A great night was had by all

Diners enjoyed the dinner at the Oldham Event Centre. Image courtesy of ORLFC

Oldham RLFC enjoyed a terrific night on Friday when the club, re-born and refashioned in 1997 after Oldham Bears was liquidated, celebrated its first 25 years with a gala dinner attended by nearly 150 people.

Among those who had tables of ten were Rugby Oldham, led by chairman Mike Kivlin and his wife Sue and by secretary Ian Wilson and his wife Joy; the Oldham Players’ Association, formerly known as the ‘Ex Players’, led by chairman Mike Elliott and their administrative big-three Ray Hicks, Joe Warburton (secretary) and John Watkins (treasurer); and the current players, led by club captain Martyn Ridyard.

Also present were coach Stuart Littler and his assistant Brendan Sheridan.

Mike Elliott, the club’s former winger, scored 153 tries in 446 games between 1962, when he came up from South Wales, and 1979 – a loyal and fabulous Oldham career by a man who is still supporting rugby league in Oldham as chairman of the Players’ Association, was also there.

Also on the same table were famous referee Robert Hicks, Oldham born and bred and Ray Hicks’s son, and ex-prop Terry Ogden, who began his illustrious career at Watersheddings but spent most of it at Salford, whom he played for in a Challenge Cup final at Wembley in 1969.

Among those who had travelled distances to attend the event were Ann Kearns, still a key member of the club’s volunteer workers despite now living near Derby, and the chairman of London Skolars, Adrian Fraine, who was born in Royton and who travelled north especially to be part of the celebrations at his home-town club.

Shortly after the start, the club had messages of congratulations from RFL chairman Simon Johnson and from RFL chief executive Ralph Rimmer, both caught on film on a big screen at Oldham Event Centre.

Also shown on screen were a selection of the club’s players from the last 25 years, plus groups of fans and other club personnel.

On the top table were club chairman Chris Hamilton, flanked by guest speaker Kyle Amor, MC Pete Emmett and the vocalist Garry Riley.

Among the evening’s many highlights were Pete Emmett’s excellent work as MC and interviewer.

Other highlights were presentations from the club to its owner Chris Hamilton, who as chairman and chief executive or just as full-time chief executive, has run the club on a day-to-day basis for all those 25 years and to media manager Roger Halstead, who is taking things easier in that role and becoming instead the new club’s first-ever president.

Sponsors for the evening were Future Ticketing; Tymbuktu; Avro FC; Ellgren; Fit4Sport; NYCDA; Swans Travel; and Pot Kettle Black.

It was a great night and one that won’t be forgotten easily by all those who were there.

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