1.

Roger Halstead

It is quite well documented that the first game to feature Roger Halstead as the official Oldham Chronicle reporter for Oldham Rugby League club was the semi-final 2nd replay against Hull Kingston Rovers on April 20th 1964 when the Roughyeds were defeated by 12 points to 2 at Fartown, Huddersfield. A bad omen?

However, Roger had been the occasional Chronicle scribe for Oldham matches going back a full 12 months prior to this when the then current reporter, Ken Ashton was unavailable. The earliest one I can find was ironically again against Hull KR on March 23rd 1963 at Craven Park when rugby had just resumed after the “white-out” winter of early 1963. Unlike the reverse in the semi-final Oldham won that day up in east Hull by 23 – 17, so perhaps the signs weren’t too bad after all!

From then on until he retired as the Chronicle reporter some 41 years later Roger has become synonymous with the club, as much as the beloved old ground at Watersheddings and the famous red and white colours. For over sixty years when Oldham RLFC has been mentioned, it is likely that Roger has been there to comment on the unfolding events or behind the words in the first place.

Even after his Chronicle retirement in 2005 he has been a constant presence on the Roughyed’s scene and was straight away contributing articles to the matchday programme. In 2022 he was appointed club president and as I write these notes in October 2025 you only have to “click” on the News section on the club website to find Roger’s Roundup to see proof that he is still a respected and dependable figure when it comes to supplying the updates for Oldham RLFC.

Add to this his other activities to support the club especially his lottery collections over many years and it is obvious that the club has had wonderful assistance from ROGER HALSTEAD.

It is unlikely that in the whole history of Oldham RLFC there has ever been a more loyal servant amongst the non-playing personnel involved with the club.

2.

Joseph Platt

Joseph Platt was born in Royton in 1862 and was a keen follower of the fortunes of the Oldham club right from its origins in 1876. He was elected to the committee in 1885 and became the honorary treasurer in 1887 and remained so until 1920.

He was one of the main instigators of the ‘breakaway’ when 22 of the Northern clubs left the RFU to form their own Northern Union on August 29th 1895. At that famous meeting at the George Hotel in Huddersfield, Joe was elected honorary secretary for the new sporting body and again stayed in post until 1920.

During those first 25 years, the Northern Union was often fighting challenges to its existence, whether financial or during the Great War – but the foundations of the modern game were laid, including the reduction to 13 players per side, and the spread of the new code with tours to the UK from the New Zealand ‘All Golds’ in 1907 and the ‘first Kangaroos’ in 1908 and the reciprocal trip down under for Great Britain in 1910. In 1911 he arranged via the Earl of Derby for King George V to become Patron of the Northern Union.

He was also central to the creation of the British Playing Fields Society, which the Northern Union established to purchase pitches for local community teams and while doing all this he managed the local Empire theatre and brought stars of the day to the borough, including the great Charlie Chaplin in 1909.

A tireless worker on behalf of Oldham F.C. and all things Rugby League, he was inducted in the RFL “Roll of Honour” in 2020. the award was long overdue and now likewise he is inducted into the Oldham RLFC Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution to the club and the game of Rugby League.