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To find out my 7 1/2 year association with AFC Rochdale was coming to an end via social media was a shock to say the least. I only received an email yesterday morning confirming that the offer the club had previously made to extend my contract was being retracted and I was therefore being released. I am not just shocked but unbelievably upset and disappointed to have found this out in this manner. It was always my intention to try and stay at Rochdale and make it to my testimonial year and try and become the all time top scorer of the football club.
I had been in negotiations with the football club, for some time, regarding an extension prior to the covid-19 pandemic but if I am honest the lines of communication were extremely inconsistent to say the least. I was not trying to ask for more money than what the club was offering and we ended up at a stand-off over some minor details. The negotiations became protracted and it became clear I was not being told the full truth. I would have thought with all that I have given to this football club over those 7 1/2 years would have meant I would have been treated with a level of respect, the same level of respect I have always shown them.
Anyway, unfortunately I will now be leaving a football club, so dear to mine and my family’s heart, but not in the way I had dreamed and envisioned it ending.
Finally I would like to thank the incredible supporters who I have always had such a special relationship and affinity with and I hope I have brought some happiness and joy to you throughout my time with the football club. I can leave knowing I left all that I could give out there on the football pitch and with my head held high. I am big enough to take things on the chin and one thing this current pandemic has shown us all is life is too short and precious and therefore I will not hold a grudge. Up the Dale.
Ian Henderson on facebook on 19:29 - Jun 20 by Thacks_Rabbits
Whatever has gone on or happened, he should have been at least released face to face or via a phone call, that’s nothing short of a disgrace, although nothing shocks me with out current board tbh.
On a very different note, Hendo is not stupid and will have known when his contract ended he would be released, you have to as he is no longer an employee, he expected the board to back down, give him the deal he wanted, he played chicken and lost!
The club will be financially strapped for cash and maybe this is all they could offer, it does pain me to say that Hendo taking to Facebook is like the petulant, lash out at a defender, get sent off Hendo we used to see. He has got better recently, but the speed of taking to social media to me strikes of a teenager who can’t go out because he did not mow the lawn!
Another option is that we have freed up say £20k a week in wages, BBM was told due to past over spending he would only have a budget of 12k a week to form next years squad and did he want a third of that being on Hendo? He may have said no.
Henderson had lots of time to sign a deal and chose not to, had he really wanted to stay he could have said pre Xmas 2.5 year deal, testimonial at end and we take things from there, he did not, his agents wanted more and covid has buggered it up.
His statement will probably be factually correct, but it’s the vague bits he missed out on that give him away. Minor details, well maybe not to the club.
He will get a decent deal, get paid well elsewhere, probably regret his actions but resent the club as he will feel wronged.
Ultimately he should have been informed properly, or does DB only do face to face on stag do’s?
What better way, especially in the current situation, than social media to put his point across?
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Ian Henderson on facebook on 19:44 - Jun 20 with 2309 views
He'll be back in four years and make his second-coming debut against Hereford on a Tuesday night in torrential rain. Whether he scores or not depends on who you believe.
It’s just sad and, if true, isn’t very classy by the club. Every so often you get a ‘fit’. A player and a club come together and for whatever reason just complement each other and bring out the best in each other. For a team like Dale these ‘fits’ don’t come often because any player with ability and ambition will understandably want to play as higher up the ladder as they can and have some of the financial rewards that brings. The stars were, however, aligned just right with Hendo though. He needed a home and we needed a hero. He was good, really really good. Humble Dale could go toe to toe with anyone when you had Hendo, even the likes of Leeds or Tottenham. His consistency was unbelievable. Normally we’re bemoaning that they want to go. Just feels tragic that he wants to say. Anyway, enough of being all maudlin, nobody is bigger than the club and its continuation.
