The Law Cup is a traditional pre-season game between Oldham and close rivals, Rochdale Hornets.
First staged in May 1921, the game's original title was the Infirmaries Cup. Proceeds from the games were distributed between hospitals in the boroughs of Oldham and Rochdale.
The cup itself was donated by the Rochdale MP, Mr A.J.Law, who provided “a handsome Silver Cup for the Competition” and the winners received gold medals “the gift of Rochdale and Oldham gentlemen”.
The competition subsequently became know as the Law Cup in commemoration of its original donor.
There have been 69 fixtures including one replay after the inaugural game was drawn 0 - 0.
Oldham have won the cup 46 times to Rochdale's 21. The cup was jointly held by both clubs in 1954 and 1976 following drawn games.
The current holders are Rochdale who won 18 - 12 at the Crown Oil Arena, Spotland on January 12 2020.
Heritage Trust Trophy
First presented in 2004, the Heritage Trust Trophy is awarded to Oldham's man of the match in the Law Cup.
Trophy Winners
Ian Watson (2004), Andy Isherwood (2005), James Kirkland (2006), James Coyle (2008), Gary Sykes (2010), Ben Wood (2011), Jamie Dallimore (2013), Josh Crowley (2016), Scott Leatherbarrow (2017), Matt Reid (2018), Richie Hawkyard (2019), Danny Langtree (2020).
Law Cup Fixtures 1921–2020
| Date | Home | H | A | Away | Competetion | Att | Venue | Result | Referee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 12, 2020 | Rochdale | 18 | 12 | Oldham | Law Clp | 803 | Away | Lost | Mr Jack Smith |
| Jan 20, 2019 | Oldham | 24 | 8 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 569 | Home | Won | Nick Bennett |
| Jan 10, 2018 | Rochdale | 24 | 28 | Oldham | Law Cup | 504 | Away | Won | Mr John McMullen |
| Jan 22, 2017 | Oldham | 12 | 24 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 575 | Home | Lost | Mr P Marklove |
| Jan 31, 2016 | Rochdale | 12 | 29 | Oldham | Law Cup | 624 | Away | Won | Mr S Mikalauskas |
| Feb 17, 2013 | Rochdale | 20 | 22 | Oldham | Law Cup | 819 | Away | Won | Mr P Brooke - Manchester |
| Jan 2, 2011 | Oldham | 34 | 28 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 796 | Home | Won | Mr D Merrick - Pontefract |
| Jan 27, 2010 | Rochdale | 30 | 6 | Oldham | Law Cup | 200 apx | Away | Lost | |
| Jan 27, 2008 | Rochdale | 26 | 20 | Oldham | Law Cup | 1108 | Away | Lost | Mr M Kidd - Castleford |
| Jan 22, 2006 | Rochdale | 42 | 8 | Oldham | Law Cup | 1114 | Away | Lost | Mr K Kirkpatrick |
| Jan 9, 2005 | Rochdale | 24 | 8 | Oldham | Law Cup | 1486 | Away | Lost | Mr P Taberner - Wigan |
| Jan 18, 2004 | Oldham | 26 | 24 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 1493 | Home | Won | Mr B Thaler - Normanton |
| Dec 29, 2002 | Rochdale | 22 | 28 | Oldham | Law Cup | 2141 | Away | Won | Mr C Morris - Huddersfield |
| Nov 25, 2001 | Rochdale | 27 | 14 | Oldham | Law Cup | 1500 | Away | Lost | Mr R Silverwood - Dewsbury |
| Dec 12, 1999 | Rochdale | 18 | 30 | Oldham | Law Cup | 1204 | Away | Won | Mr G Shaw - Dewsbury |
| Jan 1, 1999 | Rochdale | 48 | 10 | Oldham | Law Cup | 2879 | Away | Lost | Mr P Lee - Leigh |
| Jan 1, 1998 | Rochdale | 16 | 36 | Oldham | Law Cup | 3097 | Away | Won | Mr P Lee - Tyldseley |
| Aug 14, 1994 | Rochdale | 24 | 52 | Oldham | Law Cup | Away | Won | ||
| Aug 22, 1993 | Oldham | 28 | 26 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 1360 | Home | Won | Mr R Whitfield - Widnes |
| Aug 2, 1981 | Rochdale | 15 | 31 | Oldham | Law Cup | 800 | Away | Won | |
| Aug 3, 1980 | Oldham | 32 | 15 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 1622 | Home | Won | Mr V Moss - Manchester |
| Aug 3, 1979 | Rochdale | 9 | 14 | Oldham | Law Cup | Away | Won | Mr W Thompson - Hudd'fld | |
| Aug 6, 1978 | Oldham | 26 | 8 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 1301 | Home | Won | |
| Aug 7, 1977 | Rochdale | 14 | 5 | Oldham | Law Cup | 1023 | Away | Lost | Mr B Shooman - Leeds |
| Aug 15, 1976 | Oldham | 21 | 21 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 2016 | Home | Draw | |
| Aug 10, 1975 | Rochdale | 2 | 29 | Oldham | Law Cup | 1159 | Away | Won | Mr W Thompson - Hudd'fld |
| Aug 17, 1974 | Oldham | 27 | 15 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 1365 | Home | Won | Mr H Mason - Halifax |
