ROCHDALE 27.8.11

HOW TO GET THERE

CAR
Exit the M62 at Junction 20 and take the A627(M) towards Rochdale. At the end of the A627(M) you should be in the left hand lane to turn left at the traffic lights. Go straight on over the roundabout (approach in the middle lane) into Roch Valley Way. At the next crossroads (where the Cemetery pub is on the corner) go straight onto Sandy Lane, where the ground can be found on the right after approx 3/4 mile.

PARKING
Parking at the ground is for permit holders only (which I expect most away fans will not hold) and there are residents only schemes in operation. Oulder Hill School is on Sandy Lane and offers match-day parking, although I would expect to pay the usual sort of rates. The town centre car-parks are quite a walk up hill so best avoided by those of us that like to sample several pies when visiting other towns.

TRAIN
Rochdale station is well served with trains to Manchester and Leeds. I travelled a few years ago from Manchester, which was only a couple of quid and took about 20 minutes. Please be aware of connexion times though as we missed our evening train back from Manchester after hanging around for ‘another couple of pints’, which meant we had to get a room for the night. Anyone familiar with the Manchester Nightlife (and with me) will tell you that this is no hardship, so no sympathy please.

The station is about 2 miles from the ground, but involves quite an uphill venture. There are plenty of taxis around and a walk back should be much easier.

PUBS/FOOD
Rochdale has a few friendly pubs around the ground, which should make for a pleasant day. The local beer is J.W.Lees, which is brewed in Manchester and is apparently a nice pint. The welcoming pubs include;

Studds- No its not named after yours-truly, but is in fact a club bar, located beneath the Pearl Street Stand. This bar in true Rochdale tradition welcomes away fans and serves basic food as well as the usual lagers/beer.

Radcliffe Arms- Located in the club car park and again welcomes away fans. They have Sky Sports and welcome children.

The Church Inn- Very unusual pub, built surprisingly in an old church. Popular with away fans on a match-day. There is Sky Sports as well as bar-snacks, but not meals. This pub can get quite busy due to its location near to the away end.

The Cemetery Hotel- Another superbly named pub, which makes Rochdale even more appealing!!!! Fear not, this place is for the real-ale enthusiasts and stocks the excellent Black Sheep Bitter, as well as some guests. Although this pub is popular with home supporters, away fans are welcomed and they serve hot food.

There are plenty of other pubs in the area, which should give you no problems, although last time I remember drinking in a pub called the Highland Laddie. This pub was located near a load of flats. This pub had the potential to not be so welcoming and was very poor in terms of beer/lagers. In fact they only had one lager on tap and the fridge had just cans of Red Stripe.

There is an excellent chip shop located across the road from the ground, which is always busy, but closed for a refit on my last visit.

GROUND
Spotland is a cracking lower division ground, which has retained the ‘proper’ football feel to it. The away stand is along the side of the pitch and is a neat single tier all-seated stand housing 3,650 fans. It’s named the Willbutt’s Lane Stand (see picture on the right) and was only built a few years ago. This has the usual modern facilities at the rear and is licensed for those requiring more alcohol. A few seasons ago we filled the full end and it was a great atmosphere. I do not expect we will have the same numbers, so they normally allocate just the centre sections. Last season we made a lot of noise with around 500+ fans so it shoud be an enjoyable trip.

To the left is a smart, modern, single tier stand. This is the Pearl Street stand and can house 2,584 and includes a family area as well as access to the Studds Bar. The Pearl Street Stand is popular with the home support and can be quite vocal.

To the right is a redeveloped terrace, similar to the Town End, and can accommodate 1,898 standing spectators. Again this is a traditional stand and houses some of the more vocal Dale fans.

Opposite is the Main Stand, which seats 1,774, as well as the usual executive boxes, directors etc. Again this is quite a neat stand, but a little more subdued in terms of atmosphere (think CK Stand).

SAFETY
Rochdale fans are a friendly bunch and are great for a chat about football. They have had a long period of little success, so they should be buzzing after the past 2 season's. You should have no problems wearing shirts around the ground and the town in general.

PRICE- Tickets are not available prior to the game.