His son of the same name, Denis Lamb, has been in touch to tell us that his Dad has died in the Royal Oldham Hospital at the age of 88.
A Rugby League fan all his life, Denis Lamb snr played for Higginshaw for many years as a forward. He had a season at St Anne’s and later signed for Doncaster, but Higgy was always his first love, even when he went to Australia and became captain-coach, and a very influential figure at the Wyong club on the New South Wales coast. Years later, a very young Barrie McDermott also played at Wyong as part of his rugby league education.
Said Denis’s son, who lives in Springhead:
“One of my dad’s best memories was playing for Wyong and coming across an opponent called John Monie. Remember him ? He was head and shoulders above everyone else in that league and it w0asn’t long before he moved to Sydney. The rest is history.”
It was while sifting through his dad’s belongings that Denis jnr. came across his Dad’s Higgy blazer, tie and jumper which he will donate to the Higgy archives via John Mellor, with whom he has already been in touch.
He also stumbled across this painting of Oldham stars across the centuries — another shining example of the part the Oldham club has played in the history of this town, and the part played by the young men of the borough, not only in the history of the town, but in the history of the sport — ROGER HALSTEAD.