| Aug 17, 1973 | Oldham | 29 | 13 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 5541 | Home | Won | Mr. R Gelder - Wilmslow |
| Aug 12, 1973 | Rochdale | 30 | 14 | Oldham | Law Cup | 2336 | Away | Lost | |
| Aug 12, 1972 | Oldham | 18 | 16 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 2060 | Home | Won | Mr W Thompson - Hudd'fld |
| Aug 13, 1966 | Rochdale | 13 | 5 | Oldham | Law Cup | 2386 | Away | Lost | Mr J Manley - Warrington |
| Aug 14, 1965 | Oldham | 14 | 19 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 3937 | Home | Lost | Mr E Lawrinson - Warrington |
| Aug 15, 1964 | Rochdale | 7 | 39 | Oldham | Law Cup | 5022 | Away | Won | Mr H Hunt - Warrington |
| Aug 11, 1962 | Rochdale | 2 | 24 | Oldham | Law Cup | 2014 | Away | Won | |
| Aug 12, 1961 | Oldham | 53 | 13 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 6872 | Home | Won | Mr. C Appleton - Warrington |
| Aug 6, 1960 | Rochdale | 11 | 35 | Oldham | Law Cup | 8125 | Away | Won | Mr. R Gelder - Wilmslow |
| Aug 8, 1959 | Oldham | 28 | 11 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 10873 | Home | Won | Railton/Watkinson ? |
| Aug 9, 1958 | Rochdale | 25 | 10 | Oldham | Law Cup | 6471 | Away | Lost | Mr. K Rathbone - St Helens |
| Aug 10, 1957 | Rochdale | 5 | 31 | Oldham | Law Cup | 7556 | Away | Won | Mr. C Appleton - Warrington |
| Aug 18, 1956 | Oldham | 34 | 5 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 8167 | Home | Won | Mr. T Watkinson - P'bury |
| Aug 13, 1955 | Rochdale | 23 | 17 | Oldham | Law Cup | 9200 | Away | Lost | Mr G Phillips - Widnes |
| Aug 7, 1954 | Oldham | 17 | 17 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 7000 | Home | Draw | Mr. W Stockley - Swinton |
| Aug 8, 1953 | Rochdale | 31 | 19 | Oldham | Law Cup | 8413 | Away | Lost | Mr. G Phillips - Widnes |
| Aug 16, 1952 | Oldham | 25 | 8 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 11653 | Home | Won | Mr. C Appleton - Warrington |
| Aug 11, 1951 | Rochdale | 7 | 18 | Oldham | Law Cup | 4434 | Away | Won | Mr. N T Railton - Wigan |
| Aug 12, 1950 | Oldham | 10 | 9 | Rochdale | Law Cup | 5359 | Home | Won | Mr P Cowell - Warrington |
| Aug 31, 1949 | Rochdale | 2 | 35 | Oldham | Law Cup* | 5000 | Away | Won | |
| Aug 14, 1948 | Rochdale | 9 | 2 | Oldham | Infirmary Cup | 7000 | Away | Lost | |
| Aug 16, 1947 | Oldham | 17 | 18 | Rochdale | Infirmary Cup | 8000 | Home | Lost | |
| Aug 24, 1946 | Rochdale | 8 | 14 | Oldham | Infirmary Cup | 3000 | Away | Won | |
| Aug 20, 1938 | Oldham | 18 | 8 | Rochdale | Infirmary Cup | 3000 | Home | Won | |
| Aug 21, 1937 | Rochdale | 4 | 9 | Oldham | Infirmary Cup | 3694 | Away | Won | |
| Aug 22, 1936 | Oldham | 12 | 4 | Rochdale | Infirmary Cup | Home | Won | Mr. A E Harding - Broughton. | |
| Aug 24, 1935 | Rochdale | 14 | 15 | Oldham | Infirmary Cup | 3500 | Away | Won | Mr. A E Harding - Broughton |
| Aug 18, 1934 | Oldham | 20 | 7 | Rochdale | Infirmary Cup | 5996 | Home | Won | Mr. J W Webb - Broughton |
| Oct 13, 1933 | Rochdale | 28 | 8 | Oldham | Infirmary Cup | 5000 | Away | Lost | Mr. J E Taylor - Wakefield |
| Sep 27, 1932 | Oldham | 24 | 3 | Rochdale | Infirmary Cup | 4000 | Home | Won | Mr. F Peel - Bradford |
| Aug 22, 1931 | Rochdale | 11 | 29 | Oldham | Infirmary Cup | 6000 | Away | Won | |
| Aug 25, 1930 | Oldham | 14 | 7 | Rochdale | Infirmary Cup | 5000 | Home | Won | |
| Nov 23, 1929 | Rochdale | 2 | 15 | Oldham | Infirmary Cup | 1500 | Away | Won | |
| Oct 13, 1928 | Oldham | 18 | 0 | Rochdale | Infirmary Cup | 10000 | Home | Won | |
| Sep 6, 1927 | Rochdale | 11 | 0 | Oldham | Infirmary Cup | 5000 | Away | Lost | Mr. R Jones - Widnes. |
| Aug 21, 1926 | Oldham | 34 | 0 | Rochdale | Infirmary Cup | 14000 | Home | Won | |
| Sep 12, 1925 | Rochdale | 27 | 15 | Oldham | Infirmary Cup | 7563 | Away | Lost | |
| Sep 13, 1923 | Oldham | 15 | 4 | Rochdale | Infirmary Cup | 8000 | Home | Won | |
| Sep 8, 1923 | Rochdale | 13 | 5 | Oldham | Infirmary Cup | 13900 | Away | Lost | |
| Sep 9, 1922 | Oldham | 12 | 8 | Rochdale | Infirmary Cup | 9000 | Home | Won | |
| May 13, 1921 | Oldham | 12 | 2 | Rochdale | Infirmary Cup replay | 7000 | Home | Won | |
| May 7, 1921 | Rochdale | 0 | 0 | Oldham | Infirmary Cup | 6000 | Away | Draw |