The 2022–23 season was the 128th in Oldham Athletic's history and the club's first season outside the Football League since 1906-07. The club competed in the National League, the FA Cup and the FA Trophy.
Pre-season commenced with uncertainty over the future of the club lingering following relegation from the Football League. Abdallah Lemsagam had announced in January 2022 that he was willing to sell Oldham Athletic, but no further announcement had been made as preparations began for the new season. On 24 May 2022 it was announced that only three of Boundary Park's stands would be in use during the 2022/23 season, with the North Stand remaining unopened.
Then, on the day that the new squad met to commence pre-season training, it was announced that Abdallah Lemsagam and Simon Blitz had agreed to sell both the football club (owned by Lemsagam) and the stadium and its surrounding land (owned by Blitz's company Brass Bank Limited). The announcement stated that the target date for completion of the purchase was within four weeks and that the buyer would be a longstanding successful local business.
Frank Rothwell, the founder of Manchester Cabins, was announced as Oldham Athletic’s new owner and chairman on 28 July 2022. Rothwell was introduced at a media conference alongside his fellow directors Peter Norbury, Sue Schofield, Darren Royle and Joe Royle, as well as the club's manager, John Sheridan.
The season therefore started with a positive atmosphere descending over Boundary Park, exemplified by the procession and celebrations which preceded the first home match, against Dorking Wanderers on 14 August 2022. However, following a sequence of indifferent results, it was announced on 15 September 2022 that manager John Sheridan would leave the club after the subsequent game against Eastleigh. Sheridan ended his long association with the club on a high after a last-gasp 3–2 win and was replaced three days later by David Unsworth.
Unsworth's team struggled at first and a series of new signings and loan players were introduced over the first few months, with Oldham languishing in the relegation zone over the Christmas period. The Latics rallied over the last few weeks of the season, ultimately pulling themselves safely clear of relegation and finishing in 12th position, with the final home game of the season against Bromley seeing central defender and 41 year-old former club captain Peter Clarke being introduced by Unsworth to play as a centre forward for the last fifteen minutes in his final game for the club.
Players Squad at the end of the season
No Pos Nat Name Age Debut Apps Starts Subs Notes 1 GK 34 31 31 0 0 1 0 2 DF 31 67 66 1 1 15 1 3 DF 29 8 7 1 0 0 0 4 DF 34 36 36 0 1 8 0 Captain 5 DF 27 36 34 2 1 5 0 6 MF 34 13 11 2 0 1 0 8 MF 33 95 87 8 4 24 1 9 FW 39 79 63 16 32 2 0 11 FW 29 64 48 16 8 5 0 13 GK 24 4 4 0 0 0 0 Signed 02/12/22 14 DF 25 50 50 0 3 9 0 15 FW 26 15 12 3 3 1 0 Signed 17/02/23 16 MF 26 20 20 0 1 3 0 Signed 20/01/23 17 MF 32 36 28 8 2 6 0 18 MF 28 40 32 8 8 5 0 19 GK 26 45 45 0 0 1 0 20 FW 29 42 23 19 15 3 2 21 FW 25 9 6 3 2 1 0 Signed 17/03/23 22 DF 23 1 0 1 0 0 0 25 FW 27 20 14 6 4 2 0 Signed 22/11/22 26 DF 27 33 33 0 2 2 0 Signed 31/10/22 27 FW 22 18 5 13 2 3 0 Loan from 28/10/22 29 FW 20 33 14 19 2 3 0 32 DF 20 31 30 1 3 4 0 33 DF 19 40 25 15 1 2 0 36 MF 22 25 16 9 3 2 0 Loan from 17/11/22 38 DF 19 1 1 0 0 0 0 41 DF 19 n/a 0 0 0 0 0 0 42 DF 41 142 136 6 18 26 2 Loan from 11/11/22 44 DF 25 23 22 1 2 6 0 Signed 07/01/23 45 FW 26 24 24 0 7 4 0 Signed 09/12/22
Out on loan
No Pos Nat Name Age Debut Apps Starts Subs Notes 7 MF 26 44 28 16 2 6 0 10 MF 24 12 4 8 1 2 0 37 MF 19 n/a 0 0 0 0 0 0
Left the club during the season
No Pos Nat Name Age Debut Apps Starts Subs Notes 13 FW 20 2 0 2 0 0 0 Loan from 08/09/22 to 09/10/22 15 DF 22 10 10 0 0 2 0 Loan from 25/08/22 to 01/01/23 16 MF 26 18 14 4 0 5 0 Released on 01/01/23 21 MF 29 8 8 0 1 5 0 Loan from 25/09/22 to 01/01/23 23 DF 20 6 4 2 1 0 0 Loan from 02/09/22 to 08/01/23 24 DF 19 12 12 0 1 1 0 Loan from 02/09/22 to 01/01/23 25 FW 21 4 0 4 0 0 0 Loan from 21/10/22 to 21/11/22 28 MF 18 11 10 1 0 2 0 Loan from 10/22/22 to 30/01/23 31 DF 20 6 6 0 0 0 0 Loan from 16/09/22 to 01/11/22 34 MF 19 41 11 30 2 1 0 Sold on 31/01/23
Competitions Oldham Athletic played in the National League in the 2022–23 season, the club's first season outside the Football League since 1906-07. It entered the FA Cup in the Fourth Qualifying Round and will take part in the FA Trophy, joining in the Third Round.
