OLDHAM RLFC has donated £5,000 to the Alzheimers Society as part of Oldham Athletic chairman Frank Rothwell’s ongoing fund-raising for Alzheimers Research UK.
It happened in front of hundreds of Oldham Rugby fans in the Broadway Suite at Boundary Park before the play-off match against North Wales Crusaders when Roughyeds chairman Bill Quinn handed the giant cheque to Frank on behalf of the Rugby League club and its board.
“I can’t thank you enough,”
said Frank, head of the Rothwell family that’s taken full ownership of Athletic and is working hand in glove with Oldham RLFC’s board, including chairman Quinn and managing director Mike Ford, in the ground-share and residency of Oldham Rugby at Athletic’s Boundary Park ground.
The play-off game, ending in a disappointing 13-12 defeat which means the 2023 season for Roughyeds has come to an end, was the second game to be played at Boundary Park recently, ahead of next season’s full move to the town’s sporting stadium which Frank and his fellow board members see as the entire Oldham area’s sporting hub .
More than 800 fans watched the game from the new Joe Royle Stand with its many private boxes, hospitality facilities and public bars.
By the time the board has completed its squad-building exercise for next year — and got its new head coach in place — the club says it is confident it will regularly get good crowds at BP.
At the Crusaders game yesterday, for example, hundreds of fans were introduced to our latest signing, Joe Wardle; listened to a Q and A with Jordan Turner; had pie and peas pre-match; and heard all about our £5,000 donation to Frank for his fund-raising for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
At turned 70, he rowed the Atlantic two years ago and raised a cool £1.1M for research into this terrible disease. Now aged 72, he will again row the ocean’s 3,000 miles solo soon and our £5,000 will go into the kitty.
Added Frank:
“I’m told the people at Alzheimer’s are well down the road to finding a cure, so I’ve changed the name of my boat from ‘My Valentine’ to ‘Find a Cure’. Thanks again for your magnificent gesture.”
