MIKE Ford is targeting as full a Boundary Park as possible as Oldham RLFC get used to rugby league’s new age.
Roughyeds scored 7.00 in the new system devised by the sport’s strategic partner IMG, resulting in a C grade.
Clubs are now based on five pillars – fandom, performance, finance, stadium and community – as off-field progress becomes as important as onfield.
A three-year average score placed them 27th out of 33 sides to have been awarded scores – Batley and Whitehaven were not.
But that includes time playing at Whitebank Stadium before the new regime came in and the move to Boundary Park.
And Saddleworth-based managing director Ford hopes seeing their home as busy as possible after promotion to the Championship can maximise next year’s score.
He said: “We knew we would be around the same score or had gone up a bit. We are still getting our heads around it all, as I think IMG are as it is all brand new.
“But we’re on the right lines. We asked IMG to give us a score for this year only as the score of 7.00 is based on the last three.
“Our score for 2024 is just short of nine points, which is a decent Grade B. There are some easy fixes to take us into double digits and over 10.
“But for us, the two key things remain the performance on the field and the crowds. “Recruitment, performance, winning and going up the table and getting Boundary Park as full as it can be – both of those things are massive for IMG going forward.”
IMG’s grading criteria is not just about how good a team is – having LED advertising, a big screen and social media presence also contribute.
But underpinning all that is how good the team is and seeing shirts on the town’s streets is a clear indicator.
Ford added: “There have been some real positives. What we have done with our social media, for example, I don’t think we could have done any better.
“Our media has been transformed in the last year, but we do need all our fans to make sure they are following us on X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as that counts towards IMG too.
“On the pitch, the fans come because they want to watch and be proud of a winning team.
“That is massively important, no matter what anyone says – what happens on the field will ignite everything else. Unless you have the product on the field you will struggle.
“I can see kids with shirts on now, wanting to play for Oldham and we are only just scratching the surface of building our pathways.”
Oldham’s preparations for life in rugby league’s second tier have seen several signings, including Gil Dudson, Adam Milner and Lewis Baxter from Super League sides.
Phoenix Laulu-Togagae will also be in a Roughyeds shirt in 2025 after agreeing to stay – and Ford promised more.
He added: “We have signed some great players and keeping PLT is massive. We have at least two if not three to announce yet after a few final negotiations.
“The squad has got better again as it needs to because we are in the Championship. We are going to be a very difficult team to beat.
“Look at our defence last year going seven games without conceding a point is incredible. Then we have a little bit of stardust in PLT and Riley Dean.”
The way places in Super League are given may have changed but Oldham chairman Bill Quinn is adamant they can still make it.
And he feels seeing as many people coming through the Boundary Park turnstiles as possible can propel them towards the top flight.
He said: “IMG will be doing a lot of tweaking as they go along and they will have to.
“We just have to look at where we are, where we can go, what we can achieve and make sure we are doing the right things on and off the field.
“We will keep going as we have done and keep producing, with getting bums on seats the most important thing.
“Because when the time comes, whether this season or the season after, we want to be banging on the door of Super League and saying, ‘Come on, this is where we are.’
“This is the aim for us and all our fans, and this IMG is just another pathway to that dream.
“I certainly don’t think the door is closed. We just have to do our bit and keep going.”
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