With the 2014/15 fixtures released last week, we take a closer look at the teams Latics will be facing.
Colchester United
Founded:
Colchester United were formed in 1937 after members of Colchester Town refused to turn professional and were admitted to the Football League in 1950 after 13 years in the Southern League.
Nickname:
The U’s
Background:
After finishing 10th in the 2006/07 Championship season which was their highest ever finish, Colchester were relegated the following season and have been in League One ever since – finishing 16th last season.
Past Meetings:
Of the 42 competitive games between the two clubs, Oldham have won 13 with Colchester reigning victorious in 11 games and the other 18 matches finishing all square. The two meetings between the pair last season finished with Latics winning 1-0 at Colchester in April, with Colchester winning 2-0 at Boundary Park in December.
Recent Signings:
Colchester’s only signing so far during pre-season has been Dominic Smith on a free transfer from Crewe Alexandra.
Player of the Year:
Jabo Ibehre was awarded the Player of the Year award for the 2013/14 season.
Sky Bet Odds:
To win the league - 66/1
To be promoted - 25/1
To be relegated - 13/8
Coventry City
Founded:
Coventry were founded in 1883 as Singers FC by employees of the cycle firm Singer. They changed the name to Coventry in 1898 and were eventually voted into the Football League in 1919 – where they have remained ever since.
Nickname:
The Sky Blues
Background:
Coventry have recently come into some financial trouble and despite a rich history, currently play their home games 34 miles from Coventry at Northampton. They were relegated from the Championship in 2012 for the first time in 48 years and finished 18th in League One last season.
Past Meetings:
Of the 20 meetings between the sides, Oldham have won 5 with the Sky Blues winning 9 games, and 6 ending in a draw. Both games of the 2013/14 season finished all square with a 0-0 draw at Boundary Park and a 1-1 draw at Sixfields.
Recent Signings:
Coventry have made no summer signings as of yet.
Player of the Year:
Last season’s Player of the Year was awarded to Callum Wilson.
Sky Bet Odds:
To win the league - 20/1
To be promoted - 6/1
To be relegated - 11/2
Crawley Town
Founded:
Crawley Town were founded in 1896 and became founding members of the West Sussex Football League, before transferring to the Mid-Sussex League in 1901. Crawley turned semi-professional in 1962 and only joined the Football League when they gained promotion to the League Two in 2011.
Nickname:
The Red Devils
Background:
Since gaining promotion to the Football League, Crawley finished their first ever league season with promotion to League One with a 1-0 win over Accrington Stanley. They have remained in League One ever since and finished the 2013/14 season in 14th.
Past Meetings:
Of only four meetings between the clubs, Oldham have won two, with Crawley winning one and the other ending in a draw. Of the two meetings last season, Crawley won 1-0 at the Broadfield Stadium, with Oldham winning the reverse fixture by the same margin.
Recent Signings:
Crawley have been fairly busy so far in the transfer market. Their first signing was Jimmy Smith from Stevenage for an undisclosed fee. This signing was followed by Brian Jensen from Bury, Ryan Dickson from Colchester and Lanre Oyebanjo from York City. More recently, they also signed defender Sonny Bradley from Portsmouth.
Player of the Year:
Joe Walsh won Crawley’s player of the year.
Sky Bet Odds:
To win the league - 28/1
To be promoted - 10/1
To be relegated - 4/1
Crewe Alexandra
Founded:
Crewe Alexandra were formed in 1877 as Crewe FC and were based at the Alexandra Recreation Ground. Crewe were a founding member of the Second Division in 1982 but lost this status in 1896. They eventually rejoined the Football League in 1921.
Nickname:
The Railwaymen
Background:
Crewe were promoted to League One by beating Cheltenham Town 2-0 in the 2012 play-off final after Steve Davis took over from Dario Gradi and led the club to 7th place via a 16-match unbeaten run. Last season, they finished League One in 19th position, narrowly avoiding relegation.
Past Meetings:
Of the 64 meetings between the two sides, Oldham have won 34. Crewe, on the other hand, have won just 15 of the games, with a further 15 finishing all square.
Recent Signings:
Crewe’s only summer signings have been James Bailie and Callum Prichard-Ellis who have been promoted from the youth team.
Player of the Year:
Captain Matt Tootle was awarded the Player of the Year award for the 2013/14 season.
Sky Bet Odds:
To win the league - 80/1
To be promoted - 28/1
To be relegated - 5/4