Back in the second division for the first time since 1910, Oldham finished around the top half for several seasons before narrowly missing out on promotion by two points in 1930 to Chelsea. Mid-table finishes followed until 1935 when the team ended 21st in table and were relegated to the Third Division (North) for the first time in their history. Successive top five finishes occurred at the new lower level until the outbreak of the Second World War saw the cancellation of the domestic league programme.