Rochdale forum

[Lancaster Branch]

The problem with rugby people is they think they're superior to football.

Amen, Brother.

[Jim_Delsey]

The problem with rugby people is they think they're superior to football.

Amen, Brother.

Given the scars us Dale fans have suffered for 25 years at the hands of the squatters, there is a line on our forum oft repeated by fans who solemnly say, "I'm against all forms of rugby".

You can have that one fer nowt!

[Alley_Cat]

I am in theory all for a ground share with the Rugby but in practicality I think it would ruin the pitch. Unless we installed a state of the art 5G pitch then it shouldn't happen, but if it did then we could share a lot resources like ground maintenance, corporate, stadium manager, weddings etc

I don't know why some of our fans have a pathological hatred for the Rugby?, although I can understand why the Dale fans feel hard done to. How have Barrow Rugby wronged us?

[stevedale]

Hello fellow Lancashire lads, I remember when we used to play Rochdale on a regular basis and they always seemed to be good games, you have done very well to maintain your status and progress as you have. We bought a winger off you in the late 60s called Dave Storf real good player who I think was our club's record signing at the time. Going your way from us in '85 were Vic Halom (manager) and Barry Diamond our goal machine in an NPL winning team, the grass wasn't much greener for them as neither did much at Spotland.

Speaking of grass, I believe you share Spotland with your local rugby team and play on a grass surface; we have a an RL team in town also and a joint venture is often discussed hereabouts. Generally, how is your join up with the Hornets viewed in the community?

The marriage with Hornets has been generally disastrous, but we now own their shares in the ground so they are tenants now. But it has been a 25 year abusive relationship with them rarely paying their way and playing on the pitch when football would be postponed. Over time this destroyed the pitch which now has £50,000 per year spent on it just so football can be played. Until this regular investment, we'd often go weeks without a home game and being the Rochdale groundsman was harder than Stephen Hawkins' homework for many seasons.

Most Dale fans would advise any other football club not to get involved with any other rugby club. It just doesn't work. Ask Stockport.

And Hornets aren't really viewed as anything in the local community. They get around 300 watching them and when they reformed after going bust (writing off a huge debt to us/stadium company in the process) they then reformed dropping Rochdale from their name, ergo they are called just Hornets now.

They then illegally sold their 45% stake in the ground to the RFL, from whom we've negotiated the purchase from plus the council's 10% stake and with it we will over the next 9 years service the £600,000 debt run up by Hornets in the now defunct Stadium Company.

Complete parasites. Above figures are off the top of my head so may be a fraction out.

Barry Diamond still lives in Rochdale. Was a decent player for us - as was Frank Gamble who may have come from your lot under Halom?

The only thing missing Jim is the fact both teams were in financial dire straits and Hornets sold the Athletic ground in 1987 to Morrisons for £2.6m ,Hornets over the next few years managed to fritter the majority away.Most of what is said above is pretty spot on and how i feel about them .I stopped going to Rugby when the move took place and havent seen a game since.

[Jim_Delsey]

I am in theory all for a ground share with the Rugby but in practicality I think it would ruin the pitch. Unless we installed a state of the art 5G pitch then it shouldn't happen, but if it did then we could share a lot resources like ground maintenance, corporate, stadium manager, weddings etc

I don't know why some of our fans have a pathological hatred for the Rugby?, although I can understand why the Dale fans feel hard done to. How have Barrow Rugby wronged us?

In theory, it makes perfect sense I agree. In practice though, rugby types are so crafty and manipulative it would be the football club which would be shafted.

Modus Operandi of Hornets was to make sure all the positions you mentioned were posts filled by Hornets' stooges. Maintenance manager didn't care about keeping the pigeon crap off the home seats as "we don't use them".

Ground Safety Officer fiddled the stewards pay on rugby games. He might pay 50 on a football day and then mythically pay 40 on a rugby day when only 15 turned up to work.

Every position in our stadium miraculously went to a Hornets supporter who then went out of their way to make life difficult for the football club and its fans.

I know I'm coming across as bitter, and I am, to that particular club, but crucially also to a sport that somehow attracts a lot of very unpleasant people who leech off others, whilst smiling at you from behind their badge and club blazer.

I didn't realise football/rugby relations in Barrow were a topic of debate. I'd have come better prepared if I'd known! I've been an anti-rugby evangelical ever since Hornets got their feet under the table nearly 30 years ago.

[Alley_Cat]

I am in theory all for a ground share with the Rugby but in practicality I think it would ruin the pitch. Unless we installed a state of the art 5G pitch then it shouldn't happen, but if it did then we could share a lot resources like ground maintenance, corporate, stadium manager, weddings etc

I don't know why some of our fans have a pathological hatred for the Rugby?, although I can understand why the Dale fans feel hard done to. How have Barrow Rugby wronged us?

In theory, it makes perfect sense I agree. In practice though, rugby types are so crafty and manipulative it would be the football club which would be shafted.

Modus Operandi of Hornets was to make sure all the positions you mentioned were posts filled by Hornets' stooges. Maintenance manager didn't care about keeping the pigeon crap off the home seats as "we don't use them".

Ground Safety Officer fiddled the stewards pay on rugby games. He might pay 50 on a football day and then mythically pay 40 on a rugby day when only 15 turned up to work.

Every position in our stadium miraculously went to a Hornets supporter who then went out of their way to make life difficult for the football club and its fans.

