2013 Prediction League; Game 8 (Rochdale AFC - home)

Div3North · 20-09-2013, 00:30

Accrington Stanley

V

Rochdale AFC

2013 Prediction League – Game 8 v Rochdale (home)

Formed in 1907, Rochdale AFC mooched around the non-league scene until 1921 when they – like many of today’s League Two clubs – were accepted into the new Third Division North, which included such football legends as Ashington, Durham City, Nelson and Stalybridge Celtic

(not to mention Barrow and Wigan (Borough). Their first ever League game against us, at home, and they trashed us 6-3

; they also did over Walsall 7-0 at Spotland (which they now share with Rochdale Hornets), but contrived to lose (away – many teams didn’t travel well in those days) – 4-0 at Walsall, 5-3 at Hartlepools, 7-3 at Ashington and 7-0 at Tranmere ………oh, and we got our revenge with a 4-0 win at home

………… and they came last

(26 points from 38 games, and a goal difference of -25) in Div 3 North and had to re-apply for membership.

By 1958, when the old Third Divisions North and South became, on merger, Div 3 and Div 4, they’d done well enough to be placed in Div 3, but come the end of the season they finished last – recurring theme here, isn’t there?

– with 28 points from 46 games and a GD of -42. The next year we went down with 27 from 46 and a GD of -66

(57 scored, 123 conceded

) and – for Football Romantics – Gateshead departed the League, never to return

. Well, not yet anyway ………………. Rochdale won their first ever promotion in 1969, with a team which was basically put together by Bob Stokoe (who by then had left for Carlisle); in 1974 they were relegated back to Div 4 – now managed by Walter Joyce, who played wing-half

("What's one of them, Dad? Eh Dad?"

) for Burnley, Blackburn and Oldham between 1954 and 1970 - with two

(yes, two) wins all season. 1978 saw them finish last, but secure re-election at the expense of a (probably) very hacked-off Southport

, and in 1980 they again just kept their League status, polling 26 votes in the Re-election Stakes against Altrincham’s 25

….they went up one more time – 36 years after they last came down – in 2010, and back down in 2012. Their only two distinctions I can find are that they were the first team from the lowest tier of the League to reach the League Cup Final, losing to Norwich in 1962

, and they’ve won the Lancashire Cup three times

……….Possibly I should add to that the extremes of kit that they’ve perpetrated on the unsuspecting football fans of Rochdale over the years; shirts have included blue and black, blue with black pinstripes, white with a purple stripe (matched with purple shorts and purple and white hooped socks – watch out for that one!), and yellow, red, green and teal – which I thought was a duck, not a colour

……………So what do I know?

As well as Walter Joyce, their past managers include Steve Parkin (twice), John Hollins MBE, who played 744 games for Chelsea, QPR and Arsenal (plus 1 for Cobh Ramblers) but is now better known for being the father of the BBC sports reporter who won "Strictly" in 2009 - the MBE was awarded for Services to Dancing

), Paul Simpson, Alan Buckley and Keith Hill (twice). Oh, and Mr Coleman, who didn’t manage to set the place alight in the year (all but) that he was there.

Finally, on “Get to Know Your Club”, can I confirm, for those who missed it, that they have the cheapest pies in the whole of the Football League

; I understand the Pork and Salmonella ones are to die for………………….

You may recall that, not very long ago, they had no less than seven of our former players in their squad

; well, they haven’t now (think “rats" and "sinking ships”); they’ve got one – Peter Cavanagh, who’s currently out injured. Kevin McIntyre went back to Chester, joining Craig Lindfield

and Bury’s Aidan Chippendale there; Bobby Grant went to Blackpool, Terry Gornell to Cheltenham, and Sunbeds

(Phil Edwards) to Burton. Out also went Dele Adebola (the only 38 year-old striker I can trace

– no, Pompey’s David Connolly is only 36!) left for Rushall Olympic; defender Matty Pearson (19) went to FC Halifax – who seem to be doing ok so far; MF Jason Kennedy (26) signed for Bradford, CF Craig Curran (23) for Limerick FC, RW Andy Howarth (24) for Notts County (who are not doing at all ok so far), MF Ashley Grimes (26) went Bury-wards, CB Neill Byrne (20) to AFC Telford, and MF Ritchie Jones (26) signed for MLS side San Jose Earthquakes in June, but – after a reality check

– signed for Grimsby a week or so ago ………….All in all there were 15 departures, which is more than Accrington Railway Station has in a week!

Six signed up, plus two on loan; ex Stockport and Brighton MF Gary Dicker took the plunge, as did Barnsley LW Matt Done, MF Scott Hogan (21) from Hyde, Blackpool’s Ashley Eastham (27, CB) and former Owl Bastien Hery (21); Aldershot provided, from their Fire Sale, MF Peter Vincenti (27) and CB Ollie Lancashire (24), both being lightly singed round the edges, but otherwise OK …………Loan signings were PNE and ex Cork City striker Graham Cummins (25) and Rovers’ CB Jack O’Connell.

They have no further interest in the Capone Cup, falling at the first hurdle (1-0 at Donnie); they grace the Tinpot Trophy with their presence at Port Vale on 8th October; and it’s fair to say that their games aren’t “eight goal thrillers” this season ……………….P7 W3 D2 L2 F8 A5 in the League (they lie 9th, but until they won their last two games, both by 1-0 and both at home (v Bury and Torquay) they were 17th)

………….. 8 goals in 8 games in all competitions

; three goals once (in beating Hartlepool Utd (the bastards!

) 3-0 in the season-opener); two goals once (2-2 v Chesterfield at home); one goal three times (Bury, Torquay and away at Oxford), and they didn’t trouble the scorer on the other three occasions they’ve played ………. In their four away games they’ve scored once (Oxford), conceded one goal every time, and got just the singleton point ………. Leading scorer in the aforementioned Scott Hogan, who also counts Stocksbridge Swifts, Halifax and Ashton United as former employers, who has three …………..

In 10 League games against them we’ve managed one draw (26th August 2006, 1-1 at home, with our goal coming from a Gary Roberts penalty in front of 3000+ fans) and two wins – 2-1 away in 2009/10 (Grant and Symes), and 3-0 away last season

, with two from Lee Molyneux and one from Rommy Boco , all in the last 15 minutes ………….Other than that ……………..pants!

Deadline for entries is, as always, kick-off time, which is 3.00pm this Saturday, 21st September ………… Not beyond the realms of possibility that we could win this, surely? That would silence the Doom Merchants who appear to be circling over the (anticipated) corpse …………..wouldn’t it?

Good luck to everyone …….. Remember, passion overcomes logic ……….. Keep the Faith! ………… and thanks for playing!