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Rochdale Association Football Club is a professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club based in the town of Rochdale, Lancashire, England. The team currently compete in
League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
, the fourth tier of the
English football league system The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
. Nicknamed 'The Dale', they have played home matches at Spotland Stadium since 1920 and contested derby matches with the now expelled
Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
. Founded in 1907, Rochdale entered the Lancashire Combination and after securing promotion out of Division Two in 1909–10 they won the Division One title in 1910–11 and 1911–12. They then switched to the Central League, before being invited into the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
when the
Third Division North The Third Division North of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to ...
was created in 1921. The club remained in the division for 47 years but were relegated out of the new nationwide
Third Division In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...
in 1959. They reached the League Cup final in
1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
and secured promotion out of the
Fourth Division Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
in 1968–69. Relegated in 1974, Rochdale remained in the fourth tier for 36 seasons after unsuccessful play-off campaigns in 2002,
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
and 2009. The club finally secured promotion in 2009–10 and following relegation in 2012 were again promoted out of
League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
in 2013–14, but were relegated back to
League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
in 2020–21.


History

Rochdale played 36 consecutive seasons in the
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
's bottom division from 1974 to 2010, the longest time any team has been in the bottom division of the League, with some even derisively calling it "the Rochdale Division". The club has the lowest average position of all the clubs which have existed continuously in the Football League since its expansion to four divisions in 1921–22 (76th) and since its expansion to 92 clubs in 1950–51 (79th). Additionally, the club holds the distinction of having played the most seasons in the English Football League without either reaching the top two tiers (91 seasons as of 2018–19) or being relegated to the National League. The club reached the League Cup Final in
1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
. This was the first time a club from the bottom league division had reached the final of a major competition – where they lost to Norwich City. During its history, the club has had three promotions and four relegations, with promotion coming in 1969 and 2010 and 2014 and relegation in 1959, 1974, 2012 and 2021. The 1959 relegation followed the 1958 restructuring which saw the combination of the two
Third Division In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...
sections into the Third Division and
Fourth Division Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
. In the restructuring, Rochdale managed to secure a spot in the Third Division but was relegated at the end of the season to the now lowest Fourth Division.


1907–1999

Rochdale A.F.C. was formed in 1907. After World War I the Football League was expanded and the club unsuccessfully applied to join. In 1921 Rochdale was recommended to be included in the new
Third Division North The Third Division North of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to ...
, and played their first League game at home against Accrington Stanley on 27 August 1921, winning 6–3. However, this first season ended with the club at the bottom of the League, having to reapply for membership. The club reached the League Cup Final in
1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
led by Tony Collins. This was the first time a club from the bottom league division had reached the final of a major competition – where they lost to Norwich City 4–0 on aggregate. Rochdale had beaten Southampton, Doncaster Rovers, Charlton Athletic, York City, and Blackburn Rovers on their route to the final. The club's first promotion came in 1969, earned by a team largely assembled by manager Bob Stokoe, though it was Stokoe's assistant,
Len Richley Lionel "Len" Richley (2 July 1924 – after 1970) was an English footballer who made 72 appearances in the Football League playing as a wing half for Hartlepools United in the 1950s. He went on to manage non-league clubs Holbeach United and K ...
who steered Rochdale to promotion after Stokoe moved to
Carlisle United Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Par ...
. In the early stages of the 1969–70 season, Rochdale topped the Third Division table, sparking hopes of a second successive promotion. The team's form significantly declined around Christmas 1969, however, and a failure to halt the team's decline led to the dismissal of Richley. He was succeeded by
Dick Conner Richard John Conner (13 August 1931 – May 1999) was an English football player and manager. He played as wing half for Newcastle United, South Shields, Grimsby Town, Southampton, Tranmere Rovers and Aldershot. He went on to manage Aldersh ...
, who stabilised the club's form and steered them to a 9th-place finish. The following three seasons saw the club finish in the lower reaches of the Third Division table, narrowly avoiding relegation each time. The board viewed merely surviving in the Third Division as unacceptable and replaced Conner with
Walter Joyce Walter Joyce (10 September 1937 – 29 September 1999) was an English professional footballer and manager who played as a wing half, born in Oldham, Lancashire. His son, Warren Joyce, also played for Burnley Burnley () is a town and the ...
for the 1973–74 season. This move failed to pay off, and Rochdale was relegated after a campaign in which they won only 2 of 46 league games. The club finished bottom of the league in 1977–78 but was successful in their bid for re-election. Southport, which had finished one place above Rochdale, was demoted instead and replaced by
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
. Rochdale finished bottom for a second time in 1979–80, but was again re-elected – by one vote over Altrincham. In 1989–90 the club reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time but lost 1–0 to Crystal Palace.
Steve Parkin Stephen John Parkin (born 7 November 1965) is an English former professional footballer and manager, who is assistant manager at Wrexham. He played for Mansfield Town, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion and has been manager of Barnsley, Mansf ...
was appointed as manager in 1998, a period in which the success of the club improved significantly with the emergence of talented players such as Gary Jones, Clive Platt,
Grant Holt Grant Holt (born 12 April 1981) is an English former professional footballer who is currently a scout at West Ham United. During his football career, Holt played for a number of non-league and professional clubs, making nearly 100 league appeara ...
and
Kevin Townson Kevin Townson (born 19 April 1983) in Liverpool, England, is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Warrington Town.currently at the Copplehouse vets Career He has played for Rochdale and Macclesfield Town in the Footb ...
.


