Roughyeds seek stadium talks

OLDHAM Roughyeds are waiting on talks with Council officials over a possible ground share at Athletic’s new stadium.

Athletic hope to be in a position to move into the proposed £20million stadium in Failsworth within two years, selling Boundary Park — the Roughyeds’ current home — to help fund the project.

As yet, there have been no discussions over how the rugby club would fit into the scheme.

But Roughyeds chief executive Chris Hamilton is keen to get the issue on the agenda sooner rather than later.

“We are currently waiting on talks with Oldham Council,” he said. “I emailed (Council chief executive) Charlie Parker and (Council leader) Howard Sykes as soon as the news was first made public to formally request a meeting.

“Unfortunately, circumstances dictated that it coincided with the Council’s summer recess.

“I have been assured that it will now be arranged as the recess is over.

“While there have been no discussions so far, rest assured we will fight to make sure that Oldham RL is involved.”

Athletic chairman Simon Blitz told the Chronicle earlier this week that the aim is to have the new 12,000 seater stadium on Broadway completed by August, 2011.

The football club is understood to be in the process of sealing the deal to acquire the land on which their new home would be built.

Meanwhile, Phil Joseph has emerged as a major doubt ahead of the Co-operative Championship One elimination play-off tie against his former club Swinton at Boundary Park on Sunday.

The powerful loose forward tweaked a hamstring in the loss at Hunslet.

Roughyeds coach Tony Benson admitted Joseph’s prospects of playing “aren’t looking good”, but he is more hopeful over Wayne Kerr.

The big hitting Irish prop, who has started the last six matches, has a calf strain and also sat out a session earlier in the week.

Lee Greenwood looks set to miss out as the winger is still nursing a sore shoulder, so Paul O’Connor is likely to fill in on the left wing again, with Paul Reilly at full-back.