The Heritage Trust were sad to learn the news that ex-roughyed Reg Bailey (Heritage number 600) passed away at the grand old age of 94.
Reg was signed from the local Lowermoor club in 1952 and made two first team appearances for Oldham, one of these being a try scoring debut against Liverpool City on March 2nd 1957 as the team went on to be league champions.
He then signed for Rochdale at the start of the 1957-58 season. Reg went on to play a total of 67 games for the Hornets scoring 7 tries and was a member of the side that came within a whisker of reaching the 1958 Challenge Cup final after going down to Wigan 5 – 3 in the semi-final. The condolences of everyone at the Oldham RL Heritage Trust go out to all of Reg’s family and friends.
The club record for ‘points in a match’ was broken on Sunday August 11th in the 84 – 0 victory over Newcastle when newly signed wingman Kieran Dixon scored 3 tries and 12 goals to register 36 points.
This supersedes the 34 which was shared by Andy Ballard, Chris Baines and Lewis Palfrey. Andy got the record first in May 2009 with Chris equalling it four months later. Then Lewis also got that total in August 2015.
Kieran Dixon (left) and Cian Tyrer in action against Newcastle. (Photos Dave Murgatroyd)
Also, in the same match, the five tries scored by Cian Tyrer took his total for Oldham this season to 27, which is the best haul this century surpassing the 25 touchdowns scored by Nick Johnson in 2004.
The Heritage Trust are sad to report the death of former Oldham player Terry Garrett (Heritage Number 725).
A talented, goal-kicking centre, Terry had played for the local St Anne’s club before turning professional with the Roughyeds and was briefly on the books at Oldham Athletic.
He made his debut on Boxing Day 1969 at Swinton and went on to play 42 first team matches for Oldham scoring seven tries and 100 goals.
The sincere condolences of the Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust are offered to all of Terry’s family and friends.
The Players association continues to go from strength to strength with their growing membership very evident on match days at Boundary Park and also very visible at the away games as the Roughyeds had to endure a lengthy period on the road throughout May and June.
The Tuesday club, now held at the ‘Fox and Pine’ in the town centre, is proving to be very popular. Former club chairman John Chadwick was a recent guest speaker at the popular venue.
At the recent home match against Keighley the ex-players were out in force with Heritage Certificates presented to former Roughyeds: Michael Fogerty, Steve Patterson, Lucas Onyango, Steve Molloy and Valu Bentley. The presentations were made by Oldham RL legends, Mike Elliott and Phil Larder.
Left to right: (at the Oldham v Keighley match on July 21st) Phil Larder, Steve Patterson, Steve Molloy, Lucas Onyango, Michael Fogerty, Valu Bentley and Mike Elliott (photo Dave Murgatroyd)
Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e and Danny Craven are the most recent winners of the Brian Walker Award.
Phoenix has performed consistently well at full-back since his debut at Hunslet in April and at the time of writing has scored ten tries from his twelve appearances. The £250 was given to the ‘Talk You Walk Foundation’.
Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e receives the cheque from club Chairman, Bill Quinn.
Danny has got better and better as the season has progressed and was an obvious choice for the June award after his match winning performance at North Wales at the beginning of the month, and consistent displays ever since. He also has ten tries, seven goals and of course that late, match winning, drop goal down at Colwyn Bay. His donation has gone to the Willowbrook Hospice.
Once again it’s Chairman Bill handing over the cheque to the June winner Danny Craven.
Following on from the Brian Walker Award to Cian Tyrer in the last news article, former Roughyeds favourite, Bill Broomhead, received his Heritage Certificate from the ‘Latics’ chairman Frank Rothwell later in the day in the Broadway Suite. Then after what seemed like an eternity on the road the Roughyeds returned for a home fixture at Boundary Park on June 30th to play Hunslet.
Bill Broomhead receives his Heritage Certificate from Frank Rothwell with Rob ‘Two Bobs’ Roberts seen in Challenge Cup action against Wakefield in 2008.
This coincided with the club’s Armed Forces Day and the attending crowd kept an impeccably observed silence as ‘The Last Post’ was played before the kick-off. In attendance at the match to receive his Heritage Certificate was former club captain Rob ‘Two Bobs’ Roberts.
The Oldham and Hunslet teams line up with veterans and representatives of the Armed Forces at Boundary Park on June 30th 2024.
