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Hi all, just had a message off Mrs KW via instagram, she has just seen my post on there from a few months back regarding his battle with cancer which shows the picture of me and him which is my avatar on here.
She has just informed me that they are about to start battle no 3. She has mentioned that they, as a family, have very fond memories of their time at Rochdale, and to quote 'Rochdale were the best years of our footballing years. Never felt the same about any other club.'
I have directed Mrs KW (Deborah) to this message board, so if anyone feels inclined to offer their support, maybe this thread could be a good start...
Very good memories of Keith and the assured debut that he made for Dale in a midweek cup match. He was excellent from that moment onwards for the rest of his Dale career and very rarely, if ever, let us down.
I sponsored him for a season and had the great pleasure of meeting him personally several times. Along with many others, I was sad to see him leave Spotland, but it was inevitable that he did.
I read the reports that he was fighting cancer and I am very sorry that yet another family have been blighted with this dreadful disease.
I wish Keith and his family the very best and I would hope that we might see him again at Spotland some time in the future.
Kick it's arse Keith. We're all fighting with you. Good luck. Look at Joey T for some inspiration.
Up the Dale......
“It is easier to fool people, than to convince them that they have been fooledâ€
I always thought it was Steve Whitehall in your avatar!
I started watching football when Welchy took over from Redfearn in net and to this day I maintain he is the best Dale keeper in my time supporting the club. That night at home to Stockport he was immense, especially in the last ten minutes when they were firing crosses in from both sides and he just calmly collected them all.
Good luck Keith, my all time favourite goalie and a hero to so many Dale fans.
Keith Welch is a massive reason why this club exists today. A teenage keeper thrown into the midst of a relegation battle who not only did a job, but produced displays that made you realise we had a special talent on our hands.
I always thought it was Steve Whitehall in your avatar!
I started watching football when Welchy took over from Redfearn in net and to this day I maintain he is the best Dale keeper in my time supporting the club. That night at home to Stockport he was immense, especially in the last ten minutes when they were firing crosses in from both sides and he just calmly collected them all.
Good luck Keith, my all time favourite goalie and a hero to so many Dale fans.
He had everything as a keeper... collecting crosses, shot stopping, one on ones, distribution, and he was very vocal, completely commanded his area. He even had this knack of wasting time by juggling the ball between his hands whilst the ball was one the floor to entice the striker in only for him to then gather the ball safely, keepers are no longer allowed to do this.
We've had some decent keepers, but none so good as Keith Welch, certainly none that we 'owned'.
Keith was one of my all-time favourite players in the forty-odd years I've watched Rochdale. I understand what a difficult time this is for you and your family and sincerely hope for a positive outcome in your battle
Keith Welch, truly a Dale legend and a great goalkeeper. Many fond memories from his spell with Dale. As stated before look at Joey T for inspiration to fight this horrendous disease. I wish you and your family all the very best in your fight to overcome this illness.
Interview with Keith Welch from Bristol City TVOS, August 2014:
Teenage goalkeepers turning out for Rochdale against Chesterfield is nothing new.
While Johny Diba’s impromptu introduction at the Proact Stadium last Saturday was a result of Josh Lillis being injured mid-match, another Dale teenager had a bit more notice that he would be thrown into senior action against The Spireites.
Keith Welch had played for the club’s youth and reserve sides and watched the first team from the stand in the early stages of the 1986/87 season.
There were no substitute goalkeepers back in those days, so his only hope was an injury or suspension to regular Number One, Dave Redfern.
That time came in late-January when Redfern was injured during Dale’s 5-0 thrashing at champions-elect Northampton Town.
“That’s right, Dave shattered his thumb,” Keith told The Voice of Spotland earlier this week. “I think the manager, Eddie Gray, tried to get someone in on loan, but he had no luck and turned to me.”
Welch was only three months past his 18th birthday when he was thrown-in at the deep end for a Freight Rover Trophy tie at home to Chesterfield.
