The 2025–26 season was the 131st season in the history of Oldham Athletic Football Club and the club's first season back in EFL League Two since the 2021–22 season following their promotion via the 2024–25 National League play-offs. In addition to the domestic league, the club participated in the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the 2025–26 EFL Trophy.
Oldham finished the season 10th in League Two. This was the club's highest finish in the English football league system since relegation from League One at the end of the 2017–18 season.
After a steady start which saw the club in 14th position at the turn of the year, Micky Mellon's side went on a run of ten games without defeat during February and March, conceding only two goals. Ultimately, however, ambitions of reaching the play-offs fell away with four consecutive defeats during April, resulting in a 10th-place finish.
Mellon agreed a new two-year contract in March 2026 to stay with the Latics until the summer of 2028.
On an individual level, the club received several nominations at the EFL end-of-season awards. Mellon was shortlisted for EFL League Two Manager of the Season and Mathew Hudson was named in the EFL League Two Team of the Season, having kept a club record 19 clean sheets during the league season.
Players First Team Squad
The following players were contracted to the club at the end of the season:
No Pos Nat Name Age Debut App Start Sub Notes 1 GK 141 140 1 0 7 0 2 DF 59 55 4 4 10 0 3 DF 28 19 9 2 3 0 4 MF 67 64 3 3 7 0 5 DF 41 41 0 1 2 0 6 DF 82 81 1 7 11 0 7 MF 15 6 9 2 0 0 On loan from 13 Jan 8 MF 47 46 1 0 7 1 9 FW 172 104 68 53 23 6 10 MF 67 59 8 0 13 0 Captain 11 MF 22 16 6 6 2 0 14 FW 66 38 28 13 20 0 15 FW 55 31 24 8 5 0 16 DF 110 102 8 6 11 0 17 FW 10 9 1 2 2 0 Signed 1 Feb 18 MF 10 4 6 1 1 0 20 DF 74 56 18 2 16 0 21 MF 29 14 15 5 2 0 22 FW 2 0 2 0 1 0 On loan from 30 Jan 23 FW 21 11 10 4 0 0 24 DF 46 45 1 0 9 0 26 MF 40 27 13 2 2 0 Season-long loan 27 MF 50 29 21 0 0 0 28 FW 17 16 1 10 0 0 On loan from 1 Sep 31 GK 15 14 1 0 0 0 33 DF 17 1 0 1 0 0 0 38 MF 1 0 1 0 0 0 39 DF 16 1 0 1 0 0 0 40 DF 13 10 3 2 1 0 Signed 7 Nov
Out on loan The following players were contracted but were loaned to other clubs at the end of the season: No Pos Nat Name Age Debut Apps Starts Subs Notes 18 MF 10 4 6 1 1 0 At Halifax Town 30 FW 14 10 4 2 1 0 At Halifax Town n/a MF 27 9 18 1 3 1 At Macclesfield
Left the club during the season The following players left the club during the season: No Pos Nat Name Age Debut Apps Starts Subs Notes 7 MF 15 11 4 3 0 1 Transferred 2 Jan 17 FW 23 13 10 3 3 0 Transferred 2 Feb 19 MF 30 21 9 4 4 0 Transferred 21 Mar 22 DF 3 2 1 0 0 0 On loan Aug to Jan 25 MF - 0 0 0 0 0 0 On loan Sep to Jan
Transfers and contracts In DatePos.PlayerFromFeeRef. 1 July 2025 CB Donervon Daniels Walsall Free 1 July 2025 CF Kane Drummond Chesterfield 1 July 2025 LM Luke Hannant Gateshead 1 July 2025 LM Josh Hawkes Tranmere Rovers 1 July 2025 LB Jake Leake Hull City 1 July 2025 RM Kieron Morris Tranmere Rovers 1 July 2025 CM Tom Pett Cheltenham Town 7 July 2025 LW Jack Stevens Solihull Moors Undisclosed CDM Ryan Woods Exeter City Free 7 August 2025 CF Joe Quigley Forest Green Rovers Undisclosed LB Jamie Robson 7 November 2025 CB Dynel Simeu Teuta Free 21 November 2025 CM Frankie McMahon-Brown Burnley 1 February 2026 CF Calum Kavanagh Bradford City Undisclosed
Out DatePos.PlayerToFeeRef. 17 July 2025 CM Matt Worthington Torquay United Undisclosed 2 January 2026 CM Harry Charsley Truro City Free 2 February 2026 CF Joe Quigley Bristol Rovers Undisclosed 21 March 2026 LM Luke Hannant Rochdale Free
Loaned in DatePos.PlayerFromUntilRef. 8 July 2025 CM Kai Payne Wigan Athletic 31 May 2026 11 August 2025 CB Charlie Olson Blackburn Rovers 2 January 2026 1 September 2025 CF Michael Mellon Burnley 31 May 2026 2 September 2025 CM Harley O'Grady-Macken Blackburn Rovers 13 January 2026 CM Kane Taylor Aston Villa 30 January 2026 LW Fábio Jaló Barnsley
Loaned out DatePos.PlayerToUntilRef. 4 September 2025 LM Josh Kay Macclesfield 31 May 2026 4 October 2025 SS Billy Waters Altrincham 3 January 2026 21 January 2026 CB Will Sutton Solihull Moors 18 February 2026 23 January 2026 CF Kian Harratt Brackley Town 25 April 2026 27 January 2026 RM Kieron Morris FC Halifax Town 17 February 2026 SS Billy Waters
Released / Out of Contract DatePos.PlayerSubsequent clubJoin dateRef.30 June 2025 CM Dan Gardner Radcliffe 1 July 2025 LB Mark Kitching York City CB Charlie Raglan Barrow LM Joe Pritchard Rochdale 10 July 2025 CF Kurt Willoughby Kidderminster Harriers LW Otis Khan Kelantan Red Warrior 12 July 2025 CM Josh Lundstram Eastleigh 14 July 2025 CF Alex Reid Hartlepool United 17 July 2025 James Norwood Fleetwood Town 18 July 2025 LW Jesurun Uchegbulam Eastbourne Borough 22 July 2025 CB Shaun Hobson RM Kofi Moore CF Joe Nuttall
New Contract DatePos.PlayerContract untilRef.20 June 2025 GK Tom Donaghy 30 June 2027 GK Mathew Hudson 30 June 2028 30 June 2025 CF Joe Garner 31 December 2025 CM Oli Hammond 30 June 2027 CB Will Sutton 4 July 2025 CF Mike Fondop 31 December 2025 CF Joe Garner 30 June 2026 9 January 2026 CB Dynel Simeu
Pre-season and friendlies On 13 June, Oldham Athletic announced three pre-season friendlies, against Dundee United, Bradford City and Curzon Ashton.
Competitions Overall record
EFL League Two
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Matches On 26 June the EFL League Two fixtures were revealed.
FA Cup
Oldham were drawn at home to Northampton Town in the first round and away to Milton Keynes Dons in the second round.
EFL Cup
As a newly promoted League Two side, Oldham will enter the EFL Cup in the preliminary round, due to the number of Premier League teams being involved in European competitions. They would face Accrington Stanley.
EFL Trophy
Oldham were drawn against Bolto Wanderers, Rotherham United and Manchester City U21 in the group stage.
Statistics Appearances and goals Players with no appearances are not included on the list; italics indicate a loaned in player
|colspan="14"|Players who featured but departed the club during the season:
References