Roughyeds look for crowd record

OLDHAM Roughyeds are looking to smash the National League Two record attendance figure once again by offering free entry, subject to a £1 charity donation, for the forthcoming home game against Doncaster.

The top-of-table encounter between two sides chasing promotion, which takes place on Thursday, July 17 (7.30pm kick off) is being broadcast live by Sky Sports — the only NL2 match in Sky’s regular Thursday-night schedule.

It will be Oldham’s first match back at Boundary Park after playing two ‘home’ games at Sedgley Park due to annual pitch maintenance work.

The televised match against Celtic Crusaders in August of last year attracted a huge 4,327 crowd on the back of a similar scheme.

This time, Roughyeds officials are hoping to boost the club’s profile by creating an even bigger record figure for a NL2 club, as well as raising a significant amount of money to be split between the club’s two official charities: Dr Kershaw’s Hospice and the Genesis Appeal, Manchester-based and Europe’s only research centre into the prevention of breast cancer.

“This is just another example of the Roughyeds’ forward thinking,” said Oldham chairman Bill Quinn in a statement released today.

“We hope to attract even more people to the game than last year, and we hope to raise more than the £8,000 in total which we raised for Dr Kershaw’s and the RFL Benevolent Fund last year.

“This is an ideal way for people to come and watch a great game of rugby league; to possibly get seen on television; to directly help two exceedingly worthy causes in Dr Kershaw’s and Genesis; and to actively support the town’s rugby league club in what is sure to be a huge game for us.”

Further announcements relating to this game are in the offing over the next few days.

The club has written to all season-ticket holders to assure them they will not be penalised due to the fact that they have already paid in advance for this game.

Collectors with buckets will be situated on each turnstile to take charitable donations from fans wishing to contribute more than the minimum £1.

Meanwhile, no injury worries have arisen following the superb 40-16 win over Gateshead. The Roughyeds travel to face Workington on Sunday.