While all the talk in Manchester at the moment is around Man United's plans for a new 100,000-seater stadium, they aren't the only club in the region to be looking at stadium redevelopment options.
Oldham Athletic, who have endured an alarming fall from grace from the Premier League to non-league over the past 33 years, have revealed their own exciting stadium plans this week but there will be no 200-metre tridents coming to Boundary Park any time soon.
A £70m plan to transform Boundary Park
In plans unveiled by Oldham Athletic and Oldham Council, Boundary Park and the surrounding area is set for major redevelopment with new sports facilities, a netball stadium and a 3G pitch all on the agenda in the coming years.
The ambitious plans, which will cost around £70m in full, has several aims but at the heart is the desire to create better sports and health facilities for people in the local area and to create higher and further education opportunities for students through training and apprenticeship programmes.
To kick things off, the project has received a £5m donation from the government's Community Regeneration Fund and Oldham Council are hopeful that the rest of the money will be earned through private investment.
In case you missed it ⚡️ Oldham Council is investing £5 million to kickstart the £70 million SportsTown project at Boundary Park!
That means better sports, education & health facilities for local people 🙌
Read on: https://t.co/t1Aob3ffDU 🌟 #LoveOldham #SportsTown pic.twitter.com/lIM6R02q9n
— Oldham Council (@OldhamCouncil) March 19, 2025
Leader of Oldham Council, Arroj Sah, said:
“Sport runs through the veins of Greater Manchester and Oldham is no exception. It's right that we tap into that. But this project isn’t just about sport, it’s about creating real opportunities for everyone in our town.
This is a big deal for our town and will bring investment, jobs and world-class facilities that will benefit generations to come.”
A plan to ‘put Oldham on the map'
Although at this stage there is no guarantee that the remaining £65m required to complete the project will be found, Oldham Athletic's chairman, Frank Rothwell, is already looking forward to what the development could mean for the town. He said:
“Oldham has always punched above its weight in sport, and we're not stopping now. This funding is going to set things in motion for something truly game-changing. We're no there to mess about – we're here to build a legacy, give young people real opportunities, and put Oldham on the map for sport, health and education. This is just the beginning.”