Oldham v Salford.

The day after the Swinton defeat I found myself at a bit of a loose end. A good friend of mine suggested an afternoon out watching Oldham v Sheffield at Boundary park. I jumped at the chance. I only live about two miles from Oldham’s ground. I’d not been there since Salford’s last visit in 2008. It was a really enjoyable afternoon and the match was a real thriller. The home supporters really got behind their side and it made for a terrific atmosphere. Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time working in and around the Oldham district. The town is full of character’s and that Northern Rugby League humour floated around the main stand. With our vocal away following it should make for a really cracking afternoon this coming Sunday.

I bet you thought I’d swerved talking about the derby fixture with Swinton! The match was definitely one to forget but the day as a whole was a very enjoyable one. There was a fantastic atmosphere prior to kick off. A real sense of expectation and perhaps we as supporters underestimated Swinton. The match was littered with errors from both sides and it did lack the quality you become used to watching top flight Rugby League. However, we are now in the Championship and in the bottom half so it’s important to manage expectations. I might be in a minority but I really enjoyed the match. If a game has me on the edge of my seat as far as I am concerned it’s been a good one. Last Saturday certainly did just that. For Swinton it was sheer elation winning their first match against Salford for forty one years. Full credit to them as well they thoroughly deserved it. 

I was very disappointed in our performance. The discipline wasn’t up to scratch and when we got into attacking positions we looked devoid of confidence and ideas. Add to that the amount of dropped ball, we would have struggled to win any game. 

After a few days though you start to come round and attention now turns to this week’s clash. 

The Roughyeds have been in terrific form under coach Alan Kilshaw and last week’s victory over London Broncos just highlights how good this Oldham are. London had swept all before them in 2026 but just got past Widnes a few weeks ago. Oldham were the much better side against the Broncos winning pretty convincingly 34-24. This will now give the rest of the sides heading into the end of season playoffs much needed hope. I think it’s great for the integrity of the competition. Yes London have been absolutely tremendous this year but to see a team topple them just adds that bit of excitement at the climax of the season. 

Oldham is a Rugby League town. A club with so much history and tradition. The amateur network has always been strong in this part of the world. Just think of how many players from Oldham have gone on to represent Great Britain. I just hope the people of Oldham back this great club, especially now with new, motivated and knowledgeable people running the club. They play at a nice stadium with brilliant facilities. It’s almost thirty years since Oldham dropped out of Rugby League’s top flight but all of what’s happening in the sport now is just as murky as it was back then. Who knows what the future holds for clubs like Oldham and Salford but I sincerely hope they have a place in the future of our great game.

 Post war League away record.

Oldham 26

Draws 4

Salford 8

2003 Oldham 22 Salford 32

1997 Oldham 19 Salford 10

1995 Oldham 28 Salford 16

1993 Oldham 8 Salford 20

1988 Oldham 23 Salford 22

1986 Oldham 34 Salford 18

1985 Oldham 32 Salford 10

1983 Oldham 18 Salford 6

1982 Oldham 20 Salford 10

1981 Oldham 18 Salford 18

1977 Oldham 8 Salford 37

1975 Oldham 10 Salford 37

1974 Oldham 4 Salford 2

1972 Oldham 12 Salford 14

1969 Oldham 11 Salford 20

1969 Oldham 22 Salford 12

1967 Oldham 0 Salford 4

1967 Oldham 17 Salford 4

1965 Oldham 12 Salford 8

1965 Oldham 21 Salford 3

1964 Oldham 37 Salford 20

1962 Oldham 37 Salford 10

1960 Oldham 37 Salford 0

1960 Oldham 20 Salford 15

1959 Oldham 25 Salford 10

1957 Oldham 34 Salford 12

1957 Oldham 17 Salford 3

1955 Oldham 27 Salford 14

1954 Oldham 27 Salford 0

1954 Oldham 2 Salford 2

1952 Oldham 32 Salford 3

1952 Oldham 9 Salford 9

1950 Oldham 16 Salford 10

1950 Oldham 5 Salford 8

1949 Oldham 2 Salford 2

1947 Oldham 26 Salford 0

1947 Oldham 16 Salford 6

1945 Oldham 10 Salford 7

They played for both.

Over the years player movement between the two clubs has always been pretty active. In recent years it has really cranked up.

Danny Arnold, Matty Ashurst, Simon Baldwin, Andy Ballard, Liam Bent, Robert Blackwood, Dave Bradbury, Ged Byrne, Adam Clay, John Clough, Tony Conroy, Alex Davidson, Austin Donegan, Tyler Dupree, Joe Faimalo, Martin Foy, Bill Francis, Paul Groves, Ken Gwilliam, Danny Halliwell, Joey Hayes, Graham Holroyd, Will Hope, Bob Irving, Josh Johnson, Phil Jospeh, Steve Kerry, Craig Kopzack, Francis Maloney, Martin Crompton, Bob Marsden, Lee Marsh, Iain Marsh, Chris Morley, Jack Ormondroyd, Gareth Owen, Paul Southern, Simon Svabic, Elijah Taylor, Jordan Turner, Ian Watson, Mick Worrall, Jake Bibby and Ryan Brierley.

