Vandal hell for Oldham RL

Photo: Picture: DARREN ROBINSON

COUNTING the cost: Oldham RL chairman Chris Hamilton looks through a broken window after the latest attack.

VANDALS have smashed their way into five outbuildings at Oldham Rugby League Club’s Whitebank ground.

The raid is the latest in a spate of attacks that have cost the club an estimated £15,000 in recent years.

The latest attack came hours after the Roughyeds’ first home game of the season on Sunday.

Speaking yesterday as repairs continued, club chairman Chris Hamilton said: “Significant damage has been caused. The buildings look to have been attacked with crowbars.

“There was considerable damage to the match-day office, the joint sponsors’ suite and boardroom, the ground safety officer’s control room, the refreshment area and the maintenance cabin.

“The attack covered every building at the ground apart from the social club. We think it will cost about £1,000 to repair. It must be the seventh attack since we’ve been based here.”

“The funding doesn’t come from insurance. It comes from the club’s finances, so every attack is a double blow — materially and financially.

“We don’t know why people do these things. The level of damage in this latest attack and the lengths the intruders went to suggests it wasn’t done by kids.

“We thought we had got beyond this kind of thing. We will keep going, keep working and keep doing all our work in the community, which is extremely well-received.

Mr Hamilton added: “Anybody with any information about these attacks should call the club or the police.”