2000–2010

Parkin left to take over at
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
in November 2001 with Rochdale second in the Third Division. This gained him little popularity with the fans, especially when he took Gary Jones with him. John Hollins was appointed as his successor and the club finished the season in 5th place, entering the promotion play-offs where they lost to Rushden & Diamonds in the semi-final. The club reached the fifth round of the FA Cup again the following season, but lost 3–1 at Wolves. Hollins was replaced by Paul Simpson in 2002, and
Alan Buckley Alan Peter Buckley (born 20 April 1951) is an English former professional footballer and football manager who now works as a sports co-commentator for BBC Humberside. As a player, he was a forward from 1967 to 1987 for Nottingham Forest, Wa ...
, appointed and sacked as manager in 2003. Parkin then returned to the club as manager, until being sacked in December 2006. Parkin's replacement, Keith Hill, who was initially appointed as
caretaker manager In association footballing terms, a caretaker manager or interim manager is somebody who takes temporary charge of the management of a football team, usually when the regular Manager (association football), manager is dismissed or leaves for a ...
, became arguably the club's most successful manager to date. Hill and his assistant manager
David Flitcroft David John Flitcroft (born 14 January 1974) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the director of football at club Port Vale. His older brother is the former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City player Garry ...
led Rochdale to a 5th-place finish in 2007–08, securing a play-off place. After beating
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...
5–4 on penalties in the semi-final, Rochdale reached Wembley for the first time in their history. Despite taking the lead in the match, they lost the final 3–2 to Stockport County. In the 2008–09 season, Rochdale reached the
League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
playoffs for the second consecutive season, finishing 6th in the table on 70 points. Rochdale lost 2–1 on aggregate to Gillingham in the playoff semi-finals. Season 2009–10 ended a 41-year wait for promotion with a win over Northampton Town as Rochdale secured the third automatic promotion spot. Rochdale continued their progression under Keith Hill, now with the club for 3 years, with a secured spot in League One in 2010–11. In
2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
Rochdale finished 9th in league one with 68 points, equalling their highest league finish since 1969–70.


