The owner of Oldham Athletic Football Club has used a royal honour ceremony to make a direct pitch for the town's future, requesting a garden party with the Prince of Wales and revealing bold plans for a landmark statue to put Oldham on the map.
A Philanthropist's Pitch to the Prince
Frank Rothwell, the philanthropist and football club owner from Oldham, was formally made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Prince of Wales at a ceremony on Wednesday, 14 January 2026. The honour recognised his extraordinary fundraising efforts for Alzheimer's Research UK, which saw him row solo across the Atlantic twice in his 70s, raising over £1.4 million.
However, Mr Rothwell was keen to steer the conversation towards his hometown. After discussing his epic rows, he shifted focus to Oldham, handing Prince William a letter with a specific request. The note proposed holding a royal garden party in Oldham's Alexandra Park, replicating a similar event from July 1992 which was attended by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Vision: An 'Oldham Embryo' and Economic Revival
The proposed garden party would celebrate two key anniversaries: the 80th birthday of the NHS and the birthday of Louise Joy Brown, the world's first IVF baby who was born in Oldham on 25 July 1978. This connection to medical history forms the centrepiece of Rothwell's wider vision for the town.
He revealed plans to build a colossal, 20 metre-wide statue shaped like an embryo – to be known as the 'Oldham Embryo' – in honour of Louise Brown. The artwork, currently being designed with help from local grammar school children, is intended to be a defining landmark. "It's going to be a dirty, great, big statue – just like the Angel of the North – on the side of the M60 motorway in Oldham," Rothwell told the Press Association.
He envisions the statue, which would be lit at night, sparking curiosity from the 40 million vehicles that pass Oldham on the M60 each year. His goal is to create a clear identity for the town, encouraging business investment. "That will encourage businesses to think, 'oh, we want to move out of the South East'. Because labour's so expensive down here," he argued.
From Record-Breaking Rows to Town Transformation
Mr Rothwell's determination is well-documented. In 2021, he became the oldest person to row solo across the Atlantic, a Guinness World Record he then broke again during his 2024 voyage. This same drive is now channelled into civic improvement.
"Because I've got an OBE and I'm also the most known person in Oldham – because of my rowing and because of the football – I want to make Oldham a better place," he stated. His ownership of Oldham Athletic coincided with the club's return to the English Football League in June, adding to his local profile.
For now, the town awaits a response from the Prince of Wales's office regarding the garden party. Regardless, Frank Rothwell has made his ambitious intentions clear: to use his platform and recognition to catalyse a new chapter for Oldham, symbolised by a statue that celebrates its unique place in history and points towards a brighter future.
