Oldham RL reeling as fire bugs strike

DESTROYED . . . vandals torched seats behind the stand at the Whitebank Stadium

OLDHAM rugby league chairman Chris Hamilton has been dreading the phone ringing after vandals torched new seating outside their ground — the latest in a catalogue of incidents.

Firefighters were called to the Whitebank Stadium, Limeside, at 8.30pm on Tuesday after the seats were set alight. Officers believe the blaze was started deliberately.

A dismayed Mr Hamilton explained how the fire follows at least 10 incidents of criminal damage, theft and anti-social behaviour over the last two months.

He said: “The seating was covered up with a tarpaulin behind one of the stands and they’ve just set it on fire.

“All the seating has just gone up. It’s bent and twisted the metal frame of the stand too.

“It’s immensely frustrating. We haven’t got the money to be repairing, replacing and patching up all the time and it’s hindering what we can do in terms of the development of the club.

“I was at the ground until 1am sorting everything out. It’s really getting me down and I’m dreading it every time the phone rings now.

“I’ve been churning it all over and I’m starting to ask why I’m doing this and how much more I can take.

“I’m trying hard enough to keep the club going as it is.”

Mr Hamilton also expressed concerns over the role of the police.

He said: “Nothing has been done about it and I’ve expressed these concerns with the police. I’m not happy with the way it’s been dealt with.

“We do a lot of work in the community and whoever is behind this needs to be caught.”

A GMP spokesman said: “We have been working closely with the club and arrests have been made in relation to previous incidents and we will be working to ensure arrests are made in this case too.

“We are continuing with extra patrols in the area to deter further incidents.”