| Greetings from an unglory hunter 16:05 - Jun 2 with 9546 views | CanavanOfLove |
Hello everyone,
I'm Dan. I've been a fan of this forum for some time now and regularly have a look to see what's going on with your fine club.
To explain what I am doing here. Two things. I'm an Ipswich fan. I've also had a soft spot for Rochdale for many years going back to all sorts of football manager games where I would always choose Dale.
I work in the Football Industry but have to admit to hating so many of the modern elements. Normally I would get sympathy from most football fans for supporting a team that's done little for almost 16 straight seasons in the same division, but I fear many of you may consider that nothing based on your many years of life in the fourth tier.
The Premier League and to some extent the Championship have turned into money hungry monsters and for me League One is the highest of what I'd consider the 'pure' divisions, where family clubs still exist, where more players play for the love of the game than the wage packet, where proper grounds exist instead of lifeless bowls, you get the idea.
Like a huge number of Ipswich fans I am not renewing my season ticket next year. Without boring anyone who doesn't want to know too much, we have an invisible owner with no ambition who is happy to keep a manager the fans all want gone because he's the best man to keep us in the division on the criteria we have of not bothering to invest any more money other than to keep the club afloat because we've missed the boat.
I've had a season ticket for decades but next year I will be going to as many other games as possible, taking in a lot of new grounds and I've decided to adopt Dale and follow your club to as many of your away games in the Midlands / South East / South West and I'll head to Spotland for a few games as well.
Whether it was Football Manager, LMA, FIFA, I was always drawn to Rochdale. I don't mean this patronisingly but you were always one of the smaller clubs in the bottom division with no promotions to look back on and the smaller crowds, so I always liked to take you guys through the divisions. I've even won a Champions League with you! Even right now I am faithfully committed to a manager career on FIFA with Dale (Just missed out on the Championship playoffs on the last day of my second season)
It's interesting to see the grumbles on here, the things that bother you as fans and the issues, which in many ways differ to the ones at Ipswich. I genuinely feel right now fans like yourselves are the lucky ones. A decent manager, a club that's enjoying some of it's better times and still at a low enough level not to have been corrupted by mercenaries (not of the level ITFC have anyway) and with a lot of people around the club and community that deeply care about RAFC, something that's no longer true of Ipswich.
Spotland reminds me of everything football used to be. I know it may not seem like you have it that great when you look at the likes of Hudderfield, Bournemouth and what other clubs have gone onto achieve, but I seriously envy a lot of what you have.
Anyway, thought it would be good to say hello before I get engaged in the odd thread or two. I hope nobody takes offence to my adoption of your club. Many of us will be staying away from ITFC whilst Evans and McCarthy is there and whilst that might seem strange and that we aren't supporting our club, if you knew the ins and outs you'd know that season ticket holders of 50 years have not renewed this year.
So for the foreseeable future I'll be experiencing League One. Although in 12 months time I may well be doing so with Ipswich!
Would be great to chat with you, learn the best places to eat around Spotland, just how much you hate Bury and Oldham and to what degree, whether you feel Camps and NML will cut it in the Championship and which players you've been linked to. Ipswich had Reece Brown and he was abysmal, but not fully fit or played in his natural position so I'll reserve judgment. If anyone can get him playing it's Keith Hill (who would be the perfect replacement for Mick McCarthy if our owner knew anything about football). [Post edited 2 Jun 2017 16:21]
|  | | |  |
| Greetings from an unglory hunter on 21:40 - Jun 4 with 1574 views | CanavanOfLove |
| Greetings from an unglory hunter on 21:35 - Jun 4 by CanaDale |
I would go as far as to say Bart is one of the best goalkeepers outside of the premierleague, and should be playing for Poland, as I don't rate any of their current lot. If he goes, then the shit really will hit the fan. |
He's the best for me. Cracking bloke as well. I know him a little. Absolute gent.
He's my favourite player since the days of Stewart and Reuser. The year before last when we finished 7th we'd have been 16th with an average Championshio keeper.
He loves the area but given how much Mick has bigger up Gerks I fear the worst. Definitely interest and we all know Evans will be happy taking a few million when Mick says we have a top replacement. Gerken is awful. Everyone sees it but Mick. | | | |
| Greetings from an unglory hunter on 00:19 - Jun 5 with 1524 views | CanaDale |
| Greetings from an unglory hunter on 21:40 - Jun 4 by CanavanOfLove |
He's the best for me. Cracking bloke as well. I know him a little. Absolute gent.
