| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 23:15 - May 17 with 3415 views | Swissdale |
Is it just me that loves that Rochdale sign? Would really like to see something like that re-erected. In my opinion it's the little things like that really add to the character of football grounds.
Can't help with the picture sorry, as its way before my time. [Post edited 17 May 2015 23:15]
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 23:42 - May 17 with 3376 views | TVOS1907 |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 22:34 - May 17 by mingthemerciless |
Maybe they kicked off early that day. Don't forget this was the era of power cuts and clubs not being able to use their floodlights. |
It says 3pm on the front of the programme and I think the power cuts didn't really affect football until 73/74 when Dale played Cambridge on a Tuesday afternoon.
I think 49thseason's sheepskin coat spot suggests it probably is the 70s and most likely April 1972. I'm only guessing though. |  |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 00:04 - May 18 with 3354 views | D_Alien |
A real head-scratcher this one.
I'm 99% certain it's not the 1970's though, the clothes just aren't right, particularly the number of shirts/ties being worn which had pretty much died out by then (at football matches).
The floodlights are the old dim ones, and you can see the ones that were positioned directly behind the Pearl Street goal (to illuminate the penalty box) just poking out at the top of the stand.
[Post edited 18 May 2015 0:14]
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 00:38 - May 18 with 3322 views | Bobbyjoe |
The Coventry FA Cup-tie? Jan '71? No happy faces, though (unless they're Coventry fans!) |  | | |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 01:19 - May 18 with 3310 views | D_Alien |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 00:38 - May 18 by Bobbyjoe |
The Coventry FA Cup-tie? Jan '71? No happy faces, though (unless they're Coventry fans!) |
No, it was played and finished in bright sunshine, and very cold. The lad wearing the open shirt and jacket would've frozen to death.
I'm leaning towards 4 April 1970. The old-fashioned clothes worn by the older guys might just still have been around then. | |
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 07:18 - May 18 with 3235 views | inthenet |
I would say the 60's people still wore trilby's then ' 70's had they faded out ? |  |
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 07:23 - May 18 with 3230 views | PDIDDY |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 23:04 - May 17 by 49thseason |
The sheepskin coat would indicate 70s I guess, rather than early 60s |
Tbh it's rochdale so the sheepskin coat could mean that it was yesterday |  |
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 07:45 - May 18 with 3198 views | nordenblue |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 07:23 - May 18 by PDIDDY |
Tbh it's rochdale so the sheepskin coat could mean that it was yesterday |
With it being so far away and very different culturally than the illustrious and affluent bury you mean didds? | | | |
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 09:13 - May 18 with 3126 views | kiwidale |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 01:19 - May 18 by D_Alien |
No, it was played and finished in bright sunshine, and very cold. The lad wearing the open shirt and jacket would've frozen to death.
I'm leaning towards 4 April 1970. The old-fashioned clothes worn by the older guys might just still have been around then. |
Oi! I still got that suit... cheeky bugga.  | |
| This is not the time for bickering.
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 09:28 - May 18 with 3099 views | SuddenLad |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 07:23 - May 18 by PDIDDY |
Tbh it's rochdale so the sheepskin coat could mean that it was yesterday |
Yeah, you shagg 'em and skin 'em and we'll wear the coats. |  |
| “It is easier to fool people, than to convince them that they have been fooled†|
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 11:28 - May 18 with 3028 views | DaleiLama |
Googled old floodlights and it appears that the first floodlights were replaced in 1971 if that helps?
(Posted a link to the reference in original post but it didn't work so copied and pasted the history bit below together with a repost of link - it works now)
Sideys were getting longer in the 60s and taches seemed to be more of a 70s addition from memory and there are none in evidence in this snap. Looks like the average age of fans was even higher back then (!) but hair length and general fashion give more of an impression of 60s than 70s to me.
http://100groundsclub.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/my-matchday-223-spotland.html
The ground was originally named St.Clements playing fields after the nearby church, initially used for cricket and then from 1878 by the local rugby club.
