Awards night puts on the style!

WINNER: Nicola White with Dorothy Shirley-Emerson

LOCAL sport was showcased in spectacular fashion by the first One Future Oldham Sports Awards.

Over 400 people attended the gala awards dinner at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Friday with star guests including home-grown talent such as former GB Rugby League captain Paul Sculthorpe, former Manchester United defender David May and ambassador for Oldham, actress Shobna Gulati.

Nine category awards were presented and the evening ended with a new award for the borough — the Stoller Oldham Olympic Legacy award.

This was presented to current Olympian hockey star Nicola White by Dorothy Shirley-Emerson — the local athlete who won a silver medal at the Rome Olympics in 1960.

Next month’s Olympic Games may be centred on London, but its legacy will have a positive effect on Oldham for years to come.

That was the powerful message at the One Future Sports Awards presentation held at a packed Queen Elizabeth Hall less than a month before the Olympics gets under way in Britain for the first time since 1948.

Councillor Shoab Akhtar, deputy leader of Oldham Council, hoped the London Olympics would inspire the town’s athletes to achieve great things in the future.

His sentiments were echoed by others, including sporting celebrities who attended or sent video messages.

Nine awards were handed out at the glittering ceremony, hosted by Oldham Evening Chronicle Editor David Whaley.

Oldham Netball Club won the Club of the Year award, while individual honours went to Jessica Lloyd, Ben Procter, Phil Dean, Thomas Kearns, Pamela Hazelton, Steve Lynch, Steve Hill and Simon Bruce Lake (see 4-8 for details and reaction).

The evening began with a video of 11-year-old Dylan Hey running from Tandle Hill in Royton to the Queen Elizabeth Hall via many of the town’s sporting landmarks.

At its conclusion, the St Chad’s Primary School, Uppermill, pupil carried a replica of the Olympic Torch to the stage where a flame was lit.

This was followed by a stunning gymnastic display by Jack Atherton and Justin Beardsmore, who showed their dextrous skills to stunning effect.

Former Great Britain rugby league captain Paul Sculthorpe, who was born in Oldham and played for Waterhead as an amateur, was on hand to present certificates to those nominated for the nine awards.

He was joined by former Manchester United soccer star David May, who was also born in Oldham, and local actress Shobna Gulati, who plays controversial Sunita Alahan in “Coronation Street”.

In Olympic year, there was the fitting presence of Dorothy Shirley-Ellison, while there were video messages from Saddleworth’s Lancashire cricket star Kyle Hogg and Leeds Rhinos ace Kevin Sinfield, who was born and bred in Oldham.

The new-look awards evening was inspired by the staging of the London Olympics. Oldham’s Sports Development team were looking to make the evening extra special and they achieved this with the help of Oldham Business Leadership Group and the Evening Chronicle, who teamed up to form a steering group which turned a vision into reality.

Among the many organisations to lend their support were the Stoller Charitable Trust and Manchester United Foundation.

The evening’s positive message for sport in Oldham was perhaps summed up by Sculthorpe, who said: “Sport is massive. We are blessed in Oldham to have so much talent. I am sure we always will do.”


SEE all the winners, with pictures and comments, only in the paper and eChron editions of tonight’s Oldham Evening Chronicle