Dale had progressed from a group that also included Darlington and York, but their league form was so poor that progressing past the Third Division Spireites seemed highly unlikely.
“I think we won 3-0,” said Keith. “And it was a bit of shock because they (Chesterfield) were a division above us.”
The young ‘keeper was well-protected by experienced defenders like John Bramhall, but played his own part in keeping a clean sheet.
In fact, he must have wondered why Dale had been so poor defensively up to that point as he kept clean sheets in his next two games as well, both ending in goalless draws at home to Orient in the league and Middlesbrough in the next round of the Freight Rover Trophy.
Dale lost that tie in a penalty shoot-out, but Keith remembers pushing a spot-kick from Gary Parkinson onto the post.
His form was so impressive that Keith quickly established himself as Dale’s first choice goalkeeper, with his debut starting a run of 213 consecutive appearances.
Those games included Dale’s record-breaking run to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 1989/90, when defeats of Marine, Lincoln, Whitley Bay and Northampton led to a tie against Crystal Palace.
Keith’s performance at Selhurst Park was magnificent and earned him maximum marks in some Sunday papers, but unfortunately it was all in vain.
“I remember I had one of those games,” said Keith. “I was only 21 at the time and being so young I just went out to enjoy the occasion. We only lost 1-0 and I think Peter Ward had a good chance in the last minute, but his shot was saved by Nigel Martyn.
“It would have been great to get them back to Spotland, but it wasn’t to be and I certainly don’t blame Wardy for the miss.”
Keith’s run of consecutive appearances for Rochdale ended in December 1990 when he missed a Leyland DAF Cup tie at home to Carlisle, while just after Christmas he was sent-off in a loss at Hereford and missed three games through suspension.
He returned for the rest of the campaign and by May 1991 had made 239 appearances for the club in all competitions, but his career was about to take a different turn.
“The club needed money and interest was being shown in me,” Keith told us. “Terry Dolan had left Rochdale for a Hull a few months earlier and they were one of the clubs who wanted me.
“The other club to make a definite offer was Bristol City, whose manager, Jimmy Lumsden, had been Eddie Gray’s assistant at Rochdale.
“In the end I went for Bristol simply because they were playing in a higher division than Hull. It certainly wasn’t for financial reasons as the difference in money was pennies.”
Keith was aged 22 at the time and signing for Bristol City meant leaving his Bolton roots for the South-West.
“It was hard to move away from my family, but it was something I needed to do for my career. I’d also just got married to Deborah, so it meant her having to move with me.
“We lived in a bed and breakfast in Weston-Super-Mare for the first few months and I always tell her that was our honeymoon!”
Keith spent eight years at Ashton Gate and was Bristol City’s first-choice goalkeeper for the majority of that time, clocking-up over 320 appearances for The Robins.
Having spent the majority of his Dale career injury-free, he recalls that a few knocks saw him miss games for City and can sympathise with what happened to Josh Lillis at Chesterfield last week.
“I was taken off in quite a few games,” he said. “I was once stretchered-off in a match at Peterborough after breaking the vertebrae in my lower back and, ironically, I was injured when City played at Chesterfield a few years later.
“I moved to Northampton in the summer of 1999 and I was taken-off in a game for them against Wrexham when Lee Trundle went in with a two-footed challenge.
“I also went off with a dislocated shoulder when I played briefly for Tranmere. No wonder they gave me squad number 13!”
Keith’s transfer to Northampton from Bristol City saw him make his only appearance back at Spotland since leaving Dale in 1991.
The Cobblers were Dale’s visitors on Easter Monday 2000 and cruised to a 3-0 win on their way to promotion.
“That’s the only time I’ve played at Spotland for another club,” he recalled. “And it’s the only time I’ve actually been back to the ground since I left!”
Keith did play against Dale for Torquay at Plainmoor in November 2002 and his excellent memory for moments in his career saw him recall the game finished 2-2 after Dale had been in front.
