List of Oldham Athletic A.F.C. seasons

This is a list of seasons completed by Oldham Athletic A.F.C. in English football, from 1904—when the club began playing professionally—to the most recent completed season. The list details accomplishments in all competitions the club has entered. The club has never participated in any major competitions outside of the United Kingdom.

Oldham Athletic squad in 1905

History

The club was created in 1899 after Pine Villa Football Club folded earlier the same year.^[1] In the early years, Oldham played mostly at the junior level of competition. In 1899, Oldham Athletic played their first game in the Manchester Alliance League versus Berry's Blacking Works Second XI.^[2] The following season, the club would move to the Manchester Football League after finishing as runners-up. The club began to play professionally in 1904 as they moved into the Lancashire Combination B Division and were immediately promoted to the A Division by finishing as runners-up.^[2]

After two seasons in the Lancashire Combination, the club gained acceptance into the Football League in June 1907 when Burslem Port Vale resigned from the league.^[2] Unlike many clubs, Oldham Athletic gained early success in the league as they finished in third place in the Football League Second Division. By 1910, the club was playing in the top flight of English football after the club had finishing in the runners-up spot in the 1909–10 season. It would not be until the 1952–53 season when the club would once again win a trophy, as they finished at the top of the Football League Third Division North table. By the late 1950s, the club was in the Football League Fourth Division and twice had to apply for re-election into the Football League, including a finish of 23rd in 1959–60, their lowest rank in the League.^[2]

By the mid-1960s, the club's fortunes had turned as they gained promotion back into the Football League Third Division. In 1973–74, Jimmy Frizzell led Oldham back to the Second Division as the club won their first league title since 1953. Unlike the previous visit into the division, the club was not relegated quickly. In the late 1970s, the club were runners-up in the Anglo-Scottish Cup following a loss to Burnley 4–2 on aggregate. Under Joe Royle in 1989–90 season, Oldham had their best finish in a major English cup by finishing as runners-up in the 1990 Football League Cup Final.^[2] The following season, Oldham won the Second Division and were promoted to the Football League First Division for the first time in 64 years and,^[2] in 1992–93, the club was a founding member of the FA Premier League.

The club was relegated back into the First Division^[a] following the 1993–94 season with Joe Royle leaving to join Everton during the next season. In the 1996–97 season, the club was relegated for the second time in four seasons and were back in the Second Division.^[a] After 21 consecutive seasons in the third tier of English football, the club were relegated to the renamed League Two for the first time since 1971. In 2021–22 they finished 23rd, 62 years after they had finished in the same position, and this time they were relegated automatically to the National League – the first former Premier League club to play non-League football.

