Oldham..,

[Jughead]

Is this good news then? Just seems a continuation of flitting between three venues, what makes this move much better than any previous, bar not needing to move depending on promotion or relegation?

[Tommygilf]

49 minutes ago, Godzilla said:

 

Good to see things coming together for Oldham. I don't think it's surprising that local authorities who had previously been either intransigent or unhelpful getting more support for their RL clubs are now doing so with IMG's grading criteria being a firm barrier for clubs.

[Hopping Mad]

Boundary Park is to get a hybrid pitch, for which Oldham Council is providing £1m. If it's as good as the one at the LNER Community Stadium, York, there shouldn't be a problem hosting year-round football and rugby league.

https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/23390605.new-1-million-pitch-set-come-boundary-park/

Edited March 16, 2023 by Hopping Mad

[Roughyed Rats]

1 hour ago, Godzilla said:

 

This is big. Huge actually. However, look out for further announcements in the coming days apparently 

[Just Browny]

On the face of it a sensible move from the council. Yes you can have your nice pitch Oldham Athletic, but only if you let the rugby team use it.

The key bit will be whether that sticks if the football team start to do well and get too big for their boots again, as football clubs are wont to do.

[Tommygilf]

11 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

On the face of it a sensible move from the council. Yes you can have your nice pitch Oldham Athletic, but only if you let the rugby team use it.

The key bit will be whether that sticks if the football team start to do well and get too big for their boots again, as football clubs are wont to do.

How big can they get I suppose? In the national league they weren't far off doing a Bury.

Perhaps some greater investment is deemed more rewarding for the town by pushing for the Roughyeds to get towards the top flight of RL than the Latics milling around the lower reaches of the football league.

[Just Browny]

3 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

How big can they get I suppose? In the national league they weren't far off doing a Bury.

Perhaps some greater investment is deemed more rewarding for the town by pushing for the Roughyeds to get towards the top flight of RL than the Latics milling around the lower reaches of the football league.

Well I agree it is unlikely but Oldham Athletic is still a decent sized club and big money owners turn up at all sorts of clubs.

I think we are otherwise agreeing.

[Tommygilf]

2 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

Well I agree it is unlikely but Oldham Athletic is still a decent sized club and big money owners turn up at all sorts of clubs.

I think we are otherwise agreeing.

Yeah I agree. I was more saying this might be a time that Oldham Athletic, recently under new ownership iirc, would be more open to a new relationship with the RL club.

[Jamie_]

Great stuff for the Roughyeds, hopefully get crowds on the right side of 1k with a bit of promotion, buzz, and management. Their nomadic era has really held them back but I hope this can now be the turning point for them. No guarantees of anything however when you look at Doncaster and Rochdale.

I personally hope Mr Rothwell is tempted to buy the club in the future, I think the multi-sports club model is the future in this country.

[Ragingbull]

On 16/03/2023 at 12:23, Hopping Mad said:

Boundary Park is to get a hybrid pitch, for which Oldham Council is providing £1m. If it's as good as the one at the LNER Community Stadium, York, there shouldn't be a problem hosting year-round football and rugby league.

https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/23390605.new-1-million-pitch-set-come-boundary-park/

Lets hope if more like Yorks and doesnt end up like Wakey!

[Padge]

On 14/03/2023 at 17:04, Castleford Hawk said:

The population of Leeds is 800k. Rhinos averaged 13k in 2022.  So there is quite a bit to go at still.  

Population and attendance follow an inverse exponential curve.

[Gooleboy]

Good luck to Oldham going forward. Hopefully they can grow their crowds playing back in the town.

 

 

 

 

[Roughyed Rats]

On 16/03/2023 at 12:24, Roughyed Rats said:

This is big. Huge actually. However, look out for further announcements in the coming days apparently 

Apparently there will a big announcement on Friday morning.

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

It's either Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan buying in or we've got a new sock sponsor!

[hw88]

On 11/03/2023 at 22:46, The Art of Hand and Foot said:

Now, this is conjecture. But supposing, just supposing Oldham played in a stadium compatible with SL!? It's got the population, the local amateur infrastructure! Oh, did I mention the history? How important is Oldham  to the development of the greatest game? Joseph Platt, son of Oldham, Father of Rugby League!? Oldham, the home, for the first 35 years. of Northern Rugby Football Union/ Rugby Football League!? The only thing missing, then, is performance. Winning games, promotion. If you think crowd attendance would be a problem, then No. Build it and they will come! #Sleeping giant!

Will they? I doubt it, well not in sufficient numbers anyway.

Sleeping giant? Possibly, but that term can be applied to any number of teams that have been left behind by SL - Swinton, Workington, Halifax, Hunslet to name but four.

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

Rumour has it that the new owners will include Mike Ford. 

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, The Art of Hand and Foot said:

Rumour has it that the new owners will include Mike Ford. 

The ex-Bramley scrum half? 

[Barley Mow]

10 minutes ago, Eddie said:

The ex-Bramley scrum half? 

Player coach in fact.

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

2 hours ago, Eddie said:

The ex-Bramley scrum half? 

The very same. Oldham legend. Born and bred 

[koli]

7 hours ago, hw88 said:

Will they? I doubt it, well not in sufficient numbers anyway.

Sleeping giant? Possibly, but that term can be applied to any number of teams that have been left behind by SL - Swinton, Workington, Halifax, Hunslet to name but four.

Crowd wise Oldham in their 50s heyday were bigger than those 4 .

[hw88]

10 hours ago, koli said:

Crowd wise Oldham in their 50s heyday were bigger than those 4 .

I don't doubt it. Sadly we are no longer in the 1950s and the days of routine big crowds are long gone. Unfortunately it will take a lot more than a new stadium and a rich owner to turn around the fortunes of Oldham and clubs like them. People have simply got out of the habit of going to sporting events, and not just Oldham. These days we will be praising Wigan and Saints for attracting 16,000 or so - in the past 25,000+ was the norm.

[Barley Mow]

New owners confirmed:

https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/139/main-news/151108/roughyeds-announce-new-owners-as-hamilton-steps-aside-after-25-eventful-years

Edited March 24, 2023 by Barley Mow

[JonM]

15 hours ago, Eddie said:

The ex-Bramley scrum half? 

I think he had a couple of years coaching at Oldham after that, but then disappeared off the radar for 20 years. 

[Futtocks]

 

[JonM]

On 13/03/2023 at 19:37, DEANO said:

Hunslet were denied promotion. Since then the crowds have dwindled. Most saying what’s the point in going. All part of the master plan by the rfl 

Hunslet were in the top division in 1987-88. 6k attendance for the opening derby game against Leeds, 1187 for the next home game, 688 for the final home game of the season against Hull KR. Also in the top flight in 1979-80, average crowd of 1718, dropping to 921 in 1980-81 second division. Their crowds had gone long before superleague came along. 

Edited March 24, 2023 by JonM