Oldham hope for TV date

A FULL season’s worth of televised fixtures in the Co-operative Championship and Championship 1 is due to be announced early next week.

The Chronicle understands that Sky Sports have bowed to pressure from clubs who have previously, on occasion, had less than a week’s notice that their fixtures were to be brought forward three days to Thursday nights for broadcast purposes. In 2009, such late switches will only take place when the end-of-season play-offs commence.

It has not yet been confirmed whether Oldham have once again been selected for live coverage. But as early favourites for the Championship 1 title, Roughyeds officials will be hopeful that at least one match will be chosen.

In the previous two seasons in which Sky covered the National Leagues, Oldham games were shown live on three occasions during the regular season.

On the first occasion, in May 2007, the Roughyeds produced a scintillating comeback to defeat Celtic Crusaders 34-26 in Bridgend, before falling to a 32-18 defeat at Boundary Park later that season in the reverse fixture in front of the cameras and a record 4,327 supporters.

Last year, Steve Deakin led his team to a 36-16 home win over eventual play-off final winners Doncaster, with Oldham generating positive publicity in the televised game by wearing all-pink kits to generate funds for charity.

Meanwhile, the club is reporting “steady” season ticket sales with the hope that plenty more supporters will make purchases before the biggest discounts expire next Friday, December 19.

“We probably had our best day yet last Friday and we were pleased with that,” said chief executive Chris Hamilton. “But we are hopeful now that a lot more people will come forward and get them before next week’s deadline.”