Oldham Boro

Oldham Boro FC was a non-league football club, originally formed in 1964 by building contractor George Dew, as Oldham Dew FC as a works team playing local football. They would finish life when the club was dissolved in 2015 as Oldham Borough FC.

They turned to Saturday football and eventually progressed to the Lancashire Combination in 1981. They moved to the Cheshire League the following year and then became founder members of North West Counties League for the 1982-83 season.

In 1985 a man called Ken Hughes joined the club as manager as they changed their name to Oldham Town FC, finishing as Division Three runners-up in 1985-86 and winning promotion to Division Two.

In 1991, the club began the introduction of youth teams. The club continued in the league, missing promotion as runners-up in 1994-95 and then as Division Two champions in 1997-98 because Whitebank Stadium didn’t meet requirements. Division Two was renamed Division One from the start of the 2008-09 season.

Terrible news hit the club in October 2009. Manager and then chairman Hughes was arrested and held in custody and charged on thirteen counts of the offence of sexual offences against children in the 1990’s. The club issued the following statement.

“Ken Hughes`s arrest and subsequent charges are so serious and so appalling, that the club, the players, staff, officials and all the members wish to make it clear that we are all deeply shocked, upset and disgusted at these revelations.

There has been a hive of activity in and around the club since this unsavoury matter has come to light, with daily meetings held to try to find a way, if possible, for the football team to continue to compete in the NWCL.

To this end, the recreated committee of the club has applied to the FA in London and to our local County FA to re-name the football club, as we all want no connection WHATSOEVER with what was Oldham Town FC and its former chairman.

“We are pleased to confirm that the ‘new’ club can now be named ‘Oldham Boro Football Club’. There will no doubt be many hurdles to overcome in the near future, but all we want to do is preserve our football team. We ask the local media, local community and everyone connected with the club to pull together and help us through this extremely difficult time.”

Oldham Roughyeds RLFC took control of Whitebanks Stadium and began to develop it into a suitable venue for a club of their size despite the protests of nearby residents. The club was also hampered by a ruling stating clubs must have priority over fixtures when sharing grounds.

Boro moved to share Alder Street, the home of Atherton Collieries for the 2012-13 season, once in which the club was deducted three points. They applied to share Broadway, the council owned ground of Chadderton FC, but this request was dismissed by Oldham Council and the host club.

The club changed names to the longer Oldham Borough for the 2014-15 season, which was spent at Seel Park, Mossley. The team finished eighteenth out of nineteen teams in Division One of the NWCFL before they resigned from the league before the club was dissolved.

In 2017 Avro FC, then of the Manchester League took up residence of Whitebank Stadium, which was refurbished to allow the club to become members of the North West Counties League, while a 3G pitch was added with the venue becoming known as the Vestacare Stadium in a sponsorship deal.

My visit

Tuesday 20th July 2010

I was in Greater Manchester for three days of groundhopping, enjoying some summer leave from work. I was in the Oldham area after visiting Boundary Park and then Chadderton FC. prior to finding the correct bus stand at the confusing two-part Oldham Bus Station and was on my way to the Hollins area of town.

The bus weaved through council estates and stopped just outside the turnstiles of Whitebank Stadium. I went up into the car park where there was a large clubhouse. I saw that the main metal gate was unlocked, and that some people were inside.

I managed to attract the attention of a big burly youth and asked if I was OK to go inside. He said he’d just ask his bosses who were in the office. He came over to let me in and I was soon next to the pitch in the slightly scruffy arena. I was surprised to see a TV gantry on the far side along with a basic cover and a shelter. 

There was a combination of flat open grass and concrete standing around the rest of the ground. Many separate buildings and a small, seated stand were behind the Clubhouse End goal offering all the required facilities. The pitch was showing signs of wear, which was unusual for that time of year. 

Then I noticed the extra pitch markings and things started adding up. The Whitebank Stadium was being used for rugby league and was the latest home for the town’s professional club, Oldham Roughyeds, who had lost their old Watersheddings home years earlier and had led a nomadic existence ever since. 

The fella who let me in was no doubt one of the players. I’m not sure what other clubs and their supporters with good grounds made of their visit to Whitebank. At least it had space and scope for improvements. Attendances increased hugely through the arrangement.

I wandered off and rather than originally going back into Oldham for a bus ride to my next destination of Ashton–under–Lyne, I walked past the golf course and down to Ashton Road. I was more than ready for a sit down after that trek!