Higgy’s in my blood, says Mellor

Photo: PAUL STERRITT-

Surrounded by his Higginshaw players, secretary John Mellor shows off the Greater Manchester unsung hero honour.

RUGBY: 

JOHN Mellor was back cleaning up the changing rooms less than 24 hours after being crowned unsung hero of the year at the 2014 Greater Manchester Sports Awards.

The Higginshaw Amateur Rugby League Club secretary beat competition from nine other nominees to collect the honour.

More than 550 people saluted Mellor (58), including special guest, Olympic athlete Iwan Thomas MBE, at a star-studded evening at The Point, Old Trafford.

At the heart of the club, Mellor has worked tirelessly behind the scenes for three decades.

“It’s in my blood,” said Mellor, who has filled most roles at the club over the years.

“I’ve been with Higgy 29 years and whether I’m applying for funding or doing invoices, I never get tired of it. I travel an hour to work and an hour back. It’s on my mind all that time, trying to think of ways to bring in more funds or improve what we’ve already got here.

“It’s been a fantastic year, but these awards aren’t for me, they are for Higginshaw.”

As the recipient of the Oldham Sports unsung hero gong in July, he was recognised in the area for his unstinting efforts to benefit local people. The club’s acquisition of the former St Stephen’s School in 2008 opened many other opportunities for the community.

“As a club we are trying to develop open age rugby, but we are also looking at youth, with under-sevens, under-nines and a new under-14s as well.

“It’s not just about rugby, though, it is a community club. We’ve got Thai Boxing, cubs and we are now looking to bring in an archery club. We have spoken to the Oldham Sports Development Group and that’s our next step.

“We are still developing the facility. It’s an ongoing project. It’s never finished.”