RL club closer to a new home
Date published: 26 March 2010
PROPOSALS for Oldham RL Club to move into a new home at the Whitebank Stadium, Limeside will go before a Cabinet meeting of Oldham Council next Wednesday.
And in a statement sent out today, Roughyeds say they are confident they will get a “positive response” from Cabinet and that club and council will be in a position to stage a joint press conference at the Whitebank Stadium on Thursday, April 1.
Later that day the club plans to hold a meeting of local residents at the ground, details of which will be circulated by leaflet to houses in the vicinity of the stadium.
The club said the proposals were going to Cabinet for approval only after long and protracted negotiations with Oldham Council and other parties.
The statement went on: “Although the matter is listed on the Cabinet meeting agenda it will be discussed in private due to its complex and confidential nature.
“However, the club is confident it will get a positive response and confident also that it will be staging a joint press conference with the council the following day.”
Club chairman Chris Hamilton the only man at management level to have had an unbroken association with Oldham RLFC (1997) Ltd since it was launched 13 years ago, said: “It has been a long, hard and rocky road to get to this point.
“Having made it, and given the way the talks with the Council have gone, we feel sure that next week will provide a very important day in relation to the future of Oldham Rugby League Club.
“Unfortunately, the negotiations have taken so long that our first home league game against Workington Town on Easter Monday (April 5) will have to be played at Sedgley Park.”
DESPITE a hat-trick of tries in 15 minutes by hooker Austen Barrowc-lough, Oldham lost 28-18 at rain-lashed Dewsbury last night in a pre-season reserve-team friendly.
Half-back Dean Hatton, the Roughyeds’ latest signing, started at hooker and looked lively in two separate spells on the field.
Barrowclough continued the good work when he replaced him off the bench to run riot around the rucks.
Oldham led 18-16 going into the last ten minutes, but they conceded two late tries in a hard-fought encounter.
RUGBY LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tonight (all 8pm) — Engage Super League: Bradford v Harlequins; Castleford v Crusaders; Warrington v Wakefield; Wigan v Leeds (TV).
Saturday — Engage Super League: Catalans v Hull KR (8.30pm); Salford v Hull (5pm, TV).
The Co-operative Championship: Toulouse v Barrow (7pm).
National Conference League, division one: Saddleworth Rangers v Normanton (2.30pm). Division two: Stanningley v Oldham St Anne's (2.30pm); Eastmoor Dragons v Waterhead (2.30pm).
North-West Counties League, division one: Latchford Albion v Oldham St Anne's 'A'. Division three: Saddleworth Rangers 'A' v Moss Bank Bulldogs. Division four: New Springs v Higginshaw. Division five: Rochdale Cobras v Hindley.
Sunday (3pm unless stated) — Engage Super League: Huddersfield v St Helens.
The Co-operative Championship: Dewsbury v Widnes; Featherstone v Whitehaven; Halifax v Leigh.
The Co-operative Championship One: Blackpool v Swinton; Doncaster v York; Hunslet v Hornets RL; South Wales v London Skolars (2pm); Workington v Gateshead.
