A Greater Manchester roller derby team which was forced to leave Oldham in 2020 has spoken out after an urban explorer uncovered the current state of their former home.
Rainy City Roller Derby used to be based in the former Riley’s building on King Street in Oldham.
Founded in 2008, the women’s roller derby league has two active teams and is run and owned by skaters.
The team used to be based in the former Riley’s building, which they called the ‘Thunderdome’.
They still don’t have a new home.
ALSO READ: Oldham urban explorer shows inside old Rileys building.
In late 2020, the team was told to pack up and leave, despite paying months of rent while they could not use the building due to Covid restrictions.
At the time, the team had been under the impression that their landlord had accepted an offer from Oldham Council to buy the property, though it appears this sale did not happen.
When asked, a council press officer said the building had not been bought by the local authority and there were no plans to buy the building.
According to land registry documents, the building was bought by Properties Ade Limited for £825,000 on May 30, 2022, itself owned by holding company Ade Group Holdings Ltd.
The company appears to be linked to Dubai real state conglomerate Al Dallal Group, and its registered address in the UK is Chorley New Road, Bolton.
Rainy City’s Steph O’Connor said: “It's surreal seeing the Thunderdome look so empty.
"When we were told to vacate in November 2020, it was all hands on deck to remove our purple track, the bleachers, PA system and skate hire kit.
“Most of this remains in storage almost three years later.
“The Thunderdome meant so much to Rainy City, and it was famous throughout the global roller derby community. I remember it being such a unique space, especially on game days.
“It had a grungy, DIY feel to it - and fans would raise the roof during tense games. Finding a new home has proven difficult.
“Nowadays we train and host games out of various sports halls across Greater Manchester, but steep hall hire costs, last-minute cancellations and venue limitations are regular challenges.
“And sports halls all kind of look the same - a bit soulless! Ultimately I think it's a shame that we were forced out during what was already a difficult time, only for it to sit empty and unused.”
Al Dallal Group and Bolton’s Eve Accountants, based in the Chorley New Road building, were contacted for comment on this story.
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