Boundary change for Latics with return to tradition...
OLDHAM DITCH SPONSOR’S NAME FROM GROUND
OLDHAM Athletic have announced they will be returning to tradition and renaming their stadium Boundary Park with immediate effect.
The ground had been called SportsDirect.com Park over the past few years due to sponsorship reasons, but the club has revealed it will be returning to its roots.
Latics have negotiated with Sports Direct in order to secure the name change. The original five-year deal, which was later extended to six years, was the largest sponsorship deal in the club’s history.
The switch comes just a couple of months after Abdallah Lemsagam became owner of the club, and he felt this was something that needed doing.
“After speaking to Trust Oldham and supporters, it was a priority for me to look at the options surrounding the stadium name and how we could go back to our traditions and heritage,” he said.
“I would like to thank Sports Direct for the way they have engaged in discussions as well as the positive and efficient way we have been able to renegotiate the deal.
“We are also very grateful for the way they have supported the club throughout the last four years. I would like to welcome supporters back to our home, Boundary Park.”
Oldham will play their first game at home since the name change when they host Portsmouth today and Latics forward Duckens Nazon hopes his League One Goal of the Month award for Febraury will allow him to kick-on and achieve more success throughout the rest of the season.
Nazon received the accolade for his opener in the 2-2 draw with Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.
“It’s Portsmouth next and hopefully we’ll get the three points. We’re in a good situation at the moment and are five games unbeaten, so we have to keep playing like this,” said Nazon.
Also in League One, ROCHDALE boss Keith Hill insists there is no pressure on his players ahead of today’s home game against AFC Wimbledon.
Rochdale have taken seven points from a possible nine in their last three games, and while they remain six points from safety with games in hand, Hill still remains hopeful his side can avoid the drop.
“We can’t draw too much attention or relevance to an individual game when we’ve got 13 to play. It’s the next opponent that we’re playing against and we want to win it because we prepare to win games,” he said.
“There can be no pressure – you’ve just got to get on with your work and do what you need to do, and the pressure will take care of itself.”
BURY will try to keep up their slim hopes of survival when they make the trip to fellow strugglers MK Dons.
The Shakers are nine points adrift from safety, and are five points behind third-from-bottom Dons, but a win for Ryan Lowe’s side would see them close that gap to two points.
In the Championship, BOLTON WANDERERS will hope to end four games without a win when they host Aston Villa.