Oldham Rugby team still not playing at Boundary Park amidst club feud

Oldham Rugby team is still playing its home games in Tameside as a feud with the management at their Boundary Park grounds rumbles on.

Oldham RLFC are due to face off Cheshire’s Widnes Vikings as part of the Betfred Championships this Friday, February 20. But the evening game, which would usually take place at their home grounds on Furtherwood Road in Chadderton, will instead be held at Bower Fold Stadium in Stalybridge. 

The relocation comes amidst a clash with Oldham Athletic over the Council-supported grounds at Boundary Park. Oldham’s Roughyed’s came to a deal with the borough’s football team to make use of the stadium grounds until 2034, after the council funded a £1m revamp of the pitch that made it appropriate for both sports. 

But a recent ‘financial dispute’ has caused public allegations to fly between the two clubs. Oldham RLFC previously accused Latics and the Boundary Park management of blocking the rugby team from the grounds, though Latics have denied this allegation. 

A spokesperson for Oldham RLFC confirmed Friday’s game has been relocated due to the same dispute. 

A previous club statement said: “The club can confirm that there is a contractual financial dispute with Oldham Athletic with regards to its use of Boundary Park, with both parties believing to be owed revenues by the other. 

“Oldham RLFC has requested that the matter goes to mediation, as per the dispute resolution terms and conditions of the contract in place. However, to date, the football club has refused to go to mediation. 

“In addition to refusing to allow this matter to go to mediation, sadly the football club then stated that Boundary Park will remain unavailable until the financial dispute is resolved.” 

A statement on the football club’s website said they wanted to make it ‘absolutely clear that Boundary Park was available to ORLFC in line with the terms and conditions of the Ground Share Agreement’ on its first home game on January 25, and ‘is fully available and ready to host ORLFC’s next match, as required’.

Neither club wanted to comment further. When asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service when the Roughyed’s team can expect to return to their Oldham grounds, we received no response. 

ORLFC chair Bill Quinn claims he has ‘stepped aside’ for the time being as he pursues legal action against the football club, after Latics banned him from the stadium for undisclosed allegations. The LDRS understands the allegations are linked to the disagreement. 

The argument comes just as a major project is ramping up to turn Boundary Park into a £70m multi-sports complex and education centre, which would champion football and rugby alongside cricket and netball. The council has already pledged a £5m kickstarter fund for the project. 

And Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham recently backed a bid to create a Mayoral Development Order, which would give the Combined Authority and council greater powers to acquire or dispose of land for the purposes of the project. 

Both ORLFC and Latics have been involved in the promotion of SportsTown, and it is unclear whether the dispute might affect the project.