Roughyeds chairman delivers grand salute

CHRIS Hamilton, Oldham RL chairman, has described his club’s 29-24 grand final win against Widnes Vikings in the Reserves Under-23s Championship as a “great achievement”.

He said coach John Hough and his assistant, Paul Ashton, were always prepared to go the extra mile and had constantly worked hard with the players, from as far back as the last pre-season.

“We didn't help ourselves with the number of penalties we gave away,” he said. “We also made a nervous start, but we gradually pulled it round and we finished worthy winners.”

He thanked the 608 fans who gave the club an attendance figure which compared favourably with some of the first-team gates in the season just ended.

And he added: “The amount of work Houghie and Ashy do is second to none. If you put in the graft you get something at the other end.”

The reserve team’s presentation night is at Whitebank on Friday. Tickets at £5, including a hot supper, can be bought from the office in Lansdowne Road, Chadderton. Telephone (0161) 628 3677.


YORK City Knights have been spared relegation from the Co–operative Championship, the Rugby Football League have confirmed.
The Knights finished the 2011 season in a relegation spot but were reprieved by the RFL's board of directors' decision to turn down an application from Crusaders to join the Championship in 2012.

Crusaders were yesterday given two weeks to submit an application to play in Championship One next season, when they would participate in the second of two 10–team divisions.

Dewsbury, the other side to finish in a relegation spot, could also be given a reprieve if Barrow are found to have broken rules on payments to players and handed a heavy penalty.

The Cumbrian club have been charged by the League and will face a hearing early next month.


DANNY Bravo, the second-row forward who starred for Oldham in the latter half of the Championship One season, has been selected for the Jamaica national side for the forthcoming 2013 Rugby League World Cup Atlantic qualifiers.
The Leeds Rhinos forward, who arrived along with club-mate Callum Casey on loan at the Rougheyds, is in a 30-man squad ahead of games next month against South Africa and USA at Campbell Field, Philadelphia.


KEIGHLEY saw off Rochdale Hornets 38-23 on home turf to qualift for the Co-operative Championship One play-off final, where they will face Workington.