Rochdale are preparing for their first home fixture in the EFL since May 2023 when Crawley Town visit on Saturday, with the Crown Oil Arena undergoing a transformation. Fittingly for a club who specialised in late drama on their way to promotion from the National League last season, the finishing touches are still being applied just 24 hours ahead of kick-off.
Dramatic promotion campaign
Dale enjoyed a season like no other last term, scoring a host of late goals to take their National League title fight with York City to a final day shootout, which ended in heartbreaking fashion after an added time Dale goal was cancelled out by a 103rd-minute strike from the visitors. That handed the Minstermen the title and condemned Jimmy McNulty's side to the play-offs. Rochdale rallied, beat Scunthorpe to make the final, scored a 97th-minute equaliser to come from 2-0 down at Wembley to force extra time against Boreham Wood, and then prevailed in the subsequent penalty shootout.
Those three fixtures were CEO Laura Thomas' first three at the club. "People kept telling me it's not usually like that," she laughs as she chats to the Manchester Evening News on the eve of the new campaign. That mad fortnight was replaced by a hectic summer on and off the field. Manager McNulty departed for Stockport County, with Ian Watson brought in from South Shields to replace him. Dale are in double figures for both signings and departures and off the pitch the club have undergone a sizeable summer transformation, from bars to the boardroom, catering to cabling.
Ground upgrades and new era
Promotion has hastened some of the work, given the regulations required by the EFL, but the opportunity has been taken to undergo a wider upgrade to some of the tired aspects of their home for nearly 120 years. A safe standing section has been introduced, the pitch has been relaid, and the National League play-off trophy is being installed in a glass cabinet halfway up the stairs behind the main entrance. It's a first trophy in the club's history and it will take pride of place as they embark on a new season.
Dale have been in the doldrums, relegation from the Football League three years ago led to the threat of liquidation a matter of months later and a huge fundraising effort kept the club afloat before the family of local businessman Peter Ogden completed a takeover in May 2024. The Ogdens have breathed new life, and money, into the club and Dale are now on an upward curve. The ambition is for the club to ultimately be passed into fan ownership but only once it's in a sustainable position.
Community vision and new manager
Thomas talks of the three Fs: "It's football, fans and family, and that is the wider Rochdale community and making sure everyone knows what we can do for the community and that everyone is welcome. We want to lift the profile of Rochdale." The past and the difficulties the club has been in are well documented and we have board members and staff members who were here when it was going on and they wear that heavy as it was a really difficult time. "That is why Wembley meant so much. When we were promoted it was such a positive thing for the town."
New boss Watson has only been in the door a matter of weeks, having left his native north east and a job at South Shields to join Dale, but he has wasted no time in throwing himself into life at the club. The 40-year-old is based in the town, travelling back once a week to see his family, and his young son has already become a Rochdale fan with a visit to the club shop decking the seven-year-old out in club colours. "I had a few opportunities in the summer to speak to different clubs and none felt right for one reason or another," he said, speaking to the MEN on the eve of the new campaign. "But as soon as I got on a call with Rochdale it was really clear that they were amazing people and they really align with who I am as a person and the football club aligns with what I want to be involved with."
Financial sustainability and community projects
Dale see their future as a fan-owned, sustainable club. That vision will take time and a lot of hard work but the increased finances in the EFL are a big help with the solidarity payment on offer to League Two clubs around £1million. That sort of income, as well as added money from broadcast deals, are reasons why promotion back out of non-league was so important, but CEO Thomas wants Dale to further maximise their own revenue streams. "We are not just a football club, we are an events business as well," she said. "We want to maximise matchday and non-matchday. We are also a retailer so we need to maximise that and all of that has a massive contribution to our revenue."
The club want to do their bit for the local community. Dale's Community Trust is 30 years old this year, through the Ogden Trust they run an additional provisions school called Dale Futures and they are working with charity Our Future to run For Generations to Come, a 10-year ambition for the area. "The aim is to connect people with fire in their belly, attract new money or expertise to the table," explains Jet Powell, Our Future Operations Director. "It's about bringing together ideas, investment and expertise and join up all the thinking." The programme is in its infancy but already progress is being made, with a plot of land turned into a green space and plenty more ideas in the pipeline. Dale also have a healthcare facility where they can scan players but also accommodate NHS overflow, there is a community centre and a community football pitch.
Plenty will be spending time at the ground on Saturday as the EFL returns for the first time since May 2023. More than 3,000 season tickets have been shifted and a raucous atmosphere is expected. It's a new chapter in Dale's history and the hope is that the football club and the town can build a bright future together.
