OLDHAM RLFC Players’ Association, currently working alongside the Heritage Trust on the distribution of individual Heritage Certificates, expect to have a huge presence of Roughyeds’ old boys at Sunday’s Oldham v Rochdale Hornets derby at the Vestacare Stadium, kick-off 3pm.
They will include the likes of Tommy Martyn, Wes Rogers, Paul Topping, Martin Hall, Fred Hall, Sean Tyrer, Paul Norman, Neil Flanagan, Brian Clarke, David Walker, Les Chadwick and Terry Garrett.
Also present will be former Roughyeds coach Steve Deakin, to collect his late brother Peter’s certificate, as well as former Oldham players who have already received certificates, such as Ray Hicks, Joe Warburton, Shane Tupaea and Leo Casey and two who are prominent organisers, John Warkins and Tony Finan.
Included in a ten-strong contingent of Rochdale old boys will be two who also played for Oldham — Norman Brelsford and John Hammond.
“It should be a great reunion,”
said Ray Hicks, a spokesman for the Players Association, who will sponsor the Higginshaw v Waterhead seconds game on Oldham Edge the day before the big Betfred League One derby at the Vestacare Stadium.
Oldham’s on-loan hooker Dec O’Donnell is doubtful with an elbow injury, but winger Liam Copland trained as usual on Tuesday and might come into the reckoning after several weeks out with a back problem.
Hornets have strengthened their squad with the capture, initially on a two-week loan, of 20-year-old Warrington forward Jacob Gannon, whose father Jim played for Halifax where he was coached by his son’s new boss, Matt Calland.
Gannon jnr, who will go straight into contention for the Oldham game, has played for England Academy and Warrington reserves.
Calland has insisted that his players need to be tougher physically after they came close to surrendering a 24-point lead at Midlands Hurricanes.
He told his club’s website:
”Stu Littler is a good coach. He’ll have them well prepared. It will be a tough encounter and it’s one we need to win."
