Terracing on cards for Whitebank home

ROUGHYEDS round up:

THE EVOLUTION of the Whitebank Stadium continues.

As the Roughyeds prepare for the visit of Hunslet Hawks visit on Sunday in a game of huge significance at the top end of Co-operative Championship One, work is carrying on apace at the club’s new home.

With a bank of 350 seats installed on one side of the ground the next big step is to install terracing on the opposite side, which would increase the capacity to well above the current 1502.

The fixtures programme which has two of Oldham’s next three games at home doesn’t leave immediate scope for such work, but the hope is to at least make a start soon.

To that end, Roughyeds chairman Chris Hamilton today meets with the RFL Facilities Trust to seek possible financial assistance for the ongoing Whitebank project.

And Hamilton is urging the Oldham public for continued help in improving the venue.

“It was never going to be 100-per-cent perfect, which is why we stressed the message that we would like people to bear with us and work with us — it is a new experience for us, too,” said Hamilton, following on from the club’s first two home matches against York City Knights and London Skolars at the new ground.

“We are working very hard and taking on board a lot of feedback and have already improved one or two areas as a result of that.

“Those improvements are not necessarily visible to the general public.

“Last week, we did a lot of work in the home dressing room, as we also did for the officials.

“We also put a safety board up in the stand, as a temporary measure.

“One of the next things we will look at is to have terracing installed on the Whitebank Road side of the ground.

“It isn’t a simple job and we will be liaising with the architects in order to give people a better perspective on the action.

“Even if it just means getting parts of the terracing done by the end of the year, we would hope to do so.

“Some of the work we are doing because it has to be done in order to tick boxes with the RFL.

“And some of the work is on a ‘wish-list’, if you like, in order to improve the matchday experience for spectators.”

The Oldham chairman says that the players are enjoying playing at the Whitebank, with fans so close to the action they can hear every tackle and are able to offer louder vocal support.

“The players have passed comment on the transformation that has taken place here in the space of just a few weeks,” Hamilton said.

“It is fantastic for them all that we have now got somewhere we can call home.

“It means so much to everyone, from players to the kitman, coaches and staff.”