Oldham 1989

[Wilderspoolmemories 11]

• To be fair that 1989/1990 season Oldham side was a second division outfit in name only. They claimed some noteable first division scalps in cup comps that year....fortunately we were not one of them!

[17 stone giant 1,198]

22 hours ago, RL does what Sky says said:

1990 was Oldham's year in more ways than one. If Oldham RL had won their Challenge Cup semi-final they would have been at Wembley on he same weekend as Oldham Athletic who were in the Footbal League Cup final while Oldham-based pop group Inspiral Carpets were at number 1 at the same time.

I'd forgotten about them reaching the League Cup final, and I didn't know about the achievements in RL. I had remembered though that they played in an epic FA Cup SF that year against Man Utd (first one was 3-3 and I remember Earl Barrett being awesome), so Oldham could have been at Wembley in that comp too.

Definitely a golden time for sport in Oldham.

[Fartownfrontrow 12]

Bit cold in Whitehaven too with all the Mara,s

 

[Wigan Riversider 163]

1 hour ago, 17 stone giant said:

I'd forgotten about them reaching the League Cup final, and I didn't know about the achievements in RL. I had remembered though that they played in an epic FA Cup SF that year against Man Utd (first one was 3-3 and I remember Earl Barrett being awesome), so Oldham could have been at Wembley in that comp too.

Definitely a golden time for sport in Oldham.

Oldham played Wigan in 1991 challenge cup semi and made a second half comeback after Wigan had dominated the opening stanza.

1995 semi saw Wigan defeat the Roughyeds convincingly.

Fond memories.

16 hours ago, RL does what Sky says said:

It's like many matches, the memories and significance of them are often swayed by if your own team won or lost. A poor match won is often relayed to others as a great performance while an excellent match lost is told as though the team were awful from 1-13.

Oldham fully deserved it that night.

Personally I would never have picked that Wigan line up.

I was praying Mick Burke would slip n miss the kick after Paddy scored his try.

Remember he received some good natured booing at Central Park a few years later when he was introduced to the crowd: he wasn't playing.

[RL does what Sky says 2,243]

Just another notable Oldham performance in that 1988-89 season was when they played hosts to the Australian touring team at Watersheddings. Oldham lost 16-22 but that was the closest any team got to preventing the Aussies' 100% record on that tour. Indeed, only two club teams, Oldham and Wigan, managed to score more than one try against them, while six clubs didn't score any at all.

Edited May 3 by RL does what Sky says

[Gooleboy 874]

2 hours ago, Wigan Riversider said:

Oldham played Wigan in 1991 challenge cup semi and made a second half comeback after Wigan had dominated the opening stanza.

1995 semi saw Wigan defeat the Roughyeds convincingly.

Fond memories.

Oldham fully deserved it that night.

Personally I would never have picked that Wigan line up.

I was praying Mick Burke would slip n miss the kick after Paddy scored his try.

Remember he received some good natured booing at Central Park a few years later when he was introduced to the crowd: he wasn't playing.

In 95 as you say Oldham played Wigan in the Semi and Featherstone played Leeds in the other. If ever there was a draw for the conspiracy theorists, that was it!

[Wigan Riversider 163]

1 hour ago, RL does what Sky says said:

Just another notable Oldham performance in that 1988-89 season was when they played hosts to the Australian touring team at Watersheddings. Oldham lost 16-22 but that was the closest any team got to preventing the Aussies' 100% record on that tour. Indeed, only two club teams, Oldham and Wigan, managed to score more than one try against them, while six clubs didn't score any at all.

As per another thread: Unbeatables 1986 had very favourable refereeing decisions in Third Test at Central Park: 3 whinging whiners' tries should not have been awarded.

However, I am not a bitter nor am I a prejudiced man but...

1982 Invincibles were beaten by South Island New Zealand with some 'helpful' refereeing decisions.

It's life.

[philipw 359]

1 hour ago, RL does what Sky says said:

Just another notable Oldham performance in that 1988-89 season was when they played hosts to the Australian touring team at Watersheddings. Oldham lost 16-22 but that was the closest any team got to preventing the Aussies' 100% record on that tour. Indeed, only two club teams, Oldham and Wigan, managed to score more than one try against them, while six clubs didn't score any at all.

That was in 1986

[RL does what Sky says 2,243]

13 minutes ago, philipw said:

That was in 1986

ooops... yes you are correct. I typed the wrong season by mistake. It was the same season they then beat Wigan in that Challenge Cup tie.

