Roughyeds line up Whitehaven friendly

OLDHAM Roughyeds have agreed to play a third and final pre-season friendly up at Whitehaven in a testimonial game for Howard Hill.

The game takes place on Sunday, January 10 (3pm kick-off), a week after the Law Cup clash away at Hornets RL at Spotland and seven days before Tony Benson’s men travel to take on Batley at Mount Pleasant.

Oldham officials were happy to grant the request from Whitehaven to take part in Hill’s big day as recognition of the service the popular Cumbrian gave to the former Oldham Bears club between 1994 and the Bears’ liquidation in 1997.

“Howard has been a great servant to Whitehaven, his home-town club, over the past ten years, but lots of Oldham fans will remember his days at Watersheddings at the start of his professional career,” said Roughyeds chairman Chris Hamilton.

“It is appropriate that Oldham should form the opposition in his testimonial game and we were delighted to accept the invitation. As a club we have a lot of friends at Whitehaven. Sentiment aside, it will be a good test for us.”

Hill and another young Hensingham teenager, Chris McKinney, turned pro for Oldham in 1994 and though he only made only one first-team appearance that season, he was to play 16 times in a shortened 95-96 season, which paved the way for the first Super League season in the summer of 1996.

Injury restricted his senior outings to 13 that year, but in the second season of Super League in 1997 he was a mainstay of the side with 29 appearances out of a possible 30, mainly as centre to either Afi Leuila or Scott Ranson.

Still only 22, he was also part of the Oldham party which travelled to Australia to play North Queensland Cowboys and Adelaide Rams in the World Club Championship during an ill-fated season.

After the Bears went under, Hill enjoyed a short stay at Hull KR before returning to Whitehaven, where he has since remained to this day.