In form winger, Cian Tyrer deservedly won the April Brian Walker Award after a superb effort which brought him eleven tries in the three games Oldham played in the calendar month, including a wonderful ‘six of the best’ in the match at Hunslet on April 7th. Add to that the fact he also kicked seven goals in those three matches and it is little wonder that Cian got the vote. The £250 prize was passed on to Macmillan Cancer Support.
It is expected that the May award will be presented at the Hunslet match at Boundary Park on June 30th.
Oldham chairman Bill Quinn presents the cheque to Cian Tyrer for the April 2024 ‘Brian Walker Award’.
Following on from the wonderful evening at the club’s ‘Celebration Dinner’ at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on April 26th, the Players Association presented a musical, social evening at the the White Hart, Lydgate on May 9th.
M.C. Michael ‘Braddy’ Bradshaw with Jason Robinson at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
The club dinner at the QE Hall featured the dual-code rugby international, Jason Robinson as the guest speaker who gave a most frank and interesting account of his rugby journey from humble beginnings in Leeds to rugby stardom for Wigan, Great Britain RL and England and the British Lions RU. There was also a talk on the ‘Past, Present and Future’ of the club given by John Chadwick, Sean Long and Mike Ford respectively.
At the White Hart the entertainment was provided by local singers Victor Michael and Andy Lee with an extensive repertoire of songs from various musical genres. The Oldham club was well represented with all the directors present and representatives from the Local Amateur League, Rugby Oldham and the Heritage Trust also in attendance along with members of the Players Association.
A great night was enjoyed by all with the evening a credit to prime organisers; Ray Hicks, Joe Warburton and John Watkins. Stronger together!
Victor Michael and Andy Lee belt out a number at the White Hart.
Oldham chairman Bill Quinn, presents the Heritage Certificate to Patricia and Andrew Whittle, also in the photo are Michael Turner from the Heritage Trust and Mike Elliott of the Players Association.
At the recent home match against Cornwall on April 14th the ORL Heritage Trust were delighted to present the Heritage Certificate to Patricia and Andrew Whittle, the great granddaughter and great, great grandson of the Oldham winger from the Edwardian era Tommy Cash. Patricia kindly brought in to show the Heritage Trust, an Oldham shirt of Tommy’s along with a Lancashire shield medal from 1908-09 and an Oldham cap.
Left: Tommy with the Lancashire Shield in 1909. Right: The winners medal.
Tommy (Heritage number 80) played for the Roughyeds between 1902 – 1909 and later went on to be a decorated war hero in World War 1.
Tommy was born on Ashton Road, Oldham and was first introduced to Rugby football at the local St Pauls school. A diminutive, figure he went on to play for Oldham Edge Recreation and Glenby at half back. He made his Oldham debut at centre in the 7 – 2 win at Hull Kingston on September 27th, 1902. He made 21 appearances that season, all the rest were on the wing, this being the position where he would become a great favourite with the Oldham crowd.
He topped the Oldham try list in 1904-05 with 13 and 1905-06 with 21 and irrespective of his slight stature, Tommy was well known for his courage and would take on the heftiest of opponents. Once he received his marching orders, to the amusement of the crowd, after an entanglement with a burly Leeds forward. Along with several of his team mates, he left to assist the newly formed Coventry club in 1910.
In total he made 139 senior appearances for Oldham in which he scored 63 tries.
During the First World War he joined the King’s Royal Rifles and earned the Military Medal and bar for heroism. A brief description of the action as reported in the local press is below.
‘For great gallantry at Olive trench near Hollebeke on June 14th 1917, when he rushed forward
with the first wave and bombed the enemy’s dug-out and, being an orderly to an officer who had
been wounded, attended him with great devotion under heavy shell fire in the open.’
Then three months later he was awarded the bar …
‘At Passchendaele Ridge on September 20th, he led his section, the NCOs having become
casualties, against a strong point where he personally killed three of the enemy and after capturing
his objective showed great coolness under heavy shell fire and was of great assistance.’
The “Brian Walker” – Player of the month awards have resumed with the winners for February and March 2024 being Matty Wildie and Adam Lawton.
Matty received the award for February after a tremendous opening to the season with his prize of £250 being donated to the “Wakefield Hospice”.
Likewise Adam has had consistent good form and his March award prize was given over to the “Macmillan Cancer Support”. Both players are seen receiving their cheques from club chairman Bill Quinn.
