OLDHAM RLFC says the club is determined to give sponsors value for money, to such an extent that it will set up a Network Group in a bid to make sure that companies which put money into the club will get the best chance of maximum feedback.
That was made clear when local business people were shown the magnificent facilities available at Boundary Park where the Rugby League Club will play it’s home games next season, all centred on the new Joe Royle Stand with its smart seats, lots of private boxes and hospitality facilities to match the best in the business, writes ROGER HALSTEAD.
MC Michael Bradshaw, who works for Oldham Athletic FC on match days, told company VIPs who attended the Roughyeds’ special business breakfast:
“ I’ve been in this job for many years, working at a lot of clubs, and, believe me, the food here is fantastic. You won’t be disappointed."
Potential sponsors, club officials and representatives of Rugby Oldham (Supporters’ Trust) and the Players’ Association were shown the brand-new pitch, looking like the Wembley surface, which had been installed for a cool £1M.
“That was down to Oldham Council,”
said Oldham Athletic’s Frank ‘flatcap’ Rothwell, there as a guest of Oldham RLFC and interviewed in a Q and A session.
Proudly wearing his trademark flat cap, and speaking a year to the day since he and his family bought the town’s famous football club, Frank added: “We all owe big thanks to Oldham Council.
”We must never forget Oldham Council’s fantastic contribution to seeing all this happen. We are close to selling 4,000 season tickets for Athletic and I’m sure there will be a cross-over of fans with supporters of both Oldham clubs following football and Rugby League.
“Why wouldn’t Latics fans want to enjoy our great facilities here on a Sunday afternoon in the summer ? This is a new era for both clubs and it’s exciting.
” The facilities here are as good as, if not better, than than any other rugby club in the country.
“We can also play cricket and other sports here.”
Frank didn’t say as much on this occasion, but it’s well known locally that the relatively knew management team at Athletic see Boundary Park as a town facility for town use, hence the Council decision to put its weight and money into the new pitch.
The Roughyeds’ big sponsors’ breakfast opened with an introduction by Braddy (Bradshaw), including a short film about the club and talk of ‘sowing the seeds of recovery.’
There was a three-word catchphrase: ‘IT STARTS NOW’.
First up for Q and A was Roughyeds’ managing director Mike Ford, who said the new board’s first job when it took over was to stabilise the finances.
Then came the need to get the town’s young people interested again and he was delighted to report that due to Joe Warburton and his team more than 200 young lads aged from under-11 to under-14 were now involved, with Oldham’s full backing, involvement and support, in a training pathway plan under the auspices of the RFL’s Community Development programme.
Said Ford:
” Joe and his team are doing a great job. He’s been into the amateur clubs and now he’s getting into the schools,
”Not everyone can be a pro, but everyone can grow up to be an Oldham suopporter with wonderful memories of playing Rugby League as a kid. I played for Oldham Schoolboys at Wembley as an 11-year-old. The day’s memories have never left me and never will."
Chairman Bill Quinn added:
“We are going places, that’s for sure, but we need the town behind us. We are going to build, build and build but we need everyone behind us – our fans, our volunteers, the Rothwell family, Oldham Athletic, Oldham Council – and our sponsors.
“There is no way we will take your money and then forget you. Our aim will be to give you value for money. And to help us to do that we are setting up a Network Group to bring businesses together; to help each other on promotion and to allow us to assist on making contacts and that sort of thing.
“We’ll discuss with Darren Royle a possible link-up with Athletic’s sponsors and we’ll have at least five Network events each year to get everyone together; to learn about each other’s businesses; and to help to grow the group.
“More businesses means more collective help for everyone."
Amari Plastics (Manchester) have another season to run as the Roughyeds’ main sponsor and they wish it to be known that they are based in Middleton Junction, close to the J W Lees brewery plant and only a few miles from the borough of Oldham, with its estimated population of 250,000.
Nicola Robinson of St Helens, Amari’s general manager, has agreed to have the company logo switched from the front of the kit to the upper back, thus freeing up the front for a new major sponsor.
”As a St Helens girl I was brought up on Rugby League," she said, “so I always enjoy the games, the hospitality and the camaraderie. We are going for promotion, I think we’ll get there, and I’m looking forward to next season and another year of Oldham RLFC sponsorship.”
In these days in which sponsorship is big business even this event was sponsored — by Cork Crane Hire of Widnes, who had people at the Boundary Park event to “push” their company and to distribute a colourful brochure telling us all about Cork Crane Hire.
If you were not at the event, but wish to contact the club about sponsorship, please contact, by email initially, Leanne Corkery at:
leanne.corkery@roughyeds.co.uk
Full details of the sponsorship packages available will be reproduced on this website in the next 24 hours.
