| Summary : Boundary Park was known as the Athletic Ground when it was laid out in 1896 for Oldham's first professional club, Oldham County. When County folded in 1899, Pine Villa took over the ground and changed their name to Oldham Athletic. Within a year the club had fell out with the landlord and decamped to a field a few hundred yards away, called Hudson Fold. As local interest grew the Latics decided to return to the more spacious Athletic Ground in 1906. Boundary Park, as it later became known, had two stands in its early days. On Sheepfoot Lane stood a pitch-roofed stand with a mock Tudor viewing gallery mounted on the roof. Opposite was the Flat or Broadway Stand, built in 1907 when Oldham were elected to the League. The Main Stand was replaced by the current Main Stand in 1913 after only seven years' use. In 1928 a cover was erected over the Chadderton Road End of the ground whilst in 1971 the Broadway Stand was replaced by a remarkably similar modern version. After the installation of an artificial pitch in 1986, Oldham developed the ground as a community sports centre and the team won promotion to the First Division during the five seasons the pitch remained in place. In 1991 the Chadderton Road Stand was reprofiled, seated and re-clad whilst in the following year the Rochdale Road Stand was built on the existing banking. During this period of post-Taylor re-development seats were added to the paddock of the Broadway Stand. |