| Half a century! 09:41 - Aug 9 with 11590 views | EllDale |
Was anyone else on here at Spotland on Saturday August 10th 1968?
There isn’t a link to a recording unfortunately but 50 years ago our first promotion campaign started with a 3-2 win over Scunthorpe.
Seven new players in the team, strangely enough they were numbers one to seven on the teamsheet; new kit as well as Dale wore blue shirts, white shorts and white socks with two hoops around the calf. We’d spent weekday evenings during that summer painting the ground blue and white in what would be these days be classed as a rebrand.
Admission was half a crown (12.5p) and a programme 6d (2.5p).
I was 14 at the time and vividly remember standing outside the ground the day before with my newly acquired autograph book.
When training had finished Steve Melledew took my book and made sure that everyone signed it, including Bob Stokoe. I still have the book but don’t know if it’s worth anything or not.
But to me it’s priceless.
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| Half a century! on 09:59 - Aug 9 with 6300 views | BartRowou |
Cheers for that. Appreciate the finer detail.
Some questions.
1. I know there wasn't segregation then but did the Scunny fans congregate together or were they just mixed up with the Dale fans?
2. Can you remember any of the songs sung?
3. What was the previous kit?
4. How did you manage without being blasted on a regular basis by indie music, "run-out" music and someone bellowing ROCHDALE FOOTBALL CLUB at the start of the second half? |  |
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| Half a century! on 10:03 - Aug 9 with 6291 views | pioneer |
I was there.. big Reg 2 penalties (if only Henderson had the same talent from the spot) and Dennis butler the winner. And I was there for the rest of the season....an unforgettable year from just avoiding reelection in May 68 to promotion in May 69. Ive also got an autograph book from that season. Its worth far more to you (and me) than it would bring on e bay..
Treasure it, talk to your kids/ grandkids about it. They were the first after all. | | | |
| Half a century! on 10:07 - Aug 9 with 6282 views | pioneer |
| Half a century! on 09:59 - Aug 9 by BartRowou |
Cheers for that. Appreciate the finer detail.
Some questions.
1. I know there wasn't segregation then but did the Scunny fans congregate together or were they just mixed up with the Dale fans?
2. Can you remember any of the songs sung?
3. What was the previous kit?
4. How did you manage without being blasted on a regular basis by indie music, "run-out" music and someone bellowing ROCHDALE FOOTBALL CLUB at the start of the second half? |
1 Fans used to stand behind the goal the team was shooting at and change ends at half time, usually peacfully except against teams like Halifax and Bradford City
2. I was born under the sandy lane (to the tune of wandering star) If i had the wings of an eagle (to tune of my bonnie) and many more
3. white shirts, black shorts, white socks
4. Very well thank you | | | |
| Half a century! on 10:38 - Aug 9 with 6238 views | D_Alien |
Recall the occasion vividly, strong sunshine and the performance leaving a real air of anticipation, which faded as the autumn went on and Stokoe left but then we came back to finish very strongly
On the day, none of us knew what to expect with the rapidly reassembled team plus Reg who by that stage must've wondered if he'd ever play in a decent Dale side. I expect his grin was as wide as ours as we left the ground |  |
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| Half a century! on 11:40 - Aug 9 with 6153 views | electricblue |
Standing in the area infront of the main stand....
Oh and the hill after you got through the turnstyle up n down lethal those steps.... |  |
| My all time favourite Dale player Mr Lyndon Symmonds |
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| Half a century! on 11:50 - Aug 9 with 6141 views | EllDale |
We used to sing "we all live in a yellow Sandy Lane" to the tune of "Yellow Submarine"
"Sir Billy Rudd
Sir Billy Rudd
Ee aye addio
Sir Billy Rudd"
There was also a song something along the lines of "What is Stevie going to do with a girl like Geraldine" to the tune of "Jesamine" which I presumed was a reference to a girlfriend of Mr Melledews.
Strangely enough I can't remember Reg having a song!