A match to remember Monday 26th December 1988.

Oldham 23 Salford 22.

I struggle to remember games from the late 80s these days. It was around this time I started going to matches every week and I vaguely remember this festive clash, mainly because it was bitterly cold. I never used to let my dad see I was shivering or cold because I always feared he’d not take me the following week. I just kept quiet with my bobble hat on and scarf, taking everything in. 

Watersheddings was a proper traditional Rugby League ground very much like the Willows was. It might not of been a state of the art facility but it had character and it was home for the many people who watched Oldham through thick and thin. 

Salford went into this match in 5th place in the league table just above Wigan. Oldham had won four of their first 14 games and sat 10th. 

Despite the howling wind and freezing temperatures both sides played some flowing rugby. Salford’s Welsh wing star Adrian Hadley scored a brace of tries. Oldham bagged tries through Gary Hyde, Paul Lord and stand off Chris O’Sullivan. Fullback Keith Atkinson had a tremendous day with his goal kicking and managed five successful conversions. Salford out scored the Roughyeds four tries to three with centres Ian Bragger and Keith Bentley touching down. Bragger had signed from Keighley and settled in straight away at Salford. He was strong with a good hand off and had the ability to score tries as well as creating them for his winger. He went on to score 14 tries in 19 games that season but ironically it was Keith Bentley who finished the season top scorer with 15. 

Oldham ground this game out with their astute kicking game. Mike Ford and Chris O’Sullivan kept Salford on their toes and it was O’Sullivan’s drop goal that eventually became the difference between the two sides in a cracking match. Oldham snatched it 23-22.

Salford went on to finish the 1988/89 season in 10th position with 11 wins from 26 matches. Oldham finished three points from safety and were relegated in 12th position along with Hull Kingston Rovers and bottom club Halifax.

The teams that day,

Oldham, Atkinson, Meadows, Henderson, Hyde, Robinson, O’Sullivan, Ford, Clawson, Ruane, Casey, Bardsley, Round, Flanagan.

Subs, Lord, Hawkyard.

Salford, Gibson, Jones, Bentley, Bragger, Hadley, Kerry, Cairns, Herbert, Moran, Major, Gormley, Worrall, Horo.

Subs, Mercer, Brown.

Attendance, 6,406.

Referee, John Holdsworth. 

Sunday’s match.

One player who really impressed me on my visit to Oldham a few weeks ago was winger Josh Simm. The 25 year old joined at the start of august from Catalans. Simm is a product of the St.Helens youth system and starred for their academy in 2018 and 2019. He went on to make his first team debut for Saints in 2019 and had a good try scoring ratio at the club before moving on. Rugby League is a big part of the Simm family and his grandad Geoff Pimblett was a real legend there in the 1970s helping the club to plenty of silverware. Pimblett was the first player to win both the Lance Todd and Harry Sunderland trophies. He passed away in 2018. 

Another player who caught the eye in the victory over Sheffield was former Salford back Jake Bibby. He looked really strong in the centres and will be very dangerous if he plays this weekend. Bibby scored a famous try for Salford in the 2019 Grand Final. Another former Salford favourite Ryan Lannon is now at Oldham and he came off the bench in the victory over London last weekend. 

Matty Ashurst spent three seasons at Salford before moving to Wakefield where he spent a decade as one of the most consistent performers in their pack. As he approaches his 37th birthday Ashurst still looks as fit as ever with his tireless work rate. 

Josh Drinkwater is the man who pulls the strings for Oldham in the engine room at half back. He’s spent most of his career in the Super League and won the Challenge Cup with Catalans in 2018 against Warrington. He then went on to sign for the Wolves and spent two seasons there before joining Oldham for the start of the 2025 season.

Salford have given contract extensions for next season to youngsters Keane Gilford and Lewis Pilling. Both players are expected to feature this Sunday in Dave Hewitt’s team. With just two matches left in the 2026 season for Salford it’s certainly been a very challenging time. Oldham still have a chance of finishing second in the table so I expect them to be at full throttle on Sunday. Salford have got to show an improvement on recent performances otherwise this could be a very uncomfortable afternoon. 

The action gets under way at 3pm.

Safe travels and enjoy the game.

Paul Whiteside. 

Big thanks to Steve McCormick, Adam Hanglin, The Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust and Gareth Lyons for the photos and the Salford match day programme.