NEW COACH at Saddleworth Rangers, Paul Geener wants to be part of a revival of fortunes at Shaw Hall Bank Road this coming season.
The former Waterhead man has teamed up with Craig Farrimond to take charge of the first team following their relegation to the National Conference League, division two.
And Geener said he is determined to turn things around after taking on the position out of the blue, following a call from Rangers’ chairman Shane Wilson. Geener, 41, explained: “I’d wanted to get back into coaching and Shane must have heard.
“I needed a new challenge and it certainly is a big challenge at Rangers to turn it around. “It’s up to me and Craig now to try and get us back up there and if I can be a part of that it’ll be great.
“I’m in the headlights to fail, but I can’t let that happen. I’m 100-per-cent up for it. All I need now is for the players to all buy into it and show us the commitment we’ll show them.”
Geener played his first rugby at Rangers in the under-17s team but moved to Waterhead with most of that team and spent the rest of his playing career there.
Two years ago he led Waterhead under-18s to promotion and has previously taken the first team up into division one in the National Conference.
“I’ve always been a Waterhead lad and Saddleworth were the team to beat,” he admitted. “They’ve consistently been at the top of the amateur game and it’s been sad to watch the decline of the open age teams at all our clubs in Oldham over recent years.” Rangers launch into action on Saturday, February 5 at home with a friendly against Shaw Cross Sharks, followed by a visit to Manchester Rangers on Saturday, February 13.
Then they kick off their league campaign on Saturday, March 5 with a visit to Dewsbury Celtic, who requested the game be moved a week earlier than the official March 12 start.
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