Even in those days there was a tradition of playing towards Pearl Street in the first half and there was an almighty scramble to get round to the Sandy if this didn't happen. | | | |
| Half a century! on 11:57 - Aug 9 with 6128 views | Sheffdale |
Someone else is somewhere else this weekend as my youngest son is getting married. Remember 50 years ago like yesterday! Buy the programme and don't just look at the team sheets! | | | |
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| Half a century! on 19:51 - Aug 9 with 5906 views | mikehunt |
Aye aye aye aye
Jenkins is better than Pele
Charlton is a no good bum
And so is Eusabio
Edit Actually it was Lev Yashin is a no good bum. [Post edited 9 Aug 2018 19:54]
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| The worm of time turns not for the cuckoo of circumstance. |
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| Half a century! on 11:32 - Aug 10 with 5711 views | regjenkins |
Now that was a team... i missed 2 home games that season. |  |
| ' I started out with nothing and i still got most of it left' |
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| Half a century! on 13:01 - Aug 10 with 5643 views | EllDale |
Nice piece on the official site this morning. | | | |
| Half a century! on 13:30 - Aug 10 with 5614 views | D_Alien |
| Half a century! on 13:01 - Aug 10 by EllDale |
Nice piece on the official site this morning. |
Thanks for the heads up on that, and great that it'll be followed up during the season with more anniversary flashbacks
Brilliant squad photo too | |
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| Half a century! on 15:56 - Aug 10 with 5550 views | D_Dale |
| Half a century! on 19:51 - Aug 9 by mikehunt |
Aye aye aye aye
Jenkins is better than Pele
Charlton is a no good bum
And so is Eusabio
Edit Actually it was Lev Yashin is a no good bum. [Post edited 9 Aug 2018 19:54]
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Weren't there two versions:
Aye aye aye aye
Harker is better than Yashin
Jenkins is better than Eusabio
And [that day's opponents]
Are in for a thrashin'
Aye aye aye aye
Butler is better than Pele
Jenkins is better than Eusabio
And Rochdale should be on the telly
I was there, but remember few details. After that win, Dale drew the following six matches, five of them 1-1 with Melledew scoring all five goals. | | | |
| Half a century! on 16:14 - Aug 10 with 5532 views | EllDale |
Yes, Melledew replaced Joe Fletcher after the first couple of games I think.
Previously he had been seen more of an all action midfielder from memory.
Fletcher did get back into the team but lost out again when Terry Melling was signed.
I still marvel about the fact that we started the season with just 15 players, one of whom was reserve goalkeeper Matt Tyrie.
Melling and then Tony Buck were signed later on but that was it as far as personnel were concerned. And Melling left after the arrival of Buck.
A very tight knit bunch of players who stayed remarkably injury free. | | | |
| Half a century! on 19:01 - Aug 10 with 5473 views | mingthemerciless |
Yeah, I was there as well. Nice sunny Saturday afternoon. Was Kevin Keegan playing for Scunthorpe ? I always thought the shorts were a dark navy blue like England and Spurs wore at the time. [Post edited 10 Aug 2018 19:03]
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| Half a century! on 21:55 - Aug 10 with 5405 views | kiwidale |
| Half a century! on 19:51 - Aug 9 by mikehunt |
Aye aye aye aye
Jenkins is better than Pele
Charlton is a no good bum
And so is Eusabio
Edit Actually it was Lev Yashin is a no good bum. [Post edited 9 Aug 2018 19:54]
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I remember it as,
AYE AYE AYEAYE JENKINS IS BETTER THAN PELE
BUTLER IS BETTER THAN EUSABIO
AND HARKER IS BETTER THAN YASHIN
Sommat like that anyroads. | |
| This is not the time for bickering.
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| Half a century! on 22:05 - Aug 10 with 5394 views | TVOS1907 |
| Half a century! on 19:01 - Aug 10 by mingthemerciless |
Yeah, I was there as well. Nice sunny Saturday afternoon. Was Kevin Keegan playing for Scunthorpe ? I always thought the shorts were a dark navy blue like England and Spurs wore at the time. [Post edited 10 Aug 2018 19:03]
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Whose shorts?
Keegan made his Scunthorpe debut a month into that season. He played in the home game against Dale. |  |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Half a century! on 22:12 - Aug 10 with 5385 views | kiwidale |
| Half a century! on 16:14 - Aug 10 by EllDale |
Yes, Melledew replaced Joe Fletcher after the first couple of games I think.
Previously he had been seen more of an all action midfielder from memory.
Fletcher did get back into the team but lost out again when Terry Melling was signed.
I still marvel about the fact that we started the season with just 15 players, one of whom was reserve goalkeeper Matt Tyrie.
Melling and then Tony Buck were signed later on but that was it as far as personnel were concerned. And Melling left after the arrival of Buck.
A very tight knit bunch of players who stayed remarkably injury free. |
A strange signing Melling came in from Mansfield after the season started maybe 12 games in he had an instant impact scored for fun then shipped out quickly mid season to Darlington when Tony Buck came in. It seemed a strange decision at the time but history proves it the right decision. Buck was sensational but just how many Melling would have got in a full season we will never know. Melling was built like a wrestler Jenkins and Melling up front would have been a nightmare for defenders. As an aside I had a chat with Melling in the Bowling Green who told me he was being frozen out by the other players who wanted Jenkins and Mellowdew up front.
