Latics were founded as Pine Villa FC in 1895, but four years later rivals Oldham County folded and Villa moved to their stadium, the Athletics Ground, to become Oldham Athletic. A meteoric rise saw them elected to the Football League in 1907, quickly promoted and runners-up in the First Division in 1914/15. They were relegated in 1923, and it would take sixty-eight years and many traumas before they finally regained their top-flight status. In a highly successful period under Joe Royle, Latics reached the 1990 League Cup final, won the Second Division title in 1991, and a year after that became founder members of the new Premier League.

Division One has brought much drama, including a period in administration in 2003/04. Tony Bugby, having watched the Latics for the last forty years as a fan, newspaper reporter during the good times under Joe Royle and as a club website editor, gives us a potted history of the club from founding to the present day.

Introduction by: Joe Royle