'Tougher than climbing Kilimanjaro and rowing across the Atlantic' — Meet Oldham Athletic's eccentric new owner

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Frank Rothwell has sailed around the world, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and last year became the oldest person to row solo across the Atlantic, raising over £1million in the process for charity.

He's founded and run a successful local business, featured on Bear Grylls' 'The Island' reality show, joined Winston Churchill as one of a handful of people to be named Freeman of the Borough of Oldham, and is planning two further solo trips across the Atlantic in the next year.

Now, though, he's signed up for his toughest challenge of his career so far: he's stepped in to save Oldham Athletic. On Thursday, when Rothwell was announced as the new Latics owner and chairman, he was mobbed by fans and gave an unforgettable press conference in which he interrupted himself on multiple occasions, even breaking into song. ALSO READ: New Oldham Athletic owner Frank Rothwell gets hero's welcome as takeover confirmed He takes over from hugely unpopular chairman Abdallah Lemsagam, who ended Oldham's 22-year stay in the third tier in 2018 and then their 127-year stint in the Football League this year.

But with the club's future in doubt, Rothwell, 72, says he had to be the one to step in and save his local club — even if it offers a more daunting task than rowing solo across the Atlantic. "They're not difficult.