FOLLOWING Wednesday’s meeting of Joe Warburton and John Byram with the town’s junior-team coaches, plans to re-form town-team rugby at four age-group levels are going ahead.
A four-strong committee comprising of Joe, John, Paddy McGuirk (Limehurst Lions) and Andy Deakin (Oldham St Annes) will oversee the whole operation and coaching appointments have been named to carry out planned development sessions at Melrose Playing Fields, Chadderton on the following Saturday mornings: June 24, July 1, 8 and 15, after which a squad of 22 will be selected to represent Oldham and play against similar teams from other towns.
The Oldham group is currently talking with coaches from Huddersfield, Swinton, Halifax, Leeds and Wigan with a view to arranging inter-town games for under-11s, under-12s, under-13s and unde-14s, writes ROGER HALSTEAD.
Mike Ford and two of his three sons, Joe and 72-cap England RU half-back international George, all three of whom were reared in an Oldham rugby league system they are now hoping to resurrect, will coach the coaches at Melrose in advance of the sessions with the boys.
Said Joe Warburton:
“It was a very positive meeting on Wednesday at Heyside Cricket Club. We hope more than 30 coaches will attend the session with Mike, Joe and George.”
The scheme falls under the umbrella of Oldham RLFC, whose managing director Mike Ford met the Oldham Amateur League and club representatives at Higginshaw at the same time as Warburton and Byram were talking to junior coaches. This meeting was behind closed doors, but Ford did say: “We are trying to reconnect to the town.”
Across town at Heyside the following town-team coaches were named as follow:
Under 11s:
Head Coach, Jack Burns (Waterhead Warriors), Assistants, Mark Noble (Saddleworth Rangers), Nick Johnson (Waterhead Warriors)
Under12s:
Head Coach, Paul Geener, Assistants, Simon Parrish (Saddleworth Rangers), Kieron Brown (Waterhead Warriors)
Under 13s:
Head Coach, Aaron Muller (Saddleworth Rangers), Craig Dickinson (Waterhead Warriors), Assistant, Anthony Dexter (St Annes)
Under 14s:
Head Coach, Gareth Pomfrey, Assistant, Michael Dixon (Saddleworth Rangers)
Parents of boys who are interested in taking part in these development sessions are asked to tell their club coach so that numbers can be confirmed by Sunday.
