It was surrealness at relegated Oldham with stadium windows boarded up stopping fans from watching the restarted League Two game.
Oldham Athletic’s match with Salford City was suspended in the 80th minute after home fans ran onto the pitch to protest.
The Latics had been trailing 2-1 when the game stopped, with the club on the verge of relegation from the EFL.
Increasingly chaotic scenes at Boundary Park.
Oldham fans are on the pitch and play is halted.#OAFC pic.twitter.com/cdvFTcUhig
— BBC Sport Manchester (@BBCRMsport) April 23, 2022
Barrow and Stevenage both picked up wins, meaning an Oldham defeat would confirm their relegation to the National League and end their 115-year stay in the EFL.
They would also become the first former Premier League side to be relegated from the Football League, making history.
Supporters who invaded the pitch, with some sitting in the centre circle, held a banner displaying a message to owner Abdallah Lemsagam, which read: “Get out of our club.”
Play was stopped late in the second half before the referee called off the match, only for the game to suddenly restart again once majority of fans were out of the ground.
Manager John Sheridan was on the pitch talking to the unhappy supporters while police try to control the protest.
Oldham were one of the founder clubs of the Premier League in 1992, however they never returned to the top flight after their relegation in 1994.
John Sheridan in the middle of all that speaking with fans pic.twitter.com/EsI8NI4Qn3
— Philip Buckingham (@PJBuckingham) April 23, 2022
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has since commented on the protest, tweeting: “Solidarity with all Oldham supporters today. You are the heart and soul of this club and it’s devastating to see true fans paying the price for others’ mistakes.
“Your voice must now be listened to. Speak truth to power, stick together and be back stronger.”
Former Burnley, Peterborough and Salford City player George Boyd told BBC Radio Manchester that the pitch invasion at Boundary Park has got “embarrassing”.
“They have made their point. They could have stayed in the centre circle for five minutes, but this has got embarrassing.
“There are kids, teenagers fighting amongst themselves, fighting outside and sliding on the grass. It’s poor.”
Oldham Athletic great Andy Ritchie, who played for and managed the club, said on BBC Radio Manchester: “This is a pitch invasion for all the wrong reasons. We’ve had them for the right reasons when we have done well and got great results.
“This doesn’t help anything. The fans are frustrated, I know they are, they want a change of ownership but you do it in a different way.
“You don’t stop a football game, you wait until the game is over. If you have to show you emotions you show it then. They can do it in a better way.
“It looks as if there is trouble outside the ground as well. It’s a sad day for the football club. I hate to see this.”
An EFL spokesperson said: “This afternoon’s League Two fixture between Oldham Athletic and Salford City has been concluded behind closed doors.
“The remaining 14 minutes played resulted in a final scoreline of Oldham Athletic 1 Salford City 2, and as a result Oldham Athletic have been relegated from League Two.
“Despite the earlier announcement of the abandonment of the fixture, after discussions with both clubs, match officials, and stadium security it was agreed the match could be concluded today.
“The decision was taken in order to maintain the integrity of the competition given the importance of the fixture at both ends of the League Two table.”
As the game was restarting, an Oldham fan tweeted a video of the windows being blocked, with a room full of season ticket holders unable to watch their last five minutes in the Football League…
They’re blocking season ticket holders from watching our last 5 minutes in the Football League…
That SUMS UP Abdallahs time with Oldham, absolute joke. #oafc pic.twitter.com/cDUmfucv6m
— Kieran McAndrew (@kieranmcandrew) April 23, 2022
Blocking a fire door @OfficialOAFC @OldhamCouncil @SuzanneNQNW @TheOldhamTimes #oafc pic.twitter.com/zSpFUGyovi
— Shezurrection Part 3 (@boundaryblue) April 23, 2022
Keith Curle, appointed in March 2021, came into the club hoping to inspire some hope, arriving at the club after winning promotion from the fourth tier with Northampton as recently as 2020, but supporters watched as he failed to turn the fortunes of a club.
It took seven games to find a win in any competition this season and the club’s form didn’t improve in the first half of the campaign.
Curle left in November, just eight months into his tenure, amid the ‘heightened tensions’ with the club’s support.
Three supporters were banned by Oldham in December for “promoting their dislike” of the club, with one of the trio branding it a “dictatorship”.
The bans – which were issued directly by the club and were not court-issued football banning orders – were overturned just two days later after a huge backlash.
Protests continued to play out despite being warned and less than a month later owner Abdallah Lemsagam announced that he was willing to sell the club, a surprise U-turn on the position he had taken in September 2021 when he claimed he did not want to, according to the BBC.
During the owner’s time at the club, there have been accusations of late payment of salaries, threats of player strikes and the prospect of administration, which didn’t happen.
After over a month without a permanent manager, John Sheridan arrived in January for his sixth stint at the club and at first, it looked like he could perform and miracle and keep them up.
Though despite moving out of the relegation zone in February, as well as two successive wins in March and April, nine defeats in the last 11 games before Saturday saw them looking at non league next season.
