Oldham Owls Disabled Angling Section

In 1999 at their first attempt the Owls won the N.F.A. Teams of Four event for anglers with disabilities with one of our lads David Gresty gaining an overall 4th place in the event.

They continued to enter competitions but not with the same degree of success, even though many of their anglers qualified for individual finals in all the major disabled events.

In 2002 two of their members Stuart Harrison and Alan Wild became the first N.F.A. qualified disabled Regional Angling Coaches in the country.

2003 saw a very successful year for the Owls, firstly a 13 man Owls squad won the Inter-Counties Disabled Challenge defeating two teams from Yorkshire and a team from the Midlands. Martin Kershaw won the N.F.A. Individual Championship, the British Disabled Angling Association Grand Masters Championship and the Angling Master trophies, he was also selected to fish for England in that years World Championships. The Owls were thwarted in taking a clean sweep of all the major honours that year when the team finished 2nd in the N.F.A's Teams of Four event.

Each year the Owls have a series of matches for both disabled and able-bodied anglers, two of these being their Toy match and Easter Egg match when gifts are collected from members and distributed to local children's charities.