Oh When The Blues
Book exploring the Oldham Athletic fan community - 2014-16
I have some (but very few copies) of the book left for £21.50 with UK postage - email me on davidjshawphoto@gmail.com if you would like one.
‘Keith Head’s Latics Story’ short film towards the end of the page.
Huddled in the cold January pissing rain trying to protect my camera gear, an Oldham shot sores through the Fleetwood defence to find its way in the goal. Pandemonium in the away end as Latics fans soak up a Oldham two-nil away victory after going without a win for a couple months. As the Oldham players ran to the rickety away end of Fleetwood's Highbury stadium, I sprinted behind the goal to get involved with the celebrations and by doing so nearly missed my photo.
I had been working on the project for a few months and this day out in Fleetwood cemented the reason why I continued the project long term. Here where 1285 Oldham fans, travelling north to Blackpool to watch their team play despite the probably loss and tge lengthy time without a win, home or away. They sang and bounced throughout the game and the abysmal weather and for me, represented what football fandom and community is about.
Not being an Oldham fan, but Charlton instead, I was at first slightly nervous that people wouldn't be up for my plans of photographing them rather than the football but after the first few visits I felt completely at ease. People seemed to get the project and liked the pictures. Keith Head, who has become one of the main protagonists in all my projects in Oldham, came to have a chat with me on my first visit. A few days later I was in his living room sipping tea and talking about his experiences as an Oldham fan. All of the Latics community were open with me in this way.
However, much the same as the club Oldham declined after the fall of industry in the town. Many people lost their jobs and there is still a poor local economy. In many areas of Oldham people live below the poverty line and it was named in 2016 as Britain's most deprived town. However there is still strong identity and culture in Oldham and people are proud of where they are from, the history behind it and it is a very close community. The spirit of its population certainly finds it way into the stands of Boundary Park, or vice versa.
Keith Head’s Latics Story - Short film 2015
Rest in peace Keith! We miss you.