He was born in the Emerald Isle, he speaks with an accent that’s as Irish as the Ring of Kerry, and although most Oldhamers in the Broadway Suite at Boundary Park struggled to interpret his comments it was clearly obvious that he and his party loved being there and had fully enjoyed the Oldham RLFC match-day experience.
Pat Mulvihill, owner/director of sponsors Cork Crane Hire, with an HQ in Cork and a main office in Widnes, was invited to leave his table and take the mic at the Oldham v Rochdale game — and it was quickly obvious that somebody knew what they were doing when Pat was asked to say a few words.
He was a natural in front of a full-house Broadway Suite and although most fans didn’t realise he had a serious message, he managed to bring the house down before handing back the mic to rapturous applause and shouts of ‘more, more’ from the Oldham faithful.
Pat’s serious message: how important it was for young people to be involved with clubs like Oldham.
Explaining how his company came to sponsor the Oldham shirt, Pat said:
“Your chairman, Bill, and I are firm friends and do a lot of business together. Oldham are going places and we are delighted to sponsor them.”
He told me afterwards, writes ROGER HALSTEAD, that his parents were born in Oldham, as were several of his brothers and sisters.
“I was born in Ireland,” he said, “and that’s why they called me Pat.”
He added:
“We are delighted to be here, to enjoy the game and the hospitality and, of course, to watch another Oldham win.”
Sean Long’s men, unbeaten in five games under the man who won the Lance Todd Trophy three times as man of the match in a Challenge Cup final, go to Swinton on Sunday in the Challenge Cup for a match which starts at 6pm and will be streamed live on The Sportsman.
On Sunday week (3pm) Roughyeds go to York in the 1895 Cup and if they win that they will face a mouth-watering semi-final at Boundary Park against the winners of Sheffield Eagles v Batley Bulldogs.
Under Long’s leadership, Oldham have beaten Halifax (1895 Cup), drawn with London Broncos (friendly), beaten Rochdale (1895 Cup), all at Boundary Park, and have won away at Keighley Cougars (friendly) and at Barrow (Challenge Cup).
Sunday’s tie at Heywood Road starts at 6pm because Sale Sharks Women play Gloucester at Heywood Road in the afternoon.
