Rochdale AFC’s matchday programme — The Voice of Spotland — is back for the Saturday’s League One fixture against Coventry City.

The programme is once again a 76-page issue this season, containing plenty of reading to keep fans entertained and informed before, during and after the match.

We start with a front cover featuring iconic images of Joe Thompson, who announced his retirement from playing this week.

Manager Keith Hill devotes his entire notes to Joe’s life and career, while Editor Mark Wilbraham gives his views on the player who really is “one of our own”.

After that, the programme is packed with other features, including:

I WISH I’D GONE — an article looking at Dale games the author didn’t attend, but wished he had! This time it’s a famous game against Coventry from the 1970s.

WHAT DALE WORE IN — we pick a season and look at the different kits Dale sported throughout the campaign. In this issue, we look at the 2003/04 campaign.

NEW FOUND FAN — first-time season-ticket holder Steven Rittey brings us his views.

GOLDEN YEARS — Dale won promotion for the first time in 1968/69 and this series will recall that campaign game-by-game, with personal memories from fan Ian Goodwin, who has been talking to a player from that season in Tony Buck.

There is also a completely new-look visitors’ section, as well as columns from Bray-based fan Brian Quigley, Row F resident John Rowe and one of the longest-serving programme contributors in the game, the ever-green Scrutator.

Meanwhile our regular historical pages — ‘On This Day’ and ‘Through The Years’ — have had a makeover, but will still help readers to jog their Dale memory banks.

We also have another of our fantastic cartoons in the centre spread, as drawn by cartoonist David Vandepeer.

Action photos appear from the games against Blackpool and Bradford, while Traveller’s Tales is back with a report on the trip to Doncaster.

All this and much, much more will be in Saturday’s The Voice of Spotland, on sale in the Club Shop and around the ground, priced £3.00

Photo: Action Images

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