Keith Curle: Oldham Athletic appoint ex-Northampton Town boss as head coach

Keith Curle led Northampton to promotion through the League Two play-offs last season

Oldham Athletic have appointed former Northampton Town boss Keith Curle as their new head coach on an initial deal until the end of the season.

The 57-year-old led the Cobblers to promotion from League Two last term but was sacked in February after a poor run of form left them 23rd in League One.

Harry Kewell was sacked by the Latics on Sunday after seven months in charge.

Curle is the eighth different manager at the League Two club since Abdallah Lemsagam took over as owner in 2018.

His first match in charge will be at Port Vale on Tuesday while Paul Butler has returned to the club and been appointed his assistant coach.

Former Leeds and Liverpool winger Kewell, 42, took charge in August, replacing Dino Maamria after spells with Crawley Town and Notts County.

Despite scoring 49 goals in 32 League Two fixtures this season, the third-highest of any team in the fourth tier, the Latics have so far conceded a league-high 56 goals and are 16th in the table.

Former England and Manchester City defender Curle joined Northampton in 2018 after a three-and-a-half-year spell as manager of Carlisle United.

He took the Cobblers up through the League Two play-offs last season, the first time he had won promotion as a manager, having also managed Mansfield, Chester, Torquay United and Notts County.

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