It is with sadness that Heritage Trust learned of the news of the death of former Oldham player Colin Hawkyard at the age of 65.
Colin (Heritage Number 818) signed for Oldham in 1978 from the Bradley amateur club in his native Huddersfield after playing a few trial matches in the ‘A’ team. He made his debut on December 17th of that year playing in the second-row and scored two tries in a 25 – 13 victory away at Huyton. Mostly remembered as a tireless back-row forward who ALWAYS gave 100% effort, Colin played 189 first team matches for the Roughyeds scoring 32 tries. He did however make well over 30 of those appearances playing as a back in the three-quarters.
Colin was a “players player” who never shirked the hard work, either driving the ball in or making tackle after tackle in the Oldham cause. While the limelight usually went to one or other of his team-mates, he did contribute an everlasting memory for those of us lucky enough to be there, when he scored against the almighty 1986 Australian touring team in a never to be forgotten night at Watersheddings. The Kangaroos were destroying the cream of the English clubs examples being: Hull KR 46 – 10 / Leeds 40 – 0 / St Helens 32 – 8 / Hull FC 48 – 0 but a dogged Oldham performance restricted the tourists to a 22 – 16 victory, the closest margin of the tour. Colin’s try was the result of excellent backing up following a break by Mick Worrall. Two years later it was Colin himself who split the Featherstone defence which set up a second try for Des Foy in that dramatic victory for Oldham over Rovers at Old Trafford.
The sincere condolences of everyone at the Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust are sent out to Colin’s family and friends.
It is with deep sorrow that we report the death of former Oldham centre Malcolm Price (Heritage Number 644) aged 86. An international at both Rugby League and Rugby Union, he was selected for the 1959 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand playing in five of the six test matches where he scored two tries in the second test against the Wallabies and two more in the first test against the “All Blacks”. He subsequently became a hot property pursued by many Rugby League clubs but it was Oldham who lured him north early in 1962.
A proud Welshman from Pontypool, Malcolm was a stylish centre with a good turn of pace. He made a try-scoring debut for the Roughyeds in a 13 – 7 victory at Liverpool on February 3rd 1962 and repeated the feat on his home debut the following week in a 32 – 16 victory over Hull in the Challenge Cup. However, after only four games he sustained a leg injury that ended his season and worse was to follow when he was seriously injured at Rochdale early in the following season on September 29th 1962. Malcolm suffered serious internal injuries to the pancreas that many thought would end his rugby career. He did not play again for well over twelve months but battled back to fitness to once again take the field for Oldham against Dewsbury on December 28th 1963.
All in all he played 23 games for Oldham in which he scored 14 tries. In 1966 he signed for Rochdale and by 1967 he was in the Great Britain team playing in two tests against the touring Australians.
In later life Malcolm kept himself incredibly fit and was a successful badminton player in the Rochdale district until well into his 60s. He was also very actively involved with the Rochdale Ex-Players association and took part in the 2017 theatrical production of “Rugby in the Blood” which looked at various aspects of rugby life in the Oldham and Rochdale area.
In 2019 Malcolm was inducted into the Welsh Rugby Union ‘Hall of Fame’ in a ceremony down at the SWALEC stadium in Cardiff. It was a very proud day for Malcolm and the Price family who turned out in force for the event.
A true gentleman who will be sadly missed in both codes of rugby, the condolences of the Heritage Trust and all of the Oldham RL community go out to all of Malcolm’s family and friends.
In the run up to the match to be played in Rochdale on January 21st, the Law Cup was put on show at the Fox and Pine on Tuesday January 2nd.
Mike Ford, new coach Sean Long and assistants, Jordan Turner and Joe Wardle were there to represent the club and there was a good atmosphere as Sean handed the trophy over to hosts, Chris and Michelle.
The popular, town centre, award winning pub was filled with Roughyeds fans for the event with representation from the Heritage Trust, Rugby Oldham, the “Yeds” supporters group and a good turn out from the Players Association.
Sean Longs hands the Law Cup over to Chris and Michelle Riley at the Fox and Pine.
Nearly 200 guests sat down to a delicious four-course dinner. The turn-out included scores of ex-Oldham players, representatives of several similar organisations at Bradford, Huddersfield and Rochdale Hornets, well-known names from the local amateur scene, the Oldham RLFC top brass, big names in the sport like Brian Noble, Mike Ford, Paul Round, Barrie McDermott and Robert Hicks and loads of people who watch rugby league regularly, be it standing on a touchline, on telly or at a stadium in posh seats.
The sport always makes a big thing of being inclusive and it was certainly that on this occasion, writes ROGER HALSTEAD. There were polished, professional performances from Noble, one of the most decorated people in the game, both as a player and coach; from MC Pete Emmett and from comedian Austin Knight, a natural ‘joker’ whose wit, timing of delivery and an uncanny ability to win-over his audience was one of the evening’s highlights.
Top-table guests included the inimitable Sean Long, and other leading lights of the parent club such as Bill Quinn, Mike Ford and John Chadwick who, as he usually does on these occasions, read out a list of members who had died during the year.
Barrie McDermott receives his Heritage Certificate from Mike Ford.
Scattered around the body of the hall were reps from other organisations which work for rugby league in Oldham such as Rugby Oldham (the Supporters’ Trust); the Oldham RL Heritage Trust; the YEDS supporters’ group and the Oldham Amateur Rugby League, who were themselves busy at Melrose last weekend with the Pathway programme for local youngsters starting off last Saturday and the Amateur League’s Junior Cup Finals staged there on Sunday.
But back to St Herbert’s and that Players’ Assn dinner. It really was a top social occasion. Well done to all concerned !
