sheddingswasus

Strangely, although my first game was as a two year old in 1959, this is the first game I can really remember going to, and yet my Dad took me to every home game, and some away. Talking about Alan Davies in a testimonial, I remember him turning out in Phil Larders match and that day two centre legends (three if we include Phil) played together, Davies & Des Foy, just before he signed for Widnes as a 16 yer old.

I am fairly sure that when I got this video off Mike Stephenson, for the Oldham element, there was more footage of Oldham. Again on the film was footage of a tennis tournament at Odsal around the same time. Also, I wonder how many people know there were tennis courts at Sheddings where the Watershedddings stand was built.

What I am saying, is we have have a pyramid that starts at the younger level that is extremely strong. The pinnacle of this is rightly the international game. Then super League and all the level below. If we increase the strength at every level, progressively the next level up, becomes stronger. We then strengthen the game right through to the top. But we need a strong heartlands, which have been somewhat ignored in the clamour to expand. As an example, clubs around the country are reaping the benefits of player developed in the Oldham Community game (and other heartland areas) - just thing how many more could?

Because the focus has been wrong.

Scotchy, your focus is wrong here and this is why as a sport we are struggling. The strength of any body is it's core. Rugby League now has a very weak core. There has been far too great an emphasis on Super League to the detriment of the game as a whole. I realise SL is the showcase for the sport and has it's place rightly at the top of the table. But....... I am not talking about just the semi pro section, I aim looking right back to where it begins. The youth game. Enhance and strengthen this, create a pathway to senior RL at community level, which in turn produces more players to strengthen the pro-level of the sport. The game needs rewards at all levels of the game, so things like town team rugby at all age levels (including open age). County games need to be meaningful. International games at open age and youth level. All this has been lost with the myopia of Super League being an international completion. Don't get me wrong, I believe this has it's place, but we have lost sight of where we are and who we are. The Government in it's loan to the RFL recognises the importance of the game to the commumities. Why is it so important to ignore the heartlands, places like Dewsbury, Halifax, Oldham, and the likes, yet fawn over places like Coventry (no disrespect meant here, just an example). The ones I mentioned produce many players for the pro game, yet Coventry etc. don't. Surely by protecting and promoting these heartlands communities it will strengthen the game. Once you re-establish the strength in it's origins, then you can strengthen the expansion areas. Strengthen the core - strengthen the game!

Oldham is still a strong RL town. Many go out of town to watch SL etc. A lot of this is because the amateur clubs have tie ins (unofficial) to various SL clubs. RL is Oldham is still divided. The local clubs seem have generally turned their backs on the the pro club, more than likely the way the owner treated in past years. To answer your question, yes with a rich benefactor and a local stadium ORLFC would thrive again!

It is well believed that the RFL the had a downer on Oldham for many many years! Somehow they were always treated slightly worse than other clubs

This brings back so many memories - not from being there, as I was still four weeks from being born - but restoring and editing the video from the poor quality footage we had for the 2007 reunion dinner that Rugby Oldham held at the QE hall. Michael Turner & I spent weeks on this video. Jack Dearden did a great job on the voice overs as well It was a must to load onto our new website, so I hope you all enjoy it. Keep safe. Steve

Thank you for your kind comments - the website is an on going project. As an example, as well as all the match reports being attached to the game page, we will be adding Chronicle news articles from the week leading up to the match. We will also be putting on all of Roger old Weekly Round Ups that used to go in the Chron on a Wednesday, There is other stuff as well. One of the best features I have come across among some old scrapbooks is a weekly series on articles in the 1966 Summer Pink newspaper headed "Everything But Wembley". Each of the players from the 1950's super team were interviewed with their reminiscences - fascinating stuff! If anyone has any photos or articles from the past that you think we may not have, feel free to get in touch! We will return that after they have been scanned.

The 1921 film was passed to me in 2007 at the Rugby Oldham Celebration dinner. The lady who gave it to me explained it was old Nitrate film and what was in it. Her grandfather was the projectionist and manager at various cinemas in Oldham. She had found it in the family's attic. His passion was film making and he used to film the likes of Oldham Rugby and Athletic at matched and training. Many of these got shown at the intermission during the films. Whilst researching Watersheddings Memories we found an advert for the Coliseum Theatre from 1931 which referred to these. Sadly, the only one that seems to have survived is this match! We had to have restored at the National Film archive specialist unit in London and as part of the deal it was then incorporated into their archive. For those who have been to some of the Rugby Oldham dinners they have used some of this footage in films we made for them. The story behind the 1950's film you mention, is this was original part of the whole series of Standard 8 film that was donated many years ago and was sent to Micron Video in Wigan for transfer to VHS (that is how long ago this was). Sadly, the conversion was not the best job. They did it by videoing the imaging that was being projected onto a screen. Unfortunately, despite many conversations and searches, Micron lost the original films. The buses going to match in the snowy conditions are fascinating though. On the same footage are a queue of coaches from the away fans packed the length of Wales Street. All the films & videos, in the collection (500+ matches) have recently been digitized by a specialist company in the midlands and upgraded to HD where possible. All this was made possible by large donation from a benefactor and is named after them. It is the FRANK & EDITH TAYLOR MOVING IMAGE ARCHIVE

That's a real shame - he was limping badly when he was a the matches last year

George Tyson ??

Morning all - currently there is a small part of the collection on display on the library's foyer. The collection will eventually be on a rotating display in the new Local Heritage Centre, which we understand will start construction shortly. There will be a dedicated section there to Oldham RLFC. All the collection has been professionally photographed and will eventually all be visible on the new website.

Thank you all for a great response so far! There is loads more stuff to go on the site yet and it will be evolving as we go along. Current;y some of the images are labeled up wrong and we will be sorting this. For example, we are currently digitizing hundreds of match reports, the Wednesdays Chron reviews and articles, related features from other newspapers and magazines etc. All these will be in searchable PDF's so you can put in say, Terry Flanagan 1982 as a search and it should bring up all related stuff. These are all generally from original newspapers etc rather than the microfilm archives in the Local Interest Centre. I am currently working on some 1919 Green Finals as an example. There was a lot of research papers from when we produced some of the old books and we hope to get this stuff on eventually as well.

Morning Dave I had totally forgotten we had this footage!