“I think you had someone sent-off too,” he said, although Gareth Griffiths’ name had escaped him.
“It was actually a change for Rochdale to get a result at Torquay, because we always seemed to lose there when I played for them,” he added. “I think I let five in there once!”
He was right as a check of records showed Dale lost 5-0 at Plainmoor in September 1987, although he wasn’t aware that we had suffered the same fate in a more important Torquay encounter in recent years!
Keith retired from the game at the end of the 2002/03 season when he was with Mansfield and admits that while he watches plenty of football on television, he hasn’t attended a live game in years.
He lives in the Clevedon area of Bristol with Deborah and works in the property industry, buying properties to renovate, modernise and sell-on.
“We do quite well and I enjoy the job,” he said. “Although it’s not a big empire by any means.”
He also has three children aged 20, 18 and six and told us something to make Dale fans who were youngsters themselves when watching him feel very old indeed. Keith is now a granddad!
Although he won’t be at Spotland for today’s game, Keith says he might pop along to Ashton Gate in February. I’m sure everyone who saw him represent both Rochdale and Bristol City with such distinction would love to see him there.
When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf?
Interview with Keith Welch from Bristol City TVOS, August 2014:
Teenage goalkeepers turning out for Rochdale against Chesterfield is nothing new.
While Johny Diba’s impromptu introduction at the Proact Stadium last Saturday was a result of Josh Lillis being injured mid-match, another Dale teenager had a bit more notice that he would be thrown into senior action against The Spireites.
Keith Welch had played for the club’s youth and reserve sides and watched the first team from the stand in the early stages of the 1986/87 season.
There were no substitute goalkeepers back in those days, so his only hope was an injury or suspension to regular Number One, Dave Redfern.
That time came in late-January when Redfern was injured during Dale’s 5-0 thrashing at champions-elect Northampton Town.
“That’s right, Dave shattered his thumb,” Keith told The Voice of Spotland earlier this week. “I think the manager, Eddie Gray, tried to get someone in on loan, but he had no luck and turned to me.”
Welch was only three months past his 18th birthday when he was thrown-in at the deep end for a Freight Rover Trophy tie at home to Chesterfield.
Dale had progressed from a group that also included Darlington and York, but their league form was so poor that progressing past the Third Division Spireites seemed highly unlikely.
“I think we won 3-0,” said Keith. “And it was a bit of shock because they (Chesterfield) were a division above us.”
The young ‘keeper was well-protected by experienced defenders like John Bramhall, but played his own part in keeping a clean sheet.
In fact, he must have wondered why Dale had been so poor defensively up to that point as he kept clean sheets in his next two games as well, both ending in goalless draws at home to Orient in the league and Middlesbrough in the next round of the Freight Rover Trophy.
Dale lost that tie in a penalty shoot-out, but Keith remembers pushing a spot-kick from Gary Parkinson onto the post.
His form was so impressive that Keith quickly established himself as Dale’s first choice goalkeeper, with his debut starting a run of 213 consecutive appearances.
Those games included Dale’s record-breaking run to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 1989/90, when defeats of Marine, Lincoln, Whitley Bay and Northampton led to a tie against Crystal Palace.
Keith’s performance at Selhurst Park was magnificent and earned him maximum marks in some Sunday papers, but unfortunately it was all in vain.
“I remember I had one of those games,” said Keith. “I was only 21 at the time and being so young I just went out to enjoy the occasion. We only lost 1-0 and I think Peter Ward had a good chance in the last minute, but his shot was saved by Nigel Martyn.
“It would have been great to get them back to Spotland, but it wasn’t to be and I certainly don’t blame Wardy for the miss.”
Keith’s run of consecutive appearances for Rochdale ended in December 1990 when he missed a Leyland DAF Cup tie at home to Carlisle, while just after Christmas he was sent-off in a loss at Hereford and missed three games through suspension.
