THE BLUES
So what was the biggest crowd to have seen Southend United in the FA Cup?
After the trauma of Tuesday, what bad luck to follow a tough game at Northampton with Forest only three days later, the relative calm of an FA Cup tie at home to League Two Rochdale. Leon is out, Mac is out, so there must be some changes but how many of the fringe members of the squad will Tilly give a chance to, while some of the regulars would probably appreciate a break after the last few days.
First, many thanks to Hasney Aljofree for his 90th minute equaliser against the Borient. On the long night of score draws that was the best and made the reading of the league table a little easier on Wednesday morning.
It helps that Leon misses a game he could not have played in anyway, though Luton away just got tougher, but here's a chance surely to take a look at MacDonald, if fit, while I suppose Harry will start. Captain Kev will return, and keep his place for the Cheltenham game as Bailey has got his 5 booking ban, you've got to give it to Mac and Nick, they plan it well, do you think they talk about it before hand, "you get a yellow early Mac while I'll hold back for the next one, we don't want to be out at the same time!"
As for the remainder, depending on the injury reports, Richards should get a game, Adam or Peter a day off or even Adam up front has been suggested, (why not?), Francis for Hunt, Black might make a return for a rested Gower, the Moose should get another chance.
Finally, congrats to Rhys Henry whose two late goals against Croydon in the FA Youth Cup, in fact all three in a 3-1 win came in the last 14 minutes, set up a second round tie v Barnet or er…..Whyteleafe. (For pub quiz bores; a semi-professional football club based in Whyteleafe, Surrey. The club was established in 1946 and are currently members of the Isthmian League Division One South. Whyteleafe's manager is ex-Crystal Palace player Dave Swindlehurst. So there!)
53,043. January 8 1955, Everton away. (Thanks to the ever excellent SUFC Database for that Blues cup fact.)
THE OPPOSITION
After a good run, only 1 defeat in 11, which took them to the edge of the League Two play off zone, a 1-2 home defeat to close rivals Stockport on Tuesday took them back down to 15th place, nine points off the pace. By all reports they were unlucky, a classic away smash and grab by County.
There has been an injury crisis at Spotland, especially in defense, which saw them bring in Barnsley utility defender Atkinson while extending the loan period of Oldham man Kelvin Lomax. They also grabbed MK Dons forward Scott Taylor.
The team that lost in midweek; Spencer, Lomax (Crooks 83), Holness, McArdle, Kennedy, Higginbotham (Muirhead 84), Jones, Perkins, Prendergast (Taylor 67), Murray, Le Fondre. Subs Not Used: Russell, Rundle. Booked: Kennedy, McArdle. Goals: Le Fondre 69 pen.
A report from the Manchester Evening Post on the game with a great quote from Dale manager Kevin Hill, is he saying they are a bit limp when going forward?
ROCHDALE suffered defeat against local rivals Stockport on a frustrating evening for boss Keith Hill. Liam Dickinson celebrated a late call-up by scoring the two County goals with Dale's consolation coming through Adam Le Fondre.
Hill told his club's official website: "We lost because we conceded two goals that we shouldn't have conceded. The first one came from a contentious free-kick but I think to be still protesting about it instead of doing our jobs meant that we got done. All the passages of play were in our favour and it has been a frustrating week. You can compare us at the moment to a bit of soft porn - there is an awful lot of foreplay and not a lot going on in the box". (Yes, you've got to score. Classic!)
Dickinson was only in Jim Gannon's starting line-up because Adam Proudlock, who had been first-choice to start up front, reported in sick. And he responded with goals in either half to take his tally to five for the season. Dale were given some hope by Le Fondre's 68th minute penalty against his former club.
Keith Hill's side had been straight at the visitors from the start in a manner that suggested they were anxious to repeat the seven goals they put past County at Edgeley Park earlier in the year. Le Fondre, who had been recalled for the visit of his hometown club, had a goal ruled out early on. Tom Kennedy's 16th minute free-kick brought a great save from Conrad Logan, who pushed the ball onto the crossbar. But once County had survived the early onslaught they took the lead with their first chance of the game. Adam Griffin raced at the Dale defence in the 27th minute and squared the ball for Dickinson who sidefooted the ball past former Stockport keeper James Spencer.