Football was first played at the ground in 1900. The original Rochdale AFC and Rochdale Town both played there for one season, but with little success until Rochdale’s current football club were especially formed to take over St. Clements in 1907.
Once established Rochdale AFC were accepted into the Manchester League, then the Lancashire League the following year. In 1910 they became a limited company, which enabled the club to purchase the ground’s tenure for £1,700 in 1914.
The ground was known as Spotland by the time Rochdale became members of the Football League in 1921. A wooden main stand was then erected at the south side, followed by terraces on Willbutts Lane and the Pearl Street end.
An early feature of the ground was the infamous five foot slope which ran down towards Sandy Lane. This was finally levelled in 1948, with the surplus earth pushed towards the Pearl Street End to make a miniature ‘Spion Kop’. Crash barriers were added to the terrace and the following year the ground witnessed its record attendance of 24,231 for an FA Cup tie against Notts. County.
The original Main Stand took a bit of a hiding in its time. In 1921 gale force winds blew the roof down, in 1953 it was partly destroyed by fire, then in 1966 the roof caved in again after a heavy snow storm.
Spotland was lit up for the first time in February 1954 for a friendly against St. Mirren. This was the grounds first set of floodlights, being replaced in 1971 and then again in 1992.
Rochdale Hornets (one of the original 22 Rugby League clubs formed in 1895) returned to there previous home after an 88 year absence to ground share with The Dale, after selling the Athletics Ground to developers for £2.6 million. Both clubs linked up with the local council in a joint ownership, which helped finance much needed work after the Taylor Report.
After the joint co-operative the ground was re-branded as Denehurst Park Stadium, named after the public park which is found on Sandy Lane, the new name never caught the locals imagination and so the Spotland name remained.
[Post edited 18 May 2015 11:39]
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 11:40 - May 18 with 3006 views | pioneer |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 11:28 - May 18 by DaleiLama |
Googled old floodlights and it appears that the first floodlights were replaced in 1971 if that helps?
(Posted a link to the reference in original post but it didn't work so copied and pasted the history bit below together with a repost of link - it works now)
Sideys were getting longer in the 60s and taches seemed to be more of a 70s addition from memory and there are none in evidence in this snap. Looks like the average age of fans was even higher back then (!) but hair length and general fashion give more of an impression of 60s than 70s to me.
http://100groundsclub.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/my-matchday-223-spotland.html
The ground was originally named St.Clements playing fields after the nearby church, initially used for cricket and then from 1878 by the local rugby club.
Football was first played at the ground in 1900. The original Rochdale AFC and Rochdale Town both played there for one season, but with little success until Rochdale’s current football club were especially formed to take over St. Clements in 1907.
Once established Rochdale AFC were accepted into the Manchester League, then the Lancashire League the following year. In 1910 they became a limited company, which enabled the club to purchase the ground’s tenure for £1,700 in 1914.
The ground was known as Spotland by the time Rochdale became members of the Football League in 1921. A wooden main stand was then erected at the south side, followed by terraces on Willbutts Lane and the Pearl Street end.
An early feature of the ground was the infamous five foot slope which ran down towards Sandy Lane. This was finally levelled in 1948, with the surplus earth pushed towards the Pearl Street End to make a miniature ‘Spion Kop’. Crash barriers were added to the terrace and the following year the ground witnessed its record attendance of 24,231 for an FA Cup tie against Notts. County.
The original Main Stand took a bit of a hiding in its time. In 1921 gale force winds blew the roof down, in 1953 it was partly destroyed by fire, then in 1966 the roof caved in again after a heavy snow storm.
Spotland was lit up for the first time in February 1954 for a friendly against St. Mirren. This was the grounds first set of floodlights, being replaced in 1971 and then again in 1992.
Rochdale Hornets (one of the original 22 Rugby League clubs formed in 1895) returned to there previous home after an 88 year absence to ground share with The Dale, after selling the Athletics Ground to developers for £2.6 million. Both clubs linked up with the local council in a joint ownership, which helped finance much needed work after the Taylor Report.
