Then there were four

Oldham RLFC managing director Mike Ford

Simon Winnard from Royton has left the new board of Oldham Rugby League Club for ‘personal reasons’.

He becomes the third director to go, with Mick Harrington and Gary Kershaw having previously left the new board since it took over last March.

Said managing director Mike Ford: “Everyone at the club thanks Simon for his commitment and invaluable contributions over the past eight months.”

Winnard’s departure leaves a gang of four in charge – chairman Bill Quinn, former player and coach Ford, Jim Minton, a local accountant, and Haydn Walker of Wigan, who was Ford’s No 2 when Mike was the Roughyeds’ player-coach more than 20 years ago.

A former chairman, John Chadwick, is not on the board but is close to the club as vice-president and a personal friend of the chairman.

Since former owner Chris Hamilton sold out to local businessman Harrington in March, the new board has signed 24 players, including many big names, and appointed one of the sport’s best-known personalities, Sean Long, as head coach.

Meanwhile, the Oldham RLFC Players’ Association will put on a social evening on Friday, December 8 at Springhead Sports and Social Club, starting at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost just £10, and entertainment will be provided by top comedian Gary Marshall, with music from local DJ and well-known musician Bing Findlater, formerly known well as an amateur rugby league player of some repute.

These days Bing is better known for his music and with Gary and Bing on the bill, to say nothing of a potato pie supper, the Players’ Association are providing excellent value for money at a well-established Springhead venue on the main road through Lees, heading towards Grotton.

Tickets are available behind the bar at Springhead Sports and Social Club or you can contact John Watkins (07974 612038) or Ray Hicks (07526 948334).

Gary Marshall is an award-winning comedian – a pro in the entertainment business for more than 30 years.

He is known to be one of the most popular comics on the after-dinner circuit and over the last decade he has appeared with lots of sporting greats, including Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Geoff Hurst, Jack Charlton, Gordon Banks, Bryan Robson, Denis Law, Alex Murphy, Henry Cooper, Ricky Hatton, Sir Garfield Sobers, and many others.

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