WE NEED HELP NOW Options

[MR I O WIGHTSIDE]

ARTICLE FROM TODAYS OLDHAM CHRONICLE

OLDHAM Rugby League Club’s survival now hinges on the intervention of Phil Woolas, it was conceded today.



The local Parliamentary candidate has written to the Paymaster General asking for the club to be granted a stay of execution against an Inland Revenue tax demand for £180,000.

If that is refused the club could be wound up soon, although club officials say they have not yet been given a deadline for payment.

Chairman Chris Hamilton has conceded, however, that if the worst comes to the worst Sunday’s Boundary Park clash with Castleford Tigers could be the last home game before the club goes bust.

The Roughyeds are not due to play at home again until the visit of Whitehaven on May 15 – and in those four crucial weeks the club could have been forced into liquidation.

The Revenue dug in their heels when they rejected proposals for the club to enter a creditors’ voluntary arrangement in which the Roughyeds would have paid only a percentage of their debt.

Then came yesterday’s second body blow – news that the club’s plea for more time had been kicked out.

Everything, it would appear, now depends on whether Mr Woolas can persuade the Paymaster General to have a rethink.

If not, the Revenue can be expected to push ahead with a procedure which first involves the advertising of the `winding-up` petition.

The court would then issue a date for the `winding-up` petition to be heard.

Said Mr Hamilton: “There are deadlines, obviously, but we don’t yet know what they are.

“As far as we are aware the petition has not yet been advertised.

“If and when it is, it would normally take two to three weeks to come to court, depending on such things as court schedules.

“In the meantime we are hoping the intervention of Phil Woolas will cause the Revenue to come back and give us a period of time in which to make certain proposals.

“You can pay right up to the day the petition goes to court, but we clearly need more time.

“Mr Woolas will be the first to know whether his intervention on our behalf has succeeded, or failed. The letter to the Paymaster General was from him and it will be he who gets the reply.�

The Oldham crisis will be featured tonight on the Sky TV rugby league magazine programme Boots ‘n’ All.

In the meantime the survival scrap goes on. Fans raised £150 last night at a quiz and letters have gone out to every Super League club asking for permission to hold collections.

Top referee Ian Smith will MC next Tuesday’s `fund-raising` dinner and Alex Murphy will be chief speaker.

PLEASE DO ALL YOU CAN