Celebrating 60 years of the Roughyeds

Good times: Pictured is Shaun Gartland (left) with guest speaker Lee Briers

Players from several eras, going back 60 years, attended the Oldham RLFC Past Players' Association's annual dinner on Friday (November 2).

Guest of honour was 92-year-old John Etty, the only surviving member of the club's 1957 Championship-winning side.

With apologies to anyone overlooked, other players present who used to wear the Oldham shirt with pride included Adrian Alexander, Bob Mordell, Ray Hicks, Leo Casey, Wes Rogers, Bob Marsden, Ian Sanderson, Steve Littler, Mick Coombes, Mick Worrall, Mike Elliott, Martin Murphy, Hugh Waddell, Paul Round, Shane Tupaea, Ian Ogden, Gary Walczak, Graham Starkey, Martin Foy and Lou Laverty.

Also present was local man Robert Hicks, the top referee who in the past couple of months has handled the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup final at Wembley, the Betfred Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford and the first Test between England and New Zealand at Hull.

Malcolm Lord was MC and the guest speaker was former Warrington half-back star Lee Briers.

The past players associations of Rochdale Hornets and Huddersfield Giants were there as was the modern-day Oldham club, represented by prop Phil Joy, lottery administrator John McAndrew and his wife Lynda and media manager Roger Halstead who, in a previous life, wrote about the fortunes of Oldham RLFC for the then Oldham Evening Chronicle for more than 40 years.

Local man Joy, one of the Oldham club's longest-serving players, is sponsored by the Past Players Association who will be represented at Friday's Awards Night in the Vestacare Stadium by Bernard Halford and Ray Hicks.

On a night when past and present will come together, the Past Players Association will sponsor the players' Player of the Year award in which players vote for their peers.

ORSA will sponsor the supporters' choice as Player of the Year, while Pam Taylor and LTS will sponsor the Unsung Hero award and Fit4Sport  will sponsor the club-person of the year award.

Coach Scott Naylor's Player of the Year award is still available for sponsorship (phone Anne Kearns on 07811 988 426 for details).

Tickets for the Awards Night (£12.50 including pie-and-mash supper or vegetarian option) can be purchased online via the Roughyeds website or by cash or cheque at the club's office at the Vestacare, open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am to 3pm.

You can also "back the boys" by purchasing 2019 season tickets either online or at the office.

For all inquiries, please ring Anne on 07811 988 426.

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