The next function for the Players Association is a social evening to be held at Springhead Sports and Social Club on Friday December 8th 7.30pm with comedian Gary Marshall and music from Bing Findlater. The price is £10 which includes a potato pie supper.
An interesting story has come in to the Heritage Trust mailbox from long time Roughyed supporter and season ticket holder Jack Butterworth.
“A few years ago I was working on a trade show at the NEC in Birmingham and met a man who I knew well but only saw from time to time. He is a Birmingham lad. The conversation went. You are from Oldham aren’t you? Yes Do you follow the rugby? Yes Do you remember a player called Sid Little? Yes I do. He is my father in law. Was he any good? I enlightened him on how good his father-in-law was.”
A powerful second-row forward with a good turn of speed, Sid played 249 matches for Oldham between 1952 and 1959.
Along with Charlie Winslade and Derek Turner he provided the Roughyeds with a fearsome ‘back three’ that was the envy of the league.
He played ten times for Great Britain and made eight appearances for Cumberland county.
Sid scores behind the posts against Warrington at a packed Watersheddings on September 14th 1957 and below you can see a brief video of that very try.
Bill Quinn, chairman of the Roughyeds, has announced that the board has adjusted the club’s official title to Oldham RLFC 1876 Ltd.
He said in a chairman’s statement:
“Hi, everyone. It’s been a very exciting couple of weeks and more news now.
Chairman and the board as a whole are proud to announce the name change of our great club to
ORLFC 1876 Ltd.
“We felt it was only right to go back to the very start and to recognise everyone who has ever had anything to do with our club,
It is an insult not to celebrate our rich history and not to honour those who went before us. Many of them did great things and the club has a very impressive honours board.
So many people achieved big things for this club and it’s only right that we recognise it. We will be history ourselves one day and hopefully we will have added even more success to the history of our club.
This is also a thank you to our great supporters who have stood by the club for many, many years. In 2026 we will be celebrating 150 years . . . hopefully with success for everyone.
Many thanks, and remember our catchphrase, #StrongerTogether Your chairman, “Bill Quinn”.
When the Oldham club was formed in 1876 it was known as Oldham F.C. and was one of the 22 clubs who broke away from the RFU in 1895 to form the Northern Union.
The NU then changed its name to the Rugby Football League in 1922.
The club continued to be known as Oldham F.C. until the name was changed to Oldham Rugby League Football Club in 1970 before becoming 1997 Ltd.
The Oldham RL Heritage Trust were saddened to hear the news of the death of local broadcaster Dave McGealy at the age of 74.
The station manager and founder of Oldham Community Radio in 2007, Dave was a good friend to the Roughyeds and the OCR always provided much airtime for Oldham RLFC, not least of which was the witty and insightful match commentaries by Dave and co-presenter, Gerald Brierley.
However, it is not only the Rugby League Community that will mourn the loss of this totally likeable character. He was genuinely a “Man of Oldham” whose voice on the local airwaves was one of knowledge and reassurance. I have occasionally been interviewed on Oldham Community Radio and once had the pleasure of contributing to the ‘My Music’ hour and Dave was always on hand to make sure that everything went smoothly in the studio.
I am sure that the sincere condolences of everyone connected with Oldham RLFC and indeed the Borough of Oldham will be sent to all of Dave’s family and many friends. RIP.
There continues to be considerable interest in the Oldham RL Heritage Certificates with recent despatches to former ‘Roughyeds’, or their families, to players from the 1930s, Tommy Thompson (309), 1940s, Jack Casey (541) and the live-wire stand-off of the 1960s & 70s, Wilf Briggs (699).
Also, another recipient in Australia is former wingman Joe McNicholas (1053) who can be seen in our photograph with Glen Liddiard (910) whose receipt of his certificate was reported earlier. Joe and Glen are now both on the staff at Penrith Panthers Academy.
Thanks to Dave Walker of the Players Association for the photo of Glen and Joe.
The Club awards night and 1990 Old Trafford team reunion held at the ‘White Hart’ on September 15th has been hailed as a great success and prompted long time Oldham press reporter Roger Halstead to say:
“For me, it was the reunion of the 1989-90 boys which made it something special and I have to say what an absolute pleasure it was to spend time with my heroes of yesteryear…
A suggestion before I sign off — the reunion of the Old Trafford comeback kids was so successful, such a magnificent entrée to the main dish, that I would like to suggest we do something similar every year for the foreseeable future.”
The 2023 season awards presented on the night went as follows:
The Brian Walker award as coach’s player of the year – Martyn Ridyard.
The players’ player of the year – Matty Wilkinson.
The Iain Taylor family award as Unsung Hero – Sam Bardsley.
The Clubman of the Year – Sam Doyle.
The Supporters’ Player of the Year – Jordan Paga.
The class of 1990 (left to right): Gary Hyde, Andy Ruane, Keith Newton, Leo Casey, Richard Russell, Mike Ford, John Watkins, Tony Barrow.
The winner will be announced at the Oldham RLFC Annual Awards event on Friday September 15th at the White Hart.
Fans have until Wednesday September 13th to register their vote and can do so on our fan polls page.
You can vote only once for your chosen player; duplicate votes from the same email address will be discounted.
Tickets for the event are priced at £35 per person and include a three-course meal.
Numerous awards on the night will be handed out such as the Brian Walker Player of the Year (chosen by the coaches), Unsung Hero (the Taylor Family Award) and Players Player of the Year to name a few.
As well as the awards, there will also be a re-union of the 1989/90 team which won the Second Division Premiership at Old Trafford 30-29, after being 29-6 down. Several players from the 1990 Old Trafford victory over Hull KR have now confirmed their attendance at the event and will take part in a Q & A session.
