THE Oldham RL Heritage cabinet at Gallery Oldham has been reshaped afresh and is ready for public viewing from Tuesday, July 11.

The new display will be centred on locally-born players who have made good in the game and will feature scrum-half Mike Ford, a Great Britain international and a tourist Down Under in 1988.

In recent years Mike has enjoyed a successful career in Rugby Union coaching, having worked for Ireland, England and several leading club sides, but now he is back living locally in the vicinity of his birth and, as managing director, he is the new ‘face’ of Oldham RLFC, which he has previously served with distinction as player, coach and player-coach. He was the captain when Hull K.R. were defeated in a remarkable come-back victory for the Roughyeds in the 2nd division Premiership Final at Old Trafford in 1988.

The display will also feature Arthur Lees. George Tyson, Edgar Brooks and Terry Flanagan.

Arthur Lees, from Lees village, made his Oldham debut as an 18-year-old. A half-back, he was appointed club captain in 1898 and became the first Lancashire captain to hold the Challenge Cup aloft after victory over Hunslet at Fallowfield, Manchester in 1899.

George Tyson, a winger, was born in the Tommyfield area in 1879. He topped the Oldham try list over three separate seasons and played and scored in every Test for Great Britain as they won the first RL ‘ashes’ series when Australia toured here in 1908.

Edgar Brooks, a hooker, signed from the Watersheddings junior club in 1933. By 1939, he had won the first of his three England caps. He also played for the Probables against the 1936 tour squad, giving an impressive display and scoring a try. By 1940 Edgar was considered a certainty for the tour to Australia and New Zealand until the second World War caused its cancellation.

Terry Flanagan, loose-forward, a ball-handler supreme, signed from Saddleworth Rangers in the face of extreme competition and, aged 19, became the club’s youngest ever captain. Represented GB at Colts and under-24 levels before winning the first of his four full caps. Toured down under in 1984 when Oldham had a record FIVE players on the trip, including Terry and his fellow Oldhamer, Des Foy.

On display in the cabinet will be shirts, caps and medals as well as imagery of the players involved.

The cabinet is situated at the entrance to Gallery One which features the “Oldham Stories” exhibition.

Many thanks to Karen Heatley and the gallery staff for all of their efforts on this project.

Oldham RLFC have instigated a player-of-the-month award. The scheme started in May, with the winner each month to be chosen by the coaches, based on match performances and commitment to training.

They will be sponsored by Rugby Oldham in conjunction with the club and the Walker family. The award is named in honour of the late Brian Walker — a lifetime Roughyeds fan who was involved when Chris Hamilton and his three fellow directors re-formed the club in 1997 and who was also a founder member of Rugby Oldham, the Supporters’ Trust, in 2005. He was a member of the Trust’s board until his death in 2021. He was also, of course, a founding trustee of the Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust

The winner of each monthly award will receive £250, to be donated to the chosen player’s amateur club or to the charity of his choice.

The first winner for May was Martyn Ridyard with Pat Moran being the recipient for June.

There will also be an end-of-season award for the Brian Walker Trophy.

22nd June 2023

It is with great sadness and sincere condolences that the Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust has learned of the death of the former Oldham player Ben Heaton at the age of 33.

A hugely-talented full-back, centre or wing, family man Ben spent most of his career as a rugby league player with Halifax, but he had two spells at Oldham where his career started as a 20-year-old and finished in 2021 as a 31-year-old. Having played as an amateur for Rochdale Mayfield, Ben made his Oldham debut at Dewsbury on July 26th 2009.

Ben scored 23 tries in 54 games in total for Oldham where, in 2011, he scored 13 tries in 19 appearances and earned the interest of several clubs in the Championship, including Halifax.

His ultimate departure for The Shay was much lamented by Oldham fans who would never forget the try he scored at York in September, 2009 when he was named at right-centre in an injury-hit Oldham side and took only five minutes to score a sensational try in a massive Final Eliminator (play-off) win which set up Roughyeds for a Grand Final appearance.

In seven seasons at Halifax he scored 53 tries in 135 games, mainly in the Championship, and became a firm favourite of the Fax faithful, as he always was in his Oldham days. There was a loan spell at Batley and a relatively brief time at Hunslet and then it was back to Oldham to finish a career that had started here all those years earlier.

In recent times Ben had been coaching the under 11s at Orrell St James’. Despite playing for other clubs and being heavily involved at Halifax from 2012 to 2018, Ben always had a soft spot for Oldham whom he served with distinction on his way up the Rugby League ladder.

The most sincere condolences are sent out to all of Ben’s family and friends at this very difficult time from everyone in the Oldham RL fraternity.

Following on from their victory 26 – 10 against Heysham on June 4th, the Oldham ladies team are in action again against North Wales Crusaders ladies on June 25th in a friendly match to be played at Chester Rugby Union club with a 12 noon kick off. In that first match the scorers were tries from Paige Garvey (2), Becky Hughes, Lisa Greene and Megan Hobin with Becky Hughes also kicking three goals.

The match is part of a ‘double header’ with the North Wales Crusaders mens team taking on Hunslet, kick off 2.30pm. Admission is £12 or £10 concession.

