Rugby club reunion is charity win

AREUNION of former rugby league players led to a donation to the Stephen Gartland Foundation, based in Rochdale.

Former players of the now defunct Fitton Hill RL club gathered to celebrate their 1985 Standard Cup win.

As part of the reunion dinner at the Blue Tiffin Indian Restaurant the exteammates made a donation to the mental health charity.

Stephen’s brother Shaun Gartland received a cheque for £550 during the event - the donation has since been increased to £910 as the ex-players insisted that their refunded deposits should also go towards the Foundation.

Dad-of-two Stephen, 45, was found dead at Rochdale’s Mayfield Rugby Club - where he coached and played - in August 2016.

Known as ‘Garty’ to his friends, he was well-loved in the community and in his youth played professionally for Rochdale Hornets, Oldham Roughyeds and Swinton Lions.

Following Stephen’s death his family launched a charity - The Stephen Gartland Foundation - to encourage men to talk about mental health.

Reunion organiser Bob Norbury, 71, said: “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.

“A big thank you to Phil Bradbury and the Oldham Amateur League for bringing in the Cup that holds such wonderful memories for us and also to The Blue Tiffin, who looked after us royally.

“We intend to keep the Fitton Hill memories, and the spirit of the club, alive and kicking for as long as we can and we get a lot of help along the way.”

Former Rochdale Hornet Kevin Flanagan, who passed away recently and also played for Oldham, was honoured as part of a toast to ‘absent friends’.