‘Important message’ shared as Oldham Athletic receive special homecoming reception at Civic Centre

After their momentous day at Wembley, owner Frank Rothwell and his family, players including club captain Tom Conlon and striker Mike Fondop, manager Micky Mellon and CEO Darren Royle were guests of honour at a triumphant reception held in their honour.

They were congratulated by Council Leader Cllr Arooj Shah, Chief Executive Shelley Kipling, the Mayor of Oldham Cllr Eddie Moores and Mayoress Kath Moores and MP Jim McMahon on one of most important games in the club’s history.

Our heroes were played into the Civic Centre by Oldham Music Centre Youth Brass Band, with a joyful soundtrack including Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up in a nod to the club’s dramatic return to the English Football League.

Cllr Arooj Shah told the room, “What a momentous day Sunday was for Oldham! We welcome home not just a football team, but a symbol of resilience, pride, and unwavering spirit.

After a hard-fought season and a triumphant play-off final, you’ve brought glory back to the Borough. You’ve reminded us all what it means to fight for something bigger than ourselves, to never give up, and to believe in the power of community.

This victory is more than just a return to the league. It’s a testament to the heart of Oldham: proud, passionate, and united. You’ve lifted the spirits of thousands and brought joy to every corner of our town.

There are people in Oldham today who are genuinely excited by yesterday’s victory, people who support other clubs or none at all are filled with pride. That is massively impressive, what you’ve done is something special and will be huge for our Borough.

What the Rothwell family and Darren have done in their short time at the club has been monumental, they’ve saved our town’s football club and put it back in the Football League where they belong.”

Entrepreneur Frank, who bought the club in 2022, is Oldham’s Ambassador for Business and was awarded Freeman of the Borough in 2021.

The Manchester Cabins founder told the room: “If you’re starting up a new business or you’re buying a business that might be in dire straits, there’s three phases that you have to go through.

“First of all you have to survive. You have to get over that first month’s payments, the second month’s payments and survive the first year.

“Once you’ve survived the first year, wow, you’re on a roller now. So then you’ve got to consolidate ad build your strengths. Make yourself stronger and you’ve got more experience and once you’ve got that consolidation and that more strength, then you go for growth, expansion. And in football that’s promotion and we’ve followed those three principals which I’ve worked in my business right from day one which I started about 50 years ago.”

Also addressing the room, CEO Darren Royle said: “Yesterday’s not an accident. Yesterday is all about hard work, humility and resilience.”

The young musicians were also proud to perform the anthemic Sweet Caroline and ABBA’s Mamma Mia for our footballing royalty before they made the journey from the Civic Centre for music, fireworks and a trophy parade at Boundary Park.