LYN MORGAN, the former Oldham Rugby League forward and Oldham Rugby Union Club coach and club official, has died at the age of 74 after a long illness.
The former prop forward only recently returned home to Moorside after nearly three months in hospital. He leaves his wife Dorita, sons Paul and Ian, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A Welshman, Lyn was born in the Swansea Valley, but was living and playing rugby union in the London area when he came north to turn pro with Oldham in the 1964/65 season. He also played for Rochdale Hornets.
He late returned to rugby union, first as a player and later coach at Oldham RU Club and then in a similar role at Broughton Park where, in his later years, he enjoyed two separate spells as club president.
Though the union code was his first love, Lyn had fond memories of his days in rugby league and, until he was taken ill, he was an active member of the Oldham RL Players Association, regularly attending monthly meetings and always supporting the association’s events, dinners and other functions.
And it was a measure of the esteem in which Lyn was held that both rugby codes were well represented at his funeral at Oldham Crematorium.
Oldham RUFC’s contingent included Terry Hurst, Steve Fox and Iain MacCorquodale, Oldham RLFC by club chaplain Rev Tony Ford and media manager Roger Halstead and Oldham Players’ Association by chairman Martin Murphy, Bernard Halford, Ray Clark, Brian Clarke, Ray Hicks, Kevin Flanagan, John Watkins and Tommy Leyland.
There was a distinct ‘Welsh’ flavour at the funeral service which included a rendering of Lyn’s favourite Welsh hymn, ‘Guide Me Oh Thou Great Redeemer’ and Max Boyce’s famous lyrics sets to music, ‘The Pontypool Front-Row’
Roger Halstead, speaking on behalf of Oldham RLFC, said: “Lyn’s love of rugby football covered 60 years or more and spanned both codes.
“He was a proud Welshman and, by adoption, a proud Oldhamer. But most of all he was a true gentleman and a smashing bloke, as witnessed by the large numbers who attended his funeral.
“It was standing room only with plenty of people outside and unable to get in. A capacity crowd . . . he would have liked that.”