13th June 2023

The Oldham RL Heritage Trust were saddened to hear of the death of the ex Roughyed, Cumbrian forward, Bill McCracken aged 78.

An amateur international, he made his debut for Whitehaven in January 1970 and went on to sign for Oldham in 1973, making a total of 26 appearances for the Roughyeds in which he scored three tries.

Bill then had spells at Workington Town and Blackpool before returning to Whitehaven playing his final game at the Recreation Ground on the 12th April 1982 against Barrow.

He made a total of 117 appearances for Haven.

Bill represented Cumberland in the County Championship on two occasions, both against Yorkshire, in 1972 and 1973.

He coached Whitehaven ‘A’ team and at amateur level he coached, Hensingham, Egremont, Frizington, Lowca and he was the first coach to take charge of the newly formed Smith Brothers RL club in 1996. This was a ground breaking move as they had previously been a rugby union side. 

The condolences and best wishes are sent out to all of Bill’s family and friends.

SOCIAL EVENING

The Oldham RLFC  Players Association are once again proud to present Victor Michael one of the most successful and sought after Tenors in the UK.

Thursday 11^th May 2023 at The White Hart, Lydgate, Oldham.

7pm for a 7.30 pm start.       Tickets: £25 (includes Supper)

PLAYERS ASSOCIATION TUESDAY CLUB

The Oldham Rugby League Family ‘Tuesday Club’ 

The weekly get-together for all former players or supporters of amateur and professional rugby league continues to go from strength to strength at Heyside Cricket Club, running from 12.30pm until 2.30pm on Tuesday afternoons. Admission is free.

It is a chance for friends to meet and enjoy each other’s company for a couple of hours. 

Please pass this on to anyone you think would enjoy attending ‘The Tuesday Club’. Thank you.

The following statements have been published on the Oldham RL website:

OLDHAM RLFC is delighted to announce that a group led by former player and coach Mike Ford and local businessman Mick Harrington has successfully purchased the club.

The recently-announced return of Oldham RLFC to Boundary Park was a key part of the acquisition strategy and, following detailed discussions, we are pleased to have secured a long-term agreement. This will allow the club to lay down roots as well as allowing access to crucial revenue streams as it looks to build an exciting long-term future.

The club would like to place on record its appreciation of the fantastic support given to us by the Rothwell family, Oldham Athletic board and Oldham Council during this whole process.

Today marks the culmination of a years’ worth of discussions and meticulous planning. It is also the start of a new journey for Oldham RLFC. Reflecting on that journey,

Mike Ford said:

“We are really excited about the future of the Roughyeds. It’s close to all our hearts and we know the importance of a vibrant, thriving Oldham Rugby to the town and its people.

“We certainly don’t take our responsibility as club custodians lightly and it’s our vision to give the people of Oldham a rugby league club they can be proud of. A club that they are excited and inspired by and one that they can identify with. We cannot wait to get started.”

Mick Harrington, a lifelong Oldham Rugby fan from Delph whose grandfather played for the club in the 1960s, added:

“This is a historic day for an historic club. We do not want to get ahead of ourselves and we know there is a lot of hard work ahead – but we feel that we can do something special here. Oldham remains a rugby league hotbed and we believe the potential – especially with Boundary Park now as our home – is huge.”

Gary Kershaw, a fellow lifelong Oldham Rugby fan from Denshaw who will join the board, said:

“I think this is absolutely brilliant for the town. I just want to help to get Oldham Rugby back to where it should be. If all the kids from Oldham who have played in Super League had played for Oldham we’d have won three Grand Finals.’

Gary added:

“You support the team where you’re from – it has a place in you heart and I want to give something back.”

Today’s announcement comes at a time when the whole sport is going through a significant period of change. The RFL partnership with IMG hails the start of an exciting time for the game and we believe for Oldham RLFC.

It is clear that off-the-field performance will become an increasingly important success factor and the club is committed to developing a winning team both on and off the field.

Oldham RLFC also believes that supporter engagement and involvement is critical. To our fans: we cannot do this without you. The club is committed to working hand-in-hand and transparently with you.

We also hope to see as many as you as possible at the Good Friday game against Rochdale. Great Friday — as we have called it — marks the start of a new era for this 147-year-old institution and we want you to celebrate a momentous day with us.

We know there are many lapsed supporters in the town. We want you — and your families — back. We want to create new generations of Roughyeds fans. We cannot bring back Watersheddings but we can bring back that Watersheddings spirit. The hard work starts now.

The new board is fully supportive of the current coaching staff and playing squad. We look forward to working with Stuart Littler, Brendan Sheridan, the players and other staff — including our amazing supporter volunteers who are the lifeblood of this club.

Over the coming weeks, the club will be finding its feet and formulating a new management structure. As soon as possible, we will then hold an open public forum. Fans will be invited to meet with the new board of directors and the coaching team, where they will be able to hear more about the club’s vision and plans for the current season and beyond.

Finally, we would also like to thank former owner Chris Hamilton for all his cooperation throughout the acquisition process and for his efforts over the last 25 years.

