Rochdale Sport Association Open Day

Date published: 19/07/2008

Rochdale Sport Association (RSA), a voluntary organisation set up with the purpose of helping to promote participation in amateur sport in our town, held an open day on St Wilfred’s Playing Fields, Shawclough today (on Saturday 19 July), to celebrate the signing of their lease on and to answer local residents questions.

Due to the pitches being waterlogged and planned seven-a-side football tournament has to be abandoned and just one small practice game took place.

However, association officials and Rochdale MP Paul Rowen were on hand to answer around 30 resident’s questions and expand on the Association's aims and objectives.

The Association is now setting about raising funds to turn the fields into a first class sporting venue.

Paul Rowen said: "It is good to see Wilfred's fields being used for such an excellent project, it has my full backing and anything I can do to help I will."

Association chairman Malcolm Journeaux said: "It was sad we couldn’t go ahead with the football tournament but the weather has been dreadful for days and the field is completely waterlogged, and our first job is going to be sorting out proper drainage, but even with that, today would have been unplayable. It was still a useful and enjoyable day though and we met and talked to many local residents, and as we are going to be neighbours for many years it is important we share our plans with them."

Leader of the Council, Councillor Alan Taylor, who has also given the project his full backing, had planned to attend, but unfortunately he was taken into hospital this week. Rochdale Sport Association's Tony McCarroll said: "We wish Councillor Taylor a speedy recovery."