An Oldham MPs has called for an end to "rogue owners" using football clubs "as their personal playthings" following the relegation of Oldham Athletic over the weekend.

The Latics became the first founding member of the Premier League to fall out of the Football League on Saturday, April 23, when a 2-1 loss to Salford City sealed their fate.

The game was temporarily abandoned as fans stormed the pitch in protest against the club's owner, Abdallah Lemsagam.

On Monday (April 25), a debate was held in the House of Commons focusing on the fan-led review carried out by the government into football governance in England.

MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth Debbie Abrahams expressed her concern at the delay of the review's implementation and said the club's relegation to the National League had "hit many of the town's fans hard".

Asking on behalf of fellow Oldham MPs Angela Rayner and Jim McMahon, Mrs Abrahams asked sports minister Nigel Huddleston if he could clarify the time frame for tackling ownership problems in football.

She asked: "Can the Minister be more specific about how long it will take to reverse the position of wealth sitting at the top of football and failing to be redistributed down to the lower leagues, and of allowing rogue owners to use clubs as their personal playthings?"

Mr Huddleston, who serves a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society, said he had "a great deal of sympathy for Oldham fans".

He continued by saying many of the proposals outlined in the review "should help to ensure that that kind of situation does not happen in future".

Mr Huddleston also added that the review displayed "progress" and pushed back on claims the review had been delayed, insisting things were moving forward.

Oldham's other MPs reacted on Twitter to the club's relegation on Saturday.

Jim McMahon, MP for Oldham West and Royton, described it as a "tragic day for our football club and town" and called for the ownership situation to be "resolved as a matter of urgency".

MP for Ashton-under-Lyne and Failsworth Angela Rayner said she expressed solidarity with the fans and said it was "devastating to see true fans paying the price for others’ mistakes".

Speaking at the opening of his family's new gym on Tuesday, former Oldham manager Paul Scholes said it would be "very difficult" for the club to get back into the Football League, but said they were "capable" of doing so.

Owner Lemsagam, who bought Oldham back in 2018, remains "committed to selling the club" according to the club's statement following its relegation.

The statement continued by saying: "There is a clear process in place for interested parties. Each bidder has been asked to sign an NDA and provide proof of funds. Conversations with those qualified bidders are ongoing and will continue.

Since purchasing the Latics, Lemsagam has never won fans over due to his approach and the team's falling fortunes, culminating in the relegation to the fifth division.