Injury-ravaged County had lost Ashley Williams and Dominic Blizzard, each for at least six weeks, and Gannon had hoped to bring in Michael Raynes in central defence, but the youngster was still suffering from the bug that had kept him out of Saturday's game against Peterborough. Matty McNeil moved back from the forward line to play alongside Gareth Own and was instrumental in keeping Dale at bay for long periods.
County full-back Paul Tierney was lucky to stay on the pitch when he appeared to headbutt Glenn Murray, but escaped with a yellow card. (Bad Luck Leon!)
Dickinson scored again in the 52nd minute when his glanced header guided Tierney's free- kick past Spencer but Murray should have pulled one back in the 61st minute. But in the 68th minute Jason Taylor stuck out a hand to stop Le Fondre's flick in the County box and the striker stepped up himself to drill home the penalty.
THE MATCHES
This will be our first meeting with Rochdale in any cup competition. In the league we are doing very well with 20 wins, 11 defeats and 10 draws.
Our first meeting was a 1-1 draw, that man Hollis again, on Sep. 27 1958. Two years later we had our biggest defeat against them with a 2-5 result on Oct. 25 1960, Houghton and Laverty got our goals. However, we hit five twice in a year with the first, on May 2 1986, being our best win, 5-0, Cadette a hat trick, Pennyfather and Engwell the other goals. The crowd was a horrible 1,153, were you there? Only 4 months later, again at Roots Hall and a thousand more people in attendance, poor Dale got hammered again, at least getting a 5-3 scoreline. Cadette only one this time, allowing Neal(2) Hall and Gymer to get in on the act. Sat. Jan. 15 saw an amazing 3-3 draw at the Hall; Houghton, Roget and a Carruthers penalty the Shrimper scorers.
November 22 2003. A date now truly engraved in Southend legend. Rochdale were invited to the party and bought many gifts, 4 of them to be precise. In the morning many saw England pick up the Rugby World Cup then went off to the home of football to see Bramble(2), Constantine and Corbett (pen.) score in a 4-0 win, a game which was Steve Tilson's first match in charge. From small acorns.
We played them last in our play off promotion season of 2004/05. An early away 0-2 defeat on August 14 04 while 7,656 saw a 3-0 March 25 05 win at home; Eastwood, Bentley and Gray the goals, now there's three names that just sum up those two successive promotions under T&B.
THE HISTORY
Rochdale AFC was formed in 1907 and accepted into the Manchester League that year before joining the Lancashire Combination in 1908. After winning the League in 1911 Rochdale unsuccessfully applied to join the Football League, proposing the creation of a new Third Division. After the First World War the Football League was expanded and the club, again, unsuccessfully applied to join. Finally, in 1921, Rochdale were recommended to included in the new Third Division North, and played their first League game at home against Accrington Stanley on August 27, 1921, winning 6-3. However, this first season ended with the club bottom of the League, having to reapply for membership.
The club have spent the last 31 seasons in the Football League's bottom division, currently entitled League Two. This is the longest time any team has been in the bottom division of the football league, with some even derisively renaming it "the Rochdale Division". They reached the League Cup final in 1962 - the only time a club from the bottom league division has reached the final of a major competition - where they lost to Norwich City. The club barely avoided relegation in the 2003-04 season after two good seasons where they ended up one point outside the play-offs (8th place) and two places inside (5th place). However, they lost their play-off semi-final to Rushden & Diamonds.
The season after this they reached the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, beating clubs such as Preston North End and Coventry City, but losing eventually to Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1. In the 2004-05 season the club improved on previous seasons by finishing in a respectable 9th place. In 2005-06, the club finished in 14th, despite an excellent start to the season which saw them in the playoff places in December. This disappointment prompted the manager Steve Parkin to release 6 players from the first team squad before the last league match against Lincoln City.
Steve Parkin had two spells at the Rochdale helm. The first reign lasted from the summer of 1998 until November 2001, when he moved to Barnsley - being sacked after less than a year.
When Alan Buckley was sacked in late 2003, Parkin was re-appointed and remained in charge until his sacking.
His assistant Tony Ford was a regular player for Rochdale in the autumn of 2001, by which time he was 41 years old and one of the oldest and most experienced men ever to kick a football at senior level. But he hung up his boots after following Parkin to the dugout at Barnsley.
