FORMER Oldham Athletic boss Paul Scholes has backed Latics to bounce back after being relegated from the Football League, but warned it could take time.

Defeat to Salford City, a club co-owned by Scholes, consigned Oldham to the National League with two games of the 2021/22 season to spare. Scholes, a boyhood Oldham fan, took charge of his hometown club in February 2019 but lasted just 31 days in the role before quitting amid issues with owner Abdallah Lemsagam, and the club’s hierarchy.

And in sympathising with Latics and in light of his own experience with the club, he also said there needed to be better governance of football club ownership, with Latics on a downward spiral under the Lemsagam regime, suffering two relegations in four years.

“I think there probably needs to be stronger regulations to how owners get into owning football clubs,” said Scholes.

“We’ve seen bad management has resulted in Bury going out of existence and we don’t want the same to happen to Oldham. It’s a town that’s in a sad place football-wise at the minute.”

Manchester United legend Scholes was at Boundary Park on Saturday to witness the club’s demise from the opposition directors’ box.

He is hopeful of a swift recovery, but warned that is easier said than done in an increasingly competitive league from which only two teams are promoted.

“They’re out of the Football League and there’s a lot of clubs it happens to,” said the 47-year-old.

“They’re capable of coming back to where they should be which is definitely [in] the Football League.

“There are a lot of clubs in the National League similar to Oldham, bigger clubs than Oldham as well.

“It’s going to take time to get back but we’re all hopeful that it happens straight away and the sooner the better.

“It’s going to be very difficult to do that, but fingers crossed it happens quickly.”

Meanwhile, Oldham have threatened to ban supporters who are identified as participating in Saturday’s pitch invasion.

The home game with Salford was delayed by almost two hours after hundreds of fans stormed the pitch at Boundary Park.

Latics were trailing 2-1 at the time, with no change to the scoreline when play eventually resumed, resulting in the club being relegated from the Football League for the first time in its 126-year history.

Club officials are now looking at footage to identify individuals involved in disrupting the game.

A club statement read: “Oldham Athletic is carrying out an investigation on the pitch invasion that occurred in the last home fixture against Salford City.

“The Club will again liaise with Greater Manchester Police and efforts are being made to identify those who encroached onto the pitch, which is a serious criminal offence.

“Several persons have already been identified and it is almost certain when appropriate club bans will be issued.”