He returned for the rest of the campaign and by May 1991 had made 239 appearances for the club in all competitions, but his career was about to take a different turn.
“The club needed money and interest was being shown in me,” Keith told us. “Terry Dolan had left Rochdale for a Hull a few months earlier and they were one of the clubs who wanted me.
“The other club to make a definite offer was Bristol City, whose manager, Jimmy Lumsden, had been Eddie Gray’s assistant at Rochdale.
“In the end I went for Bristol simply because they were playing in a higher division than Hull. It certainly wasn’t for financial reasons as the difference in money was pennies.”
Keith was aged 22 at the time and signing for Bristol City meant leaving his Bolton roots for the South-West.
“It was hard to move away from my family, but it was something I needed to do for my career. I’d also just got married to Deborah, so it meant her having to move with me.
“We lived in a bed and breakfast in Weston-Super-Mare for the first few months and I always tell her that was our honeymoon!”
Keith spent eight years at Ashton Gate and was Bristol City’s first-choice goalkeeper for the majority of that time, clocking-up over 320 appearances for The Robins.
Having spent the majority of his Dale career injury-free, he recalls that a few knocks saw him miss games for City and can sympathise with what happened to Josh Lillis at Chesterfield last week.
“I was taken off in quite a few games,” he said. “I was once stretchered-off in a match at Peterborough after breaking the vertebrae in my lower back and, ironically, I was injured when City played at Chesterfield a few years later.
“I moved to Northampton in the summer of 1999 and I was taken-off in a game for them against Wrexham when Lee Trundle went in with a two-footed challenge.
“I also went off with a dislocated shoulder when I played briefly for Tranmere. No wonder they gave me squad number 13!”
Keith’s transfer to Northampton from Bristol City saw him make his only appearance back at Spotland since leaving Dale in 1991.
The Cobblers were Dale’s visitors on Easter Monday 2000 and cruised to a 3-0 win on their way to promotion.
“That’s the only time I’ve played at Spotland for another club,” he recalled. “And it’s the only time I’ve actually been back to the ground since I left!”
Keith did play against Dale for Torquay at Plainmoor in November 2002 and his excellent memory for moments in his career saw him recall the game finished 2-2 after Dale had been in front.
“I think you had someone sent-off too,” he said, although Gareth Griffiths’ name had escaped him.
“It was actually a change for Rochdale to get a result at Torquay, because we always seemed to lose there when I played for them,” he added. “I think I let five in there once!”
He was right as a check of records showed Dale lost 5-0 at Plainmoor in September 1987, although he wasn’t aware that we had suffered the same fate in a more important Torquay encounter in recent years!
Keith retired from the game at the end of the 2002/03 season when he was with Mansfield and admits that while he watches plenty of football on television, he hasn’t attended a live game in years.
He lives in the Clevedon area of Bristol with Deborah and works in the property industry, buying properties to renovate, modernise and sell-on.
“We do quite well and I enjoy the job,” he said. “Although it’s not a big empire by any means.”
He also has three children aged 20, 18 and six and told us something to make Dale fans who were youngsters themselves when watching him feel very old indeed. Keith is now a granddad!
Although he won’t be at Spotland for today’s game, Keith says he might pop along to Ashton Gate in February. I’m sure everyone who saw him represent both Rochdale and Bristol City with such distinction would love to see him there.
An interesting walk down Memory Lane.
It seems a long time since Keith Welch was doing such a great job for Dale, but maybe because he was so young then it's a surprise to realise he's still in his 40s, and stricken by serious illness. All good wishes for a full recovery.
Keith Welch, what a player for the Dale, when I think back to old Dale players Keith always comes to mind. If memory serves me right , I either saw, read or heard when Keith was let go by Bolton he wrote to a number of clubs for a trial, and Dale were the only club who replied. So somebody behind the scenes got something right. Hope for the best in his fight against his illness.
