Rugby League honour for Oldham chief

Christopher Hamilton with his chain of office.

LOYALTY, dedication, long service and a steely determination to keep professional rugby league alive in Oldham were rewarded when Christopher Hamilton was installed as President of the Rugby Football League.

A founder member of Oldham Rugby League Club (1997) Ltd, the club’s chief executive and former chairman is the first official of the club ever to wear the RFL’s presidential chain of office.

““The appointment is a great honour for me, but also for the Oldham club,” said 46-year-old Mr Hamilton.

“Plenty of illustrious people have had the role before me and I hope I can follow their example while also offering my own persona as I represent the RFL at various functions throughout my year of office.

“When I helped to establish the new Oldham club back in 1997 I never thought it would lead to anything like this. Motivation has only ever been a desire to keep professional rugby league alive in Oldham, and that is still the case.

“Along the way, there have been lots of ups and downs and plenty of blood, sweat and tears, but we are still in there battling despite the many and mountainous obstacles to progress, and that is very gratifying.

“There have been lots of changes in the game, and we now have a fabulous product. On and off the field, Rugby League has come on in leaps and bounds. Sadly, not enough people watch the sport and that is an issue clubs need to address, particularly those lower down than Super League.”

Mr Hamilton, who has three sons, Adam, Jordan and Luke, was born and raised in Oldham. He was head boy at the Bluecoat School and left there at the age of 16 to become a trainee accountant.

By the time he was 21 he had set up and established his own accountancy business, and he was a well-known accountant in the town when, in 1997, Oldham Bears went into liquidation.

With three other enthusiasts by his side, he spearheaded the Gang of Four which launched the new Oldham club in the autumn of that year.

Of the four founder members, he is the only one to have had an unbroken 12-year official association with Oldham RLFC (1997) Ltd.

He was chairman and chief executive until April, 2007 when Manchester business man Bill Quinn joined the board as major shareholder and chairman. Mr Hamilton continues to run the club on a day-to-day basis, but now in his position as chief executive.

He is Oldham’s reigning Man of the Year, not only for his work with the Roughyeds, but also for his public-spirited achievements in raising thousands of pounds for breast-cancer and breast-care charities by a series of sponsored physical and mental challenges.

Mr Hamilton’s first official duty as RFL President will be at the Northern Rail Nines and the Northern Rail Cup final at Blackpool this weekend.

Next week, with his partner Gillian, he will represent the RFL at a Buckingham Palace garden party — his second visit to the Palace on RFL duties in eight years.

Later in the year he will be on official duty at the Carnegie Challenge Cup final at Wembley and also at the Four Nations tournament.

Only two Oldham officials, going back to 1897, have ever held similar positions and they were both honoured as chairmen of the Rugby League Council — G F Hutchins from 1938 to 1940 and Frank Ridgeway in the 1958-59 season.