Seasons

Season	League									FA Cup	EFL Cup[b]	EFL Trophy	Other		Top goalscorer(s)[c]
	Division	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts	Pos						Name	Goals
1895–04	Unknown
1904–05	Lan C-2 ↑	34	19	6	9	80	38	44	3rd
1905–06	Lan C-1	38	14	8	16	45	52	36	13th	4Q
1906–07	Lan C-1 ↑	38	26	5	7	105	33	57	1st	R2
1907–08	Div 2[d]	38	22	6	10	76	42	50	3rd	R2					Frank Newton	29
1908–09	Div 2	38	17	6	15	55	43	40	6th	R1					Frank Newton	14
1909–10	Div 2 ↑	38	23	7	8	79	39	53	2nd	R1					Jimmy Fay	26
1910–11	Div 1	38	16	9	13	44	41	41	7th	R2					Alf Toward	13
1911–12	Div 1	38	12	10	16	46	54	34	18th	R3					Evan Jones	17
1912–13	Div 1	38	14	14	10	50	55	42	9th	SF					Joe Walters	13
1913–14	Div 1	38	17	9	12	55	45	43	4th	R1					Arthur Gee	12
1914–15	Div 1	38	17	11	10	70	56	45	2nd[e]	QF					Gilbert Kemp	19
1915–19	No competitive football was played between 1915 and 1919 because of the First World War.
1919–20	Div 1	42	15	8	19	49	52	38	17th	R1					Arthur Gee	13
1920–21	Div 1	42	9	15	18	49	86	33	19th	R2					Reuben Butler	16
1921–22	Div 1	42	13	11	18	38	50	37	19th	R2					Reuben Butler	13
1922–23	Div 1 ↓	42	10	10	22	35	65	30	22nd	R1					Jack Marshall	6
1923–24	Div 2	42	14	17	11	43	52	45	7th	R2					John Blair	15
1924–25	Div 2	42	13	11	18	35	51	37	18th	R1					Chris Jones	6
1925–26	Div 2	42	18	8	16	74	66	44	7th	R3					Arthur Ormston	23
1926–27	Div 2	42	19	6	17	74	84	44	10th	R3					Albert Pynegar	19
1927–28	Div 2	42	19	8	15	75	51	46	7th	R4					Albert Pynegar	19
1928–29	Div 2	42	16	5	21	54	75	37	18th	R3					Stewart Littlewood	12
1929–30	Div 2	42	21	11	10	90	51	53	3rd	R4					Stewart Littlewood	30
1930–31	Div 2	42	16	10	16	61	72	42	12th	R3					Jimmy Dyson	15
1931–32	Div 2	42	13	10	19	62	84	36	18th	R3					Bill Johnstone	12
1932–33	Div 2	42	15	8	19	67	80	38	16th	R3					Jimmy Pears	12
1933–34	Div 2	42	17	10	15	72	60	44	9th	R4					Tommy Reid	17
1934–35	Div 2 ↓	42	10	6	26	56	95	26	21st	R3					Billy Walsh	12
1935–36	Div 3N	42	18	9	15	86	73	45	7th	R2					Tom Davis	35
1936–37	Div 3N	42	20	11	11	77	59	51	4th	R3					Jack Diamond	18
1937–38	Div 3N	42	19	13	10	67	46	51	4th	R1					Tom Davis	33
1938–39	Div 3N	42	22	5	15	76	59	49	5th	R1					Ron Ferrier	21
1939–40	Div 3N	3	1	0	2	3	5	2	18th[f]	–
1939–44	No competitive football was played between 1939 and 1945 because of the Second World War.
1945–46										R2[g]
1946–47	Div 3N	42	12	8	22	55	80	32	19th	R2					Fred Howe	20
1947–48	Div 3N	42	14	13	15	63	64	41	11th	R2					Blackshaw/Haddington	17
1948–49	Div 3N	42	18	9	15	75	67	45	6th	R2					Eric Gemmell	23
1949–50	Div 3N	42	16	11	15	58	63	43	11th	R3					Ray Haddington	24
1950–51	Div 3N	42	16	8	22	73	73	40	15th	R3					Eric Gemmell	22
1951–52	Div 3N	42	24	9	13	90	61	57	4th	R2					Eric Gemmell	29
1952–53	Div 3N ↑	46	22	15	9	77	45	59	1st	R3					Eric Gemmell	23
1953–54	Div 2 ↓	42	8	9	25	40	89	25	22nd	R3					Frank Scrine	9
1954–55	Div 3N	46	19	10	17	74	68	48	10th	R2					Don Travis	30
1955–56	Div 3N	46	10	18	18	76	86	38	20th	R1					Don Travis	15
1956–57	Div 3N	46	12	15	19	66	74	39	19th	R2					Don Travis	14
1957–58	Div 3N	46	14	17	15	72	84	45	15th	R2					Gerry Duffy	17
1958–59	Div 4[h]	46	16	4	26	59	84	36	21st	R3					Peter Phoenix	14
1959–60	Div 4	46	8	12	26	41	83	28	23rd	R2					Peter Stringfellow	11
1960–61	Div 4	46	19	7	20	79	88	45	12th	R2	R2				Bert Lister	21
1961–62	Div 4	44	17	12	15	77	70	46	11th	R4	R1				Jimmy Frizzell	25
1962–63	Div 4 ↑	46	24	11	11	95	60	59	2nd	R1	R2				Bert Lister	33
1963–64	Div 3	46	20	8	18	73	40	48	9th	R3	R1				Bert Lister	17
1964–65	Div 3	46	13	10	23	61	83	36	20th	R3	R2				Jimmy Frizzell	11
1965–66	Div 3	46	12	13	21	55	81	37	20th	R3	R2				Ian Towers	10
1966–67	Div 3	46	19	10	17	80	63	48	10th	R3	R1				Ian Towers	27
1967–68	Div 3	46	18	7	21	60	65	43	16th	R1	R1				Bob Ledger	11