[rlno1 209]

9 hours ago, Wigan Riversider said:

As per another thread: Unbeatables 1986 had very favourable refereeing decisions in Third Test at Central Park: 3 whinging whiners' tries should not have been awarded.

However, I am not a bitter nor am I a prejudiced man but...

1982 Invincibles were beaten by South Island New Zealand with some 'helpful' refereeing decisions.

It's life.

Not to mention Australia winning the 1985 2nd Test v NZ in the last seconds from a clear forward pass.

No whinging from the Aussies there.

Bob Fulton was the biggest whinger going around and was the reason Australia brought their own refs in 1994.

 

Edited May 4 by rlno1

[RL does what Sky says 2,243]

On 03/05/2020 at 09:09, Wilderspoolmemories said:

• To be fair that 1989/1990 season Oldham side was a second division outfit in name only. They claimed some noteable first division scalps in cup comps that year....fortunately we were not one of them!

Somehow Oldham also appear to only rise to the ocasion when their backs are against the wall and when playing in cup matches against teams from a higher division. In 1964 they were then in the second division and yet defeated three Division 1 teams (Keighley-a; Featherstone-h; Hunslet-a) on their way to the Challenge Cup semi-finals and where they played another top division side in Huill KR. After a draw, Oldham were winning in extra-time of the replay when it was abandoned for bad light and then lost the second replay. (In the final Hull KR lost to Widnes, who Oldham played in the first league game of the following season and beat 23-2).

Then in 2016 and again with Oldham near the foot of the Championship, they travelled for a Challenge Cup tie to Super League team Hull KR who had been finanlists the previous year. Oldham won 36-22.

I think Oldham should just forget the league and only play cup ties !!! 

[koli 51]

A bit off topic but if Oldham found a Ken Davey or similar and built a reasonably successful SL side playing in Oldham would it be able to rebuild crowds to its old potential in the 7 to 10k region ?

Or have time and demographics made that unlikely?

[sheddingswasus 223]

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!

[RL does what Sky says 2,243]

3 hours ago, koli said:

A bit off topic but if Oldham found a Ken Davey or similar and built a reasonably successful SL side playing in Oldham would it be able to rebuild crowds to its old potential in the 7 to 10k region ?

Or have time and demographics made that unlikely?

Locally Oldham has always been known more of a rugby town rather than a soccer one. When Oldham Athletic were in the FA Premier Division and playing all the top teams in the country, Oldham RL were in Division 2 of the RFL yet the percentage of attendances at Watersheddings compared to Boundary Park were better than in comparison to any other town which had both football and RL teams even though the Roughyeds were not playing the top sides.

Naturally winning teams attract more support - and I agree that time and the club's lack of major success in recent years may have changed some people's interest in the club - but should Oldham ever get back into the Super League then I think they could at least attract attendances to match some of those already there.

At the beginning of Super League both Hull KR and Leigh were in the third-tier division while six current SL teams were in what is now called the Champioship. Furthermore just a few years before, Huddersfield were attracting only hundreds to their games and with their remaining fans having the same pipe dreams as those supporters at Oldham have at the present time.

So, who knows what might happen ?  Nobody does ! But while there's a chance that fortunes might turn for the better then there will always be people there to keep the club going until that might happen ... and those are the true fans who don't just turn up expecting their team to be successful.

Maybe that's why we cling on to moments such as the win over Wigan in the 1987 Challenge Cup  ... other teams have won trophies or been to cup finals several times in recent years - and maybe memories of those just blend into one another - yet to us THAT was our Grand Final winning performance.

[The Art of Hand and Foot 834]

To reinforce what 'sheddings was us' and 'rldoeswhatskysays' , have said, should a rich sheikh ever decide to divest some of his money into RL, then he could do a lot worse than 'invest' in Oldham. We have a good amateur set up, we have a history , but more than that we have belief.  Build it and they will come. Will have to see how my numbers do I  tonight's euro's. 

Edited May 5 by The Art of Hand and Foot

[Wanderer 17]

41 minutes ago, The Art of Hand and Foot said:

To reinforce what 'sheddings was us' and 'rldoeswhatskysays' , have said, should a rich sheikh ever decide to divest some of his money into RL, then he could do a lot worse than 'invest' in Oldham. We have a good amateur set up, we have a history , but more than that we have belief.  Build it and they will come. Will have to see how my numbers do I  tonight's euro's. 

where would they play given this rich sheikh's millions? Is a redeveloped Boundary Park the only option? What are the barriers to that happening? Just asking, interested in these things...

