During the 2002–03 season, Oldham Athletic A.F.C. mounted a strong push for promotion in the Football League Second Division under manager Iain Dowie. Driven by the heavy investment of owner Chris Moore, the Latics put together an impressive run, losing just eight league matches all year and finishing 5th with 82 points to qualify for the promotion play-offs. However, their promotion dreams were shattered in the playoff semi-finals, where they were eliminated 2–1 on aggregate by Queens Park Rangers. The heartbreak on the pitch was immediately compounded by financial disaster off it; Moore abruptly withdrew his funding, forcing the club to sell its top players at bargain prices and plunging Oldham into administration by the summer of 2003.