Roughyeds look to tempt back fans

Reporter: SIMON SMEDLEY
Date published: 29 March 2013


CHRIS Hamilton is hoping an exciting team that’s winning matches will be enough to tempt back some of Oldham RL’s stay-away fans.

In his latest rallying cry ahead of the Kingstone Press Championship One season which got under way today with a home match against Rochdale Hornets, the Roughyeds chairman openly admitted that times continue to be very tough for the club.

However, he is hoping that some problems may be tempered by success on the pitch as the early signs under new head coach Scott Naylor are most definitely encouraging.

Hamilton said: “There’s no secret, it’s very hard. These are probably worrying times for a lot of people in the game.

“Crowds are not massive and maybe some people will look at the teams we’ve got this year and not fancy it too much.

“But at the end of the day what we’ll be hoping to do is to produce good winning performances by playing good rugby and hopefully we can tempt people back that way.

“As we’ve said numerous times before we can’t do this without the backing of the supporters, though there are still a lot out there who say they’re rugby league fans but don’t come to watch.

“We know these are difficult times, but we need their support.

“The hardcore of fans we’ve got really do get behind the team, they’re great, but we’re like any other club in that we just need more of them.

“There’s no magic formula. You’ve just got to produce that successful team, and hopefully we can be that this year.

“That is definitely the aim. We’ll keep working hard behind the scenes, doing the right things, and hopefully the catalyst will be success on the field.”
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