Just so you are all aware, Keith and his wife (of a long time!), Deborah, are aware of this thread. They are touched by comments given. If Shaun Reid is being offered a day out, is there any way that the trust could offer the same to Keith? He may not be in a position to accept such an offer at the minute, however, he may be.... Col, trust et al, is this something you could arrange maybe??? Just me thinking out loud.... one thing we've always done as a club is respect our legends, KW is def up there with the best!!
Just so you are all aware, Keith and his wife (of a long time!), Deborah, are aware of this thread. They are touched by comments given. If Shaun Reid is being offered a day out, is there any way that the trust could offer the same to Keith? He may not be in a position to accept such an offer at the minute, however, he may be.... Col, trust et al, is this something you could arrange maybe??? Just me thinking out loud.... one thing we've always done as a club is respect our legends, KW is def up there with the best!!
Marvellous idea, rochedale.
When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf?
Cheers TVOS, anyone care to progress? I don't have the power but I'm quite sure many on here do...?
I will leave it up to the trust but will be happy to offer any connections etc...
I believe Keith has recently completed Tough Mudder whilst in the midst of fighting the dreaded C, let's offer our support for a dale legend, it's the least we can do...
Cheers TVOS, anyone care to progress? I don't have the power but I'm quite sure many on here do...?
I will leave it up to the trust but will be happy to offer any connections etc...
I believe Keith has recently completed Tough Mudder whilst in the midst of fighting the dreaded C, let's offer our support for a dale legend, it's the least we can do...
I'm sure Col will know the protocol to follow and be in touch.
When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf?
Interview with Keith Welch from Bristol City TVOS, August 2014:
Teenage goalkeepers turning out for Rochdale against Chesterfield is nothing new.
While Johny Diba’s impromptu introduction at the Proact Stadium last Saturday was a result of Josh Lillis being injured mid-match, another Dale teenager had a bit more notice that he would be thrown into senior action against The Spireites.
Keith Welch had played for the club’s youth and reserve sides and watched the first team from the stand in the early stages of the 1986/87 season.
There were no substitute goalkeepers back in those days, so his only hope was an injury or suspension to regular Number One, Dave Redfern.
That time came in late-January when Redfern was injured during Dale’s 5-0 thrashing at champions-elect Northampton Town.
“That’s right, Dave shattered his thumb,” Keith told The Voice of Spotland earlier this week. “I think the manager, Eddie Gray, tried to get someone in on loan, but he had no luck and turned to me.”
Welch was only three months past his 18th birthday when he was thrown-in at the deep end for a Freight Rover Trophy tie at home to Chesterfield.
Dale had progressed from a group that also included Darlington and York, but their league form was so poor that progressing past the Third Division Spireites seemed highly unlikely.
“I think we won 3-0,” said Keith. “And it was a bit of shock because they (Chesterfield) were a division above us.”
The young ‘keeper was well-protected by experienced defenders like John Bramhall, but played his own part in keeping a clean sheet.
In fact, he must have wondered why Dale had been so poor defensively up to that point as he kept clean sheets in his next two games as well, both ending in goalless draws at home to Orient in the league and Middlesbrough in the next round of the Freight Rover Trophy.
Dale lost that tie in a penalty shoot-out, but Keith remembers pushing a spot-kick from Gary Parkinson onto the post.
His form was so impressive that Keith quickly established himself as Dale’s first choice goalkeeper, with his debut starting a run of 213 consecutive appearances.
Those games included Dale’s record-breaking run to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 1989/90, when defeats of Marine, Lincoln, Whitley Bay and Northampton led to a tie against Crystal Palace.
Keith’s performance at Selhurst Park was magnificent and earned him maximum marks in some Sunday papers, but unfortunately it was all in vain.
“I remember I had one of those games,” said Keith. “I was only 21 at the time and being so young I just went out to enjoy the occasion. We only lost 1-0 and I think Peter Ward had a good chance in the last minute, but his shot was saved by Nigel Martyn.
