Pine Villa Football Club was formed in 1895, though the club changed its appearance and name in 1899 to Oldham Athletic Football Club. The club immediately gained professional status and played in both the Lancashire Combination and Lancashire League. Unlike many clubs, Oldham gained quick success and gained acceptance into the Football League in 1907–08. After three years in the Second Division, the Latics gained promotion to the First Division.
Oldham also gained some success in the FA Cup by reaching the semi-finals in 1912–13 campaign but lost 1–0 versus Aston Villa. In the 1914–15, the Latics reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup but were knocked out once again after a 0–3 replay against Sheffield United. The Latics early success was only halted by the First World War.
Following the return of competitive football after the First World War, Oldham struggled to find their early success before they returned to the Second Division in 1923–24. Many of the players from their former squads had either retired from football or had been killed in the war. Their highest success came in the 1929–30 season as they finished in 3rd, missing out on promotion by finishing two points behind Chelsea. Several years later, the club was once again be relegated as they finished in 21st place and falling to Division Three North. Oldham found success in Division Three North, though they never gained promotion before the outbreak of the Second World War.
Once more, the war hit Oldham hard as the team began to struggle immediately following the return of competitive football. In the first five years after the war, the Latics finished inside of the top 10 once. It wasn't until the 1952–53 season that the club found their old form, finish in 1st place and earning a spot back into the Second Division. The next season, however, Oldham finished in last place and return to Third Division North. After their return, the club returned to mediocrity as they finished in 10th place. Between 1955 and 1960, Oldham struggled as they finished out of the top 20 on three occasions. With a 15th place finish in 1958–59, Oldham became a founding member of a newly formed Fourth Division. In the following season they finished in the 23rd position - their lowest position in the entire League, and had to apply for reelection, which they passed as the League chose to drop Gateshead, who had finished above them.
Ken Bates entered the picture at Oldham Athletic in the early 1960s, and along with the appointment of manager Jack Rowley, the club's fortunes turned for the better. During the 1962–63 season, Oldham again gain promotion to the Second Division as Rowley left as manager. Over the next six seasons, Oldham struggled with consistency in the league and at the manager position—with Les McDowall, Gordon Hurst, and Jimmy McIlroy all spending time at the managerial position.
In the 1968–69, Jack Rowley once more returned as manager. With their inconsistency, Rowley and Bates could not save the club from a last place finish and inevitable relegation. Midway through the 1969–70 season, Rowley and Bates both left the club as Jimmy Frizzell became the Latics manager—a position he held for the next 13 seasons.
Jimmy Frizzell, a Scottish-born defender, became Oldham's player-manager during the 1969–70 season. In the 1970–71 season, Oldham saw their best result since 1962–63 as they finished in third place, earning promotion back to the Third Division. After a midtable result in their first season, the Latics missed out on promotion—finishing in 4th place, 12 points behind league champions Lincoln City. In the 1973–74 season, the Latics finished in 1st place and return to the Second Division for the first time in 21 years. Oldham's trip back to the Second Division was more successful than their previous appearance. During Frizzell's remaining time at the club, the Latics remained in Division Two, but with little FA Cup and Football League Cup success.
During the mid-1980s, the club ushered in a new era under manager Joe Royle—who became one of the most successful and longest-serving in Oldham's history. Royle's side finished 7th in his first season in charge and fall to 19th spot finish in his second. In the 1986–87 season, Oldham narrowly missed promotion to the First Division finishing three points behind Portsmouth.
Royle's Latics reached Wembley Stadium in the 1990 Football League Cup Final versus Nottingham Forest. After a Nigel Jemson goal, an exhausted Oldham squad fell to an honourable Nottingham squad 1–0. The next season, Oldham did not have the same cup success, but instead found success by winning the Second Division and returning to First Division for the first time in 68 years. In their first season back in the top flight, the club finished in 17th and became one of the founding members of the newly-formed Premier League. Though after two more seasons at the top level, Oldham faced relegation yet again and during the following season, the Joe Royle era at Oldham Athletic came to an end, as he left the club for Everton.
After a three year stint under Graeme Sharp, Oldham turned to Neil Warnock—though his time ended as well after Oldham were relegated for the second time in four years, returning to Second Division. After little success under Andy Ritchie, Oldham fell into inconsistency and constant managerial changes.
In 2001, Oxford based businessman Chris Moore purchased Oldham promising Oldham would return to Premier League football within five years. In 2002 Iain Dowie took over as manager, and finished 9th. The next season, The Latics narrowly missed out on automatic promotion, finishing 3rd and reaching the play-offs. Oldham later lost in a play-off match against Queens Park Rangers. Much to the anger of fans, Moore decided to end his interest with the club—leaving behind large debts and a weak squad, and after selling the better players at a fraction of their market value at the time.
In 2004–05, Simon Blitz and two other partners, Simon Corney and Danny Gazal, purchased Oldham, trying to rescue the club from possible liquidation. While trying to repay debts, Oldham struggled for several seasons—barely avoiding relegation once more in 2004–05. In the 2006–07, Oldham's fortune turned for the better once more as the club narrowly missed out on promotion—losing to Blackpool 5–2 on aggregate in the play-off semi-final. After two years with the club, manager John Sheridan was sacked on 15 March 2009, immediately being replaced by former manager Joe Royle. After being offered the job on a permanent basis, Royle rejected the offer and announced that he would be leaving the club after the final game of the season. Darlington boss Dave Penney was announced as Royle's successor on 30 April, though Royle still was in charge until the season's end. |