Former Carlisle United manager John Sheridan has been the catalyst for an off-the-field revival at crisis club Oldham Athletic.
Heading-up what is being dubbed locally as the “Shezurrection”, he is bidding to save the Latics from relegation for a third time.
The 57-year-old Sheridan – who managed Carlisle in 2018/19 with 15 wins and four draws from his 32 games in charge – is actually taking the Oldham manager’s job for a fourth time. Twice previously he has lifted them out of the drop zone.
Incredibly Sheridan, who played 144 times for Oldham to complete his career, had also been caretaker manager on two occasions before the spells in permanent sole charge.
His latest appointment to the job has resulted in more than 1,000 supporters ending a self imposed boycott of the club.
It had been estimated that around 1,500 supporters had declared they would not go back to Boundary Park until there was a change of ownership.
This week there’s been a significant sea-change as owner Abdallah Lemsagam has indicated he is willing to sell, before appointing Sheridan for the remainder of the season.
As a result the majority of stay-away fans have indicated that they are prepared to return and give their support to Sheridan, regarded as a club legend, as he attempts to pull off what would be a remarkable hat-trick.
The Boundary Park ticket office has reported brisk business this week with, the local Oldham Times reporting 1,054 matchday tickets had been sold by Wednesday for Saturday’s visit of Rochdale, while a further 138 have purchased half season tickets.
Oldham are in danger of becoming the first former Premier League club to fall all the way through to the National League.
They are currently bottom of League Two seven points from safety – eight behind Barrow and nine behind Carlisle.