Now with relegation confirmed, and after the surrealness at relegated Oldham choosing to have their windows boarded up stopping fans watching game, there was a huge amount of reaction…
@BeaumontDMD: Premier League to National League. Horrendous for Oldham fans. It doesn’t seem long ago that they rocked up at The Dell for a League Cup QF. I remember the absolute bedlam in their end when Andy Ritchie equalised at the death. Best wishes to #oafc supporters
@neilsjoy: To those responsible for breaking my Son’s heart… I will never forgive you. You have destroyed a beloved institution. Yes, it was broken and yes, it was in need of care, but you pushed it over the edge when you could have done something to save it. Shame on you. #oafc
@ben_combes: Very sad day for Oldham. We’ve been there in 2009 @LutonTown. Brighter days will hopefully come again. In 2014 we escaped from non-league and are now a Championship side. I hope you can regroup and rebuild. It hurts though. Really hurts.
@DavidSutch100: Good luck in the future, from a Carlisle United fan in Lancashire. I shall miss you, as I do Bury. After 76 years in the league, we went down to the 5th tier in 2004 and now have issues of our own, so we do understand. Up the Latics. You’ll come back stronger 👍 . @PTB_OAFC
@PargeyBCAFC: Not even an Oldham fan but how on earth can you block season ticket holders who aren’t even in the stands. They are peacefully watching behind glass. And you block them from watching their final minutes of their club in the football league! Joke #oafc @FAspokesperson
@PFSPURR: As a Bury fan, I am so sorry for what has happened to OAFC, you will return! I look forward to the day we play each other in the FL!
@Paters1965: Every sympathy with you, like us, lets hope you come back bigger and stronger! EFL laughable!!!
@AlecHitchSUFC: Southend fan, in peace. Know exactly how you feel and support you all the way. We had similar earlier in the season (although fans left the pitch and we watched the rest of the game) Feel for the fans & players. Looking forward to welcoming you to Roots Hall next season.
@realwilliamlees: Weirdest club in the National League.
@GaryTalbot7: Orient fan here, I was happy you beat us last month was hoping you’d survive, you will be back when you get the owners out, all the best 👍
@AllLoveLeeds: Disgraceful decline! Oldham were a Premier League club in 1994 just 28 years ago! So sad for those loyal fans, really feel for them. Hope you bounce back ASAP.
@75Carole: Sad days for the fans of Oldham. Its a horrible, hard League to get out of. I remember our 1st ever game against Ebbsfleet, peeing down and counting the bulbs in the floodlights thinking how have we fallen so far! 😢 I hope your off field problems get sorted. Good Luck
@gempopmoo: Absolutely shocking that the EFL have allowed another club to run like it has!!! It’s not the owners that suffer it’s the fans
@educbscott: Anyone taking pleasure here better hope their club doesn’t get taken over by people who will run them into the ground. As a Lincoln fan, I know how hard it is to get out of the NL – fight for your club and I’m sure you’ll be back.
@Wadsy: As an Orient fan and having been through what you fans are now going through, I really feel for you lot. Ignore the p&ss takers, re-group and come back stronger. Hope to see you back in the league in the near future.
@Dazzapass: Sad sad day in Oldham’s fine history. Hopefully you will bounce back at the very first opportunity.
@Woz1997: It’s a hard league to get out of we’ve been stuck here for a while now 😂 see you next season maybe depends if we win our playoffs ⚫️⚪️
@OOCSTFC: Sad to see the club In such a state but absolutely delighted that dinosaur has back to back relegation
@LM18CD: Shame to see Oldham go down to a league that’s hard to get out of but now’s the time to re-build, re-organise and come back stronger. All the best for the next and future seasons 👍 (Stevenage Fan)
@EnnJason: Leyton Orient fan here. Been there. Done that. It’s not too bad. Camaraderie of the fans will get you through. Big home crowds by comparison will lift spirits and you’ll be back in the league before you know it! Good luck. The best is yet to come.
@thomashill2002: Fuck me this league is hard to get out of. Have to be absolutely perfect all round to win this league, welcome to FA Trophy games, 4th qualifying round, losing to sides who bring 500 home fans, 5:20 kick offs, at least Oldham is a better away day next year.
@choppereaton1: We’ve been where you are now. It’s horrendous and sickening. Hoping you bounce straight back up next season. All the best from a Stockport fan
@Hatters83Capo: From a Stockport county fan I hope you lot bounce back. Been in your shoes and it’s horrid. Good luck Latics
@Cgrundy88: Been to loads of good battling games between Oldham and Huddersfield. Now they are a national league side and town are pushing for the premier league. Hope they get back soon
#oafc real passion 💙 pic.twitter.com/SeviQ7xdym
— trav🅿️ (@travbaker06) April 23, 2022
Bunch of jobsworths #oafc pic.twitter.com/XOjuJROdHZ
— Rhys Parsons (@1rhysparsons) April 23, 2022

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