Times Have Changed! BT Sport Have Quite A Story To Bring To Life

When Marc White set up his club with pals on the parks of Surrey, paying the council to rent pitches with players charged a fiver for the privilege, the very idea was frankly laughable.

Most at Oldham Athletic, founder members of the Premier League, wouldn’t have heard of them just a matter of months ago.

White and Dorking shouldn’t treat that as measure of disrespect.

They should see it as the glory of the English pyramid at its absolute, unrelenting best.

Those Oldham fans were watching the Latics beat Liverpool - including the likes of Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling - just nine short years ago.

It was just a few seasons after Dorking Wanderers had a match postponed because a Shetland pony refused to budge off their pitch.

They meet as equals on Saturday, and the story is perfect for the BT Sport team to get their teeth into.

After 12 promotions in two decades, Dorking know they are dining at a very different restaurant this time.

They have already given another ex EFL side problems after coming back from two goals down to draw with Chesterfield.

Owner and manager White is loving life at Non-League’s top table already.

“I’ve said all summer that I can’t wait to start upsetting the apple cart,” he smiled as he looked ahead to the new season.

“Where we have come from to where we are now, it’s fantastic. It’s something so many people should be very proud of.

“Our progression has been rapid, we will be privileged to play a lot of top clubs and to be live on TV is fantastic. It’s another box ticked.

“We won't be the whipping boys this year - we never have been and we never will be. We all want to be competitive.”

A great story, but another tale of funding by deep pockets, surely?

“People attribute our success over the years to money, but they shouldn’t,” White, a former City worker, stressed.

“You don’t earn 12 promotions in 21 completed seasons without being clever on and off the pitch - I know we won’t have a budget anything like most clubs this year.

“Ours will be one of the smallest, in fact.

“But what we have got is a great group of players and a real work ethic.

“We want to show people what we can do this season and it’s great that already people are seeing we’re not going to be pushovers.”

Oldham won’t want to give the headline writers any ammunition after the Saturday tea time meeting.

But at least the club appears back on the right path after a torrid year.

New chairman Frank Rothwell promised change after seeing his takeover completed and the first home game under his stewardship is sure to draw big numbers.

Following the conclusion of negotiations with Abdallah Lemsagam and Simon Blitz, the club are in the hands of the successful local businessman.

Wrestling the club back, now they can’t wait to hear those turnstiles click again.

The new era started with a 0-0 draw at Torquay United, their ten men holding firm with over 800 travelling fans showing what potential there is should a good season appear.

Manager John Sheridan is leading the charge and he knows unity is the only way to a brighter future.

“It was great support, brilliant - and I think they appreciate the way the lads went about the game,” he told the Oldham Times.

"We would have liked to have won the game but it's a long trip and we're taking something home.

"If I'm being honest we've had the better chances in the game, we should have possibly won the game.

“I'd like us to believe in ourselves on the ball and pass it better, but it was a good shift.”

Don’t miss Unibet enhanced match odds - Oldham to win, both teams to score and over 2.5 goals

BT Sport’s coverage from Boundary Park this weekend gets underway at 5pm