We've got a special treat for you this week - an interview with the one and only Chaddy (or Wayne Hurst as some people might know him).
We really appreciate Chaddy taking time out from his busy schedule and we hope you enjoy finding out more about the man behind the mask - he's a hoot.
When did you first start going to Latics?
I have been going for as far back as I can remember. I have been brought up with blue blood, my dad has always been a fan and so was my grandad.
I have never really asked my dad when my first ever game was - more down to the fact he can’t remember what he had for his tea unless my mum tells him - but I think it would have been around the early 1970’s. I have just always felt the club is part of my life, even when I was growing up in Heywood and being one of only two people in the school who were Oldham fans, everyone was either City, United or Liverpool fans, so I endured a school life of mocking for my love of the team.
Just seems ironic that our family moved to Oldham in 1989 just as we hit the good times, but I didn’t get chance to wind up my old school mates, and all of my new school mates were Oldham fans, so we enjoyed the good times together.
What's your favourite Latics memory?
There have been so many as a fan.
Wembley, the pinch me season, THAT penalty! But in all honesty, my favourite ever memory was taking my son to his first ever game - Walsall at home in 2004. We won the game 5 - 3, he was just 2 years old, and he was fixated with the big owl running round. He has been hooked ever since.
As Chaddy, there have been hundreds of amazing memories, some about the football, and some involve me getting into trouble in one way or another, but my all-time favourite memory is easy, the City game which we won 1 - 0 when Scott Vernon scored.
The atmosphere was electric, we went into the game as proper underdogs, the day was full of fun including me getting a fair few mascots over to the game including Moonchester from City. We even invited Lofty the Lion from Bolton, and he lived up to his reputation of being the most obnoxious mascot around, so we may have done one or two things to him to wind him up (I couldn’t possibly disclose them without getting myself into trouble).
I even managed to get called a fairly nasty name by David James for going to shake his hand them pulling away when he tried, much to my own amusement, he was honestly fuming at me. I still believe he was thinking about that when the ball came in and that’s what helped up to win (if only that was true).
When did you become Chaddy?
In 2004 when the previous Chaddy stepped down they advertised on Granada Reports that they were looking for a new Chaddy. When they announced it, a few of my work colleagues said “You are stupid enough to do that”, and having seen how much my son Christopher had loved the owl at the recent game I knew I had to do it, and that was where it all began.
I contacted the club to say I was interested, they asked me to turn up to speak to them, it was Sean Jarvis at the time and Christine who ran the shop. I turned up on the day, and was surprised to see there were loads of people there. I got interviewed by them, I had to tell them why I would be ideal, I think they were just seeing what sense of humour I had with the questions they asked. Then I was asked to put on the suit and entertain them. I was showing them how fast I could run as Chaddy, and Gordon Lawton said “Can you do a cartwheel”, I said “I can if a car hits me hard enough”, I think I won him over with that as he had a wicked sense of humour, as I found out many times over the years.
Anyway, I got a call the next day off Sean asking me if I would take the role as they really liked what they had seen. I picked up the suit on Halloween day 2004, I brought it home, and thought it would be hilarious to put it on and run next door where my neighbours were having a kids Halloween party, the kids went mental with excitement, and that was when I realised just what the role was about.
My first full game was Barnsley at home. Andy Ritchie and Ricky Holden were in charge of Barnsley at the time. I remember standing in the tunnel absolutely petrified before I went out. Andy told me to go out and enjoy it, and that’s exactly what I did. Once you get out on the pitch its like a switch gets flicked and I just become a wind up merchant and I like to cause mischief. By the way, we won the game 3 - 2, so what a way to kick off my career.
What's the best bit about being Chaddy?
Absolutely without a doubt it is the look on kids facing when I come strolling over to them. You know instantly if a child is happy to see you or petrified, or just inquisitive.
There are people now that I see out and about who I first met when they were babies, when people find out what I do they turn up the next time they see me with pictures from when they were babies or very young with me as Chaddy.
Young children don’t go to football to watch the game, they go to see Chaddy running around and being silly, so when I walk over their faces light up, and nothing had ever come close to that feeling for me.
Obviously I am a huge football fan and love to play a bit as well, so being Chaddy has meant that I have always got to play in the staff team against fans, imagine being that lad who gets to walk into a dressing room with your boyhood heroes and walk out onto the pitch and play on the same team as them. I have to add that I have also scored a fair few goals in the Chaddy End in those games, that feeling never gets old.
Although I did once tell John Sheridan I was having a free kick instead of him, much to the amusement of Tommy Wright. I also got called a cheeky so and so from Richie Wellens for megging him in a game.
What do you think about Frank taking over and what that means for the club?
Absolutely no question at all that I would not be back as Chaddy without Frank having taken over the club. I got wind that he was taking over before it was made official, and I was giddy at the thought of it, just because I know what he does for this town.
I have worked at Mahdlo Youth Zone for over 10 years supporting young people and Frank was one of the founders so he totally gets what Oldham is about so who better to take over the club. And I think the interview at the Dorking game when he laughed at United tells you all you need to know about the guy, he is just the perfect man for the club.
On the night before the first game he called into Mahdlo to say hello to all the young people, and he brought in some tickets for the game. He got introduced to me and he was told I was the previous Chaddy, he asked if I would be interested in coming back, and the rest is history. If anyone can get us back up the leagues then Frank can, but I think it wont be as easy a ride as people had hoped for. This is a tough league.
Even in the short time back here you can feel the lift the club has had, I am seeing people at the ground that haven’t been there for years, sponsors who have done so much for me personally, and also the club are back and wanting to be involved. Its just a breath of fresh air that Frank has brought back.
Where do you think we'll finish in the league this season?
I would love to say we will go up as Champions but I just think the team needs time to rebuild and gel. I believe Shez is the man to do that and with Frank in control, I don’t see us having the off field disruptions we have had previously under the circus (sorry, typo…previous owners).
I expect we will do the same as Wrexham last season and get ourselves up there but narrowly miss out, but I am praying that this is the season we get promotion.
This is a tough league to get out of and there is a lot of money thrown at other teams that have still struggled. I cant take more than one season of being abused by my work colleagues as I work in Stockport and I can’t see them coming down this season.
What do you think about Her Game Too and what that means for women and girls who like football?
I have so much time and respect for HGT, not only because I know all of our representatives at Latics who are all amazing people, but because women’s football gave me the start in football coaching that I wanted.
I spent my life playing, and when I started as Chaddy I got asked to be involved with the Oldham Athletic girls football teams. They put me through my Level 1 coaching badge and from there I went on to have an amazing journey coaching some unbelievable teams and even got into scouting for a Premier League team.
The buzz around womens football these days is infectious and it is inspiring to see more and more girls and women coming to games.
With a bit of luck the England mens team can take some inspiration from what the womens team achieved this summer and go on to do well this winter.
Oldham has always been a club where everyone is included so it just feels right that we are the ones shouting it from the rooftops and setting the example for all to see.
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