Our Kev’s’ big Heritage Night one to savour by the fan

I RECALL Kevin Fitpatrick some 25 years ago — rugby-league mad, Oldham Rugby daft, a young Saddleworth Rangers fullback with plenty of talent, a likeable teenager who was looking at his options in sport and in a working life, son of then Oldham councillor Joe Fitzpatrick, a man steeped in the meanderings of the local political scene.

Fast forward a year or two and Kevin was a young man who had fulfilled his dream to play for Oldham, but who was wise enough to know he would still need a full-time job and as politics was his big interest he opted for journalism --a similar path to the one I had taken many years earlier,

To cut a long story short, he had two years at Oldham under the coaching of Mike Ford, Paddy Kirwan and then the late Mick Coates, but he wasn't a star --he didn't make the first-team regularly — and politics soon took over as the big focus in his life. He left Oldham shortly after player-coach Mike Ford had gone off to Ireland as defence coach, on Phil Larder's recommendation, and soon afterwards won a place on a journalism course at UCLAN, the university of Central Lancashire.

The rest, as they say, is history. Kevin did well at UCLAN, got a job with Radio Manchester and from there went to television as political man for the BBC's North-West Tonight

These days, approaching 50, Kevin is better known outside Oldham as a BBC political man as opposed to a former rugby league plater but to those of us who know him well he is still "our Kev" – a keen Oldham RLFC fan, who has never lost his interest in the club and is probably closer to the club now than he ever was as a player.

Not only is he a very pro-active and go-ahead member of the Heritage Trust, but he will host a big Heritage Night in the Broadway suite at Boundary Park tomorrow (Thursday) night, 7.30pm until 10pm, when former players John Donovan, Mick Worrall and Neil Flanagan will relate stories of their Watersheddings days with loads of their former team mates also present.

It will be the second time "our Kev" has hosted such a night and the last one several months ago, at the launch of the club's 22-strong Hall of Fame, was a roaring success.

Tickets for this one cost £20, including pie and peas supper, and to get them just ring 07801741070. It ill be a great night — like the last one — and the perfect way to get in the mood for Sunday's Sheffield game,

Centre Donovan, from St Helens, was a mainstay of the side in the 1960s and played in the 1964 Challenge Cup semi-final when Oldham held a crack Hull KR side to three matches after going in front with a Geoff Robinso try n the first period of extra time in game 2 at Station Road. The tie was then called off for bad light and Hull KR won game at Fartown in Huddersfield.

Towering second-rower Worrall, who came from Warrington, was signed for Oldham colts and became a top international forward, who toured Australia with Great Britain in the 1980s with four Oldham colleagues, Ray Ashton, Terry Flanagan, Andy Goodway and Des Foy. Five players and the manager, Frank Myler, from one club. Wow! What an achievement'

Local man Neil Flanagan, Terry Flanagan's cousin, from the St Anne's club, played for both the original Oldham club and the reformed club which he captained in their very first game, the Law Cup pre-season game at New Yeat, 1998. Oldham won amid rapturous scenes and Neil Flanagan had the distinction of lifting the Law Cup on a special day for rugby league in this town.

'Our Kev' also took centre stage recently on the day he was the club's chief guest at a Networking session, organised by David Bottomley and presented by Ian Taylor.

Kevin was chief guest in his role as the BBC's political man in the North-West. "These Networking sessions for business men and women give them the opportunity to interact under the Oldham banner, Local business was heavily represented and I was able to show delegates how to make the most of social media in business life."