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by ROGER HALSTEAD Rugby Oldham, the Supporters' Trust, are putting significant financial clout the Roughyeds way in order to assist the club with the funding of its new reserves side. The link-up of Club and Trust -- with the reserves team the common denominator -- was announced on Friday night when Oldham beat derby rivals Rochdale Hornets 38-8 at a gale-lashed Boundary Park. Significantly, there were five Oldham-born players in the Rochdale side, but not one in the Roughyeds 17-man squad. It is in the hope of arresting that sort of exodus that Roughyeds are assembling a reserves team to be coached by John Hough and Leo Casey. And with similar beliefs about the ideal of keeping the "made in Oldham" trademark actually in Oldham, the Trust has announced that it will make an undisclosed, yet considerable, contribution towards the club's cost of running a second team in 2008. Rugby Oldham's new association with Oldham RLFC (1997) Ltd was launched on the pitch on Friday when Roughyeds chairman Bill Quinn shook hands on it with two officials of the Trust, namely Ian Wilson (secretary) and Michael Ackroyd (treasurer). Said Bill: "On behalf of the Roughyeds, we are delighted with Rugby Oldham's significant contribution to our funding of the new reserves team. It is good to know that our club is seen by others as one that is moving forward on a lot of fronts. "Our reserves team will provide young players with opportunities and give them a chance to show what they can do in a new environment at a professional club. "As far as Oldham boys are concerned it will also mean they don't need to leave town in order to advance up the rugby league ladder. "We thank Rugby Oldham for their support and trust that the 2008 reserves season will be a successful one for the Roughyeds, for Rugby Oldham and for the young players and their coaches, John Hough and Leo Casey." Rugby Oldham's press release said the board of Rugby Oldham was pleased to announce that the Trust was to invest heavily in helping to fund the reserves side in the coming season. It went on: "We are delighted with the progress that has been made on the first-team playing front, and now fully endorse the club's structured approach to attracting young players into the fold. "As has been well publicised, nine of the selected 17 players in this season's Reserves side are requred to be aged 21 or under. "Most members of the local rugby league fraternity --- and all at the Roughyeds -- would share a concern that in recent years many talented local youngsters have had to turn to out-of-town professional clubs to progress their rugby league. "We share with the club's directors a hope that in the not-too-distant future an Oldham first team could take to the field made up primarily of local born and bred talent. "The launch of the Reserves side is the first step towards making that a reality." A squad of around 20 to 24 young players has been meeting up twice a week for training over the past few weeks in readiness for the opening game of the season at Salford on Easter Monday, March 24. Prior to that, friendlies have been arranged at Keighley and Featherstone on March 6 and March 13 respectively (both Thursdays). |