2010–2014

On 1 June 2011 manager Keith Hill joined Championship club
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
. Former
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
apprentice and youth coach
Steve Eyre Steven Frederick Eyre (born 9 May 1972) is an English football manager who was formerly assistant manager at Doncaster Rovers. Born in Salford, his father is ex-player and radio pundit Fred Eyre. Playing career Eyre played for several non-Leag ...
was confirmed as Hill's replacement on 12 June 2011. Eyre's spell at
Spotland Spotland ( ) is a district of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. The Rochdale ward name is Spotland and Falinge. The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 10,805. It lies on the River Spodden, and is the home of Spotland Stadium ...
did not last long, as he was sacked after 27 competitive games in charge, the team having recorded just 4 league wins in this time. Eyre's last game was a 0–0 draw against Yeovil, in which Yeovil's keeper
Rene Gilmartin Rene Patrick Gilmartin (born 31 May 1987) is an Irish professional football coach and former professional footballer who is currently the goalkeeping coach at Ipswich Town. He has previously appeared in the Football League for Walsall, Watford, ...
played the second half with a dislocated finger. Director of youth Chris Beech was then appointed as caretaker manager. Under Beech's first game in charge, the team drew 1–1 with
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional football club in Preston, Lancashire, England, who currently play in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league syste ...
with an equaliser from
Daniel Bogdanović Daniel Bogdanović (born 26 March 1980) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker and coach for Għajnsielem F.C. in the Gozo Football League. Born in Libya, he represented the Malta national team. Club career Bogdanović spent ...
who scored on his debut. Beech's 5 games in charge ended with a 5–1 defeat by Stevenage and a 3–0 defeat to bottom of league Wycombe Wanderers. On 24 January 2012, Accrington Stanley's John Coleman was confirmed manager as the successor to Steve Eyre and left his club where he had been for more than a decade. John Coleman's first match in charge was a 3–0 win at home over
Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
in the local derby. However, on 21 April, Rochdale lost 2–1 to
Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...
resulting in relegation from League One after two years in the league. John Coleman's and Jimmy Bell's contracts were terminated by Rochdale on 21 January 2013 following a poor run in form. In January 2013, Keith Hill, previously in charge of Rochdale from 2007 to 2011, was appointed as the new manager. The 2013–14 season was much more successful for Rochdale, they were promoted to League One in third-place on 26 April 2014, after beating
Cheltenham Town Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. From the 2021–22 season, the club compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league syst ...
2–0. One of the highlights of the season was reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in eleven years after beating Championship side Leeds United 2–0.


Return to League One (2014–2021)

Playing at the club's highest level, the 2014–15 season was the club's most successful yet. Rochdale missed out on the playoffs by six points, eventually finishing in 8th place, their highest league placing. The club impressed in the FA Cup again, this time reaching the fourth round, losing out 4–1 to Premier League side
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
. The 2015–16 season saw Rochdale finish 10th in League One, whilst they finished 9th in 2016–17. In 2017–18, Rochdale narrowly avoided relegation, finishing 20th in League One. Despite a poor domestic season, Rochdale reached the fifth round of the FA Cup where they met Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur at Spotland. Rochdale held Tottenham to a 2–2 draw, resulting in a replay at Wembley Stadium where Rochdale lost out 6–1. On 4 March 2019, Rochdale sacked manager Keith Hill after six years in charge: with Rochdale in 22nd place. Hill was replaced by
Brian Barry-Murphy Brian Barry-Murphy (born 27 July 1978) is an Irish professional football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder in the Football League. He began his career at his hometown club Cork City. In 1999, he moved to English ...
who led Rochdale to 16th place in the 2018–19 season. In the 2019–20 season, Rochdale reached the third round of the
EFL Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
where they lost 5–3 on penalties at
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
against
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
after holding the Red Devils to a 1–1 draw in normal time in front of 5,500 travelling supporters. Rochdale also reached the FA Cup third round where they managed a 1–1 home draw with Premier League side
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
, before losing the replay 4–1 at St James' Park. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the season after 34 matches. Final league positions were decided on a
points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...
basis, with Rochdale finishing in 18th place.


League Two (2021–)

After finishing 21st, Rochdale were relegated from League One at the end of the 2020–21 season, and finished 18th in their first League Two campaign. The club started the 2022–23 season with five straight defeats, and sacked manager
Robbie Stockdale Robert Keith Stockdale (born 30 November 1979) is a football manager and former professional footballer. As a player, he was a defender from 1997 to 2012. He notably played Premier League football for Middlesbrough having also appeared as a p ...
in mid-August 2022; the side's first league win came in their 10th game, away at Colchester United, overseen by
Jim Bentley James Graham Bentley (born 11 June 1976) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a centre back. He is currently manager of EFL League Two club Rochdale. Career Bentley, who debuted for Telford United in 1997 ...
who had been appointed manager on 29 August. Also in August 2022, Rochdale settled a High Court action regarding an attempted hostile takeover of the club by investors Morton House MGT in July 2021; in October 2022, Rochdale were given a six-point penalty, suspended for two years, for failing to comply with EFL regulations over the attempted takeover.