He's my favourite player since the days of Stewart and Reuser. The year before last when we finished 7th we'd have been 16th with an average Championshio keeper.
He loves the area but given how much Mick has bigger up Gerks I fear the worst. Definitely interest and we all know Evans will be happy taking a few million when Mick says we have a top replacement. Gerken is awful. Everyone sees it but Mick. |
I agree. All must be done to keep him, one of the only shining stars in this "team" Every time I've seen Gerkin he's dropped a clanger, Bart is just class.
Marcus Stewart, one of my first heroes, that playoff final!
I'd love to see someone like Reuser come back as a coach. I dot know it too well, but I'm guessing the fans are starting to feel more and more distant from this team, having a Reuser or a Holland on the coaching staff might go some way to remedying that. |  | | |
| Greetings from an unglory hunter on 11:43 - Jun 5 with 1416 views | chalkyncfc |
| Greetings from an unglory hunter on 20:27 - Jun 3 by AtThePeake |
Surely the rightful champions were Bournemouth? |
Indeed this is correct which makes it even more bizarre that it keeps getting brought up on here,if we hadn't got promoted then Rochdale still wouldnt have got any silverware 
Looking at the league that season its interesting to see the clubs that was in it,Darlington, Macclesfield,Torquay, Hereford plus both Dagenham and Aldershot was in the playoffs,some good clubs that may never see league status again  | | | |
| Greetings from an unglory hunter on 11:51 - Jun 5 with 1404 views | AtThePeake |
| Greetings from an unglory hunter on 11:43 - Jun 5 by chalkyncfc |
Indeed this is correct which makes it even more bizarre that it keeps getting brought up on here,if we hadn't got promoted then Rochdale still wouldnt have got any silverware
Looking at the league that season its interesting to see the clubs that was in it,Darlington, Macclesfield,Torquay, Hereford plus both Dagenham and Aldershot was in the playoffs,some good clubs that may never see league status again |
"Indeed this is correct"
So you agree you weren't the rightful champions that year?
Glad we've finally sorted that. |  |
| |
| Greetings from an unglory hunter on 08:58 - Jun 6 with 1183 views | CanavanOfLove |
| Greetings from an unglory hunter on 00:19 - Jun 5 by CanaDale |
I agree. All must be done to keep him, one of the only shining stars in this "team" Every time I've seen Gerkin he's dropped a clanger, Bart is just class.
Marcus Stewart, one of my first heroes, that playoff final!
I'd love to see someone like Reuser come back as a coach. I dot know it too well, but I'm guessing the fans are starting to feel more and more distant from this team, having a Reuser or a Holland on the coaching staff might go some way to remedying that. |
There was brief excitement when we were linked to Maurice Steijn as the new coach. Basically anything Dutch would excite us Town fans. I remember Gus Uhlenbeek as one of the worst players we've ever seen, but fans took it easy on him purely because he was from the Netherlands!
Reuser is my man crush! Everybody talks about the Wembley clincher, but for me the best day of my life was Bolton in the semi final. We were sat behind the dugouts as I was working for ITFC at the time and they used to stick us there. I was sat next to Eidur Gudjohnsen, who was a lovely bloke, but when it got to 2-2 he moved because a few idiots around me were giving him abuse.
When Reuser clinched that game at 5-3 that was without a doubt the best feeling I've ever had in life, that didn't involve my wife and kids.
To those that won't know:
- Ipswich lost in the play off semi finals in 1997, 1998, 1999 and then reached them again in 2000
- We did it by finishing 3rd a few times too when we were top or second with just games to go and finished 3rd on the last day of the season despite doing our part
- We played Bolton, who knocked out us on away goals after we won 4-3 at home in the second leg the year before
- We were an awesome team over this period but always seemed to bottle it when it came to the crunch
- We were behind FOUR times to Bolton in the tie (2-0 down away and came back to 2-2)
- We came back from 1-0, 2-1 AND 3-2 down on the night
- We equalised in the last seconds to make it 3-3 and force extra time
- Bolton had 10 players booked and 2 sent off in the dirtiest performance I have ever seen (and it almost worked)
- Even against 9 men at 4-3 up on the night (6-5 on aggregate) Bolton were all over us!
- Reuser then made it 5-3 at the death and I finally got to see ITFC at Wembley
That match will never be beaten. I was emotionally ruined by the time we all invaded* the pitch.
* For you Chalky [Post edited 6 Jun 2017 9:15]
| | | |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
