Four teams are representing Oldham College in Association of Colleges (AoC) Sport competitions during the 2026/27 season, giving students the opportunity to compete against colleges from across the North West. Some of our student athletes are also set to trial for England Colleges teams in football and netball, with the opportunity to represent their country.
The move is the latest step in developing sport at Oldham College and follows our accreditation as a Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) Dual Career Accredited Site earlier this year.
TASS is backed by Sport England, is part of the SportsAid family and supports talented athletes to balance their education with the demands of training and competition.
As an accredited site, we support talented athletes to balance their studies with training and competitions in the UK and overseas. This includes flexibility around their studies, strength and conditioning sessions, lifestyle support and rehabilitation guidance alongside advice from their physiotherapist or doctor.
Our return to AoC Sport builds on this commitment by creating more opportunities for students to compete, represent Oldham College and develop their sporting potential alongside their studies.
We’ve entered teams in men’s football, women’s nine-a-side football and men’s basketball, alongside a pan-disability football team delivered in partnership with Chadderton FC.
Students from a range of courses and faculties are involved, with teams competing in North West leagues, cup competitions and regional tournaments throughout the academic year.
The season kicked off on 23rd September and got off to a strong start, with our men’s football team securing a 6-3 victory over Wigan & Leigh College Thirds.
Students Marvelous Obasohan and Matthew Nelson scored twice each, with Yakin Badru and Toby Agbalaya also on the scoresheet.
Matthew Nelson, who plays for our men’s football team, said: “It’s a really good experience. I enjoy playing competitively against other colleges and representing my college.
“It’s also nice being part of a team, meeting new people and improving my football ability at the same time.
“By the end of the season, I want us to have won the league and the cup.”
Rikki Paylor, Director of Business, Sport, Uniformed Public Services, Health and Social Care, Early Years, Science, Digital and Creative at Oldham College, said: “We’re really pleased to see Oldham College competing in the AoC Sport leagues again.
“Becoming a TASS Dual Career Accredited Site was an important step in developing how we support talented athletes, and returning to AoC Sport means we can build on that by giving more students the chance to compete and represent the College.
“It’s also about the wider student experience. Being part of a team can build confidence, communication and leadership skills, support wellbeing and help students make connections outside the classroom.
“We want students to be proud to represent Oldham College. Our ambition is to establish ourselves within the leagues, grow the teams we already have and introduce more sports in the future.”
We’ll also take part in AoC Sport regional tournaments, with men’s, women’s and pan-disability football taking place at University of Lancashire Sports Arena on 19th November.
Our men’s basketball team will compete at Manchester Metropolitan University on 27th November.
The AoC Sport season runs until April 2027, and we hope our return will encourage more students to get involved in competitive sport.