Ian Henderson on facebook on 19:46 - Jun 20 by BigDaveMyCock
It’s just sad and, if true, isn’t very classy by the club. Every so often you get a ‘fit’. A player and a club come together and for whatever reason just complement each other and bring out the best in each other. For a team like Dale these ‘fits’ don’t come often because any player with ability and ambition will understandably want to play as higher up the ladder as they can and have some of the financial rewards that brings. The stars were, however, aligned just right with Hendo though. He needed a home and we needed a hero. He was good, really really good. Humble Dale could go toe to toe with anyone when you had Hendo, even the likes of Leeds or Tottenham. His consistency was unbelievable. Normally we’re bemoaning that they want to go. Just feels tragic that he wants to say. Anyway, enough of being all maudlin, nobody is bigger than the club and its continuation.
[Post edited 20 Jun 2020 19:58]
Nobody is bigger than the club.
Our CEO would do well to remember this.
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Ian Henderson on facebook on 19:55 - Jun 20 with 2271 views
Ian Henderson on facebook on 17:40 - Jun 20 by Daley_Lama
To find out my 7 1/2 year association with AFC Rochdale was coming to an end via social media was a shock to say the least. I only received an email yesterday morning confirming that the offer the club had previously made to extend my contract was being retracted and I was therefore being released
Clownshoes of a club.
Farewell Hendo, legend status guaranteed, sounds like you wanted to see out your career here, shame that aint going to happen.
Why if they sent him an email did he not find out he'd been released until he saw it on Facebook? Did he not read the email? Still a pretty shoddy way to release someone but it sounds like the club at least tried to make contact with him.
Apologies if I'm getting the wrong end of the stick, the whole affair seems like a bit of a mess.
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Ian Henderson on facebook on 19:57 - Jun 20 with 2264 views
Ian Henderson on facebook on 19:55 - Jun 20 by richfoad32
Why if they sent him an email did he not find out he'd been released until he saw it on Facebook? Did he not read the email? Still a pretty shoddy way to release someone but it sounds like the club at least tried to make contact with him.
Apologies if I'm getting the wrong end of the stick, the whole affair seems like a bit of a mess.
Appears the email was seen after he'd read the social media report.
Ian Henderson on facebook on 19:44 - Jun 20 by BartRowou
He'll be back in four years and make his second-coming debut against Hereford on a Tuesday night in torrential rain. Whether he scores or not depends on who you believe.
I think I would be a backer rather than a layer at 10/1 for Hendo to still end up being our all time top scorer. He could have 6 years left in football and I can easily see him coming back for at least a cameo role a la Grant Holt. The bridge building might make Brunel envious. But may be not. The board is in a state of flux and I can see numerous faces change before Hendo retires. Plus I still believe he wants that record. In modern times when, players move so often, it is an amazing achievement to be a clubs all time top scorer. Come on Ian lad you know you want it.
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Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:08 - Jun 20 with 2204 views
Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:08 - Jun 20 by Thacks_Rabbits
Did neither he nor any of his colleagues read the Minney tweet and let him know?
Classless on both sides tbh!
You'd have to ask him but he is clear in his statement that he found out first from social media and this news was confirmed in a club email yesterday.
Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:08 - Jun 20 by jonahwhereru
I think I would be a backer rather than a layer at 10/1 for Hendo to still end up being our all time top scorer. He could have 6 years left in football and I can easily see him coming back for at least a cameo role a la Grant Holt. The bridge building might make Brunel envious. But may be not. The board is in a state of flux and I can see numerous faces change before Hendo retires. Plus I still believe he wants that record. In modern times when, players move so often, it is an amazing achievement to be a clubs all time top scorer. Come on Ian lad you know you want it.
Backer or layer? Can I just enjoy the scene and music? I’ll do cuddles, that’s it though.
Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:12 - Jun 20 by judd
You'd have to ask him but he is clear in his statement that he found out first from social media and this news was confirmed in a club email yesterday.
Every player released should have had the courtesy of a phone call or face to face meeting.
