BOUNDARY Park is set to be a lot quieter after an army of fans vowed to stay away over a new club dispute.

The Athleticos have been the driving force behind recent on-field demonstrations, instigating recent pitch invasions and throwing tennis balls onto the pitch to disrupt the Carabao Cup tie with Accrington Stanley.

But while those scenes have obviously been unwelcome by the club, the same group have helped to generate an electric atmosphere - most notably in the cup win over Accrington - that drew praise from head coach Keith Curle, his staff and players.

However, after being told by the club to remove their banners that adorn the stands until further notice, the group of around 100 fans have said they will not attend home games.

In a post on social media, the Athleticos said: “Unfortunately we have received communication from the club to state that our banners and flags will no longer be allowed into Boundary Park until further notice.

“Due to an attempt by the club to sanitise protests against the ownership we have been penalised and subsequently so has the colour in the terraces.

“We believe now more than ever our team needs our support, and our belief has always been to sing our hearts out whether we’re winning or losing, we cheer on the boys from start to finish.

“This should be the club’s priority but unfortunately not, it’s flags.

“As a result we will no longer attend home games until this has been overturned.

“We have clarified this with the club and will await their confirmation that these restrictions have been lifted before returning.”

The development comes after representatives of supporters’ trust the Oldham Athletic Supporters Foundation and fans’ group Push The Boundary met with owner Abdallah Lemsagam.

Both groups expressed frustration at the discussions held across 90 minutes via Zoom on Tuesday and are awaiting a response from the club on some issues to arise.

 OASF posted on social media: “We are concerned by this. It appears the club are more concerned about eradicating symptoms rather than addressing the root causes. We will reach out directly to @OA95Athleticos to see what we can do. Until then we await the club’s response to Tuesday's meeting.”

PTB said: “We have seen the communication from the Athleticos this morning regarding the removal of banners and flags from the ground.

“It’s disappointing yet again to see the club reacting to an issue by trying to eradicate it, rather than deal with the root cause of why it’s happening to start with. It widens the gap even more between supporters and the club hierarchy.
“On the back of this, we are firmly in the belief that the only way this club will have a stable future is with new ownership at the helm.

“Ownership that has the best interest of the supporters, the club and the town at the heart of everything they do.”