Oldham Athletic 0-0 Hartlepool United - Protests precede goalless draw at Boundary Park
- Published
- comments
Oldham Athletic fans carried a mock coffin outside Boundary Park prior to kick-off in Saturday's match against Hartlepool United
Oldham remain bottom of the League Two table after a goalless draw against Hartlepool which was preceded by protests at Boundary Park.
More than 500 fans protested against owner Abdallah Lemsagam's running of the club, including carrying a mock coffin outside the ground.
The hosts looked the more likely to score in a tame affair.
Hallam Hope spurned the chance to give Oldham victory in the second half when he missed an open net from close range.
The result keeps Oldham bottom of the English Football League and means they pick up their fourth point from eight league games so far this season.
Hartlepool drop to sixth following the draw and have won just once in their past four games.
Fans continue to voice discontent with ownership
Lemsagam's tenure at Oldham Athletic has been highly unpopular with fans since his arrival at Boundary Park in 2018.
After completing a takeover of the Latics from former owner Simon Corney, the club were relegated from League One and the team have stagnated since entering English football's fourth tier.
Over the past three-and-a-half years, late payment of salaries, threats of player strikes and the threat of administration - which was eventually avoided - has alienated the club from its fanbase.
Protests against the Moroccan's running of the club have accelerated this season, with some matches earlier this term being briefly halted due to fans entering the pitch.
Following a meeting with fan groups in the early stages of the season, Lemsagam said he had not received any offers to buy the club and stated he "does not want to sell".
On Friday, the club issued a statement to supporters saying that tickets for Saturday's match could only be bought online and not at the turnstiles, while there would be no alcohol sales and mandatory searches of fans would be carried out.
Saturday's protests went ahead in peaceful fashion, with fans carrying signs against the club's ownership, while a plane with a message telling Lemsagam it was "time to go" also flew overhead.
BBC Sport have contacted Oldham Athletic for comment.
Analysis - A dark day in Oldham's history
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
BBC Radio Manchester's Dominic Dietrich at Boundary Park
It was a dark day in the history of Oldham Athletic as supporters' frustrations towards the club's ownership reached a climax.
Roughly 800-1,000 fans gathered outside the club's main entrance at Boundary Park for a peaceful protest, chanting and holding banners directed at the ownership.
Fan group Push the Boundary then addressed the crowd and explained the reasons that have brought them to this point, the tipping points, as well as stories of other local clubs that have suffered.
Then an independent procession, including a fan dressed as the grim reaper and another as a clown, made its way down the road chanting and carrying a coffin which was then placed directly outside the door to one of the stands.
The owners weren't present today, but I'm sure the supporters have been heard.