Owner pays tribute to Whitehead

SEAN WHITEHEAD

ROUGHYEDS chairman Bill Quinn has paid tribute to outgoing director Sean Whitehead, before insisting that the show must go on.

Whitehead stood down from the three-man board late last week as a result of pressures and commitments away from the game.

But the man who, along with chief executive Chris Hamilton, has helped pull Oldham RLFC (1997) Ltd through severe financial upheaval of late, has had his contribution honoured by Quinn, the current chairman and owner.

"Chris and Sean did fantastically well to get the club to where it is now," said Quinn, who was first introduced to the club by Whitehead at the start of last season.

"It's sad that Sean is leaving the board, but family and business commitments can be a heavy load, as I know only too well. We will all move forward now.

"Sean will go with all our best wishes and I know he will be the first to wish us well and congratulate us if we continue to make significant progress, which is indeed what we intend to do. Nothing has changed in that respect.

"Suffice to say that I've known him for 17 years, both as a friend and through business. He will always be welcome at this club, as Chris and I do all in our power to take it forward. As I say, nothing has changed in that respect."

The decision by Whitehead to stand down means that of the four founding members of the club, only Mr Hamilton remains.

However, in a released statement, Whitehead set out both his reasons for going and his belief that the future of the Roughyeds club is in capable hands.

"This has been coming for the past 12 months," said Whitehead.

"It's certainly not a decision made on impulse and it is absolutely nothing to do with the team or events on the field.

“The club is about a whole lot more than team and dressing room as I have come to learn over the past 11 years.

"I am stepping down only because I am finding it increasingly difficult to commit myself to the club as I feel a director should due to the demands of my business, my family and one or two other commitments I also have. The situation was becoming impossible to manage and it reached the stage where something had to give.

"The time was right for me to step down after 11 years because the club is in good hands with Bill as chairman and majority shareholder and Chris there on a day-to-day basis as chief executive.

"Here, I would like to pre-empt the rumourmongers and story-seekers by stating categorically that those are the only reasons I am stepping down and that Bill and Chris will continue to have my full support, as they know only too well.

"The club is in very good hands and now it's time for me to take a backward step."