Oldham Athletic Community Trust and Oldham Community Leisure come together to create a vets league.

Each Thursday clubs from across the borough will be taking part in a Veterans league. The league is aimed at over 35's and offers the opportunity for people of that age category to play football in an organised and competitive league format.

The new provision offers a chance for the grassroots game to expand by encouraging men over 35 to play locally on a regular basis. The outcome has been that people are engaging in sporting activity which they haven't done for a while. This is a great opportunity for former players to get involved and play regular football with friends and keep fit.

This is an initiative which will increase participation in the ever growing grassroots game by providing an opportunity for the over 35's to play within a competitive league structure. Oldham Athletic has a masters team formed from past legends such as Tony Philliskirk that play in annual masters tournaments against other professional football clubs. Now in Oldham players who have either played for years or maybe even just starting out will be able to perform similar feats as Latics legends in playing competitive football after the age of 35.

Jamie Blood, Oldham Athletic Community Trust, Football Development Coordinator said:

"This is a great chance for people over 35 to get involved with playing football at a competitive level; this new provision alongside other new programmes will see the grassroots game in Oldham grow from strength to strength. There is plenty going on in the borough at the moment with all aspects of football and the new Vets league is just another opportunity for people to get involved."