Oldham's Glorious First of June
- Wolsey Academy
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
What do Ipswich, Oldham and Swindon all have in common?
All were original members of the Premier League.
Of the three, the team to have fallen furthest has been Oldham. The Blues, the Owls, the Latics (as in "Ath-letics", Latics). They were the first former EPL club to tumble from the EFL into non-league, and now, today — after a dramatic 3–2 extra-time win over Southend United at Wembley — Oldham Athletic are back in the Football League.
It is richly deserved (as hard as it was to see equally deserving Southend not make it – when will the National League get the three promotion spots it deserves?).
Oldham have a storied past. In 1915 they almost became champions of England, finishing one point behind Everton. They won Division 2 in 1992, securing a place in the Premier League's inaugural year (and becoming a cherished sticker book team for an entire generation — that shiny owl badge was one of my favourites back in the day!).
But unfortunately, that was the last promotion they ever had. Until today. The Glorious First of June.
Their painful, slow puncture of a decline has finally come to an end. They're on the up. And with a fanbase as large as theirs (the Wembley attendance was 50k+, a record for a National League play-off final), who would bet against them establishing themselves and moving up even further?
Their revival has, in part, been down to local businessman Frank Rothwell and Darren Royle, son of legendary manager Joe Royle. Their leadership has not only stabilised the club but also initiated a £70 million Sportstown development around Boundary Park — aiming to revitalise the area with new sports facilities and a further education college. Fantastic to see. I love it when football teams like this become centrepieces of urban regeneration.
But enough of all that. What the hooting heck is that badge all about? So, let's #GetTheBadgeIn and find out.
It's an owl. A big one. On a ball.
Why? Well, it comes from the Oldham Coat of Arms, which features three owls and three red rings. Turn one of the rings into a ball and steal one of the owls — and you've got yourself a ready-made badge!
Why is there an owl? Well. It’s a pun. Of course it is.
In Old English, "Oldham" sounds a lot like… "Owldham".
"Ham" in Old English simply means homestead or village. So, "Oldham" is a pretty bog-standard name — "Old Village" or "Old House". Someone clearly needed to jazz it up a bit — and the English love a good pun. Even centuries ago, when the coat of arms was being made, the owls found their way onto it. The club and city’s motto, Sapere Aude ("Dare to be wise"), reinforces this connection.
Oldham was at the centre of the Industrial Revolution — and therefore, of football. It came to dominate cotton spinning. At its height, it had 16 million spindles working across its factories. For comparison, the whole of the USA had 30 million at the same time. Oldham had more spindles than any other city on Earth.
It was the mill towns around Manchester, like Oldham, that had thousands of young men living in close proximity to each other, with the odd day off to drink, fight — and try their hand at some snooty game that the fancy boys of Eton had just started playing: football.
But unlike polo or fencing, you didn’t need much upfront investment. Just two jumpers for goalposts and a pig’s bladder to kick around a field.
The Northerners quickly came to dominate the game — and, as already said, Oldham were well established as far back as 1915 as one of football’s heavy hitters.
And so it is that Oldham Athletic are back in the 92. Which is exactly where a club their wize (pun intended) undoubtedly belongs.
Chaddy the Owl (their mascot – called Chaddy because the ground, Boundary Park, sits on the border between Oldham and Chadderton) will be outdoing Hedwig next season in spreading the good word of the Latics.
Congratulations, Oldham. 🦉💙⚽
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