[Wanderer 17]

oh and didn't an Oldham RLFC fan win the lotto at some point? I seem to remember something like that...

[Bedford Roughyed 6,988]

On 02/05/2020 at 19:46, RL does what Sky says said:

It's funny though how the Lancashire Cup game two years later - again an unexpected Oldham win - doesn't stick in the memory as much, even with Oldham supporters.

I remember it more because I was there praying for Gary Hyde to make the kick or at least make it go dead so we get the ball back!

[RL does what Sky says 2,243]

16 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

oh and didn't an Oldham RLFC fan win the lotto at some point? I seem to remember something like that...

Yes, he did and was an Oldham RL fan who was willing to invest some finances. However, the chairman of the club - and still the current one - didn't want to lose any of his power.

In Oldham we are certainly grateful to those who spent their money to reform a new club after the demise of the original Oldham set-up but the time has really come (well, it came some while back) that new blood is needed at the top. However, like many people throughout history, personal prestige and power mean more to them than the overall good of what they are supposed to be in charge of.

 

Edited May 5 by RL does what Sky says

[RL does what Sky says 2,243]

21 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

where would they play given this rich sheikh's millions? Is a redeveloped Boundary Park the only option? What are the barriers to that happening? Just asking, interested in these things...

Boundary Park would, of course, be an option but even Oldham Athletic were at one time going to move out of there and into a new ground ... that too never materialised.

Edited May 5 by RL does what Sky says

[OL14.yeds 20]

14 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

where would they play given this rich sheikh's millions? Is a redeveloped Boundary Park the only option? What are the barriers to that happening? Just asking, interested in these things...

It would realistically seem so (although we’ll have to see how I do in the Euro Millions draw this week).

When the original club left Boundary Park there was allegations of unpaid debts, and apparently the relationship wasn’t great.

However it seems better these days, with Roughyeds being welcomed onto the field at an OAFC game after winning promotion last season.

One problem would potentially be the Boundary Park pitch which although being better this season (up until March anyway..) is long over-due being re-laid. 

[RL does what Sky says 2,243]

11 minutes ago, Bedford Roughyed said:

I remember it more because I was there praying for Gary Hyde to make the kick or at least make it go dead so we get the ball back!

He actually kicked one penalty goal to put Oldham 19-18 ahead but they were later awarded another penalty for which Gary Hyde tried another long-distance attempt ... and it was that one he missed but at least put the ball dead.

Edited May 5 by RL does what Sky says

[The Art of Hand and Foot 834]

31 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

where would they play given this rich sheikh's millions? Is a redeveloped Boundary Park the only option? What are the barriers to that happening? Just asking, interested in these things...

Aha Boundary park,  now there's a tale. Oldham's chairman had a fall out with the then latics chairman. So we had to move out. BUT, and this is where it gets interesting, the football club was sold to a new owner. However, the new owner didn't buy the ground. The old owner ,apparently, retains ownership of the ground and rents it back to the club. BUT,yes there's another but, part of the ground, a new stand, is owned by someone else. There has been some sort of convoluted disagreement between all parties. So any move back to boundary park is a none starter,  at this stage, I'm a afraid.

Edited May 5 by The Art of Hand and Foot

[Bedford Roughyed 6,988]

15 minutes ago, RL does what Sky says said:

He actually kicked one penalty goal to put Oldham 19-18 ahead but they were later awarded another penalty for which Gary Hyde tried another long-distance attempt ... and it was that one he missed but at least put the ball dead.

I didn't think he'd get the first one, so just wanted the ball back. 

Happily he slotted it over!

[Bedford Roughyed 6,988]

14 minutes ago, The Art of Hand and Foot said:

Aha Boundary park,  now there's a tale. Oldham's chairman had a fall out with the then latics chairman. So we had to move out. BUT, and this is where it gets interesting, the football club was sold to a new owner. However, the new owner didn't buy the ground. The old owner ,apparently, retains ownership of the ground and rents it back to the club. BUT,yes there's another but, part of the ground, a new stand, is owned by someone else. There has been some sort of convoluted disagreement between all parties. So any move back to boundary park is a none starter,  at this stage, I'm a afraid.

As a lapsed fan, trying to get your head round the Latics ownership situation is quite torturous!