Roughyeds welcome £5m investment to launch Oldham’s ‘SportsTown’

Roughyeds chairman Bill Quinn has welcomed a major £5 million investment to launch SportsTown, an ambitious and transformative £70 million sports, education, health and wellbeing campus in Oldham.

Centred around Boundary Park, SportsTown will deliver state-of-the-art sporting, health and educational facilities, transforming opportunities for local people and laying the foundations for a new era for sport in the borough.

SportsTown also aims to support local health and well-being by providing essential services and much-needed additional facilities on-site.

The cash boost comes from the Government’s Community Regeneration Fund and builds on £1 million previously invested by Oldham Council, which funded a new playing surface at Boundary Park, securing a permanent home for the Roughyeds and opening up high-quality facilities to the wider community.

Speaking at today's launch event at a packed Broadway Suite at Boundary Park, Quinn said:

"This is fantastic and a massive step for Oldham rugby. If you go back 30 years, we lost our holy grail of a stadium at Sheddings and have been nomads for probably 28 years. You can't progress in that situation. We have come back to Boundary Park and this now is another massive step. To have a permanent base for generations is huge for the town and huge for everyone.

What an incentive this is for the young people to come and play any sport. It goes beyond sport, it will be a hub for the community to come here, people who are not necessarily into sport.

Our relationship with Oldham Athletic and the Rothwells has got stronger and stronger and everyone shares the same vision and goal for the town, which makes things a lot easier. We also have a council that really does care and only wants to see Oldham prosper. We have the right people doing things."

Also speaking at the press launch, Councillor Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council, outlined the vision:

"Being here today is about creating opportunities for people. Sport unites communities and people from different backgrounds. Sometimes it is the only opportunity for somebody to break out of a cycle, and Oldham is a sports town.

Gone are the days that Oldham was on its knees. We can now create opportunities that nobody will do for us. I'm really excited to see this vision come to life."

Darren Royle, Chief Executive of Oldham Athletic AFC, added:

“SportsTown provides an innovative response to the Oldham Economic Review Board and Oldham Economic and Skills Strategy findings. By harnessing the power of sport, health, wellness, business and education we are moving forwards by creating a unique Further and Higher Education opportunity for the young people of Greater Manchester and beyond.

The four main sports pathways of football, rugby, netball and cricket will be followed by more opportunities for the Town of Oldham working in tandem with our strategic partners.”

Frank Rothwell, owner of Boundary Park and Chairman of Oldham Athletic AFC, said:

"Oldham has always punched above its weight in sport, and we’re not stopping now!

This funding is going to set things in motion for something truly game-changing. We’re not here to mess about - we’re here to build a legacy, give young people real opportunities, and put Oldham on the map for sport, health, and education. This is just the beginning, and trust me, we’re going to make it happen!”

Oldham has a proud sporting history and this investment will build on that legacy by creating new opportunities for future generations.

This £5 million investment is just the beginning and will act as a springboard for further investment to realise the full SportsTown vision.