Why Oldham Athletic’s EFL Return Is A WIN For All Of Football
Gary Hutchinson: Betting Expert
Written by:
Gary Hutchinson

Fact Checked by:
The RealEFL's Editorial Team
Updated: 13 Jun 2025
Read time: 4 min

After years in the wilderness, Oldham’s resurgence is a beacon of resilience, unity and what football can – and should – be at its best.

The Long Road Home

When Oldham Athletic dropped out of the Football League in 2022, it felt like a symbol of the broader decay happening in the lower reaches of the English pyramid. A founding Premier League side, known for iconic moments under Joe Royle, left to fight it out on windswept terraces in the National League, a shadow of their former self. But where some clubs fade and never recover, Oldham did something special—they stood back up.

The 2024/25 season saw them push into the play-offs, and then produce one of the competition’s most dramatic moments in recent memory. Their comeback against Southend United in the final, overturning a deficit in front of a raucous Wembley crowd, epitomised everything that’s good about lower-league football. It wasn’t polished, it wasn’t pretty—but it was raw, emotional, and real. The kind of drama you can’t script.

The fact it was the final game of the season, after the polished Champions League, the boring Premier League and the tradional showcase, the FA Cup, was entriely fitting.

And when they sealed promotion, the celebrations didn’t just belong to the fans in the stands. They belonged to the entire town.

Football With A Human Face

So much of modern football is about detachment. Owners hiding in boardrooms. Players becoming brands. Clubs becoming businesses. But at Oldham, the tide is turning—and the face of that change is owner Frank Rothwell.

You don’t need a dossier on Rothwell to understand the kind of man he is. All you need is the image of him greeting supporters in freezing temperatures on Boxing Day. A small gesture, sure, but in a sport dominated by faceless ownership and corporate gloss, it lands like a sledgehammer. Rothwell’s presence, his visibility, and his care are powerful. This is what sport psychologists call a PIE—a Psychologically Informed Environment. Whether he knows the theory or not, Rothwell gets the practice: supporters want to feel heard, seen, and valued. They want to belong.

And what better metaphor than a hug? In an age where owners often build walls, Rothwell builds bridges. He’s giving his supporters a hug—not just through handshakes and warmth, but through clarity and communication. It’s not hard: tell fans who’s doing what. Be honest about the club’s direction. Share the journey. Let them feel involved.

A Win For The Lower Leagues

Oldham’s story isn’t just a triumph for the club—it’s a shot in the arm for lower league football. It shows that you can rise again from difficult times. That clubs with history, soul, and scars can still fight their way back.

Too often, the National League becomes a graveyard for fallen giants. Clubs like S####horpe United (okay, not exactly ‘giants’ but you get our drift), Torquay United, and York City have all battled the weight of expectation, dwindling crowds, and financial turmoil. Some are still there. Some may never return. Oldham’s success tells the others: it can be done.

But more than that, it shines a spotlight on the unique magic of non-league football—the misty nights, the tight terraces, the banter that cuts deep but connects communities. It’s not perfect. It’s not glamorous. But it’s the soul of the English game.

The Community Behind The Badge

Oldham Athletic’s fans have stuck by their club through it all. Relegation, mismanagement, chaos—they were there. The scenes after promotion were not just about a football match. They were about relief, pride, and redemption.

A pitch party at Boundary Park wasn’t just a celebration of returning to the EFL—it was a thank you. From players to supporters. From owner to community. These events matter. They reinforce the bond that elite football often forgets. When the interface between fans and boardrooms disappears, disillusionment sets in. At Oldham, that interface is alive, and it’s helping reshape what a club can be.

Not Just Survival—Sustainability

The hope now is that Oldham don’t just survive in League Two, but thrive with a model that’s sustainable and human. Football doesn’t need more sugar-daddy projects or opaque takeovers. It needs clubs rooted in place, connected to people, and led with purpose.

Rothwell’s example is a start. But what follows matters more. Will the transparency continue? Will they build with care, or chase glory? The play-off victory was dramatic, but the real challenge comes now. And if Oldham succeeds with this ethos intact, it could inspire others to follow suit.

Conclusion

Oldham Athletic’s return to the EFL is bigger than a promotion—it’s a restoration. A restoration of hope, of football with a face, and of the idea that clubs can be both competitive and compassionate. Rothwell may not have the global pull of Premier League owners, but he has something more important—trust. And right now, football could use a lot more of that.