“It would have been great to get them back to Spotland, but it wasn’t to be and I certainly don’t blame Wardy for the miss.”
Keith’s run of consecutive appearances for Rochdale ended in December 1990 when he missed a Leyland DAF Cup tie at home to Carlisle, while just after Christmas he was sent-off in a loss at Hereford and missed three games through suspension.
He returned for the rest of the campaign and by May 1991 had made 239 appearances for the club in all competitions, but his career was about to take a different turn.
“The club needed money and interest was being shown in me,” Keith told us. “Terry Dolan had left Rochdale for a Hull a few months earlier and they were one of the clubs who wanted me.
“The other club to make a definite offer was Bristol City, whose manager, Jimmy Lumsden, had been Eddie Gray’s assistant at Rochdale.
“In the end I went for Bristol simply because they were playing in a higher division than Hull. It certainly wasn’t for financial reasons as the difference in money was pennies.”
Keith was aged 22 at the time and signing for Bristol City meant leaving his Bolton roots for the South-West.
“It was hard to move away from my family, but it was something I needed to do for my career. I’d also just got married to Deborah, so it meant her having to move with me.
“We lived in a bed and breakfast in Weston-Super-Mare for the first few months and I always tell her that was our honeymoon!”
Keith spent eight years at Ashton Gate and was Bristol City’s first-choice goalkeeper for the majority of that time, clocking-up over 320 appearances for The Robins.
Having spent the majority of his Dale career injury-free, he recalls that a few knocks saw him miss games for City and can sympathise with what happened to Josh Lillis at Chesterfield last week.
“I was taken off in quite a few games,” he said. “I was once stretchered-off in a match at Peterborough after breaking the vertebrae in my lower back and, ironically, I was injured when City played at Chesterfield a few years later.
“I moved to Northampton in the summer of 1999 and I was taken-off in a game for them against Wrexham when Lee Trundle went in with a two-footed challenge.
“I also went off with a dislocated shoulder when I played briefly for Tranmere. No wonder they gave me squad number 13!”
Keith’s transfer to Northampton from Bristol City saw him make his only appearance back at Spotland since leaving Dale in 1991.
The Cobblers were Dale’s visitors on Easter Monday 2000 and cruised to a 3-0 win on their way to promotion.
“That’s the only time I’ve played at Spotland for another club,” he recalled. “And it’s the only time I’ve actually been back to the ground since I left!”
Keith did play against Dale for Torquay at Plainmoor in November 2002 and his excellent memory for moments in his career saw him recall the game finished 2-2 after Dale had been in front.
“I think you had someone sent-off too,” he said, although Gareth Griffiths’ name had escaped him.
“It was actually a change for Rochdale to get a result at Torquay, because we always seemed to lose there when I played for them,” he added. “I think I let five in there once!”
He was right as a check of records showed Dale lost 5-0 at Plainmoor in September 1987, although he wasn’t aware that we had suffered the same fate in a more important Torquay encounter in recent years!
Keith retired from the game at the end of the 2002/03 season when he was with Mansfield and admits that while he watches plenty of football on television, he hasn’t attended a live game in years.
He lives in the Clevedon area of Bristol with Deborah and works in the property industry, buying properties to renovate, modernise and sell-on.
“We do quite well and I enjoy the job,” he said. “Although it’s not a big empire by any means.”
He also has three children aged 20, 18 and six and told us something to make Dale fans who were youngsters themselves when watching him feel very old indeed. Keith is now a granddad!
Although he won’t be at Spotland for today’s game, Keith says he might pop along to Ashton Gate in February. I’m sure everyone who saw him represent both Rochdale and Bristol City with such distinction would love to see him there.
Crystal Palace away, the finest goalkeeping performance i've seen by anybody wearing a Dale shirt, KW was magnificent that day. Always looked calm and assured and a player every Dale fan still speaks very highly of. Sad to see him ill and i hope he can battle through it to calmer waters.
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