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Your club needs you

Carl Marsden
23/ 3/2005

ROUGHYEDS chairman Chris Hamilton is challenging the town to show it wants a professional rugby league club - starting at Good Friday's derby game against Rochdale Hornets (3.30pm kick-off).

A three-hour meeting with major creditors - Customs and Excise, and the Inland Revenue - failed to conclude the proposed creditors' voluntary agreement (CVA) on Tuesday and remove the threat of a winding-up order.

And officials are now urging people to come out in numbers and show their support for the stricken club in their final Northern Rail Cup group fixture at Boundary Park.

Mr Hamilton said: "It would send out a great signal if people demonstrated there is a lot of support for the club on Friday. That is more important now than ever."

Even if the CVA is subsequently approved, Hamilton and fellow director Sean Whitehead are warning the club needs home crowds approaching 2,000 spectators to stay afloat.

The pair plan to launch a campaign next week entitled Roughyeds at Risk - RoAR - to raise awareness of the club's plight and encourage support from individuals and local businesses.

A first fundraising bucket collection will held on Friday and fans are also invited to watch Saturday's World Cup qualifier between England and Northern Ireland on the big screen at the social club with the first-team for £1 admission.

The Advertiser will carry updates on the RoAR campaign each week with news of events and progress on financial targets.

Meanwhile, coach Gary Mercer will not allow the financial situation to distract his players on Friday - nor when they travel to Featherstone Rovers on Monday night to kick off their National League One campaign at Post Office Road.

"I've told them that administration matters are out of our control," he said.

"Our job is to focus on what we can do out on the park to help things.

"It's a tough world we live in but there are clubs other than Oldham who also have financial problems."

"The confidence from our win over Blackpool has to continue into our Easter fixtures.

"Rochdale are winning left, right and centre at the moment and have recruited very well.

"Our motivation for Featherstone is that everybody is writing us off already - there can't be a better incentive to perform."

Mercer will have to plan without Martin Elswood (knee) for an estimated six weeks.

Also out are Gareth Barber (wrist), Damien Munro (shoulder) and Craig Farrimond (shoulder), meaning assistant coach Keith Brennan will have to continue his temporary return from retirement.

Will Cowell and Tere Glassie could both return with rookies James Kirkland and Andy Gorey also in the squad.