After the joint co-operative the ground was re-branded as Denehurst Park Stadium, named after the public park which is found on Sandy Lane, the new name never caught the locals imagination and so the Spotland name remained.
[Post edited 18 May 2015 11:39]
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can anyone make out the admission price on the turnstile?
That would help determine the decade, if not the year. | | | |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 12:30 - May 18 with 2949 views | love_the_dale |
Any clues from
- the scooter weaving its way through the crowd?
- the fact that a few people are wearing ties?
- the fact that no women or children are in view?
- the possibility that there is snow on the ground? (I could be wrong - the
current advert just below the IP is for specsavers!) |  | | |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 13:39 - May 18 with 2890 views | D_Alien |
One thing I'd add is this is probably an unrepresentative snap of Dale fans leaving a game. If we were kicking towards the Sandy Lane in the second half, the majority of younger Dale fans would've been leaving from that end, with the older guys who make up the majority in the picture probably staying put in the Pearl Street end. That's exactly what used to happen after fans changed ends at half time.
The more I think about it, 4 April 1970 seems the best bet. Other years, days of the week, kick-off times conspire to narrow it down to then. Can't be 1972 because of the floodlights.
[Post edited 18 May 2015 13:41]
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 14:11 - May 18 with 2848 views | DaleiLama |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 13:39 - May 18 by D_Alien |
One thing I'd add is this is probably an unrepresentative snap of Dale fans leaving a game. If we were kicking towards the Sandy Lane in the second half, the majority of younger Dale fans would've been leaving from that end, with the older guys who make up the majority in the picture probably staying put in the Pearl Street end. That's exactly what used to happen after fans changed ends at half time.
The more I think about it, 4 April 1970 seems the best bet. Other years, days of the week, kick-off times conspire to narrow it down to then. Can't be 1972 because of the floodlights.
[Post edited 18 May 2015 13:41]
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When I was Googling earlier I found a pic of what are presumably the mark 2 floodlights on a single pole, hence your assertion of it not being 1972 presumably? It included the most amusing comment:
"After a postponement caused by snow, manager Noel Cantwell, in an unfortunate display of condescension, refused to play under Rochdale's candle-lit floodlights".
The Mark 1 version (presumably pictured in the OP), must indeed have been puny. Full article here if anyone wants to jog historical/hysterical memories?
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/coventry-city-vs-r | |
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 14:55 - May 18 with 2557 views | D_Alien |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 14:11 - May 18 by DaleiLama |
When I was Googling earlier I found a pic of what are presumably the mark 2 floodlights on a single pole, hence your assertion of it not being 1972 presumably? It included the most amusing comment:
"After a postponement caused by snow, manager Noel Cantwell, in an unfortunate display of condescension, refused to play under Rochdale's candle-lit floodlights".
The Mark 1 version (presumably pictured in the OP), must indeed have been puny. Full article here if anyone wants to jog historical/hysterical memories?
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/coventry-city-vs-r |
Correct. Also, the game the following season was played on 16 Jan 71 so it'd have been completely dark by the end of the game, ruling that date out. The floodlights eliminate anything later than that.
The last occasion we played them prior to the 1970's was 22 March 1965 which was a Monday (and not Easter Monday). We used to play our midweek home games on Monday's back then, with 7.30pm ko's but a couple of the hairstyles completely rules that out (plus it'd have been pitch black by 9.15pm)
By a process of elimination, 4 April 1970 remains the only possible date. Older folk in Rochdale in those days were still dressing like it was the 1950's (my dad was!) so that fits too.
[Post edited 18 May 2015 15:06]
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 17:17 - May 18 with 2452 views | mingthemerciless |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 14:55 - May 18 by D_Alien |
Correct. Also, the game the following season was played on 16 Jan 71 so it'd have been completely dark by the end of the game, ruling that date out. The floodlights eliminate anything later than that.