In a prepared statement, Chris Hamilton said:

“So, my time as owner of Oldham Rugby League Football Club has come to an end. That is probably a sentence I never envisaged I would write given how long I have been involved with the club!

“When I started on this journey 25 and a half years ago, little did I know that it would take over my life and that everything I did would revolve around this club.

“Everybody knows that this has not been a journey full of glory, or of continued success but it has certainly been an eventful one for sure.

“In 1997 I was one of four people who wanted to make sure that professional rugby league in Oldham carried on. Of course, for quite a long time now I have been the only one of those four who was still in place.

“As I think about my time at the club there has been an incredible amount of hard work by a number of people to ensure we still have a club today. I wish to thank everybody who has helped to keep the club going.

“In addition, it would be wrong not to thank all those people and clubs who have helped us by providing grounds for the club to play at since 1997, particularly Stalybridge Celtic when we have been in the Championship and, our current hosts AVRO FC.

“Of course, we have achieved much more than simply maintaining a club. Our promotions to the Championship, the number of Grand Finals we have played in, being one match away from Super League. The list could go on and on.

“However, this is a time for looking forward also. With the new owners coming in, the recently announced move back to Boundary Park, the potential for major development at Melrose Playing Fields, then it is not too hard to think that the club is gaining some traction in moving forward.

“I sincerely wish my successors all the very best in their efforts with the club and hope that all of this positivity currently surrounding the club is rewarded with increased numbers at games to back Stuart Littler, Brendan Sheridan and all the squad as they strive to gain promotion back to the Championship this year. Now wouldn’t that be fantastic — first game back at Boundary Park being a game in the Championship!

“I could go on for a long time in this final statement, but it has all been a bit of a whirlwind and the focus must remain on the team and the upcoming match at North Wales Crusaders this Sunday.

“As for me, I hope to be there, cheering the lads on. I will do whatever I can to help the new owner in the transition at the club and will be looking for a new job too — now that will be strange!’

The Oldham RL Heritage Trust would like to echo the above sentiments in thanking Chris Hamilton for all his efforts over the last 25 years and likewise wish every success to the new consortium.

Oldham won back the Law Cup in dramatic fashion on January 29th 2023 with a late winner against Rochdale Hornets at Whitebank.

The Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust trophy went to Deane Meadows who put in a strong performance and was never far from the action throughout the entire match.

The Hornets looked all set to take the spoils at the Vestacare stadium when leading 14 – 12 deep into injury time but a pinpoint kick from Martyn Ridyard was finished off by a jubilant Joe Hartley who touched down for the match winner. Special credit should also be given to Ridyard, whose ‘three from three’ conversions proved to be the telling factor. The other Oldham tries came from Ethan Ferry and Zac Baker.  

The long period of stoppage time was due to a serious knee injury to new signing Lewis Sheridan and I am sure that the best wishes of all the Oldham RL community are sent to Lewis for a speedy recovery.

Photos by Dave Murgatroyd and Dave Naylor.

4^th December 2022

The Heritage Trust are sad to report the death of former Oldham player Brian Hatherell on Saturday 4th December in Wigan Infirmary .

A talented scrum-half, Brian signed for the Roughyeds from Leigh Colts in the summer of 1958.

He made his first team debut in a 28 – 11 victory over Wakefield Trinity on September 13th 1958 and would go onto make sixteen appearances in the senior Oldham side.

The sincere condolences of the Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust are offered to all of Brian’s family and friends.

Oldham RLFC Anniversary Dinner / Players Association Social.

The organisers have left no stone unturned in bringing to the Roughyeds a glittering array of new and up-and-coming after-dinner talent to entertain everyone at a one-off Oldham RLFC Anniversary dinner.

The guest speaker will be former St Helens and Ireland star Kyle Amor, rapidly making a name for himself as TV pundit, commentator, interviewer and after-dinner speaker.

Alongside him as MC at this prestigious event, held to mark the first 25 years of pro rugby league in Oldham under the ‘Oldham RLFC (1997) Ltd’ banner, will be another up-and-coming talent on the circuit — Pete Emmett from Halifax, who has already worked with the likes of Johnny Vegas, Mike Tyson, Dame Kelly Holmes and Sugar Ray Leonard.

VENUE: The Oldham Event Centre at Boundary Park, smart, welcoming with easy access off Broadway and loads of FREE car parking.

DATE AND TIME: Friday, November 25, 7pm for 7.30pm.

DRESS CODE: Preferably lounge suit – either that or smart casual.

TICKETING: £35 a head including three-course dinner with coffee and mints; Kyle Amor; Pete Emmett; players and coaches in attendance. Tickets can be purchased online via the Oldham RLFC website or by a phone call to the Roughyeds office on 07904 898177.

It’s many a year since Roughyeds had an event to compare with this and the club hopes it will attract a lot of interest, especially as it will mark a majestic milestone (the first 25 years of Oldham RLFC (1997) Ltd.)

Oldham RLFC Players Association present a Social Evening with comedian Austin Knight and Music with Bing Findlater.

The event takes place on Friday 2nd December 2022 at The Springhead Sports & Social Club.

The price is £10 and includes Supper.