Rugby club talks about new home

SPECULATION was mounting today about possible sites for a new home for Oldham Roughyeds.

Oldham Council has been in “productive” talks with the rugby league club which is desperately searching for a permanent base with the new season now 10 weeks away.

The club’s agreement to use Oldham Athletic’s Boundary Park stadium has ended. No other sporting venue within the borough meets the Rugby Football League’s minimum standards at present.

The Co-operative Championship One club has been without a permanent base since the new club was formed in 1997.

Councillor John McCann, who met Roughyeds owner Chris Hamilton for talks, along with other council officers, said: “We were happy to meet Chris Hamilton and had a wide-ranging discussion which included the history of the club’s problems.

“Talks are on-going and are at an early stage. However, I would like to stress that we are sympathetic to their situation and willing to help them where — and if — that is at all possible.

“Speculation has already begun about possible sites for a new home for the club.

“We will be making no responses or comment on that at present, as such information is commercially sensitive.

”We are committed to working in partnership with the Roughyeds in a bid to keep professional rugby league alive in the borough and promise to issue further updates as soon as any firm progress has been made.”