Rochdale entered a new era, with David Kilpatrick stepping down as Dale chairman, and Chris Dunphy taking over, and Rochdale are surely in for an interesting ride. Parkin made his first signing of the 2006/2007 summer in the shape of 21 year old left-winger Adam Rundle; with a squad so small at this moment in time, more signings were needed, notably defenders Nathan Stanton, Lee Crooks and Lewis Edge whilst missing out on the likes of Lawrie Dudfield, Michael Branch and Rory McArdle.
Rochdale then suffered a major blow on the eve of the transfer window. Despite being offered a wage reported around £2,000 a week, Rickie Lambert who was top scorer for Rochdale in the previous season scoring 22, was sold to Bristol Rovers for £200,000. This transfer fee freed up wage money, and Parkin wasted no time adding three new players to his small squad. Former Torquay striker Morike Sako and defender James Sharp were signed on short term contracts and Keith Barker was in drafted in on loan from Blackburn Rovers.
Making their debut in the 1-1 draw with Hereford United, the new signings impressed and so started the best run of form this season for the Dale. This included the 5-0 demolition job at Darlington and the impressive 2-1 win at Wrexham AFC. Unfortunately the run of form was brought to an abrupt end by Lincoln City who embarrassed Rochdale 7-1. This was followed by a disappointing performance to local sides Stockport County and Bury.
After yet more poor performances by the Dale, and a run culminating in 8 wins from over 50 outings, Steve Parkin was sacked as Rochdale manager in December 2006, the Saturday after a 1-0 defeat to Hartlepool United. Keith Hill was quickly appointed as caretaker boss.
Rochdale subsequently gained 7 points for 4 matches under Hill's guidance, including two consecutive 4-0 victories (home to Boston United and away at Grimsby Town). On 3 January 2007, the board of directors then appointed Hill as the permanent manager until the end of the season
On March 24th 2007 Rochdale emphatically ended close rivals, Stockport's long unbeaten home run, with a 7-2 victory at Edgeley Park.
Dale ended the 06-07 season in 9th position, just a few points away from a playoff place. The club now enter their centenary year in an optimistic mood, and begin with pre-season home friendlies against Oldham Athletic and Huddersfield Town on 24th and 28th of June respectively. On 11th May 2007, manager Keith Hill released defender Mark Jackson and striker Clive Moyo-Modise, whilst offering contracts to six first teamers and six youth players.
Once the transfer window opened again, Hill wasted no time in signing former Bury left-back Tom Kennedy, Stockport 'keeper James Spencer and Bradford City winger Ben Muirhead, who had played for Rochdale in the 06-07 season and returned to the club on permanent terms. Rochdale also signed Nathan D'Laryea, released from Man City and former Oldham Athletic striker Kallum Higginbotham. Rochdale also made some changes in the backroom staff - Chris Beech replaced Chris Willcock as head of youth development, and Tony Ellis, a former Dale legend, has been employed as head of the Centre of Excellence. Rochdale now have much of the squad signed and went off on a very nice pre-season tour of Cadiz, Spain.
Rochdale's current home colours are black and white shirts, white shorts and black socks, a recurrence of the first ever Rochdale kit, believed to be influenced by Newcastle United, who were one of the best teams in England at the time Rochdale were formed (1907). Dale have reintroduced this striped kit for the 2007-2008 centenary year season. Last season, Dale wore the usual blue kit which has been almost ever-present since 1949 when Dale switched from stripes to the blue. It is unknown what the reasons were for this. Next season, Rochdale are expected to return to the blue shirts. Other kits have included white shirts with black shorts, white shirts with blue shorts and a blue shirt with white sleeves. Current Rochdale kits and training gear are manufactured by Nike.
The Dale have had sponsored shirts since 1983, the most notable sponsor being Carcraft. They are currently sponsored by MMC Estates, a housing company that currently is working in the Spodden Valley area. Other former sponsors include All-in-One Garden Centre, Smith Metals and Keytech.
Rochdale's away kit is yellow shirts with black shorts, introduced for the centenary year, but expected to be used next year also. Other historical away kits have included teal/black, green and red.
Rochdale's badge is an adaptation of the old Rochdale town crest, featuring various industrial and heraldic imagery. The blue ring around the outside features the club's full name and also the nickname. Rochdale's motto is the Latin "Crede Signo", which roughly translated means "Believe in the Sign". The football club shares the motto with that of the town itself. For the centenary year, the badge will be circled with gold lettering, commemorating the 100 years that Dale have been in existence.
(Thanks to the usual suspects in their help in creating this article)