The club today confirmed that Keith Hill was to return to Rochdale as replacement for John Coleman.
Even though there was something like eighteen hours between Coleman's dismissal and Hill's appointment, it still managed to be a rollercoaster few hours with Sky Sports doing their best to dampen the enthusiasm for the return of the man considered by many to be Dale's greatest ever manager.
But in the end, the smiles were back as it was announced that a deal had been struck for Keith Hill to be Dale manager until the end of the season. The expectation will be for Hill to return a smile to the faces of Dale supporters' faces after what has felt like a dreadul spell since he left for Barnsley.
It is expected that Hill will work alongside the current coaching staff of Chris Beech and Tony Ellis until the end of the season, when all parties will sit down and assess the situation.