# 1992–93 Oldham Athletic A.F.C. season

During the 1992–93 English football season, Oldham Athletic competed in the inaugural season of the FA Premier League, their second season since promotion back to the top flight of English football, and secured a third successive season at this level thanks to a three-match winning run at the end of the season which saved them from relegation on goal difference.

## Season summary

Oldham started the season well and stood in midtable after eleven games, but struggled thereafter and were bottom of the Premier League with ten games left to play. Two successive wins briefly lifted Oldham out of the relegation zone, but failed to win any of their next four matches and looked dead and buried with three games left to play. For the club to survive relegation, three wins from their final three matches were required, and the Latics had to bank on Crystal Palace gaining no more than one point from their final two matches. Oldham's first game of the final trio was away at second placed Aston Villa, who had to win to have any hope of winning that year's title. In a battling display, Nick Henry scored the winner midway through the first half, a shock result but one that gave hope to an unlikely escape and clinched the first title for 26 years for Oldham's local rivals Manchester United. Three days later, Liverpool were beaten 3–2 at Boundary Park, whilst Crystal Palace gained a draw at Manchester City. For Oldham to survive, they would have to beat fellow strugglers Southampton at home and hope that Crystal Palace were defeated at Arsenal. Having led 4–1 at one point, Oldham survived a late Southampton comeback to win 4–3. Palace lost 3–0 at Arsenal, meaning that the Eagles were relegated on goal difference (-13 versus Oldham's -11), though even if Palace lost only 1–0, they still would've been relegated on goals scored (Oldham had 63 goals scored for them whereas Palace had 48 scored for them).

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 17 | Leeds United | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 57 | 62 | −5 | 51 | |
| 18 | Southampton | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 54 | 61 | −7 | 50 | |
| 19 | Oldham Athletic | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 63 | 74 | −11 | 49 | |
| 20 | Crystal Palace (R) | 42 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 48 | 61 | −13 | 49 | Relegation to Football League First Division |
| 21 | Middlesbrough (R) | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 54 | 75 | −21 | 44 | Relegation to Football League First Division |

## Results

Oldham Athletic's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### FA Premier League

