New Latics owner Frank Rothwell has set off for the club’s first game in Torquay on an iconic three-wheel motorcycle.
Pouring rain didn’t deter the owner from posing for photos and meeting fans outside the ticket office at Boundary Park.
It comes after the businessman and his family took over the club in what is understood to be a £12 million deal – clearing the club’s debt.
At an event to mark the journey, bosses revealed that over 1,000 of the 1,300 seats allocated to Latics fans had been sold.
Owner Frank said: “A thousand supporters of Oldham in Torquay – they’re going to hear us in Newquay – and that’s 100 miles down the coast in Cornwall.
“Wow, that is phenomenal – I’m so excited about that. Come on you blues!”
The Grinnall R3T motorcycle, with numberplate CAB1N, features a 2294cc three-cylinder engine and is touted by the manufacturer as the #biggest capacity production motorcycle in the world”.
Speaking of the long journey he and wife Judith had ahead, Frank said: “Judy and myself, we’re seeing this as an adventure on the motorbike, we’re going all the way down to Torquay and we’re not going to go all the way on the motorway.
The rain didn’t deter the owner from meeting fans
“It’s hard not to go to Torquay on the motorway, we’ll miss out most of the M5 until south of Bristol.
“It’s a Triumph Rocket 3, a 2.3 litre engine and it’s converted into a trike, because I’m too old now to have a motorbike, I fell off a motorbike – me and Judy were seriously hurt, so now we have a trike which keeps us upright all the time, and the great thing about it is we can take more luggage with us – Judy can take her hairdryer.
The vehicle stands at nearly three metres long, and over 1.5 metres wide, and Frank has put a trailer on the back of it made from a beer barrel.
Frank said: “That trailer turns more heads than a woman running a marathon topless, I’ll tell you – everybody looks at it!”
The trailer on the back of the motorcycle is made from an old beer barrel
The club will kick off the 2022/23 season away to Torquay United on Saturday, August 6 – the club’s first campaign in the Vanarama National League after it became the first ex-Premier League club to be relegated from the EFL.
Frank added that he’s looking forward to getting to Torquay and meeting all the players and support staff and shaking all of their hands.
Oldham Athletic kick-off against Torquay United on Saturday, August 6, at 3pm at Plainmoor. Standing and seated tickets are still available online.