OLDHAM are to take a second home match out of the town to Stalybridge as their dispute with football club Oldham Athletic over the use of their Boundary Park stadium rolls on.
The Roughyeds switched their Challenge Cup second-round tie against Orrell St James, their first home match of the year, to Bower Fold, the ground of Stalybridge Celtic Football Club.
A 58-0 win over the amateur side set up a home tie against Championship rivals Dewsbury Rams – and Oldham RL have announced that it will take place at Bower Fold, six miles from Boundary Park, on Sunday, February 8, with a 3pm kick-off.
A third spell of Rugby League being played at Boundary Park (pictured), which has a capacity of around 13,000 and is owned by Oldham Athletic chairman Frank Rothwell, began in 2024, with a ten-year deal put in place.
That was in the wake of the previous year’s takeover of the Roughyeds, the current version of whom dates back to 1998, by a consortium fronted by former player and coach Mike Ford, who having initially been managing director, is now director of rugby.
Businessman and majority shareholder Bill Quinn became Oldham RL chairman for a second time in 2023, with the stated ambition of reaching Super League.
But it has emerged that he has been banned from Boundary Park for twelve months over unspecified allegations by Oldham Athletic, which the 59-year-old “vehemently denies”.
Meanwhile the Roughyeds say they are in a financial dispute with the football club over the use of Boundary Park, with both claiming to be owed money by the other.
“Oldham RLFC have requested that the matter goes to mediation, as per the dispute resolution terms and conditions of the contract in place,” said that club.
“However, to date, the football club have refused to go to mediation. In addition to refusing to allow this matter to go to mediation, sadly the football club then stated that Boundary Park will remain unavailable until the financial dispute is resolved.”
Oldham RL also said they had been offered a return to the ground but that the conditions demanded were “unacceptable”.
The football club countered: “The board of Oldham Athletic wish to formally express disappointment at the recent statement issued by Oldham RLFC.
“OAFC would like to make it absolutely clear that Boundary Park was available to ORLFC on Sunday, January 25 (the date of the Orrell St James tie) in line with the terms and conditions of the ground-share agreement which exists between the two clubs and is fully available and ready to host ORLFC’s next match, as required.
“In relation to the matters raised in ORLFC’s statement, OAFC confirms it has always acted in good faith and in accordance with its obligations to ORLFC.
“OAFC will continue to engage with ORLFC constructively through the proper channels while respecting the duties of confidentiality required by the ground-share agreement. OAFC reserves its rights accordingly.”
Bower Fold, which has a 6,500 capacity, has been the base of Stalybridge Celtic, currently of the Northern Premier League Division One West, since their formation in 1909.
The club were founder members of the Football League Third Division North in 1921, but spent only two seasons at that level and now play at tier eight of the football pyramid.
Oldham, the original version of whom sold their own Watersheddings ground for housing in 1997, used Bower Fold in 2016 and 2017 and again in 2020 and 2021.
They have also played at non-league football club Ashton United’s Hurst Cross and the multi-use Vestacare (Whitebank) Stadium in Oldham.