Latics Reborn: Oldham’s Rise Back To The Football League

There we have it; English football’s 2024/25 season has come to a close after several playoff finals have organised the pyramid for next term. Oldham Athletic are the latest victors underneath the arch of Wembley Stadium, following what was a spectacular affair in the National League Playoff Final yesterday.

A goal-heavy final, against familiar sleeping giants Southend, finally announced the Latics’ return to the Football League after their three-year spell away. However, the fact that a former Premier League side, in Oldham Athletic, had to endure multiple seasons in non-League football spits insult to the National League’s two-up promotion system. Especially when considering that there were three more teams who finished superior to Micky Mellon’s men, yet suffered the heartache of failed promotion.

Despite the hassle if their comeback, the most important thing is that Oldham are back where they belong. They are a club that seeps in history and could certainly push up the League Two table next season, should they follow suit of recent National League promotion graduates.

How Did They Face The Drop?

It is fair to say that Oldham Athletic were riding a dangerous spiral when it came to their performances on the pitch. Following their relegation from League One in 2018, the Latics continued to sink deeper and deeper into League Two - consistently finishing in the bottom half. Similarly to so many ruinous cases we have seen in the past, Oldham’s decline was bred from poor ownership, debt and an abundance of off-field issues.

Heartbreak for Oldham.

They've been relegated to League Two. pic.twitter.com/cysSH55sbu

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) May 5, 2018

It took the Latics just four campaigns in League Two before they suffered the dreaded drop to non-League football in 2022. Oldham had not played in the fourth division for 47 years prior to 2018, so to then fall a step further was unheard of. Like many clubs, when they did slip into the National League, naivety took over and it soon set in that the fifth tier is almost like quicksand, in trying to retrieve a way out of there. Clubs such as Southend, Notts County, Rochdale, Scunthorpe, Chesterfield and so on could all describe first hand the struggles of gaining promotion in that division, and Oldham were just another archetype.

Their first season in the National League was very troubling for the ex-Premier League outfit. David Unsworth led from the dugout and took the under-performers down to 12th in the fifth tier, bang on mid-table. Year two was hardly much better by Oldham’s standards. A combination of four different managers did not help the case. However, when current manager Micky Mellon was appointed in October 2023, things looked to pick up. His side still finished 10th though, trailing eight points behind the playoff spots to conclude yet another failed season. Despite another year of non-League looming, there were positives to take, and Oldham could look forward to a full term with Mellon in charge.

An Anticipated Return

Oldham had an uninspired start to this season. Despite winning both of their opening games in fine fashion to Braintree and Wealdstone, what followed was not exactly part of the plan. They drew five and lost one of their next six matches, putting them in 11th place, which showed glimpses of the previous seasons they sought to forget. However, it was still early days, and Oldham knew it would take a lot more than a poor spell of six games to deny them of their end goal.

Looking good after midweek 📊

Highlights of all last night's games are available on our YouTube channel now! 👇

📺 https://t.co/hNeBLbT8Dy#TheVanarama pic.twitter.com/pxxEaBEywQ

— The National League (@TheVanaramaNL) September 11, 2024

They quickly overturned this slight hiccup, collecting 10 wins from their next 13 games to climb the table. The Latics were wished a merry Christmas by the National League, as Micky Mellon’s men occupied fifth spot heading into 2025. However, with a plethora of competition around the playoff places, they could not let their advantage slip.

Despite this contest, there is no doubt that Oldham’s standards did slip in the second half of the campaign. The Northerners struggled their way through a winless January and various other complacent chunks of form. Between Christmas and the end of the season, the Latics only picked up 30 points compared to the 43 they had prior. Although this was a huge drop, Oldham still managed to maintain fifth place after picking up a win at home to Ebbsfleet to end the campaign. It can be said that the decline of some teams around them such as Gateshead and Solihull helped them out tremendously on their playoff quest, but they still made it and did it with momentum.

Heading into the playoffs now, Oldham had to win two eliminator matches before they booked their tickets for Wembley. Due to their superior league position, the Latics played the first match at their beloved Boundary Park, against sixth placed Halifax Town. There was absolutely no competition in this game; Oldham thumped the Shaymen 4-0 on home soil, which progressed them through to the next round. Another eliminator, but this time away to York City – a team that had finished the year on 96 points and emerged severely unlucky to miss out on automatic promotion. However, Oldham spoiled the show, winning 3-0 on the night to confirm a place in the final against Southend.

On Wembley way! 🏆

An unforgettable night for Oldham pic.twitter.com/t9iFaQlwVt

— The National League (@TheVanaramaNL) May 20, 2025

The final brought just as much action. The Latics found themselves trailing twice in the game, as Southend took the lead in extra time following a 1-1 draw in the 90 minutes. However, with practically 30 minutes left, more goals were brewing in the match. Within two minutes of each other, Oldham netted twice to send the west end of Wembley into ecstasy. After seeing out the final eight minutes, the Latics had finally made their return back to the Football League to restore normality.