Oldham RLFC: 24 years and counting no ground, no success, hardly any supporters. Time to Sell ?

[WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972]

After 24 years of no success, no ground, dwindling crowds, no investment, Is it time for Chris Hamilton to sell his company.

All thoughts are welcome.

[fiftiesremembered]

Are you putting a bid in then ?

[Bert Street]

Is there much left to buy other than a history, a badge and a debt?

[WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972]

In 24 years can you honestly say hand on heart that we have progressed under Hamilton's Leadership. Seriously their are people out there who would be willing to buy the club! If you intend to commit, do it BIG, not small  you may as well not commit at all. If your ambition is to remain in league one with no ground and hardly any support back the same horse! Why have we never expanded the club beyond Mr Hamilton's ownership! Why have we never expanded the boardroom until now. We have two people running Oldham RLFC, The owner (Mr Hamilton) and his mate. Who is to say he's running the club for his own benefit and not for the benefit of the people of Oldham. Why is Oldham RLFC registered opposite Boundary Park. Why do we play at Stalybridge. When we have a perfectly good Stadium Opposite where the Club is Officially registered. 

[tandle]

54 minutes ago, WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972 said:

In 24 years can you honestly say hand on heart that we have progressed under Hamilton's Leadership. Seriously their are people out there who would be willing to buy the club! If you intend to commit, do it BIG, not small  you may as well not commit at all. If your ambition is to remain in league one with no ground and hardly any support back the same horse! Why have we never expanded the club beyond Mr Hamilton's ownership! Why have we never expanded the boardroom until now. We have two people running Oldham RLFC, The owner (Mr Hamilton) and his mate. Who is to say he's running the club for his own benefit and not for the benefit of the people of Oldham. Why is Oldham RLFC registered opposite Boundary Park. Why do we play at Stalybridge. When we have a perfectly good Stadium Opposite where the Club is Officially registered. 

keighey fixture list round 1, sunday 27th march oldham away venue TBC.

make of this what you will. building a team with no ground.

cant find a ground oldhams problems will be over.

[WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972]

The Stadium issue is the biggest concern, why cannot we agree on somewhere that is based in Oldham and stay there.

Oldham RLFC seem to be scrambling for a venue of where to play next year. This really should of been decided upon.

It's ridiculous that a venue still hasn't been arranged. No wonder crowds are disappearing. Venues should be decided upon before fixture releases. You will lose many spectators if they don't know which ground they need to arrive at.

Poor planning leads to poor performance.

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

1 hour ago, WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972 said:

The Stadium issue is the biggest concern, why cannot we agree on somewhere that is based in Oldham and stay there.

Oldham RLFC seem to be scrambling for a venue of where to play next year. This really should of been decided upon.

It's ridiculous that a venue still hasn't been arranged. No wonder crowds are disappearing. Venues should be decided upon before fixture releases. You will lose many spectators if they don't know which ground they need to arrive at.

Poor planning leads to poor performance.

To me it's number one issue. We need a home, a proper home. I think the reason it's taking so long with whitebank is that they want a long term agreement, trouble is the place is just not good enough if we get promoted. I think people know my view. Sharing with a local RL club and apply for joint funding. Now whether that is feasible I don't know.

[WellWisher]

It's easy to sit in the comfort of your armchair and criticise, and although supporters haven't always been happy with the way CH has run it, would ORLFC have survived for the last 24 years without him?  My guess is probably not. As for the lack of a permanent ground, CH isn't to blame for the Club being sold down the river when they were forced to leave Watersheddings in 1997. No doubt there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes regarding a ground and they'll surely make an announcement as soon as they're in a position to do so.

[WellWisher]

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

To me it's number one issue. We need a home, a proper home. I think the reason it's taking so long with whitebank is that they want a long term agreement, trouble is the place is just not good enough if we get promoted. I think people know my view. Sharing with a local RL club and apply for joint funding. Now whether that is feasible I don't know.

From what has been said previously, it sounds as if Whitebank will have to suffice for 2022 but I agree with Art's suggestion. Surely sharing with a local RL club would be a win win situation and it's surely worth exploring.

[WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972]

No 1 Watersheddings had to be sold because of decades of financial mismanagement, (Not by Mr Quinn). We wouldn't of been in Super League if it wasn't for Mr Quinn. People have very short memory's when Oldham had a successful team they should of re invested in the 50's 60' s 70's and so on. Watersheddings was falling down couldn't afford the repairs. and the club was more than £2,000000 in debt after people taking all the profits (not Mr Quinn) and not re investing in the Club. That's how we got this awful mess in the first place and continue to do so.

 

Off course Oldham RLFC would of survived. One man isn't Oldham RLFC. 

[ArthurO]

10 hours ago, WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972 said:

and the club was more than £2,000000 in debt

As a matter of interest, to whom was the club in debt to that large amount of money? 

[WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972]

Probably the creditors and other parties, if I am wrong, and you know please correct me ? Yes watching Ganley must of been something else you were lucky, What do you think Oldham should do, to get back to those standards? My short and long term outlook probably doesn't get anywhere near those standards, Perhaps Mr Quinn (Former Chairman of The Original Oldham RLFC - The Roughyeds ) could come out of retirement and help to fix these problems it would be fascinating if he did. As he gave us a team we were thrilled to watch and the use of Boundary Park on a regular basis when Watersheddings had expired its lifetime.