Wikipedia has this to say about Terry Melling:
Turning professional with Newcastle United in December 1965. Unable to force his way into Newcastle's first team, he moved on to Third Division club Watford on a free transfer in May 1966, and made his debut in the Football League in the last match of the 1965—66 season, a 1—1 draw away to Scunthorpe United, at the unusually late age of 26.[2] This was the first of several short spells with clubs in the lower divisions of the Football League — nine months with Watford, nine months in the Fourth Division with Newport County, ten months in Division Three with Mansfield Town, six months with Rochdale, where he contributed to their third-place finish and consequent first ever promotion from Division Four, and finally six months with Darlington. He played regularly with each of those clubs,[2] and averaged a goal every three games.[3]
In October 1969, Melling signed for Northern Premier League club Scarborough, and later rejoined Tow Law.
[Post edited 10 Aug 2018 22:22]
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| This is not the time for bickering.
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| Half a century! on 22:16 - Aug 10 with 5382 views | TVOS1907 |
| Half a century! on 22:12 - Aug 10 by kiwidale |
A strange signing Melling came in from Mansfield after the season started maybe 12 games in he had an instant impact scored for fun then shipped out quickly mid season to Darlington when Tony Buck came in. It seemed a strange decision at the time but history proves it the right decision. Buck was sensational but just how many Melling would have got in a full season we will never know. Melling was built like a wrestler Jenkins and Melling up front would have been a nightmare for defenders. As an aside I had a chat with Melling in the Bowling Green who told me he was being frozen out by the other players who wanted Jenkins and Mellowdew up front.
Wikipedia has this to say about Terry Melling:
Turning professional with Newcastle United in December 1965. Unable to force his way into Newcastle's first team, he moved on to Third Division club Watford on a free transfer in May 1966, and made his debut in the Football League in the last match of the 1965—66 season, a 1—1 draw away to Scunthorpe United, at the unusually late age of 26.[2] This was the first of several short spells with clubs in the lower divisions of the Football League — nine months with Watford, nine months in the Fourth Division with Newport County, ten months in Division Three with Mansfield Town, six months with Rochdale, where he contributed to their third-place finish and consequent first ever promotion from Division Four, and finally six months with Darlington. He played regularly with each of those clubs,[2] and averaged a goal every three games.[3]
In October 1969, Melling signed for Northern Premier League club Scarborough, and later rejoined Tow Law.
[Post edited 10 Aug 2018 22:22]
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Mansfield | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Half a century! on 22:25 - Aug 10 with 5367 views | kiwidale |
| Half a century! on 22:16 - Aug 10 by TVOS1907 |
Mansfield |
Cheers I've amended my post... by the way How do you know this stuff? | |
| This is not the time for bickering.
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| Half a century! on 22:29 - Aug 10 with 5363 views | TVOS1907 |
| Half a century! on 22:25 - Aug 10 by kiwidale |
Cheers I've amended my post... by the way How do you know this stuff? |
Research. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Half a century! on 08:24 - Aug 11 with 5276 views | mingthemerciless |
Sorry I somehow convinced myself we were talking about the shorts the team wore previous to that season.
Terry Melling looked like he could have been playing for St Clements but he was pretty effective, a very strong player albeit not the fastest. Tony Buck was a big step up, he was quick and an excellent finisher.
I watched nearly all the home games and a few away matches that season. Without a doubt my favourite Dale side. Some of the football they played was scintillating. Norman Whitehead was worth the admission fee alone. [Post edited 11 Aug 2018 8:30]
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| Half a century! on 08:58 - Aug 11 with 5242 views | Sheffdale |
Keep this going guys but don't steal all my thunder for the match programme articles on the 68/69 season! | | | |
| Half a century! on 09:14 - Aug 11 with 5226 views | pioneer |
Worth remembering we had a pretty dire run up to Xmas and were just above the re election places before going on a long unbeaten run, something like 16 games which ended with a defeat at Chester, 2-0 I think.
By that time we were up in the promotion spots.
I was 12 years old at the time and thought this sort of think happenef on a fairly regular basis. Hard to believe I had two grown up kids the next time it happened. | | | |
| Half a century! on 09:57 - Aug 11 with 5198 views | DiddyDave |
I seem to recall Melling put it about that he couldn`t get on with Len Richley. I also recall a couple of players never played again after getting flogged 7-0 by basically United`s youth team in the Lancashire Cup. A bloke called Costello comes to mind. Back to autograph books,I had a good one too,but can`t remember whatever happened to it. Who went to the Southampton game in 1958/59,the first season of the new Third Division? Dale rock bottom,but we pulled off a memorable 1-0 victory,Saints sporting the England right winger at the time,Terry Paine. Us urchins hung around long after the game ended to get Paine`s and most other signatures on the day from both teams. | | | |
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