Former Fitton Hill rugby players donate £900 to Stephen Gartland Foundation during emotional reunion

L-R: 71-year-old Bob Norbury presenting a £550 cheque to Shaun Gartland of SG6

A £900 donation has been made to Rochdale’s Stephen Gartland Foundation (SG6) by former members of Oldham’s long-gone Fitton Hill amateur rugby league club.

Formed in 1964 and providing a great sporting environment for young Oldham men until it folded in 1996, an emotional reunion for the former members was held on Saturday (25 September).

The reunion dinner at the Blue Tiffin Indian Restaurant was based on the biggest day in the club's history – when Fitton Hill celebrated its 21st birthday by winning the local league's prestigious standard cup with a 9-8 final triumph over Shaw at Watersheddings in 1985.

During the evening, 71-year-old reunion organiser Bob Norbury, a talented full-back in that 1985 cup-winning side, handed over a cheque for £550 to Shaun Gartland of SG6.

The £550 were proceeds from sales of a Fitton Hill book by former chairman Malcolm Woodhead and John Hankin, which traced the club's history.

SG6 was launched in 2016 - in memory of the former Swinton, Rochdale and Oldham stand-off Stephen Gartland, who died aged 45 after severe depression. It provides help and financial support for anyone who needs it.

The donation was made up to £910 on the night when the club paid for the meal, as the former players insisted that their refunded deposits should also go to SG6.

Said Bob: "It's a great charity and one we were delighted to support. We should have held this event in 2020, just 35 years since we won the standard cup, but we had to postpone it twice because of Covid.”

Named among a toast to 'absent friends' were the late John Blair, Kevin Flanagan – who also played for Rochdale Hornets – Martin Pass, Terry Sweeney, Rudi Wilkes, Stephen Booth ('Bootsie') and Peter Williams.