The Ex-FilesTrust needs help to build a video vault

THE Oldham RL Heritage Trust is appealing for public help to enhance its videos of club matches.

The Trust has an archive of around 450 Oldham RLFC match videos dating from 1982, plus historical clips including footage from as far back as the 1920s. There are also some pieces of film dating back to the early Edwardian era.

The Trust was formed following the launch of the club's Hall of Fame 20 years ago. Since then, there has been lots of Trust activity including increasing the number of 'Hall of Famers', the publication of six Oldham RLFC-related books, exhibitions, film shows, blue plaque nominations, street naming and, not least, bringing together one of the finest collections of club memorabilia in the game.

To mark its 20th anniversary, the Trust has started its most ambitious and demanding project so far – to preserve its film collection.

Under the guidance of specialists each piece of film will be digitally stored using the latest technology.

A spokesman for the Trust said: “The disappointing news is that a handful of the VHS match videos have degraded so badly they have had to be scrapped. This only goes to indicate what would happen to all the film if it isn’t preserved. The time to act is now.

“The Trust has negotiated sponsorship for the project, the details of which will be announced on its completion. What we now need is access to any more Oldham-related film still out there – and there will be plenty.

“Most of the VHS match tapes have been donated by rugby fans from around the town, but some have been handed to us by those who responsible for the production of the tapes in the first place.”

The Oldham club is assisting by attempting to track down match-films shot since its restructuring in 1997. The project should be completed by the spring of 2016, but will continue to keep the archive up to date.

Anyone with material they might like to share shoul contact the trust at oldhamrl1895@gmail.com