The beleaguered League Two club have been beset by regular fan protests against unpopular owner Abdallah Lemsagam and poor form on the pitch that has put them in a relegation fight
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An Oldham Athletic supporter who has received a three-year ban says the way the club is being run is akin to a “dictatorship”.
Bradley Knowles is one of three fans who have been handed the punishment for “promoting their dislike” of the League Two club.
The BBC reports that the three fans all received a letter from Oldham’s general manager Steven Brown earlier this week, telling them they were banned from first team and youth games until 2024.
Mr Knowles told BBC Radio Manchester he was “shocked” to be banned.
He said: “I’ve not done anything. I’ve just been vocal about the ownership of the club.
“It’s a dictatorship, it’s not going to stop. There are people more vocal than us.”
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In the letter, which was shared on social media, Brown said he had been asked by the club’s board of directors to review the “actions of individuals that we feel are deliberately geared to harm and cause distress to the club, its fans and stakeholders”.
It alleged the three fans had “regularly displayed their desire to promote their dislike of Oldham Athletic Football Club, its management and its progression and are influencing others to do the same”.
Steve Shipman, of fan group Push the Boundary, told BBC Radio Manchester: “There’s a lot of animosity towards the ownership and there has been for some time, and that’s of the club’s own making.
“If they’re going to come out and start banning supporters who are speaking against the club’s ownership then there’s probably going to be quite a few of us over the Christmas period who will be expecting a letter to drop through the door.”
The banning development is the latest episode in the unpopular premiership of the Latics’ owner Abdallah Lemsagam.
Oldham fans have repeatedly protested against Lemsagam this season. One occasion saw more than 500 Latics’ fans walk through the roads surrounding Boundary Park carrying a coffin.
The latest stunt was a pledge to ‘Empty the Park’. It involved fans boycotting the recent match against Forest Green Rovers at Boundary Park – a stunning game which finished 5-5.
The club are without a first team manager after Keith Curle left in November.
Speaking after that 5-5 draw – Oldham’s last match after seeing their game at Crawley postponed last week, caretaker boss Selim Benachour hopes there can be a reconciliation between disgruntled fans and the club.
He said: “We need to keep the bond between the fans and players. I know it’s tough for them.
“I know we are towards the bottom of the league but with the kind of spirit we showed I am sure that things will turn in our favour and we will get there.
“Even the fans who didn’t come see it, they see the result and they will come back because I am sure they are happy with what we do on the pitch.”
The club have yet to publicly comment on the banning incident.
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