Club badge and colours

The club crest used by Rochdale AFC focuses on a variant of the arms of the former
County Borough of Rochdale Rochdale was, from 1856 to 1974, a local government district coterminate with the town of Rochdale in the northwest of England. Municipal borough In January 1856 the inhabitant householders of the Parliamentary Borough of Rochdale, Lancashire ...
. The coat of arms, based on those of the local and reputed Rochdale family with certain additions, was granted to the Borough by
Herald's College The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sovereig ...
in 1857. At its centre, a shield shows a sack of wool and a cotton plant, representing the local wool and cotton industries. Around the edge of the shield sit eight martlets (birds). These are taken from the Rochdale family coat of arms (mentioned above) and are widely used on heraldic devices. Above the shield and helm (in the position technically known as the "crest" in heraldry) more local industry representations are made by the inclusion of a fleece of wool (suspended by a band) and the iron centre of an old mill-stone (known as a mill-rind). A motto below the shield reads ''Crede Signo''. Roughly translated, this means "Believe in the sign". The blazon (official heraldic description) for the arms reads as follows: "Argent a woolpack encircled by two branches of the cotton tree flowered and conjoint proper; a bordure sable charged with eight martlets of the field; and for a crest on a wreath of the colours a mill-rind sable and above a fleece argent banded or." When Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council was formed in 1974 (taking over from Rochdale County Borough Council and five other borough/urban district councils), a new coat of arms was created and awarded for council use. Rochdale A.F.C., however, continued (and continues today) to adopt the old Rochdale County Borough arms. Rochdale's current home colours are black and blue shirts, white shorts and blue and black hooped socks. Previously, Rochdale's usual colours were blue and white, introduced in 1949. Prior to this, Rochdale wore black and white stripes, which was influenced by the strong
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
side of 1907 (the year Rochdale was formed), the stripe which they adopted for their centenary season in 2007. This black and white kit was re-introduced in the 2007–08 season as the one-off centenary kit; the new Internazionale-influenced design which succeeded it was an amalgamation of the striped kit and the blue kit to herald the second century of Rochdale's existence. Between 2010 and 2012 Rochdale's shirts were predominantly blue with black pinstripes on the body and black sleeves. Rochdale's away kit comprises white shirts with a purple stripe, purple shorts and purple and white hooped socks. Other historical away kits have included yellow, teal, green and red. Other kits have included white shirts with black shorts, white shirts with blue shorts and a blue shirt with white sleeves.


Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Rochdale has had sponsored shirts since 1983. Former sponsors include Carcraft, MMC Estates, All-in-One Garden Centre, Smith Metals, Keytech, Freebets.co.uk, Cabrini and
the Co-operative The Co-operative branding may refer to: Brands The Co-operative brand - the umbrella brand used by constituents of the British co-operative movement, most notably: * The Co-operative Food - the greatest number of outlets * The Co-operative Bank * ...
. On 28 May 2013,
Crown Oil Crown Oil Ltd, also trading as Crown Oil Fuels and Lubricants or simply Crown Oil, is a fuels and lubricants distribution company located in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The fuel distributor specialises in national supply of diesel, gas o ...
was unveiled as the club's new principal sponsor. It was announced in June 2009 that the kit supplier for the next three seasons would be
Carbrini Carbrini Sportswear is a leisure wear brand of clothing that is sold at JD Sports and Argos. They have developed a full range of leisure wear, ranging from trainers to tracksuits. They also have a line of school bags and lunchboxes. The brand i ...
. From 2012 to 2015 Rochdale's kit was supplied by
Fila Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. Sub ...
. On 25 April 2015, Rochdale revealed
Erreà Erreà () is an Italian sports equipment company supplier. Erreà was the first Italian sportswear company to be accredited with the Oeko-tex standard certification, which assures that garments textiles are free from harmful chemicals. Backgrou ...
as their new supplier.


