It will be a never-to-be-forgotten night at The White Hart, Lydgate on Friday, September 15, the ticket (£35) includes a three-course meal at this fashionable local venue, plus all the usual paraphernalia associated with a night like this.
It will recognise and celebrate anything the squad might have achieved by then, the season’s individual awards, the change of ownership at the club, plus the move to Boundary Park and the new and valued association with Oldham Athletic.
This special night’s highlight, though, will be a reunion of the team of 1990 that caused numerous shocks by turning over First Division clubs in various cup competitions that year, including Saints and Wigan in the Lancashire Cup and the crack Widnes team of all talents and World Club Champions to boot after beating Canberra Raiders at Old Trafford.
Oldham were in the Second Division at the time and we capped off a fantastic year by coming back from 29-6 down to beat Hull KR 30-29 in a fantastic Second Division Premiership Final at Old Trafford.
The team drove back to Oldham on top of an open-decked bus, cheered on by thousands of fans en route, and then went to the Civic Centre for a Civic Reception.
The Oldham team celebrate the dramatic victory over Hull K.R. at Old Trafford on May 13th 1990.
Several members of that team will be at The White Hart on the night and just to remind you of who played it was Duncan Platt; Richard Irving, Gary Hyde, John Henderson, Paul Lord; Brett Clark, Mike Ford; Leo Casey, Andy Ruane, John Fieldhouse, Paul Round, Charlie McAlister, Richard Russell. Subs: Tommy Martyn, Keith Newton.
Tony Barrow was head coach, Mike Ford was the captain and the backroom staff included Derek Whitehead, Billy Kindon, John Watkins, Nick Hodgson and Ossie Rowe.
Said Mike Ford: “It’s important that we remember our history; where we came from; who we are etc. Although the main focus of the night will be on the current side — and that’s right and proper — it will be nostalgic and even emotional to recall what happened at Old Trafford that day and then back in Oldham that night.”
The Rugby League ‘Tuesday Club’ run by the Oldham RL Players Association is still taking place at Heyside Cricket Club on Tuesdays between 12.30pm and 2pm. See details below.
The Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust in combination with the Oldham Players Association can report that recently a number of Heritage Certificates have been sent over to Australia to some of the former favourites of the Roughyeds faithful.
Thanks to the assistance of Dave Walker from the Players Association the following players have received their certificates in the last few weeks:
David Liddiard (Number: 908 – debut 13.10.1985)
Glen Liddiard (Number: 910 – debut 15.12.1985)
Bruce ‘Bruiser’ Clark (Number: 911- debut 31.08.1986)
Stuart Raper (Number: 913 – debut 14.09.1986)
Brett Clark (no. 953 debut 27.09. 1989)
If anyone knows of a player or their family who might be interested to receive their Heritage Certificate please contact the Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust at: oldhamrl1895@gmail.com or, the Oldham Players Association at: joewarby9@aol.com
The Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust is pleased to be associated with a children’s literacy initiative from Oldham Council entitled the “Summer Reading Challenge”.
The launch of the event and ‘sign up’ for 4 to 11 year olds takes place at Gallery Oldham on Saturday between 11am and 3pm where club mascot, Roary the Roughyed, will be in attendance along with other Oldham RLFC staff, encouraging the children to become involved. Please see the details provided by Oldham Council below:
“Come along and sign up for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge for free, to receive your Ready, Set, Read! pack and enjoy themed activities including smoothie bikes, crazy golf, circus performers,
Roary the Roughyed, Chaddy the Owl, family crafts and more!
Ready, Set, Read! Summer Reading Challenge 2023
Arriving in your local library and online this summer…
The Summer Reading Challenge is taking place at all libraries in Oldham and Gallery Oldham from Saturday 15 July until Saturday 16 September.
The challenge, aimed at children aged 4 to 11 years, is to read six or more library books over the summer or to challenge your own personal reading goal. There are stickers and rewards to collect and children who complete the challenge receive a medal and a certificate. Children taking part online earn digital badges and other online rewards with a certificate to download at the end of the challenge.”
There was a fabulous turn out for the latest round of Heritage Certificate presentations at the Oldham v North Wales match on July 9th.
On hand to receive their certificates on the day were:
Eddie Barton, Fred and Martin Hall, Mick McCone, Sean Tyrer and the family of Billy Moore, a Welsh dual code rugby international and a formidable prop forward for Oldham in the 1930s & 40s.
The presentation honours were undertaken by none other than the Oldham Athletic owner, Frank Rothwell!
A grand gathering of former players and their families with Frank Rothwell in the centre wearing his trade mark flat cap.
There was also a reunion of the famous 1-2-3 from the 1960s and 70s with Martin, Murphy and Mike Elliott on hand to see Phil Larder receive his certificate.
The famous 1-2-3 of Martin Murphy, Mike Elliott and Phil Larder.
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.
The Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust cabinet at ‘Gallery Oldham’, newly refreshed in July 2023.
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.
Left to right: Mike Kivlin (chairman, Rugby Oldham); Martyn Ridyard (first winner of the Brian Walker Awards Scheme); John Chadwick (Oldham RLFC vice-president); Brian’s son Adrian; Brian’s grandson Oscar; Simon Winnard (club director and a man who, with Brian, helped to establish Rugby Oldham.)
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.
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.
Oldham Ladies photographed in April 2023.
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.
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.