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

34 minutes ago, WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972 said:

Probably the creditors and other parties, if I am wrong, and you know please correct me ? Yes watching Ganley must of been something else you were lucky, What do you think Oldham should do, to get back to those standards? My short and long term outlook probably doesn't get anywhere near those standards, Perhaps Mr Quinn (Former Chairman of The Original Oldham RLFC - The Roughyeds ) could come out of retirement and help to fix these problems it would be fascinating if he did. As he gave us a team we were thrilled to watch and the use of Boundary Park on a regular basis when Watersheddings had expired its lifetime.

I remember my dad telling me that ganley could kick from anywhere on the field but he couldn't tackle for toffee. Probably why his international honours were limited.

[Marauder]

On 24/11/2021 at 10:18, WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972 said:

The Stadium issue is the biggest concern, why cannot we agree on somewhere that is based in Oldham and stay there.

Oldham RLFC seem to be scrambling for a venue of where to play next year. This really should of been decided upon.

It's ridiculous that a venue still hasn't been arranged. No wonder crowds are disappearing. Venues should be decided upon before fixture releases. You will lose many spectators if they don't know which ground they need to arrive at.

Poor planning leads to poor performance.

Poor planning because they can't find a ground, are they looking ? how many times have they been knocked back in their search? do you know of any troubles to a reason why they can't find a ground or even where they have looked?

[WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972]

Well if we have no ground, we won't be for filling the league requirements for matches to be played, unless we use Saddleworth Rangers Ground. I believe that's a good ground with facilities.

[tandle]

if you want to know some history about oldham rlfc type in boundary park wikipedia and read all of it.

[moorside roughyed]

43 minutes ago, WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972 said:

Well if we have no ground, we won't be for filling the league requirements for matches to be played, unless we use Saddleworth Rangers Ground. I believe that's a good ground with facilities.

Great ground for an amateur club. Even got a stand so you don't get wet. Good clubhouse too.

[ArthurO]

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

I remember my dad telling me that ganley could kick from anywhere on the field but he couldn't tackle for toffee.

Almost correct on both points. Bernard Ganley wasn't on the field to tackle. He wasn't expected to. He had a total of 12 very skillful, fast and hard players in front of him who did the tackling for him. Additionally that great team of the '50s could always score more points than his 'missed' tackles ever caused. Ganley was there for one reason and one reason only. That was to kick goals from anywhere in the opposition's half. As a 'kicking machine' he did just that. His kicking demoralised the opposition. They knew that he rarely missed a goal. His world record number of total goals scored, and kicked in a single season, stood for many, many years. 

P.S. He couldn't kick from ANYWHERE on the field. Even he wasn't that good !

Edited November 26, 2021 by ArthurO

[fiftiesremembered]

Ganley summed up perfectly there Arthur.Only remember him scoring one try as well - literally carried over the line by his teammates - against Walney Central I think in a cup match.

 

[Bedford Roughyed]

On 25/11/2021 at 10:58, Marauder said:

Poor planning because they can't find a ground, are they looking ? how many times have they been knocked back in their search? do you know of any troubles to a reason why they can't find a ground or even where they have looked?

Not sure its really in the plan tbh.  No money to buy the land even if it was available. 

[Marauder]

3 hours ago, Bedford Roughyed said:

Not sure its really in the plan tbh.  No money to buy the land even if it was available. 

Result of poor management in yester year, for.me Fev are going about growing their club in the right way.

[Bedford Roughyed]

3 minutes ago, Marauder said:

Result of poor management in yester year, for.me Fev are going about growing their club in the right way.

Yup, keeping that ground and slowly building it is a key factor in where they are.  

[Marauder]

4 hours ago, Bedford Roughyed said:

Yup, keeping that ground and slowly building it is a key factor in where they are.  

Not sure if Fev's little plot was once coal board property, it so they'd have got it for  a pittance.

[Curlywurly2]

On 23/11/2021 at 13:54, WATERSHEDDINGS_ORLFC_1972 said:

In 24 years can you honestly say hand on heart that we have progressed under Hamilton's Leadership. Seriously their are people out there who would be willing to buy the club! If you intend to commit, do it BIG, not small  you may as well not commit at all. If your ambition is to remain in league one with no ground and hardly any support back the same horse! Why have we never expanded the club beyond Mr Hamilton's ownership! Why have we never expanded the boardroom until now. We have two people running Oldham RLFC, The owner (Mr Hamilton) and his mate. Who is to say he's running the club for his own benefit and not for the benefit of the people of Oldham. Why is Oldham RLFC registered opposite Boundary Park. Why do we play at Stalybridge. When we have a perfectly good Stadium Opposite where the Club is Officially registered. 

The address on Furtherwood Road is Hamiltons House. 

[The storm]

Wakefield councilhas gifted featherstone, castleford and wakefield, 2 million each for ground developments

Surely oldham RL need protecting