Championship side Oldham RLFC have released a statement to confirm the departure of the club’s Director of Rugby, Mike Ford.
The statement comes after Ford revealed via social media last night that, after almost three years, he would be exiting Boundary Park.
Ford leaves after being part of a huge transformation at the club, whereby they have gone from League One to the Championship play-offs in his short time at the club.
However, ongoing issues at the Roughyeds has led to his exit, with the 60-year-old citing the direction of the club’s future as the main reason for him leaving.
Also departing is assistant coach Callum Irving, who only joined the club at the end of last season after Sean Long and Joe Wardle left the club.
The club’s statement thanks Ford and Irving for their efforts towards the side, and revealed that after knowing about his departure since the beginning of January, plans are already in place to bolster both the coaching team and the boardroom.
Oldham are currently involved in an argument with football club Oldham RLFC over the contract regarding Boundary Park, and they say they are optimistic about a decision being reached.
They also confirmed that, despite reports elsewhere, that the club are not in any sort of financial trouble, and remain in a strong position on the monetary front.
The Roughyeds hope to make an an announcement in the next week or two, and will do so once any progress has been made.
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Oldham RLFC confirm departure of Mike Ford
The statement, posted on the club website, reads in full:
“Following his departure from the club, Oldham RLFC would like to thank Mike Ford for all his efforts over the last 2 years and 10 months, during what was his third stint at the club. We would also like to offer our thanks to Callum Irving and wish both him and Mike all the very best for the future.”
“We fully appreciate that Mike’s departure will have caused some concern amongst our supporters. As such, we would like to reassure them that we remain steadfast in our commitment to the continued development of the club.”
“As the club has known about Mike’s planned departure for some time, we are already in the process of strengthening our coaching team and will make announcements in due course.”
“Oldham RLFC will also now look to add to its board with a view to returning to the structure and strength of leadership that saw the club attract its major investor back in 2023.”
“As stated previously, Oldham RLFC continues to try to reach a resolution to the contractual dispute with Oldham Athletic and remains hopeful that it can return to Boundary Park soon. Additionally, we would like to re-iterate that the club remains in a strong financial position and rumours to the contrary are totally false.”
“Oldham RLFC will continue its upward trajectory and is looking forward to a strong and successful future.”
“We remain focused in the same direction that we have been on from the start of this journey.”
“Further updates will be provided over the next 7/10 days as and when changes or information is available to share.”
