Internet Football Ground Guide - Fans Ground Reviews, Spotland, Rochdale

Spotland - Rochdale
Saturday, January 25th, 2003,
V Coventry City, FA Cup 4th Round, 3pm
By Peter Woodthorpe

I have very fond memories of my first trip to Spotland and indeed my very first league football match in 2003. I had just started 6th form and was amazed that my team had gone and beaten Preston away in round 3. I was a Dale fan in exile in Rugby in Warwickshire and I remember being on exam leave waiting for the draw to be picked out and I was on the phone to my Coventry City supporting friend. They still had a match against Cardiff to get through before reaching round 4 so we held off buying tickets
until the week before the match.

I knew we stood no chance at all at beating a side that had just been relegated from the Premiership and were in a play-off position in the 1st Division. But I held on to that FA cup spirit on the two and a half hour train journey from Rugby to Manchester, across the city on the tram, and then on the half hour train journey to Rochdale from Victoria. We were inadvertently travelling with a group of 10 over eager Coventry fans who as soon as we left Rochdale station started the banter with the firemen in the fire station up the road. Lancashire wit got the better of them that time. Not for the last time that day.

You need to walk up hill from the train station, for about half an hour to get to Spotland, including one massive hill just as you get to the ground but it was worth it none the less. The locals are very friendly and took us in as one of their own for the match. Outside the ground it was a festival atmosphere, it was the big Rochdale day out, the big drum men couldn't get through the turnstiles so had to find some other way to enter. There is a fully functioning pub under the W.M.G stand as well as several pubs around the ground and plenty of chip shops on the route from the station.

The ground is a large one for League 2, over 10,000 fans can pack in for big matches, there is a distinct difference around the ground with the Sandy Lane terracing being the link to the traditional footballing heritage of the stadium. We found our seats on the edge of the W.M.G stand closest to the Coventry fans, away fans happen to get the entire side of the ground, in
probably the best stand at Spotland. Leg room is good in the W.M.G and the views are superb. The trees at the back of the Sandy Lane end giving it a true Lancashire country feel.

The ground was packed, the atmosphere was fantastic and Rochdale were not only holding their own but dominating the match. The fans at Rochdale are not your ordinary fans, they have been through 32 years of old division 4, division 3 and now league 2 football without promotion or relegation and have seen their hopes dashed so many times and been saved from the drop by
the skin of their teeth more times than we'd like to remember. So they know their stuff and the hard core 2,500 support week in and week out give it all they have.

When Dale scored their first, the cheer was amazing, it felt so personal and the players really responded to the support, We had Paul Connor in the crowd after he score the first! At half time, our inexperience at football matches showed through, we went for some food and with the heaving crowd had to wait for a while to get through, so much so that we missed the second goal! The chips and gravy was superb by the way, although I'm still slightly gutted to miss the goal!

The match finished 2-0, my Coventry supporting friend tried to hide his disappointment in the euphoria around him. I was going to join the other 7,000 home fans on the pitch but was threatened with not being given my train tickets to get home! Funnily enough it only took 20 mins to walk down hill to the station. With such a big match the Coventry fans were kept in the area behind the ground where the coaches were waiting for them. Getting away on foot is no problem, there weren't too many problems for the drivers around us with the roads being busy, but flowing.

You could not get the grin off my face all the way home, all the next week, and it still brings a big smile to my face when I think about that day, We later went to the 5th round match at Wolverhampton giving me some very special memories of that winter. I've made several more trips to league games at Spotland, all of which are very enjoyable with friendly crowds and a very
light hearted, yet partisan atmosphere and a good respect for away fans. Of course the next match I plan to go to is the local derby with Bury at the end of February 2006 which may be slightly different! I've heard many a tale about this hot pot of a derby and look forward to it greatly!