Stadium

Rochdale plays their home matches at Spotland Stadium, known locally as just Spotland, and currently named the Crown Oil Arena as part of a sponsorship deal by the
Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
-based fuel company
Crown Oil Crown Oil Ltd, also trading as Crown Oil Fuels and Lubricants or simply Crown Oil, is a fuels and lubricants distribution company located in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The fuel distributor specialises in national supply of diesel, gas o ...
. The stadium was officially opened in 1920, and was used exclusively by Rochdale for the first 68 years of its existence. From 1988 to 2016 the ground was jointly owned by the football club,
Rochdale Council Rochdale Borough Council is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of ten in Greater Manchester and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England ...
and rugby league club Rochdale Hornets. In 2016 Rochdale A.F.C. bought the stadium shares they did not hold to own 100% of Spotland Stadium. Apart from local football and rugby league, Spotland has also hosted minor nations' rugby league matches, British Amateur Rugby League Association matches, and also the
National League Cup The Championship Cup, (known as the Northern Rail Cup for sponsorship reasons), and previously known as the National League Cup, was a rugby league football competition for clubs in the United Kingdom's Rugby League Championships. Although the ...
finals of 2003 and 2004. Spotland was a venue for the
2013 Rugby League World Cup The 2013 Rugby League World Cup was the fourteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and took place in England, Wales, France and Ireland. between 26 October and 30 November 2013. It was the main event of the year's 2013 Festival of World ...
, hosting a match between
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
and Ireland - the first time that Rochdale had staged an event in any sporting World Cup. The event was almost sold out with almost 9,000 people attending. This was incorrectly claimed to be a new stadium record, but Rochdale had 24,231 for an FA Cup tie vs Notts County in December 1949 and three higher crowds for FA Cup and play-off games between 1990 and 2008 against Northampton Town,
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
and
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...
. Today Spotland has a capacity of 10,249 in four stands: the Co-Operative Stand (or Main Stand), the Thwaites Beer Stand (the Sandy Lane End), the T.D.S Stand (Pearl Street end) and the Westrose Leisure Stand (the Willbutts Lane Stand). All are fully seated, apart from the Sandy Lane End, which is a small terrace behind one of the goals. The Main Stand features a statue of a long-standing Rochdale fan, David Clough, situated where he watched matches as a season-ticket holder. He had helped the club raise funds and left £250,000 to the club in his will when he died in 2020. The statue was unveiled in September 2021.


Rivalries

Rochdale have a number of rivalries with both local and non-local clubs. The club's main rivals are
Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
. Bury, after Oldham, were the closest
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
club to Rochdale, and the fixture was also known as the South Lancashire Derby. However, Bury's expulsion from the Football League during the 2019–20 season means that any meetings between the clubs are unlikely in the near future. Rochdale's other significant rivalries have been with Oldham Athletic, Burnley, Halifax Town. Rochdale also have lesser rivalries with Stockport County,
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
,
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
, Accrington Stanley and
Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes. Th ...
.


Players


Current squad


Former players


Club officials

;Board of directors


Coaching and medical staff


Honours


Domestic


League

*
Third Division North The Third Division North of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to ...
/ League One ( 3rd tier) ** Runners–up (2): 1923–24, 1926–27 *
League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
/
Football League Fourth Division The Football League Fourth Division was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season. Whilst the division disappeared in name ...
( 4th tier) ** Promotion (3): 1968–69, 2009–10, 2013–14 * Lancashire Combination Division Two: **Promotion (1): 1909–10


Cups

*
Football League Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
: ** Runners–up: 1961–62 * Lancashire Cup: ** Winners (3): 1948–49, 1970–1971, 2004–05


Club records

* Record League victory – 8–1 ''v.''
Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...
(18 December 1926) * Fewest league wins in a season – 2 1973–74 * Most points gained in a season – 82 2009–10 Football League Two * Highest home attendance – 24,231 ''v.'' Notts County 1949–50 * Record league appearances – Gary Jones (464) * Record league goalscorer –
Reg Jenkins Reginald Jenkins (7 October 1938 – 29 January 2013) was an English footballer who played as an inside forward in the Football League between the 1950s and 1970s. Jenkins was born in Millbrook, Cornwall. After short spells with Plymouth Argyl ...
(119) * Most league goals in one season – Albert Whitehurst (44 in 1926–27) * Highest transfer fee paid – £150,000 to
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
for Paul Connor, 2001 * Highest transfer fee received – £1,000,000 Wolverhampton Wanderers for Luke Matheson, 2020


See also

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List of Rochdale A.F.C. players For a list of all Rochdale players with a Wikipedia article, see :Rochdale A.F.C. players, and for the current squad see Rochdale A.F.C.#Current squad. This is a list of footballers who have played for Rochdale A.F.C. who have played 100 or mor ...


References


External links

* {{Authority control 1907 establishments in England Association football clubs established in 1907 Football clubs in England Football clubs in Rochdale Lancashire Combination Lancashire League (football) The Central League English Football League clubs Football clubs in Lancashire