Oldham Athletic's failure to reach the National League play-offs does not just have consequences for the first team but also the club's youth set-up, as it spells the end of the Academy.

Teams relegated from the Football League have a two-year period of grace in which their Academy system can operate as normal.

Funding from the EFL is halved in the second year, but failure to return to the EFL in that two-year timeframe means EFL funded Academy status is surrendered.

The club received £500,000 in funding from the EFL this year but next season, while Oldham's youth system will take the form of a development centre, which will be self-funded and incorporate girls and women's football.

Latics will still hope to attract and develop young footballers with a view to them following in the footsteps of Will Sutton, Harry Vaughan, Benny Couto and Junior Luamba in recent years and play for the first team.

Without the banner of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), which is a youth development scheme initiated by the Premier League and adopted by the EFL with the aim of improving the quality and quantity of home-grown players within the Academy system, Latics will not be entitled to compensation if one of their young players was to be signed by another club, as is the case now.

They will also be involved in an alternative games programme, leaving the EFL Youth Alliance, but The Oldham Times understands that the club anticipates the opposition to still be a of a good standard.