Workington game always synonymous with the great Ike Southward

When the late, great Ike Southward was running in the tries for the fabulous Oldham side of the 1950s, and then returned to the green, green hills of his Cumbrian home for a second world record transfer fee not all that long afterwards, the special bond between the clubs was forged for ever.

I never knew Ike personally when he was at Watersheddings, but in the years when he was the Town's groundsman and was always keen to know if there was any news from the top side of Ripponden Road, I spent literally hours in his little boot room in the Derwent Park tunnel, before Oldham games and with blokes like Frank Diskin and Terry Doyle,

A special bond indeed! The Cumbrian people know and love their rugby league and Ike was true marra. You had only to listen to his many stories from far-flung places like Canberra or Christchurch and his rich Cumbrian accent gave him away.

He became a favourite of the Oldham people, but he was a true Cumbrian at heart – just like his sons, Ike jnr. and David who always make a point of having a special word with us up there. They were also down here for our League One title celebrations. – and did you notice there was a Southward on Town's left wing?

That was Billy, our Ike's grandson, from Seaton Rangers. He'll have to go a bit to be as good as Grandad. Having said that how proud would Ike snr have been for anything to see his grandson playing for Town?

"We wouldn't have missed coming down here for anything," said Billy's dad, "and that's not because Billy is playing. This area, especially Broadway, where we lived, holds so many special memories."

Talking of memories, what about this one from John Chadwick, via Tommy Cannon? Tommy was apparently at 'Sheddings for an Oldham-Wigan game when Billy Boston raced past Bernard Ganley as though the Oldham fullback wasn't there.

We all know that Billy B could do that to anyone but Bernard, by all accounts, got himself up, shook himself down and turning to the crowd made a gesture which clearly said: "Well, what could you have done to stop Billy B?"

On a more serious note, might I pass on the sincere condolences of everyone at the club to the family and friends of Brian Churm and Reg Bailey, both of whom have died in the last few days,

Brian was a super bloke, genuine as they come. The elder brother of former Oldham forward Bill Churm, Brian was a former Royton player, who loved Oldham Rugby and who accepted an invitation to look after the 'A' team in the mid-1970s, a period of great austerity at the club.

I never knew Reg personally, Signed by Oldham from Lowermoor, he played twice for the Oldham first team in the Championship season of 1956-57, but then signed for Rochdale where he became a first-team regular in the second-row alongside George Parsons and helped Hornets to reach the Challenge Cup semi-final against Wigan in 1958.

I remember it well, I was there. They were great days at Hornets that season with Parsons in charge of the forwards and Teddy Cahill looking after the backs.

Wigan won the semi 5-3, but Hornets got there with great wins at Hull and then against Bradford and York at the Athletic Grounds.

I cut my journalistic teeth at a Rochdale freelance office, moving to the Oldham Evening Chron in 1961 and taking over all rugby league coverage in 1964. What glorious memories!

Reg was 94 when he died in Oldham and his funeral will be at Oldham Crem at 11am on Thursday.