A COACHLOAD of Oldham fans, plus others in cars, drove to Blackburn last night (Sunday) to show their support for former Roughyeds player Micky Edwards.
Born in St Helens, scrum-half Edwards played for the club both before and after its reconstruction in 1997.
Now aged 49, he owns and runs a cheese-and-wine bar in Great Harwood and it was to that venue that the YEDS went in order to support his latest fund-raising venture to take a group of disadvantaged children from the Blackburn area on a Winter Wonderland trip in the build-up to Christmas.
Over the years, Micky has raised an enormous amount of money for various charities with a number of personal challenges which include a trip to Ukraine and a walk across the Sahara.
Next year he is planning to swim the English Channel.
Said YEDS spokesman Jamie Hollingworth:
“We killed two birds with one stone. We supported Micky in his fund-raising, but it was also an opportunity in our close season to get together as fans and to enjoy an evening together.”
A highlight was a filmed Q and A, first with Micky and then with another former Oldham player, Alfie Gouldbourne, who had travelled all the way from Hull to support his mate.
Also present was a pal from Micky’s early years when he was growing up in St Helens, Graham Holden.
Said Micky:
“I’m blown away by all this. Quite emotional really. It isn’t every day people show their support like this and words can’t convey how much I appreciate the backing of YEDS fans.
“I loved my years at Oldham and to welcome fans to my place is so exciting that I haven’t slept for days.”
Play-anywhere Micky played 22 first-team games for Roughyeds — two for the Watersheddings club and 20 for Oldham RLFC, which this very year is celebrating its 25th Anniversary with a special birthday dinner at the Oldham Event Centre on Friday night, November 25.
Kyle Amor will be guest speaker and Pete Emmett MC.
Tickets, priced £35 a head, include three-course dinner with coffee and mints. You can buy them online at our ticketing page.
Though Micky and Alfie, former teammates, didn’t have a lot of senior Oldham games in the grand scheme of things, they are both immensely proud — and rightly so — of playing regularly for the famous Shane Tupaea ‘A’ team which went through the whole of the 1993-4 season unbeaten.
Edwards, who started the campaign as scrum-half and ended up as a prop, scored a remarkable 30 tries — an achievement that will go down in club folklore.
They won the Youngers’ Alliance Challenge Cup, the Youngers’ Alliance second division Cup and league title and the Youngers’ Lancashire Shield. The only point they dropped that year was against Dewsbury at home — a draw.
Added Micky:
“They were great days. We were never going to be beaten once we had set our sights on completing the season unbeaten.
“We drew against Dewsbury, but we had a few players missing that day because of injury and most of those who did play were carrying knocks.
“Thanks-you all for coming over here today. I’ll never, ever forget this.”
Half-back Dave Hewitt, who took to social media several week ago to say he was leaving the club and to thank fans for their support, has signed for Rochdale Hornets. The story is announced on the Hornets website.
We will announce two NEW signings this week, both at 20.23 hours, one tomorrow (Tues), the other on Thursday.
