21 replies to this topic

[sheddings69]

Can anyone explain the rationale behind this move?

http://www.oldham-ch...teur-youth-plan

Why would the club step on the toes of the local amateur game like this? It makes absolutely no sense to me.....no reference to this on the club's website, please enlighten....

Edited by sheddings69, 18 July 2012 - 06:30 AM.

[BatleyFanAndy]

Would possibly bring up some young talent through the ranks.

[oldhamer]

Exactly Andy for one reason. Also, enagage with the local community to which their are no local amateur teams nearby, and give the local children something to do that is is enagaging, healthy and positive.

Again, another good move by the club.

In addition, I suppose by getting the local kids involved, it gives them a sense of pride for the club, and hopefully will go a long way in stemming the vandalism that has been a problem for Oldham over the past twelve or so months.

Edited by oldhamer, 18 July 2012 - 07:29 AM.

[roughyed8]

Except there is a junior club nearby, the Fitton Hill and Hathershaw Bulldogs are based at Hathershaw school , about half a mile away as the crow flies, are they going to decimate that club by offering free kit to kids to join, the club should be working with local clubs not setting up in competition.

[oldhamer]

I guess they are not setting up in competition as it's a different part of town. If you go by your argument, should St Annes, Higginshaw and Waterhead shouldn't be in existance if that's the case, as there is less milage than that between the clubs.

Hollinwood haven't a youth section, and there is nothing in the Failsworth region at all rugby wise. So in total, you have quite a decent catchment area for players.

You will find that Oldham RLFC have helped Fitton Hill out numerous times, and will always continue to give them support.
Incidentally, once an amateur club is up and running, attracting numbers is normally down to the club in question and it's section of volunteers. So if a club is needy of players, there are many avenues that they can go down that can bear fruit, one being the Community Sports Development Team, the other is going into local schools themselves. Personally, if I have needed any players to fill an age group, I have gave up a significant amount of my own time and gone into schools and attracted them to my local club.

If it gets any child off a Playstation or Xbox, or causing mayhem, into playing a healthy sport like Rugby League - ideas like this are priceless.

Yet again, another positve step by the club turns around to be another negative.

Edited by oldhamer, 18 July 2012 - 12:40 PM.

[sheddings69]

It would be interesting to get the amateur clubs views on this - wonder whether they see it as a positive step?

[oldhamer]

No doubt some amateur clubs will vent their spleen over such action, but Keighley have done this for years without problems. Players will be introduced to the team, play, and either stay, move on, or give up. Those players that move on, will go to other clubs in the town, and those clubs might lose players in the other direction. But the key to it, is that they will be attracting players who are not currently playing the game at all. And where is the harm in that?

The town lost youth sections at Shaw and Royton Tigers, and nothing really was done, the players just moved on elsewhere or were lost completely. And if their were more younth teams in Oldham, it would mean less travelling to play teams in Wigan and St Helens, which is a good thing.

[thecrab]

I'm not sure on this one.

I can see the advantages of getting kids playing for a youth side based around Limeside and all the social advantages from it.

However, having our own junior amateur teams can only inevitably lead to friction with the other amateur clubs in the town.

If CH's plan is to hopefully entice the cream of the amateur kids to Roughyed Kids ARLFC and hope that St Annes, Saddleworth, Waterhead etc will be happy with that then I think we're going to end up breaking bonds with these clubs rather than building them.

[PooingDog]

Any new club (at these age ranges) would have to join the NWC 8-12 to get any matches. There's alway a vote of existing clubs on whether to accept a new club. St Annes, Higginshaw, Waterhead and every other club would be the one's to decide if they were admitted. Any club local to the new club can object (and I stand to be corrected) and veto a membership if the new clubs catchment area overlaps or competes with theirs.
I don't really think a club based at Whitebank would be a problem for the other Oldham clubs, they are at different ends of the town.

Slightly off topic but Saddleworth Rangers held a junior festival at Ashton RUFC over the weekend for three age ranges and all four Oldham clubs attended, I'm told that all the teams at all the age ranges had more than enough players. The point being that there is probably room for another Junior club.

[oldhamer]

The club know exactly what the protocols are and what they need to do. The catchment area doesn't infringe with any other local club whatsoever, and can only add to another set of youngsters playing in our town. From what is being set up is to get kids playing who are not currently playing, and has no intention of poaching any existing player from any club.

If it was to be set up in Greenfield, Oldham Edge, Moorside or Royton, then I would agree that it would be stepping on the other clubs toes, and for one I wouldn't be happy. But where Whitebank is, it's more of a footballing stronghold which I guess the club are trying to break.

Edited by oldhamer, 18 July 2012 - 07:23 PM.

