Oldham Athletic AFC was formed as Pine Villa Football Club in 1895, though the club changed its name in 1899 to Oldham Athletic Football Club. The club immediately gained professional status and played in both the Lancashire Combination and Lancashire League. Unlike many clubs, Oldham gained quick success and joined the Football League in 1907–08. After three years in the Second Division, they gained promotion to the First Division.  Oldham also reached the FA Cup  semi-finals during the 1912–13 season but lost 1–0 to Aston Villa. Following the return of competitive football after the First World War, Oldham struggled to recapture their early success before they returned to the Second Division in 1923 - it would be another 68 years before they played top tier again.  Worse was to follow: they finished 21st at the end of the 1934–5 season which saw them relegated to the Third Division North where they remained  until after the Second World War. Promotion was finally won in 1953 but this was followed by relegation the following year.  Oldham were founding members of a newly formed Fourth Division in 1958.  In the following season they finished in the 23rd position – their lowest position to date, and had to apply for re-election. Things improved in the 1960s and during the 1962–63 season, Oldham Athletic again gained promotion to the Third Division where they remained until relegated in 1969.   They finished third in 1970-71  earning promotion back to the Third Division. In 1973–74 Oldham were champions and returned to the Second Division for the first time in 21 years.  Under Joe Royal, who was appointed in 1982, Oldham enjoyed their most successful period. They reached the 1990 Football League Cup Final where they lost to Nottingham Forest.  The following season they won the Second Division title and returning to First Division for the first time in 68 years. In their first season back in the top flight, the club finished in 17th and became one of the founding members of the newly-formed Premier League. Oldham were relegated at the end of the 1993-94 season. Relegation to Division Two followed at the end of the 1996–97 season and the club remained in the third tier (renamed League One) dogged by financial insecurities and narrowly avoiding liquidation until relegated to League Two on 5 May 2018. The following season Oldham Athletic were relegated again this time out of the English Football League. They currently compete in the National league, the fifth tier of English football.