DARREN Royle says Oldham Athletic is looking into the prospect of greater fan involvement with the football club.

In what is a stark contrast to the last four years of the ill-fated Abdallah Lemsagam regime, when supporters felt increasingly distanced and frustrated by a lack of communication from the ownership, the door has been flung back open to them at Boundary Park.

Royle had already engaged with leading members of the most prominent supporters' groups before the takeover was announced last month to inform them of the proposals and targeted four-week timescale.

While on the day that the Rothwell family, headed by new club chairman Frank, were unveiled at a press conference more were invited to hear the news first-hand around an hour before the official announcement last Thursday.

The Oldham Athletic Supporters' Foundation had a three per cent share under Lemsagam and it is understood there has been no change to that arrangement since the takeover.

Royle, the club's new chief executive, says the new owners and board are now exploring opportunities for the club to grow, and that includes rebuilding Latics' relationship with its supporters.

"There's scope for everything and the supporters play a part in that for the future," he said.

"There are a lot of supporters groups that have said 'what about fan ownership?' It's a really interesting topic at the moment with the Fan-Led Review (of Football Governance) and Tracey Crouch's report."

But Royle said the first priority was to keep the football club afloat for the fans.

"I think it was going to become difficult. That's not having a go at anyone in particular, it was just going that way.

"It was a good time to do it let's just say," he explained.

"It was survival first and then looking to revive the business and there's a whole host of opportunities that are brought to the table now because the stadium is part of it.

"There are various income streams within that which will come into the club so that's going to help on a day-to-day basis to make sure the club isn't losing lots of money.

"But the main thing we've got to remember at the moment is we've got to get a group of 10 new players assimilated into a team and we've got to try to have as best a season as we can and try to support John and the lads on the pitch.

"To get the deal done, to try to settle the place down and to look at the future now and some medium to long-term plans around it is the way to do it."