Fresh initiative for new season

Sunday role . . . Royton Town manager Mark Howard.

FOOTBALL: THE Oldham Sunday League starts up again this weekend with a full programme of fixtures and six new clubs.

While Heyside, Failsworth Athletic, Cartshaft, Blue Club and Rife Range ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams have resigned, newcomers are Old Skool, Oldham Lions, Royton Cricket Club, Dog and Partridge, Heyrod and Springhead-based Top House, who will be managed by Steve Palmer and Royton Town boss Mark Howard.

The folding of Rifle Range ‘A’ and ‘B’ has come on the eve of the season and was due to family and player commitments. Plans for a Sunday morning division have been shelved because of insufficient interest.

A new initiative this season is a roll-on, roll-off system, where players who have been substituted can re-enter play at a later stage.

Another idea is to have a Champions League-style competition with the neighbouring Rochdale Sunday League, with the four top teams from each league competing against each other.

Oldham league vice-chairman Steve Diggle said: “We are hoping that we don’t lose any more games to televised football and that is why we wanted a morning division.

“We lost thirty matches last season and that caused a lot of problems.”