. For a late kick-off on Sky, it was brilliant to see over 7,000 of us there, with a strong contingent of around 500 traveling B...

Having missed the game away at Notts County , I was over the hill to Rotherham tonight. A good friend had offered me a place at his corporate table and seats in the comfy area to watch the game. How could a girl refuse? So no baguette gate here! A lovely soup and roll starter followed by the biggest fish, chips and mushy peas you’ve ever seen. The compere even came over to our table to go through our team sheet, seeing as I was the only one interested. Strong team Micky Mellon was putting out, and it looked like it was working. Within 60 seconds, Hannant had given us the lead. But I said it then – it’s going to be a long night. The Tom Conlon Moment A coming together for Tom Conlon right in front of us, and you could hear his cries. He knew straight away he wasn’t right. Gas and air , and off on a stretcher. Praying for the best but fearing the worst for him. Get well soon, Tom. A nice switch of play set them off down the right, and it’s crossed in for Ogle to put it in the back o...