Hall of Fame – New Additions!
Six more people are to be inducted into the Oldham RLFC ‘Hall of Fame’ at the gala dinner on June 27th at “The Loom” in Oldham Town Centre.
Five players will be added to the Players ‘Hall of Fame’ and the great administrator Joseph Platt will be added to the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ category. Joe became a committee member in his early twenties in 1885 and by 1887 he was the club treasurer. He was one of the prime movers in the breakaway from the RFU and the setting up of the Northern Union in 1895 and was installed as honorary secretary a position he held until his retirement in 1920. Already in the Roll of Honour at the Rugby Football League, he is regarded as one of the greatest administrators ever to be associated with Rugby League.
Alf Wood (Heritage Number 119) was a fine defensive full back who played 248 games for Oldham in which he kicked 349 goals. He was selected for the 1914 tour to Australia and New Zealand when those qualities were seen in full in the famous ‘Rorke’s Drift Test, when an injury depleted Great Britain team held out against the Kangaroos with Alf providing a resolute last line of defence. He went on to tour again in 1920 aged 36, which makes him the oldest player ever to be selected for the trip.
Bob Sloman (Heritage Number 210) joined Oldham from the Plymouth Albion RU club in 1921 and went on to make 268 appearances scoring 40 tries and four goals. A forceful second-row forward, he was selected to tour ‘Down Under’ in 1924 and 1928 and twice captained the Roughyeds in the Challenge Cup final in the defeat to Swinton in 1926 and the victory over the same club in 1927. He therefore remains the last Oldham skipper to raise the Challenge Cup.
Mick Worrall (Heritage Number 843) came to Oldham from the Crossfields amateur club in Warrington in 1979. A towering second-row forward and useful goal kicker, Mick made his debut at the end of the 79-80 season and would go on to make 173 appearances for Oldham scoring 31 tries and 61 goals . Noted for crunching tackles, he could also cut through the tightest defences as witnessed when he broke the line of the mighty Australians in 1986 to lay on the first Oldham try. He was selected for the 1984 tour.
Des Foy (Heritage Number 869) , a local lad who started his professional career at Widnes, he was soon snapped up by Oldham and became an immediate fans favourite. A devastating runner in the centre position, his 197 appearances for the Roughyeds brought him 96 tries. He was selected for the 1984 tour and won man-of-the-match in the 1988 2nd Division Premiership final against Featherstone at Old Trafford after a fine two try performance.
Neil Roden (Heritage Number 1111) came to Oldham from Wigan in 2000 and was quickly installed into the first team being comfortable in either the scrum-half or stand-off position. He had a spell away from the club in 2005/6 before returning to play until 2013. Neil’s 295 appearances for the Roughyeds are the most of any player in the 21st Century and his 113 tries are the most by any half-back in the club’s history. He was also adept at knocking over drop goals and finished his career with 25 which is second on the all-time list for Oldham.
Tickets for the event cost £45 are available from the link below. Included will be a two course meal and a special 150th anniversary celebration brochure.
https://events.mynethub.com/public/event/69fc560e78137e1b5608d17d/?themeColor=%23E73747