Profile

One of the real “characters” of Rugby League, Geoff Fletcher signed for Oldham from Leigh in August 1965. He had won county and international honours as an amateur and in the early days played as a second row or loose forward.

However, it would be as a ball playing prop forward that he will be best remembered by the Oldham fans. A distributor par excellence, he brought the best out of his colleagues, both in the pack and the backs. Whether it was a “runner” in the forwards like Bob Irving, or a speedy half back such as Tommy Warburton, Geoff could be relied upon to deliver the ball right on cue to send his team mates through the gap.

Geoff played in the Lancashire Cup Finals of 1966 and 1968, picking up runners-up medals on both occasions. He was captain of the side in the ’68 final against St Helens, having to retire with a broken arm at half time. He left to join Wigan in 1969 and later became involved with the Huyton / Runcorn / Highfield outfit, for whom he played for many years and eventually became club Chairman, managing against all the odds to keep the beleaguered Merseyside outfit in existence.