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Rochdale Observer - Economist Ormerod has teamed up with the Hornets’ supporters group - the Nest Egg - to run the Spotland rugby league club. Born in Platting Lane, Balderstone, and raised in Kirkholt, he watched his first Hornets’ match 50 years ago.

The following season he marched with his schoolfriends from Rochdale town centre to the Athletic Grounds to watch them take on Whitehaven in the Challenge Cup.

Despite going off to Cambridge University, and later living in London, he has kept in touch with Hornets ever since.

Ormerod said: "When I lived in Rochdale I watched them regularly.  I was up at Spotland the other day looking at the trophy cabinet, and there was a pennant from the 1967 Australian tour when Hornets had a match against them.  I managed to watch Hornets on and off, whenever I could."

Having witnessed Hornets’ recent woes he didn't want to see them go out of existence so, along with the Nest Egg and Supporters Direct, he has formed an industrial and provident society under the title Rochdale Hornets Rugby Football League Society Limited.

He added: "I am still very attached to the town.  My dad, aunties and cousins still live here, so there are a lot of family connections.  The town has had a bit of bad press lately, taken a few knocks, and I just feel it needs a lift.  Maybe something positive will come out of this.  Let’s see if we can take Hornets forward. We don’t want to see them fade away."

The new approach to running the club is, he believes, the best way forward and one which will be adopted by many more clubs in the future.

"There are quite a few non-league soccer clubs to have done it. I think Telford are the main model, and they have been quite successful.  It’s a slightly different way, but I think more clubs will be moving towards this model in the coming years, especially in the lower divisions. 

"The problem with the old model, and I am not knocking anybody on this, is that a handful of directors put their hands in their pockets to keep clubs afloat.  But we can see now in rugby league, and even moreso in football, the sums of money involved have become so big it’s too much, especially in the current climate. People can’t do it any more. 

"We know there’s a big recession going on, but I think if we run a tight ship and have a much more realistic cost base, and realistic projection of income, we will be fine.  The coach and players have been fantastic, they are really enthused about this. 

"It will be really difficult for them because there will be a penalty for going into administration. But they have shown a great spirit, and let’s hope we can get some good results."

Hornet's coach Darren Shaw has signed 13 players so far, including David Best, Wayne Corcoran, Ian Sinfield, Mark Brocklehurst, Chris Giles, and Sam Butterworth from last season’s squad.

Also on board are Paul Raftrey, Liam Bretherton, Andrew Isherwood, John Gillam, Liam Grundy and Craig Johnson. In addition, experienced former Blackpool and Whitehaven scrum-half Martin Gambles has also joined the club.

Shaw has verbal agreements with several other players and was hoping to persuade them to put pen to paper - weather permitting - last night.