New £1m pitch at Boundary Park stadium will 'level up' Oldham sport - including rugby league

Leaders have agreed to invest £1 million in a new pitch at Boundary Park Stadium that will serve both football and rugby teams and aims to ‘level up’ local sport.

Oldham’s cabinet has voted in favour of a plan to award a grant towards a new high specification pitch at the stadium, the home of Oldham Athletic Football Club. The troubled football club was purchased last year by local businessman Frank Rothwell, who aims to guide Latics back to the Football League.

It’s now been revealed there is an agreement in principle between Oldham Athletic and Oldham Rugby League Football Club for the rugby league’s side first team matches to be played at Boundary Park from the 2024 season onward. The new pitch will also allow the Roughyeds to play larger games within the borough.

Council leader Amanda Chadderton said: “Both Oldham Athletic and the Roughyeds have a really strong history and a vast support throughout the town of Oldham.

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“By investing in a new pitch at Boundary Park the council is helping both clubs to fulfil a shared ambition of playing their home games at Boundary Park from the 2024 season.

“This will allow us to bring the Roughyeds back to closer to the centre of Oldham and back to a lot of their support.”

Currently Oldham Rugby League Football Club is ‘restricted in their ability to host larger games and accommodate all their supporters at the current training facilities within the borough’, officers said.

Consequently some matches have had to be played out of Oldham which ‘dilutes’ attendance and engagement by fans, the cabinet report states.

Additionally concerns have been raised by neighbouring residents about