National League
League table
Results summary
Results by matchday
Matches Oldham's fixtures were announced on 6 July 2022.
FA Cup
FA Trophy
Transfers Transfers in Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 1 July 2022 DF Liam Hogan Stockport County Free transfer 1 July 2022 FW Chris Porter Crewe Alexandra Free transfer 1 July 2022 DF Jordan Windass Bradford (Park Avenue) Free transfer 1 July 2022 MF Luke Burgess Salford City Free transfer 1 July 2022 DF Nathan Sheron Harrogate Town Free transfer 1 July 2022 GK Magnus Norman Carlisle United Free transfer 2 July 2022 DF Zaine Francis-Angol Hartlepool United Free transfer 4 July 2022 MF Lois Maynard Stockport County Free transfer 26 July 2022 MF Ben Tollitt - Free transfer 29 July 2022 MF Dan Gardner - Free transfer 4 August 2022 MF Charlie Cooper - Free transfer 27 September 2022 MF John Rooney Barrow Free transfer 31 October 2022 DF Mark Kitching - Free transfer 22 November 2022 FW Alex Reid Stockport County Free transfer 2 December 2022 GK Mathew Hudson Buxton Free transfer 9 December 2022 FW Joe Nuttall Scunthorpe United Undisclosed Fee 7 January 2023 DF Josef Yarney - Free transfer 20 January 2023 MF Mark Shelton Hartlepool United Undisclosed Fee 17 February 2023 FW Devarn Green - Free transfer
Transfers out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 1 January 2023 MF Charlie Cooper Yeovil Town Free Transfer 31 January 2023 MF Harry Vaughan Hull City Undisclosed fee End of season DF Jordan Clarke - Released End of season FW Vani Da Silva - Released End of season DF Zaine Francis-Angol - Released End of season MF Joe Edwards - Released End of season DF Oliver Kilner - Released End of season MF Lois Maynard - Released End of season FW Chris Porter - Released End of season MF Jack Stobbs - Released End of season DF Trey Turner - Released End of season FW Junior Luamba - Released
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date until Ref. 25 August 2022 MF Oscar Threlkeld Bradford City 1 January 2023 25 August 2022 DF Mitchell Roberts Birmingham City 1 January 2023 2 September 2022 DF Charlie Wellens Manchester United 8 January 2023 2 September 2022 DF David Okagbue Stoke City 8 January 2023 8 September 2022 FW Joe McGlynn Burnley 9 October 2022 16 September 2022 DF James Carragher Wigan Athletic 1 November 2022 21 October 2022 FW Conor Carty Bolton Wanderers 20 November 2022 28 October 2022 FW Timmy Abraham Walsall End of season 10 November 2022 MF Sydie Peck Sheffield United 30 January 2023 11 November 2022 DF Peter Clarke Walsall End of season 17 November 2022 MF Ellis Chapman Cheltenham Town End of season 17 March 2023 FW Bassala Sambou Crewe Alexandra End of season
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date until Ref. 14 December 2022 MF Harry Vaughan Radcliffe 18 January 2023 3 January 2023 DF Will Sutton Radcliffe 6 January 2023 11 January 2023 MF Joe Edwards Mossley 11 March 2023 13 January 2023 DF Josh Windass Buxton 13 February 2023 14 March 2023 MF Jack Stobbs Torquay United End of season 23 March 2023 MF Luke Burgess Altrincham End of season
Squad statistics
Appearances and goals
Disciplinary record No.Pos.Nat.PlayerNational LeagueFA CupFA TrophyTotal 2DF5001000006004DF8000000008006MF1000000001008MF41000000041010MF10010000020014DF90000000090015DF20000000020015FW10000000010016MF30020000050016MF30000000030017MF50010000060018MF40010000050019GK10000000010020FW30200000030221MF50000000050021FW10000000010024DF10000000010025FW20000000020026DF20000000020027FW30000000030028MF20000000020029FW10000000010032DF10000000010033DF00010000010036MF20000000020042DF30000001031044DF60000000060045FW400000000400Total83127000109022
References