2023–24 Oldham Athletic A.F.C. season

The 2023–24 season is the 129th in Oldham Athletic's history, and the club's second season since dropping out of the Football League. The club will compete in the National League, the FA Cup and the FA Trophy.

Pre-season
Immediately following the conclusion of the 2022–23 season, Oldham announced that 18 of the players contracted for the previous season remained in contract but that nine players would be released and four players who had ended the 2022–23 season on loan would return to their parent clubs. The club also confirmed that negotiations were ongoing to extend the contracts of Devarn Green, Mathew Hudson, Junior Luamba and Josef Yarney.

A new hybrid pitch was laid at Boundary Park, with work commmencing on 8 May 2023 and extending over the summer period, meaning that all but the final pre-season friendly would be played away from Boundary Park.

On 8 June 2023, Paul Murray returned to the club as Academy Manager, resuming a job he had left in 2021.

End of the Unsworth era
The season began with two weeks of contrasting fortunes: a 4–0 defeat away at Southend United being followed by a comprehensive 5–1 win at home to Aldershot Town.

Following this was a run of seven games without a win in which Oldham scored only four goals. The club's board initially stood behind manager David Unsworth, with chairman Frank Rothwell addressing a group of travelling supporters before a 2–2 draw at Gateshead to demonstrate his support for Unsworth. However, discontent amongst the club's supporters continued to grow following a 0–0 draw at home to Dorking Wanderers and Unsworth was dismissed following a 3–0 defeat away at Bromley.

Interim management
Steve Thompson, the club's Head of Recruitment, was appointed as manager on an interim basis following Unsworth's departure, with the club's board confirming that a number of applications for the role of first team manager had been received and that a recruitment process would be followed before an appointment was made.

In the meantime, Thompson appointed Neil Redfearn as his assistant manager, Redfearn returning to Boundary Park where, 32 years earlier, he had scored the most famous goal in the club's history, securing the Second Division title with a last minute penalty kick.

Thompson and Redfearn left the club on 12 October 2023 two days before an FA Cup tie with Altrincham with academy manager Paul Murray taking charge of that match. Then, they won the match 1–0 with Harrison McGahey scoring.

Micky Mellon
Micky Mellon was announced on 13 October 2023 as the club's new first team manager. Mellon sat in the stands for the following day's FA Cup match against Altrincham and took charge of his first match against the team's bitter rivals Rochdale the following week, a match which Oldham would go on to win 4–3.

Mellon led Oldham on a strong run, taking them from 12th in the table into play-off positions for most of January and February. However, a run of one win in fourteen games at the end of the season resulted in a disappointing 10th place finish and to Mellon lamenting that his squad needed "major surgery" for it to challenge for promotion in the following season.

Pre-season fixtures
On 17 May 2023 Oldham Athletic announced six pre-season friendlies to be played before the start of the National League season. Pitch renovation work at Boundary Park meant that the first five fixtures would all be played away from home, with only the sixth and final game able to be played at Boundary Park.

Competitions
Oldham Athletic will play in the National League in the 2023–24 season. It will join the FA Cup at the Fourth Qualifying Round and the FA Trophy at the Third Round.

Matches
Oldham's fixtures were announced on 5 July 2023.

FA Cup
Oldham will join the 2023-24 FA Cup at the Fourth Qualifying Round. Fixtures will take place on the weekend of 14 October 2023, with the draw being made following conclusion of the Third Qualifying Round on the weekend of 30 September 2023.

FA Trophy
Oldham will join the 2023-24 FA Trophy at the Third Round. Fixtures will take place on the weekend of 9 December 2023, with the draw being made following conclusion of the Second Round on the weekend of 18 November 2023

Appearances
Players with no appearances are not included on the list.