Hamilton upbeat ahead of talks

CHRIS HAMILTON: In talks.

CHRIS HAMILTON, who holds talks this evening with a four-strong team from Oldham Council, has promised fans that significant moves are being made behind the scenes regarding the club’s future.

The RFL president and Roughyeds boss will convene with Councillors Jackie Stanton (deputy leader) and John McCann and Council officials Elaine Jolley and Mark Prestwich to ask for assistance, after the club was told last week it can’t use Boundary Park as a base for home matches in the 2010 season.

The talks were fixed up by Oldham Council leader, Councillor Howard Sykes, in response to Hamilton’s plea for help.

Pre-season training is due to start on Monday but the club currently has no ground and no senior players.

Hamilton, though, is keen to stress that plenty of work is being done that can’t yet be made public.

“It isn’t all doom and gloom,” he said. “Far from it.

“We at the club can fully appreciate that supporters will be feeling frustrated and concerned, but the reality is that things are happening although we are not yet in a position to go public because of factors that are outside our control.

“As soon as we can say something we will.

“On the ground front I will be stressing to the Council the need for an end to the predicament that Oldham RL Club has been faced with since 1995 when the old Watersheddings ground was sold to the Council without anything secured to take the club forward.

“We are looking at a few options and hopefully we will come up with a solution to the problem, but I can’t say anything more until I have had a chance to discuss it with the Council.

“As far as player recruitment is concerned I have had an exceptionally busy few days, but again I can’t let supporters know where we are up to until we have received clarification from the RFL that recent adjustments to our budgets are acceptable to them.

“They have had to be amended since it became known that we will not be playing at Boundary Park.

“Hopefully, all will be revealed in the next few days”