October 29th 2025
The Oldham RL Heritage Trust were saddened to learn of the death of former player Colin North.
A centre or stand-off half signed from Batley, Colin made six appearances for the Roughyeds all of them in 1978 in which he kicked eight goals and one drop goal.
He went on to play at Keighley before changing codes to become player-coach at Ossett Rugby Union club.
The sincere condolences of the Oldham RL community go out to all of Colin’s family and friends.
As the Roughyeds prepare for the new season, chairman Bill Quinn in a statement regarding the “Super League” situation has said:
“While disappointed that our own bid has come up just short this time, we feel confident in being as ready as any other club to make the step up and will not stop until Oldham are back amongst the sport’s elite”.
This also brought to mind an occasion when Bill was at the club in June 2008 and literally donned the gloves to take on Rugby League hardman Brad Hepi in a boxing match at the Reebok Stadium boxing arena in Bolton.
It is probably fair to say that the chairman went into the match as second favourite but after three torrid two-minute rounds Bill was voted the unanimous victor by the three ringside judges.
The event came under under the banner of the Steve Prescott Foundation with the proceeds going to the Christie Hospital and Rugby League Benevolent Fund.
Roger Halstead has been inducted into the Oldham RLFC ‘Hall of Fame’.
On Friday October 17th at the Mahdlo centre in Oldham town centre Roger became the first inductee to the new category of Outstanding Contribution.
The award recognises his over sixty years of involvement with the Roughyeds. Of course, most of this time was as the Oldham Chronicle Rugby League reporter, a position which he occupied from 1964 until 2005. However, that was far from the end of Roger’s involvement with Oldham RLFC and to this day one can still read “Roger’s Round Up” on the club website. Proof if it were needed that RH is still a much-respected figure within the Oldham Rugby League Community.
When the award was announced and presented by Terry Flanagan, Roger received a standing Ovation from all of the 250-sell-out attendance.
A review of Roger’s career is included with his ‘Hall of Fame’ entry profile.
The Mahdlo event billed as ‘Tales from the Locker Room – A Rugby Legends Event’ was a great success with all proceeds going to the local charity which is geared to helping the youth of the Oldham area.
As well as Terry, Mick Worrall, Mike Ford, Barrie McDermott, Iestyn Harris, Tom Burgess and Paul Scholes were contributors with Steve Molloy, Neil Flanagan, Geoff Munro and Mark Flanagan also in attendance for what was a most entertaining evening.
It was a case of “as you were – at the double”, as following on from his July success, Adam Milner picked up the August Brian Walker Award and also the ‘Play of the Year’ at the clubs end of season dinner. Once again Adam passed on his £250 to the Katie Synnott Brain Tumour Fight.
Loose forward Milner had a strong end to the season which saw him get coach Sean Long’s vote for the 2025 campaign ‘Player of the Year’ accolade.
The fourth place finish in this year’s Championship table represents the best placing for Oldham RLFC since 2004.
In what was then known as National League One, the Roughyeds came in fourth behind Leigh, Whitehaven and Hull KR. Sadly Oldham were defeated in the play-offs by Featherstone Rovers.
The only other time this century that Oldham have finished so high in the table was in 2001 when, after play-off victories away at Leigh and Rochdale, the Roughyeds lost to Widnes in the final at Spotland.
The ORL Heritage Trust have recently received a 1970s club blazer from the family of Brian Churm which has been kindly donated for inclusion in the 150th anniversary exhibition in 2026.
Brian was a leading amateur player with the Royton club and part of the team that won the Standard Cup three years running in 1957-58-59. In 1959 Brian won the ‘Ben Powell Trophy’ as man-of-the-match in the final. He then went on to coach the Oldham A and B teams in the 1970s.
The blazer has come to the Trust from Brian’s family via Dave (Crazy Horse) Whittaker.
The exhibition will be at “Gallery Oldham” running from January 10th to March 7th 2026.
Loose forward, Adam Milner became the latest recipient of the “Brian Walker Award” when he picked up the accolade for the month of July. A consistent performer all season, Adam has played in 24 out of the 26 senior matches in this campaign.
Adam’s £250 award is being donated to the Castleford based ‘Katie Synott Brain Tumour Fight’. A well-deserved award recognising a deserving cause.
Following on from his success in March, Josh Drinkwater was once more the recipient of the Brian Walker award for May 2025, his £250 donation was again given to the “Rainbow Trust Childrens Charity”. The cheque presentation at the Netpar (Melrose) training facility was made by Mike Kivlin of Rugby Oldham and club MD, Mike Ford.
The June award was presented at Boundary Park at half-time in the recent Sheffield match to George Hirst with club chairman, Bill Quinn doing the honours in company with Brian’s son, Adrian Walker and Tim Hughes of Rugby Oldham. The “Buddies Breast Charity” being the beneficiary of the £250 donation.
Congratulations to Josh and George for their well-deserved recognition.
The latest event organised by the Oldham RL Heritage Trust was held last night (July 10th 2025) at Boundary Park and proved to be another great success.
The guests on the evening were John Donovan, Mick Worrall and Neil Flanagan who reflected on their careers with the Roughyeds in the 1960s, 80s and 90s respectively.
There was a good vibe in the room as John, Mick and Neil entertained the ensemble with with some enlightening stories and anecdotes about their time at the club.
The Players Association were well represented with club MD Mike Ford and Chris Chamberlain the ORLFC Foundation CEO also in attendance.
Special thanks to Joe Warburton of the the Players Association for helping with the screen and sound set-up on the night and the hospitality team at the Boundary Park Events Centre for their help and cooperation.
A great night of Rugby League memories and nostalgia is guaranteed at the next major Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust event at the Broadway Suite on Thursday July 10th.
Oldham stars of the 1960s, 80s and 90s will be there in the shape of John Donovan, Mick Worrall and Neil Flanagan.
Listen to the stories of how John signed in the bleak mid-winter of the 1962-63 season, making his debut in the only match Oldham would play between December 62 and March 63 on a frozen pitch at Widnes. Later that season he played in the last 20,000 plus crowd at Watersheddings against Wigan before going on to play in those epic Challenge Cup semi-finals against Hull KR a year later.
How Mick graduated for the “all-conquering” academy team in the company of the likes of Terry Flanagan, Andy Goodway, Ray Ashton and Paddy Kirwan to become a full Great Britain International and go on the 1984 tour to Australia and New Zealand. He also played a starring roll in the 1986 match against the mighty Kangaroos when the Roughyeds gave the Aussies the fright of their lives under the ’Sheddings lights before going down 16 – 22, the smallest winning margin on the tour.
Teenage Neil had a stern introduction to first team football on his Oldham debut against the star-studded Widnes team including Martin Offiah, Jonathan Davies, Phil McKenzie, Darren Wright and many more top-class names of the era. The match was played on a freezing Watersheddings night in a snow blizzard! After that ‘baptism of fire’, he would go on to be the Oldham captain just two years later and resume as club skipper to lift the Law Cup at the emotional first match for the reformed club on New Year’s Day 1998.
Tickets are £20 and can be booked on 07801 741070 for the event at the Broadway Suite, Boundary Park, including a pie and peas supper, starting at 7.30pm.