I know I'm coming across as bitter, and I am, to that particular club, but crucially also to a sport that somehow attracts a lot of very unpleasant people who leech off others, whilst smiling at you from behind their badge and club blazer.

I didn't realise football/rugby relations in Barrow were a topic of debate. I'd have come better prepared if I'd known! I've been an anti-rugby evangelical ever since Hornets got their feet under the table nearly 30 years ago.

Phew, I feel sorry for you. It sounds like the worst possible things happened and I don't blame you for they way you feel about your Rugby.

I suppose if we did a similar thing then it would be sensible for the footie to hold all of those roles and then have the Rugby as tenants rather than an equal partnership. It hasn't put me off the idea though

[Fazered]

Watched the Newport vs Plymouth game last night and the pitch looked awful. I dunno if they share it with a rugby team or an American football team but the white lines were still visible and big patches of mud. I would hate for our new pitch to end up like that

[russell_anderson]

Watched the Newport vs Plymouth game last night and the pitch looked awful. I dunno if they share it with a rugby team or an American football team but the white lines were still visible and big patches of mud. I would hate for our new pitch to end up like that

Every football pitch that is also used by a rugby team is a mess unless it's an artificial surface. It's unavoidable and, as I hate I dislike football played on an artificial pitch, is the reason I would never want to share under any circumstances.

[bluebirds123]

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23184&p=314072#p314072

[Jonty]

Clearly a poor relationship between Rochdale and The rugby. I would not be against at least looking into sharing as an option if it would help both clubs set up for the future generations. Just to balance the argument for ground sharing, What about Hull City and Hull FC, Doncaster Rovers and Doncaster, Reading and London Irish, Huddersfield- These grounds have Desso Grassmaster pitches, natural pitches reinforced with artificial fibres. These are undoubtedly expensive but can stand up to the rigour. I think a bigger reason for not ground sharing is if both clubs dont grow at the same pace on and off the pitch. How do you keep it all balanced if one club Is going through a more successful period that the other.

[HenneysKnee]

Watched the Newport vs Plymouth game last night and the pitch looked awful. I dunno if they share it with a rugby team or an American football team but the white lines were still visible and big patches of mud. I would hate for our new pitch to end up like that

I thought the same, it was awful.....and that was without having had a bad winter

[mall]

I am in theory all for a ground share with the Rugby but in practicality I think it would ruin the pitch. Unless we installed a state of the art 5G pitch then it shouldn't happen, but if it did then we could share a lot resources like ground maintenance, corporate, stadium manager, weddings etc

I don't know why some of our fans have a pathological hatred for the Rugby?, although I can understand why the Dale fans feel hard done to. How have Barrow Rugby wronged us?

Its not a pathological hatred at all. The chap from Rochdale is quite right in what he says,remember dear old Vic Brownbill ?, he warned about the dangers of groundsharing for years
Wanna ground share ?,then go share with holker old boys.

[Jim_Delsey]

I am in theory all for a ground share with the Rugby but in practicality I think it would ruin the pitch. Unless we installed a state of the art 5G pitch then it shouldn't happen, but if it did then we could share a lot resources like ground maintenance, corporate, stadium manager, weddings etc

I don't know why some of our fans have a pathological hatred for the Rugby?, although I can understand why the Dale fans feel hard done to. How have Barrow Rugby wronged us?

Its not a pathological hatred at all. The chap from Rochdale is quite right in what he says,remember dear old Vic Brownbill ?, he warned about the dangers of groundsharing for years
Wanna ground share ?,then go share with holker old boys.

I don't know who this Vic is you speak of, but I'm guessing he was an Enoch Powell type visionary when he could foresee future problems of unfettered rugby.

I hope I haven't done him a disservice there!

I'll give you one random example (out of dozens) as to the type of unforeseen problems ground sharing with rugby can bring.

Saturday 27th January 2001 was due to see Rochdale v Orient take place. A few weeks earlier SKY TV came knocking asking if we'd move the game to Sunday 28th for live coverage. I think it was FA Cup 4th round weekend and there were no Prem games to show.

"Of course you can" The Dale exclaimed wildly, delighted that at last we were getting some National coverage not to mention a £15,000 fee from SKY.

You can guess what's coming already I bet.

Hornets had been drawn at home in some random cup competition against a load of part timers from somewhere in Oldham and were due to play the game on Sunday 28th. The football club asked them if they could switch to the Saturday to accommodate Dale v Orient live on SKY.

Now you'd think that allies in a shared stadium would be neighbourly and accommodating to each other wouldn't you?

Not a bit of it. Hornets held Dale to ransom over the £15,000 TV fee. Eventually, they agreed to move their fixture once we'd given them £5,000 of it (up front before we'd even received it!).

These are the types of people who run rugby clubs. NEVER EVER get involved with them. I won't bore you with a litany of true stories, but from a pie-warmer to a televised game they will always get in the way of a football club.

[Jonty]

Jim all due respect but the problems you've encountered there do not mean shared stadiums do not work. There are plenty of examples where it does work and makes economic sense to do so. Key to it is maintaining a good relationship and a sound business plan.

[barrowfan_chris]

Jim all due respect but the problems you've encountered there do not mean shared stadiums do not work. There are plenty of examples where it does work and makes economic sense to do so. Key to it is maintaining a good relationship and a sound business plan.

Sorry Jonty but give me an example of a club our size where it has worked? Not a reading with a big massive stadium and a multi million turn over.