A WIN over rivals Rochdale Hornets this weekend would secure Oldham’s place in the knockout stages of the 1895 Cup.
Ony points difference separates Oldham and Halifax as it stands, meaning even a draw would be enough to put Sean Long’s men through to the quarter-final.
Excitement surrounding the club is high with wins already against Championship sides Halifax and Barrow complementing a battling draw with Super League’s London Broncos.
A big recruitment drive in the off-season, headed by managing director Mike Ford, is paying dividends even before the League One season has started.
Spectator numbers have risen sharply, evidenced by the 1521 attendance against Halifax – the highest since a 22-6 victory over Bradford in 2017 – and 1214 for the Broncos friendly.
And anticipation for Sunday’s game is high, given there are eight former Oldham players in the Rochdale ranks who have had to wait a while longer to face their old club due to the Law Cup postponement.
New signing Adam Lawton has been impressed with the club’s supporters, and is determined to secure a victory for them.
“It’s our first local derby, and the fans will be buzzing for it,” he said.
“We got an amazing reception coming off the coach at Barrow; it was like we were already at Wembley, the fans were buzzing.
“Since arriving at the club, you can tell how passionate the fans are so we will be looking to get one over Rochdale, because we know how much these games mean to the fans.”
The draw for the quarter-final and semi-finals of the 1895 Cup will be made after the conclusion of Sunday’s game.
The draw, expected to start around 5pm, will be made online on the BBC Sport website.
Roughyeds boss Sean Long is expected to make changes to the squad which beat Barrow last Saturday.
Admission prices, for the game this weekend, are £20 for adults, £14 for concessions and free for under-16s.
Tickets can be purchased at our ticketing page
Season Passes
Season pass holders are reminded that any remaining passes will be available in the reception of the Joe Royle Stand prior to our game with Rochdale on Sunday.
Any fans in possession of temporary season passes may exchange them for the credit-card type ones that have recently arrived at the club.