1968–69	Div 3 ↓	46	13	9	24	50	83	35	24th	R1	R1				Keith Bebbington	13
1969–70	Div 4	46	13	13	20	60	65	39	19th	R2	R1				David Shaw	12
1970–71	Div 4 ↑	46	24	11	11	88	63	59	3rd	R1	R2				Jim Fryatt	26
1971–72	Div 3	46	17	11	18	59	63	45	11th	R1	R2				David Shaw	19
1972–73	Div 3	46	19	16	11	72	54	54	4th	R1	R1				David Shaw	18
1973–74	Div 3 ↑	46	25	12	9	83	47	62	1st	R4	R1				Colin Garwood	17
1974–75	Div 2	42	10	15	17	40	48	35	18th	R3	R1				Ian Robins	10
1975–76	Div 2	42	13	12	17	57	68	38	17th	R3	R2				David Shaw	13
1976–77	Div 2	42	14	10	18	52	64	38	13th	R5	R1				Vic Halom	22
1977–78	Div 2	42	13	16	13	54	58	42	8th	R3	R3		ASC	GS	Steve Taylor	21
1978–79	Div 2	42	13	13	16	52	61	39	14th	R5	R2		ASC	RU	Alan Young	14
1979–80	Div 2	42	16	11	15	49	53	43	11th	R5	R2				Simon Stainrod	11
1980–81	Div 2	42	12	15	15	39	48	39	15th	R3	R2				Rodger Wylde	12
1981–82	Div 2	42	15	14	13	50	51	59[i]	11th	R3	R3				Rodger Wylde	17
1982–83	Div 2	42	14	19	9	64	47	61	7th	R3	R2				Rodger Wylde	19
1983–84	Div 2	42	13	8	21	47	73	47	19th	R3	R3				Roger Palmer	14
1984–85	Div 2	42	15	8	19	49	67	53	14th	R4	R1				Micky Quinn	25
1985–86	Div 2	42	17	9	16	62	61	60	8th	R4	R2				Ron Futcher	17
1986–87	Div 2	42	22	9	11	65	44	75	3rd	R3	R3		P-O	SF	Roger Palmer	17
1987–88	Div 2	44	18	11	15	72	64	65	10th	R3	R4				Palmer/Ritchie	20
1988–89	Div 2	46	11	21	14	75	72	54	16th	R3	R3				Andy Ritchie	16
1989–90	Div 2	46	19	14	13	70	57	71	8th	SF	RU				Andy Ritchie	28
1990–91	Div 2 ↑	46	25	13	8	83	53	88	1st	R4	R3				Ian Marshall	18
1991–92	Div 1	42	14	9	19	63	57	51	17th	R3	R4				Graeme Sharp	16
1992–93	Prem[j]	42	13	10	19	63	74	49	19th	R3	R4				Ian Olney	13
1993–94	Prem ↓	42	9	13	20	42	68	40	21st	SF	R4				Graeme Sharp	11
1994–95	Div 1	46	16	13	17	60	60	61	14th	R4	R3				Sean McCarthy	18
1995–96	Div 1	46	14	14	18	54	50	56	18th	R4	R2		AIC	GS	Richardson/McCarthy	11
1996–97	Div 1 ↓	46	10	13	23	51	66	43	23rd	R3	R3				Stuart Barlow	12
1997–98	Div 2	46	15	16	15	62	54	61	13th	R3	R1	R1			Stuart Barlow	13
1998–99	Div 2	46	14	9	23	48	66	51	20th	R3	R1	R1			Mark Allott	8
1999–00	Div 2	46	16	12	18	50	55	60	14th	R3	R1	R2			Allott/Whitehall	11
2000–01	Div 2	46	15	13	18	53	65	58	15th	R2	R2	R1			Lee Duxbury	10
2001–02	Div 2	46	18	16	12	77	65	70	9th	R3	R2	SF(N)			David Eyres	14
2002–03	Div 2	46	22	16	8	66	38	82	5th	R2	R4	R1	P-O	SF	David Eyres	16
2003–04	Div 2	46	12	21	13	66	60	57	15th	R2	R1	R2			Scott Vernon	15
2004–05	Lge 1[k]	46	14	10	22	60	73	52	19th	R4	R2	F(N)			Chris Killen	15
2005–06	Lge 1	46	18	11	17	58	60	65	10th	R2	R1	R1			Luke Beckett	18
2006–07	Lge 1	46	21	12	13	69	47	75	6th	R3	R1	R2	P-O	SF	Chris Porter	22
2007–08	Lge 1	46	18	13	15	58	46	67	8th	R4	R2	R2			Craig Davies	14
2008–09	Lge 1	46	16	17	13	66	65	65	10th	R1	R2	R1			Lee Hughes	18
2009–10	Lge 1	46	13	13	20	39	57	52	16th	R1	R1	R1			Paweł Abbott	13
2010–11	Lge 1	46	13	17	16	53	60	56	17th	R1	R1	R1			Chris Taylor	11
2011–12	Lge 1	46	14	12	20	50	66	54	16th	R3	R1	F(N)			Shefki Kuqi	16
2012–13	Lge 1	46	14	9	23	46	59	51	19th	R5	R1	R1			Jose Baxter	15
2013–14	Lge 1	46	14	14	18	50	59	56	15th	R3	R1	SF(N)			Danny Philliskirk	12
2014–15	Lge 1	46	14	15	17	54	67	57	15th	R2	R1	QF(N)			Jonathan Forte	12
2015–16	Lge 1	46	12	18	16	44	58	54	17th	R1	R1	R1N			Danny Philliskirk	7
2016–17	Lge 1	46	12	17	17	31	44	53	17th	R2	R2	R3			Lee Erwin	10
2017–18	Lge 1 ↓	46	11	17	18	58	75	50	21st	R1	R1	QF			Eoin Doyle	14
2018–19	Lge 2	46	16	14	16	67	60	62	14th	R4	R1	R2			Callum Lang	16
2019–20	Lge 2	37	9	14	14	44	57	41	19th[l]	R2	R1	R1			Jonny Smith	11
2020–21	Lge 2	46	15	9	22	72	81	54	18th	R3	R2	R2			Conor McAleny	21
2021–22	Lge 2 ↓	46	9	11	26	46	75	38	23rd	R1	R3	R2			Davis Keillor-Dunn	17
2022–23	NL	46	16	13	17	63	64	61	12th[m]	R1	—[n]	—[o]	FAT	R4	Mike Fondop	13
2023–24	NL	46	15	18	13	63	60	63	10th	R1	—	—	FAT	R4	James Norwood	18

