Last season's average league gate plummeted by 16% - or just over 1,000 fans per game - and cost the Latics an estimated £345,000 in revenue.

The average attendance was 5,327, compared with 6,334 the previous year, and was the lowest since season 2000/2001.

Managing director Simon Corney told the Oldham Chronicle: "We will stem the flow and keep the team competitive, but there comes a point when you can't swim against the tide any longer.

"You've got to ask whether Oldham can sustain a League One club - do the people want to come here and give us the help we need?

"I hear various reasons for people not coming to games but, to be honest, I think most of them are easy excuses. We've tried everything to get more fans into the ground and these schemes don't seem to work, which is also the case at most other clubs."