Thousands of Oldham Athletic supporters lined the street leading up to Boundary Park on Saturday to commemorate the club’s first home game of the season in a celebration that new Latics owner Frank Rothwell called ‘special’.

Supporters dressed in blue, wearing flat caps and waving banners lined Sheepfoot Lane for a memorable and noisy procession ahead of the Latics' first home game of the season against Dorking Wanderers.

New Latics owner Frank Rothwell asked fans for a ‘carnival’ atmosphere to commemorate a new era for the club and celebrate new beginnings during the pre-match procession.

And Latics fans did not disappoint as they flocked to the street in their droves amid baking hot sunshine to chant, sing and celebrate.

Frank’s ‘flat cap army’ marched along to the beat of a brass band all the way from the top of Sheepfoot Lane to Boundary Park in time for the 5.20pm kick-off where the Latics ultimately won against Dorking Wanderers by 3-2.

Frank led the procession with his wife Judith, son Luke and daughter Sue Schofield as well as Darren Royle, the son of legendary former manager, Joe Royle, who attended the match but did not make it to the procession.

There were some well-known faces walking among the crowd, including the Latics' owl mascot and a handful of Oldham councillors such as council leader Amanda Chadderton and her predecessor Arooj Shah.

The brass band from Greenfield led the procession into the stadium where Frank himself gave a speech and local singer and member of Oldham charity Mahdlo Youth Zone, Maddison Peacock, sang the National Anthem.

Frank said he decided to make the procession a proper event after hearing a supporters group was planning on marching down the street.

He said: "The Rothwell family has only owned the club now for 16 days. It's been a bit of a whirlwind.

“I heard one of the supporters' groups was planning on marching down Sheepfoot Lane.

"I thought myself and the club have a responsibility when your supporters decide to come to a football match not in their normal manner.

"So I decided to make it a proper club event, which is something I'm used to with the band contests in Greenfield.”

He said he arranged the march with the council to ensure the procession had the right amount of stewarding – but was surprised to have his own bodyguards.

"I had three stewards looking after my welfare”, he said.

On the procession itself, the army didn’t march until later than planned because Frank was running late.

He added: "I didn't think that everyone would participate in it and would be there.

“But what happened was I late.

"The procession was due to start at 4 o'clock and at 10 to four I was still in the Joe Royle Stand, so I had to leg it round and get up there.

"There wasn't one supporter in the stadium, they were all outside either walking or standing at the side of the road to show their appreciation.

“That was special, I've never seen anything like that before.

"I've seen enthusiastic and more enthusiastic processions or marches when they've been protesting, but not celebrating, that was special.

“I think everybody involved there will remember that forever, for all of their lives.

"Thank you to everybody that participated in that, thank you very much indeed.

"The problem was the band set off at marching speed, we were sauntering. They left us”.

The match saw 8,412 fans pile into Boundary Park – 8,312 of which were Latics fans.