[rugbyman1]

Any new club initiative in the heartlands of RL should be welcome.With any luck it will encourage kids to be proud of playing RL and maybe discourage the midless vandalism we keep seeing.Keeping boys and girls busy and fit has got to be good. Well done Oldham RL

[Roughyeds Return]

For me the its about one thing - access to grants / funding sources not currently available.

To qualify for funding, including potential sources to improve the ground we have to demonstrate that we are a community club / project and that we offer opportunities to the wider group of people than just a group of semi-pro rugby players and a diminishing crowd.

I think its something they have to do in order to be able to move forward.

[Mad Mal the Mauler]

Letting the local kids into Whitebank, most of them have probably already been in, like letting a fox into a chicken coop

[roughyed]

The ship is slowly sinking but before we go down let's upset the amateurs who are struggling to get new players,one lucky win does not convince me that they are on the up.Another season in this ###### division playing at a place with no atmosphere or support,should be the final nail in the coffin,and before you say another gloom and doom writer,weigh up the facts the club is sinking like a stone.

[oldhamer]

Who is struggling for players 8s to 11s in the town? From my knowledge, most clubs have an abundance of players at these age groups.

[sheddings69]

Abundance Oldhamer, really? If this is such a badly needed and positive step by the club, why is there no reference whatsoever to it on the club's website? Surely they should be shouting about it from the rooftops....

Roughyed - how can you be so doom and gloom? Are you not looking forward to playing the University of Gloucester next season? After all they were the 3rd best student side last year!!

Edited by sheddings69, 20 July 2012 - 06:40 AM.

[oldhamer]

Yep, there are quite alot of players that are already at clubs in the 7-11 bracket throughout the town. Clubs that do not run teams at those age groups, is really down to themselves and their own resources. However, this will be not the target of the club. Again, it will be targetting kids who are not currently playing league, and trying to introduce them to the sport. Do nothing, and the target group may never ever touch a rugby ball, which as a sport, a community and a club we should be applauding, not knocking.

The club have done alot in coaching within the schools, all they are doing is providing an exit route for these players to continue enjoying the game.

Personally, the more kids playing the game can only be a good thing, irrespective of what club they are at.

[sheddings69]

Yep, there are quite alot of players that are already at clubs in the 7-11 bracket throughout the town. Clubs that do not run teams at those age groups, is really down to themselves and their own resources. However, this will be not the target of the club. Again, it will be targetting kids who are not currently playing league, and trying to introduce them to the sport. Do nothing, and the target group may never ever touch a rugby ball, which as a sport, a community and a club we should be applauding, not knocking.

The club have done alot in coaching within the schools, all they are doing is providing an exit route for these players to continue enjoying the game.

Personally, the more kids playing the game can only be a good thing, irrespective of what club they are at.

If there is a demand and existing amateur clubs are ok with it, then great. When the club actually announces it, perhaps some people will applaud it? If this really is seen by the club as a positive step, the PR has been awful.

Also, I'd love to know more about the work the club has done in schools. That would be a great message to actually publicise!

Crazy idea but might just work......if you actually engage with people regarding the positive work that's being done, perhaps people's perception of the club will change. I learn far more from the 'inner circle' on this forum than I do from the club which surely can't be right can it......and before you say it, no it should not be up to me to approach CH or TB to ask them personally for gods sake!!

Edited by sheddings69, 20 July 2012 - 07:57 AM.

[oldhamer]

The website and facebook page has had many articles over the months with regards the coaching done in some local schools mainly by Lucas Onyango. And it has been schools with no realyhistory with playing the sport, and that's a real challenge in itself, as it's easy to go into the schools that have some sort of history in playing.

The club made history in making the schools cup finals at Whitebank, which again is a fantastic coup for the club and the local schools, and was well attended on the day. And speaking to the players after the event, they loved it.

ORLFC can only do so much at anyone time, and as budgets go, do alot more than the Bears did during there brief SL appearances.

The club does tell the fans about this work, it's on the website, and has links off it's Facebook page as well as snippets from the Chron and Advertiser.

Edited by oldhamer, 20 July 2012 - 08:51 AM.

[sheddings69]

The schools final is a welcome return - I have very fond memories of playing at Sheddings on a couple of occasions.

However, many articles? really Oldhamer? I've just gone through the news article archives and can find one piece about a visit by Lucas to Richmond primary school (was that last season?).

If they are doing more work then great, let's hear about it. Just like the ground development....at least tell us if something is happening. I only know we have got a load of free seats from Salford through this forum. What are we intending to do with them? Are we buidling terracing to add the seats to? If so, wouldn't have thought it difficult to put in for planning permission but this hasn't been done yet...............what is happening? the mushroom die hards would love to know!