Key

P – Played W – Games won D – Games drawn L – Games lost F – Goals for A – Goals against Pts – Points Pos – Final position

Lan C-1 – Lancashire Combination A Division Lan C-2 – Lancashire Combination B Division Div 1 – Football League First Division Div 2 – Football League Second Division Div 3 – Football League Third Division Div 3N – Football League Third Division North Div 4 – Football League Fourth Division Prem – Premier League Champ – Football League Championship Lge 1 – Football League One Lge 2 – Football League Two NL – National League P-O - Play-offs ASC – Anglo-Scottish Cup AIC – Anglo-Italian Cup FAT – FA Trophy

GS – Group stage R1 – First round R2 – Second round R3 – Third round R4 – Fourth round R5 – Fifth round QF – Quarter-finals SF – Semi-finals F – Regional final RU – Runners-up W – Winners (N) – Northern section of regionalised stage

Champions

Runners-up

Promoted

Relegated

Division shown in bold when it changes due to promotion or relegation.

Overall

• Seasons spent at Level 1 of the football league system: 12
• Seasons spent at Level 2 of the football league system: 36
• Seasons spent at Level 3 of the football league system: 46^[p]
• Seasons spent at Level 4 of the football league system: 11^[q]
• Seasons spent below the English Football League: 13

Footnotes

1. The Second Division was renamed to the First Division following the advent of the FA Premier League. The Third Division was also renamed to Second Division.
2. The League Cup was founded in the 1960–61 season.
3. Figures include goals include all competitions. Goals in bold show new club record.
4. Oldham Athletic left the Lancashire Combination after gaining acceptance into the Football League.
5. Highest League finish.
6. The 1939–40 season was abandoned in early September and all results annulled, after only three matches had been played.
7. All FA Cup ties in 1945–46 were played on a two legged basis.
8. Having finished in the lower half of the table, Oldham Athletic were placed in the new Football League Fourth Division following the amalgamation of the Third Division North and Third Division South.
9. The 1981–82 season saw the introduction of three points for a win.
10. Founding member of FA Premier League.
11. The Second Division was renamed to League One following advent of the Championship.
12. The 2019–20 season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with league positions decided on a points-per-game basis. Oldham Athletic averaged 1.11 points from 37 games.
13. Lowest League finish.
14. Ineligible to compete after relegation from the EFL.
15. Ineligible to compete after relegation from the EFL.
16. Includes a season abandoned as a result of the Second World War.
17. Includes a season abandoned as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

1. "Club history". Oldham Athletic AFC. 25 April 2007. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
2. "Oldham Athletic - Historical Football Kits". Retrieved 24 August 2008.

External links

• Oldham Athletic at Soccerbase
• Football Club History Database
• Football Site
• Oldham Athletic at Historical Football Kits