Fans’ forum postponed

OLDHAM RL Club have postponed the August 16 fans’ forum called specifically to discuss the Whitebank stadium, where the team has played since May 2010.

The decision to put back the forum follows correspondence between club chairman Chris Hamilton and Oldham Council leader Jim McMahon, who has confirmed that he will meet with the Roughyeds chairman in the near future.

Hamilton said: “In those circumstances it is right and fair that I should meet Councillor McMahon ahead of the forum, so fans can be made fully aware of the current situation.

“Given the importance of the club’s ground troubles, which have hindered progress since its inception in 1997, it is absolutely vital that the council leader is made aware of all relevant facts, and that is the only reason for postponing the forum.

“Supporters can rest assured, however, that the forum will take place, and hopefully soon.”

Meanwhile, Ben Heaton, Oldham’s exciting young full-back, goes into Sunday’s derby clash at Rochdale (3pm kick-off) as ‘Rugby League World’ magazine’s Championship One player of the month for July.

Eye-catching performances against Whitehaven, London Skolars, Keighley Cougars and Workington Town earned 21-year-old Heaton this prestigious accolade, which will further enhance his growing reputation.

By an odd twist of fate his next game for Roughyeds will be his sixth derby against his home-town club in two seasons — he has been a winner each time — but his first at Spotland in the position he has now made his own.

“There's no hiding place at full-back,” he said, “but the clash with Hornets won’t be about me, it will be about the Oldham team and how much desire we have to turn them over for the third time this season.

“It looks as though I’m type-cast as a full-back now and that’s where I’ll probably be playing for the foreseeable future, but it didn’t look as though that would be the case last season when I played in 27 of the 28 games and mainly in the forwards.”

Paul O’Connor’s departure at the end of last season changed all that. Heaton, who had started off at Roughyeds as a 17-year-old rookie full-back in the newly-formed reserve team squad of 2008, stepped into the breach and was an instant hit.