The board don’t help themselves at all but I don’t think they are the only ones in the wrong.
Every Team Needs A John Ryan - The Winger Who's a Ringer!!!!!
Ian Henderson on facebook on 17:27 - Jun 20 by James1980
A simple, we are sorry that the clubs second highest scorer of all time, club captain and talisman has been treated so shoddily, would be a start.
We have form for this James and we also have form for fans making light of it. A 20 goal a season forward in L1 is gold dust and keeps us in that league, it’s probably worth about 700K when compared to being relegated to L2. Henderson stipulated he wasn’t asking for more money, we’ve generated a Kings ransom over the last 12 months or so in extra revenue but we just decide to let him leave the Club..only at Rochdale would that happen and only at Rochdale would we have fans who would usher him out of the Club and think it’s ok.
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Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:25 - Jun 20 with 2096 views
Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:12 - Jun 20 by judd
You'd have to ask him but he is clear in his statement that he found out first from social media and this news was confirmed in a club email yesterday.
Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:12 - Jun 20 by judd
You'd have to ask him but he is clear in his statement that he found out first from social media and this news was confirmed in a club email yesterday.
If the club left the offer open until the day they released their retained list and Hendo didn't sign by that day what more could they do? By definition he has to be released.
There's also potential here that Hendo's agent released the info to Minay in order to force the clubs hand at the final hour.
Hendo is a skilled user of social media and has built a lucrative second career off that and is aware of how to present himself to the world.
His agent doing that with Minay would give him plausible deniability enough to put this statement out.
Just a thought.
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Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:28 - Jun 20 with 2069 views
Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:25 - Jun 20 by VivaDonaldo
If the club left the offer open until the day they released their retained list and Hendo didn't sign by that day what more could they do? By definition he has to be released.
There's also potential here that Hendo's agent released the info to Minay in order to force the clubs hand at the final hour.
Hendo is a skilled user of social media and has built a lucrative second career off that and is aware of how to present himself to the world.
His agent doing that with Minay would give him plausible deniability enough to put this statement out.
Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:20 - Jun 20 by TalkingSutty
We have form for this James and we also have form for fans making light of it. A 20 goal a season forward in L1 is gold dust and keeps us in that league, it’s probably worth about 700K when compared to being relegated to L2. Henderson stipulated he wasn’t asking for more money, we’ve generated a Kings ransom over the last 12 months or so in extra revenue but we just decide to let him leave the Club..only at Rochdale would that happen and only at Rochdale would we have fans who would usher him out of the Club and think it’s ok.
We have always done it as you say TS.
You will remember Steve Taylor, Peter Ward, Peter Costello, Steve Whitehall, Joe Cooke, the lad who went to Scotland for next to nothing (can’t remember his name, Frank Gamble?) all sold it let go for next to nothing or a free. It’s always happened.
Players are like loyal old boxer here, off to a better life when we don’t need you. But every story does have 2 sides!
Every Team Needs A John Ryan - The Winger Who's a Ringer!!!!!
Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:20 - Jun 20 by TalkingSutty
We have form for this James and we also have form for fans making light of it. A 20 goal a season forward in L1 is gold dust and keeps us in that league, it’s probably worth about 700K when compared to being relegated to L2. Henderson stipulated he wasn’t asking for more money, we’ve generated a Kings ransom over the last 12 months or so in extra revenue but we just decide to let him leave the Club..only at Rochdale would that happen and only at Rochdale would we have fans who would usher him out of the Club and think it’s ok.
I'm not sure anyone is particularly happy about it or thinks it's ok. Just some are trying to be pragmatic and look to the future. He's gone and what can we do about it? Short of voting with our feet of course.
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Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:45 - Jun 20 with 1978 views
There definitely needs to be some establishing of what the situation is. When the released list was made public yesterday, it made sense to many that for economic reasons everyone out of contract were released because we really do not have any certainties around when the season will start again and it what form.