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 15 August 1992 | Chelsea | A | 1–1 | 20,699 | Henry |
| 19 August 1992 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–1 | 11,063 | Sharp |
| 22 August 1992 | Nottingham Forest | H | 5–3 | 11,632 | Adams, Sharp, Henry, Halle, Bernard |
| 26 August 1992 | Arsenal | A | 0–2 | 20,796 | |
| 29 August 1992 | Manchester City | A | 3–3 | 27,288 | Jobson, Milligan, Halle |
| 1 September 1992 | Leeds United | H | 2–2 | 13,848 | Olney (2) |
| 5 September 1992 | Coventry City | H | 0–1 | 11,254 | |
| 12 September 1992 | Crystal Palace | A | 2–2 | 11,224 | Olney, Sharp |
| 19 September 1992 | Ipswich Town | H | 4–2 | 11,150 | Marshall, Sharp, Halle, Henry |
| 26 September 1992 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0–2 | 18,393 | |
| 4 October 1992 | Everton | H | 1–0 | 13,013 | Jobson |
| 17 October 1992 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1–2 | 24,485 | Milligan pen |
| 24 October 1992 | Aston Villa | H | 1–1 | 13,457 | Olney |
| 31 October 1992 | Southampton | A | 0–1 | 10,827 | |
| 9 November 1992 | Norwich City | H | 2–3 | 11,081 | Sharp, Marshall |
| 21 November 1992 | Manchester United | A | 0–3 | 33,497 | |
| 28 November 1992 | Middlesbrough | H | 4–1 | 12,401 | Halle, Pointon, Sharp, Adams |
| 5 December 1992 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 2–3 | 11,804 | Adams, Olney |
| 12 December 1992 | Wimbledon | A | 2–5 | 3,386 | Brennan, Milligan |
| 19 December 1992 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2–1 | 11,735 | Sharp, Olney |
| 9 January 1993 | Ipswich Town | A | 2–1 | 15,025 | Brennan, Bernard |
| 16 January 1993 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 0–1 | 13,742 | |
| 23 January 1993 | Coventry City | A | 0–3 | 10,544 | |
| 26 January 1993 | Manchester City | H | 0–1 | 14,903 | |
| 30 January 1993 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–2 | 21,240 | |
| 6 February 1993 | Chelsea | H | 3–1 | 11,772 | Henry, Adams, Brennan |
| 13 February 1993 | Leeds United | A | 0–2 | 27,654 | |
| 20 February 1993 | Arsenal | H | 0–1 | 12,311 | |
| 22 February 1993 | Sheffield United | A | 0–2 | 14,628 | |
| 27 February 1993 | Everton | A | 2–2 | 18,025 | Adams (2, 1 pen) |
| 9 March 1993 | Manchester United | H | 1–0 | 17,106 | Adams |
| 13 March 1993 | Norwich City | A | 0–1 | 19,597 | |
| 20 March 1993 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–2 | 10,946 | Henry, Adams |
| 22 March 1993 | Middlesbrough | A | 3–2 | 12,290 | Bernard, Olney, Ritchie |
| 3 April 1993 | Wimbledon | H | 6–2 | 11,606 | Fashanu (own goal), Bernard, Olney (2), Adams, Beckford |
| 7 April 1993 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–1 | 12,312 | Pointon |
| 10 April 1993 | Liverpool | A | 0–1 | 36,129 | |
| 13 April 1993 | Sheffield United | H | 1–1 | 14,795 | Ritchie |
| 17 April 1993 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–4 | 26,663 | Beckford |
| 2 May 1993 | Aston Villa | A | 1–0 | 37,247 | Henry |
| 5 May 1993 | Liverpool | H | 3–2 | 15,381 | Beckford, Olney (2) |
| 8 May 1993 | Southampton | H | 4–3 | 14,597 | Pointon, Olney, Ritchie, Halle |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 2 January 1993 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 2–2 | 13,389 | Olney, Bernard |
| R3R | 12 January 1993 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 0–3 | 12,525 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 First Leg | 22 September 1992 | Exeter City | A | 1–0 | 4,375 | Henry |
| R2 Second Leg | 7 October 1992 | Exeter City | H | 0–0 (won 1–0 on agg) | 6,269 | |
| R3 | 27 October 1992 | Swindon Town | A | 1–0 | 8,811 | Bernard |
| R4 | 1 December 1992 | Cambridge United | A | 0–1 | 5,488 | |

## Players
### First-team squad

    Squad at end of season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Paul Gerrard |
| — | GK | ENG | Ian Gray |
| — | GK | ENG | Jon Hallworth |
| — | GK | ENG | John Keeley |
| — | DF | ENG | Andy Barlow |
| — | DF | ENG | Craig Fleming |
| — | DF | ENG | Richard Jobson |
| — | DF | ENG | Neil McDonald |
| — | DF | ENG | Neil Pointon |
| — | DF | ENG | Steve Redmond |
| — | DF | WAL | Andy Holden |
| — | DF | NOR | Gunnar Halle |
| — | MF | ENG | Neil Adams |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Nick Henry |
| — | MF | ENG | Andy Ritchie |
| — | MF | SCO | Paul Bernard |
| — | MF | IRL | Mike Milligan (captain) |
| — | FW | ENG | Darren Beckford |
| — | FW | ENG | Ian Marshall |
| — | FW | ENG | Paul Moulden |
| — | FW | ENG | Ian Olney |
| — | FW | ENG | Roger Palmer |
| — | FW | ENG | Neil Tolson |
| — | FW | SCO | Graeme Sharp |
| — | FW | SUR | Orpheo Keizerweerd |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | ENG | Chris Makin (on loan to Wigan Athletic) |