NUMEROUS former players of Oldham RLFC, including some who went on to become big names in the sport, like Tommy Martyn and Martin Hall, received numbered Heritage Certificates on the pitch during half-time at last Sunday’s match against Rochdale Hornets at the Vestacare Stadium.
TURNING back the clock . . . these former Oldham players received their numbered Heritage Certificates, each one giving full Oldham RLFC career statistics, during half-time at last Sunday’s Oldham v Rochdale game at the Vestacare Stadium. This coming Sunday, when Doncaster come to the Vestacare Stadium (3pm). there will be others receiving certificates.
Left to right: Mike Elliott (chairman of the Players’ Association), Steve Deakin, Paul Topping, Tommy Martyn, Paul Norman, Neil Flanagan (first captain of the club when it re-formed in 1997), Wes Rogers, Johnny Hammond, Les Chadwick, Norman Brelsford, Brian Clarke, Martin Hall, David Walker, Terry Garrett, Joe Warburton (secretary of the Players’ Association).
Steve Deakin, a former Oldham coach, received his late brother Peter’s certificate and Martin Hall also received the certificate for Fred, his dad, who was unable to be there.
Mike Elliott, chairman of the Players Association, who had previously received his own certificate, made the presentations to the others.
Other members present (apologies to anyone we may have overlooked) included ex-players Martin Murphy (president of the association), Joe Warburton (secretary), Ray Hicks, who is hugely active within the Association and takes on several roles, Adrian Alexander (current Oldham RLFC ambassador), Tony Finan, former Huddersfield star who has spent much of his life promoting the local youth game and Shane Tupaea. who is also well connected within the ‘Ex players’.
Among non-playing Association members present were John Watkins, ‘sponge’ man and assistant to the physio for many years, and Roger Halstead, now retired and busy as volunteer Oldham RLFC media manager after a career in journalism which included more than 40 years covering Roughyeds for the now long-gone Oldham Evening Chronicle.
More former Roughyeds will receive certificates at this coming Sunday’s game against Doncaster at the Vestacare Stadium, 3pm start, among them winger Geoff Munro and prop Terry Ogden.
Geoff had a long career at Watersheddings, scoring 84 tries in 195 appearances.
Terry played for his home-town club as a young man before going to Salford, for whom he played 138 games in the 1960s, including a Wembley appearance in a Challenge Cup Final against Castleford.
This project to provide every player who has ever played first-team for Oldham, or a relative, with a Heritage certificate is a mammoth operation for Mike Turner and the Heritage Trust and, jointly, for the Players’ Association, and its leading officials Martin Murphy, Mike Elliott, Joe Warburton, John Watkins and Ray Hicks.
Minutes of the Players’ Association’s last meeting at Springhead Sports and Social Club shows there are 36 paid-up members and that subs (a nominal £10 a year) are now due from anyone who hasn’t paid or who wishes to join.
You can contact Joe Warburton, the secretary, on 07882848340 or John Watkins, the treasurer, on 07974612038.
Treasurer Watkins reported that the recent social event at The White Hart was a great night which raised £600.
It was also reported, by others, that the Association successfully sponsored St Anne’s v Shawcross in June (thanks to Neil Flanagan and Saints for their hospitality) and Higginshaw v Waterhead on July 9 (thanks to John Mellor and Higgy for their hospitality).
The Association had a huge representation in the Roughyeds hospitality suite for the Rochdale game (thanks to Chris Hamilton and Roughyeds for their hospitality) as did Hornets Ex-Players, led by Tony Pratt; the Oldham RLFC Ambassadors, led by Adrian and Ginny Alexander, a former mayor; a group of Hornets fans known as Bill’s Girls, led by the daughters of the late Bill Hanson, an Oldhamer who played for both clubs; and a table for the official Hornets party, led by club chairman Andy Mazey.
Anyone wishing to purchase hospitality places for this Sunday’s game against Doncaster is asked to contact the club on 07904 898177.
The Players’ Association’s annual dinner, at which Paul Sculthorpe will be guest speaker, will take place on Friday, October 14 at St Herbert’s on Broadway.
It was reported also that the next Partners meeting – that’s Oldham RLFC, the Oldham Amateur League, Rugby Oldham, the Heritage Trust, Oldham Council and the Players’ Association, will be held on Tuesday, July 26.
The Heritage Trust had a Zoom Meeting last night (Wednesday, July 13) to discuss our club’s great history with the Oldham Historical Research Group.
Mike Kivlin of Rugby Oldham, who are supporting Roary’s Pride financially, said the parent club’s youth group was launched at the Swinton game. He would make inquiries to see if it was feasible to take Roary’s Pride into local primary schools.
An update was provided on the Roughyeds’ Club Cash Lottery, in which the Association and some of its members are involved, and potential new Club Cash members (only £1 a week) were asked to contact John McAndrew on 07980129541.art)
The next meeting of the Players’ Association, to which all past and present Oldham players will be warmly welcomed, will be held on Monday, August 1 (7.45pm start) at Springhead Sports and Social club (formerly known as Springhead Liberal Club).