However, we also needed to know what the manager’s thoughts and plans were around those players should the time come when we are looking to start to build a squad again - ie. whether he would re-sign any and that this had been discussed with the players already. MJW for example, he may not be the most popular player, but BBM spoke highly of him at the cricket club Q&A and anybody who heard that would not have expected him to be on the released list pre-Covid19.
This would then have cleared up any misunderstandings around Henderson and avoided the current situation. If the manager understands why the club can financially offer X amount for X years to any player and believes that in the current climate that situation has changed then we would appreciate that.
The road ahead will be a very bumpy one, financially all clubs will have to cut back and players will need to get on board with that too. We will not be the only ones releasing players they’d normally keep. That said, there still needs to be clarity across the game for the benefit of everyone.
Ian Henderson on facebook on 19:57 - Jun 20 by judd
Appears the email was seen after he'd read the social media report.
If the club didn't have the decency to speak directly to Ian, and go and tell him he's released via social media, it's fair do's in my book to reply using social media. A few thoughtful words from Hendo and, through no fault of his, it's another PR disaster for RAFC as the powers that be, yet again, seem so out of touch with the fan base and workforce. Their poor decision making has created another PR balls up.
One man is never bigger than the club. Not Hendo, Keith Hill, not anyone. Not even Mr "nobody has done more than me" in his statement the other week. But Ian Henderson has done more than anybody to ensure Rochdale's current run in league one. He has been invaluable. To lose such an important player in this way, rather than through the inevitability of age, is very poor indeed from the boardroom. To be replaced by whom? And you wonder why supporters are angry and talking about not renewing season tickets?
We last heard from "the invisible man" on 1st May 2020. He said "I am in regular, daily contact with the staff and other Directors, am fully supportive of their efforts and have full confidence in their ability to keep you all regularly updated with any day to day developments". Those updates seemingly don't include reasonable communication with our second highest goalscorer ever.
Decisions like this, the attitude towards potential investors, the ridiculous catering price increases at the start of the season and the Goldbond agents fiasco etc etc look more like the actions of a cabal than a responsible boardroom. An excellent presentation at a Fans Forum is not masking some questionable decision making. Show some class and try and renegotiate with Hendo now. It is in the best interests of the club all round. If he's got a deal he deserves elsewhere, our loss, our fault. Sure we all wish him well.
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Ian Henderson on facebook on 21:22 - Jun 20 with 1831 views
Does anyone on here know how players are usually informed whether or not they will be released? If I was a player, I would be expecting either a phone call or checking my email. Does anyone know when the email that Hendo got, was actually sent. Was it sent before the Club’s official social media postings?
Does anyone on here know how players are usually informed whether or not they will be released? If I was a player, I would be expecting either a phone call or checking my email. Does anyone know when the email that Hendo got, was actually sent. Was it sent before the Club’s official social media postings?
In previous years players went into the club for one on one's with the manager.
Ian Henderson on facebook on 20:25 - Jun 20 by VivaDonaldo
If the club left the offer open until the day they released their retained list and Hendo didn't sign by that day what more could they do? By definition he has to be released.
There's also potential here that Hendo's agent released the info to Minay in order to force the clubs hand at the final hour.
Hendo is a skilled user of social media and has built a lucrative second career off that and is aware of how to present himself to the world.
His agent doing that with Minay would give him plausible deniability enough to put this statement out.
Just a thought.
It's not a case of Henderson running out of time to sign the deal, that would never happen. He'd probably be put on a rolling contract and then either of the parties would make the decision to cancel the contract. He'd be well aware of the deadline anyway.
A few players had offers but they'd likely not been given the chance to sign the deals with the club delaying them due to the current situation and then taking the offers away.
Hendos not the only one. Camps, MJ and Alby were also negotiating but told they were off yesterday.
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Ian Henderson on facebook on 21:35 - Jun 20 with 1783 views
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