Bill Quinn gets a pat on the back for the way he leads from the front

BIll Quinn, the Oldham chairman, has received pats on the back from fans who think the world of their chairman, owner and benefactor-in-chief.

Bill has made it clear that he thinks the wonderful work the club has done since the new board took over two years ago, both on and off the field, is not reflected in the numbers of spectators who are coming back, but those who are here, or have never been away, are full of admiration for the club's governing body and particularly for the chief.

The four-strong panel at Wednesday's Fans' Forum comprised two executive employees, David Bottomley and Chris Chamberlain, managing director Mike Ford and chairman Bill Quinn and it was most noticeable that only one of the four, the chairman, got a round of applause every time he spoke.

Bill will be the last person to claim credit for everything that has been achieved. Indeed, it's an open secret that the choice of signings, a key part of all that has plummeted the club forward, is down to Sean Long and Mike Ford — and that's how it should be because Longy and Fordy are the rugby brains of the operation.

Nevertheless, they will be the first to agree that "rugby men" need a philanthropic "business man" behind them and it is most encouraging to hear positive and highly-supportive messages about the chairman coming out of the fan base

I was talking the other day to former referee Alan Buke, a real rugby league man through and through whose opinion on all things associated with this great game I have always respected. Alan did more than remind me that that the home game with Bradford Bulls last Friday was exactly 100 years since we beat Hull KR at Headingley 16-3 to win the Challenge Cup (FACT) but he expressed the VIEW that fans were the most important group of any club, given that employees, players and officials come and go and the only group that spends a lifetime with one club is the supporters. How often do we hear fans' chanting:: "I'm ... Till I die; ...till i die" ?

FANS ARE CONSTANT, EVERYONE ELSE IS TEMPORARY, SAID ALAN. TAKE THAT VIEW AND IT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE RELEVANT WHEN ONE HEARS THAT BILL QUINN HAS OFTEN GONE THE EXTRA MILE TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS.

He stopped his car near Barrow, for instance, when he spotted a car bedecked in red and white and clearly broken down at the side of the road. Bill's intervention meant four Oldham fans got to Craven Park on time.

More recently, he put in a good word for one fan who was said to be one of life's nice guys. The life-long fan in question, Tony Peet, scrambled into the Boundary Park playing area, approached a touch judge and gave the official a tough time verbally. Bill apologised to the match authorities, pointed out that nice-guy Tony had not been well and booked him and friends into hospitality with pie and peas for another game.

Said Bill later:

"I wasn't condoning what Tony did, no way, but everyone knows it was out of character. Tony is just not like that. The stewards did their job fine. It's what they are there for. But those of us who know Tony, know that what he did was completely out of character. As I say, he had been ill. It was his first game back. He needed all the help he could get."

Thirdly, Bill had nice things to say to a 12-year-old Saddleworth Rangers youngster when Isaac Wainwright won an Easter Egg in a game of heads-and-tails in the Broadway Suite. The egg was donated by John and Lynda McAndrew, but Bill decided how it would be used and he was also the man behind the club's decision to match Easter Eggs donated by sponsors Amira to the local foodbank.

Fourthly, Bill and the club's managing director Mike Ford have done, and are still doing, all they possibly can to help individual fans or groups of fans in their hour of need, said the club's vice-president John Chadwick, whose background decrees that, historically, he should have a sound idea of what goes on behind the scenes.

So there you have it. Well done to Bill and Mike, for continuing to champion the cause and continuing the fight to see Oldham at Wembley for the very first time.

+ Talking of which, club officials are deeply saddened and send the condolences of the entire club and all supporters to the family of one of their own, following the death in Spain of the club's longest-serving supporter Bill Minton at the age of 94.

The father of director Jim Minton, Bill has supported Oldham Rugby since he was a boy and had already made his plans to accompany his son to Wembley if Oldham finally make it this year,

Said Bill Quinn:

"Bill Minton had been waiting all his life to see Roughyeds at Wembley and he really thought this was his last chance. He's not on his own among our older supporters, but it strikes home just what it means to so many Oldhamers when it happens to someone we knew well. The sincere commiserations of everyone at the club go out to the Minton family, and especially to Bill and to Jim who went all over the country watching their team. Bill was a great guy whom we will miss a lot, especially if we do get to Wembley and there is an empty seat next to Jim."