The last occasion we played them prior to the 1970's was 22 March 1965 which was a Monday (and not Easter Monday). We used to play our midweek home games on Monday's back then, with 7.30pm ko's but a couple of the hairstyles completely rules that out (plus it'd have been pitch black by 9.15pm)
By a process of elimination, 4 April 1970 remains the only possible date. Older folk in Rochdale in those days were still dressing like it was the 1950's (my dad was!) so that fits too.
[Post edited 18 May 2015 15:06]
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I think you've convinced me. | | | |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 21:24 - May 18 with 2336 views | RegJenkinsBoot |
I tend towards this being a photograph from the 60's given the fashion style (!) and the old floodlights. I too was at the game vs Brighton played on Monday 22nd March 1965 and this was actually the THIRD attempt to get the fixture played after the original game was postponed in early January and the subsequent re-arrangement was also postponed on 1st February. Given that the picture is taken in (murky) daylight, is there a possibility that the picture is of speccies leaving the ground after a late postponement of the original January Saturday game?? |  | | |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 21:29 - May 18 with 2331 views | Frog |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 07:23 - May 18 by PDIDDY |
Tbh it's rochdale so the sheepskin coat could mean that it was yesterday |
First time you've made me smile Didds! |  | | |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 21:31 - May 18 with 2327 views | Frog |
For no scientific reason except the clothes and especially the hair I'd go 60's, then again could be 70/71.
Hope that helps  | | | |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 22:23 - May 18 with 2277 views | TVOS1907 |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 21:24 - May 18 by RegJenkinsBoot |
I tend towards this being a photograph from the 60's given the fashion style (!) and the old floodlights. I too was at the game vs Brighton played on Monday 22nd March 1965 and this was actually the THIRD attempt to get the fixture played after the original game was postponed in early January and the subsequent re-arrangement was also postponed on 1st February. Given that the picture is taken in (murky) daylight, is there a possibility that the picture is of speccies leaving the ground after a late postponement of the original January Saturday game?? |
Hmm, that's an interesting theory.
I'll do a bit of research on those postponements next time I'm at Touchstones. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 23:46 - May 18 with 2228 views | D_Alien |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 22:23 - May 18 by TVOS1907 |
Hmm, that's an interesting theory.
I'll do a bit of research on those postponements next time I'm at Touchstones. |
And I'd be very interested in the results of your research. My first (gut, if you like) reaction was that it wasn't the 1970's but then had to concede that very early 1970 was a possibility since none of the other dates fitted.
RJB's post throws the 1965 date back into the mix.
[Post edited 19 May 2015 0:03]
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 02:45 - May 19 with 2196 views | kiwidale |
A fascinating photo the more you look the more you see... I'm convinced it's 1970 the clothing hair styles etc are 1970 the flat caps out number the trilbys by 8 to 4 which is pretty conclusive, the bloke in the helmet is riding a Moped, my uncle frank had one that was as fast as f*ck... the clincher for me is the bloke to the right wearing a leather jacket was a regular at dale and also a member of the brickcroft he is about 12 to 15 yrs older than me. I was 20 in 1970 and 15 in 1965, there is no way he is less than 30 in the pic.
riddle solved next pic please. | |
| This is not the time for bickering.
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| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 08:40 - May 19 with 2121 views | DaleiLama |
| One for the older fans... (BigKindo?) on 02:45 - May 19 by kiwidale |
A fascinating photo the more you look the more you see... I'm convinced it's 1970 the clothing hair styles etc are 1970 the flat caps out number the trilbys by 8 to 4 which is pretty conclusive, the bloke in the helmet is riding a Moped, my uncle frank had one that was as fast as f*ck... the clincher for me is the bloke to the right wearing a leather jacket was a regular at dale and also a member of the brickcroft he is about 12 to 15 yrs older than me. I was 20 in 1970 and 15 in 1965, there is no way he is less than 30 in the pic.
riddle solved next pic please. |
It can't be long before Sherlock posts on here unless he's too busy tracking down Moriarty?
Or maybe he moved down under and KD = SH?
The flat cap:trilby ratio piqued my curiosity - what's the significance of this? | |
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