Jump to content

Will Rochdale ever be a 'proper' derby game?


Recommended Posts

It's struck me this week that we have what should be one of the biggest games of the season on Saturday, and there is little or no talk of it. I've also had a look at the Dale forum and most of the talk is of the cost of tickets for the RRE which they see as being over the top.

 

Of course the big reason is probably that we have played them very little over the last 30 years, but this doesn't seem to dampen the passion for the Blackburn v Burnley game for instance, though they have met each other more than us and Dale of course! It's always been a disappointment for me that we have never really had a proper derby game, I mean a game where the other team really hates us and we are their number one enemy. We have a fair few 'pretend' derby's like with the Manchester clubs, but any hatred there is very much one sided. We also look at Huddersfield and Tranmere but again these are 'derby's' of convenience really. In these times where is seems we have little to play for in terms of winning trophies, a good derby should be the thing we are all looking forward to, but sadly this seems to be missing.

 

So is it possible that Dale will stop looking towards Bury for their big game at anytime?(surely they should as geographically we must be closer, I reckon Matt Smith on his tip toes can see Spotland now the Lookers has gone!) Will we ever lose the visions of grandure thinking we have a real rivalry with United and City and turn fixtures like Saturday into a genuine Derby Day?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 83
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

They're the north west equivalent of Torquay or Rushden & Diamonds - they don't have many proper fans as evidenced by last seasons pathetic away following.

 

This seasons looks like it could be even lower.

 

For this reason, among others, I can't take them seriously.

 

They're like a disappointing little brother as opposed to deadly rivals.

You want them to be more like you but they'd rather stay at home playing with dolls than travel 4 miles for their nearest local derby.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A Dale season ticket holder I know hasn't decided if he's coming yet.

 

He hasn't got anything else on, he just hasn't decided.

WTF's that all about?? :unsure:

I'm not coming and it's at BP... I think you're being a little shortsighted in thinking it's only Dale who have dwindling support...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They're the north west equivalent of Torquay or Rushden & Diamonds - they don't have many proper fans as evidenced by last seasons pathetic away following.

 

This seasons looks like it could be even lower.

 

For this reason, among others, I can't take them seriously.

 

They're like a disappointing little brother as opposed to deadly rivals.

You want them to be more like you but they'd rather stay at home playing with dolls than travel 4 miles for their nearest local derby.

 

 

You sound like a United fan.

 

- The point in bold. They finished above us, I'd take that seriously.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They're the north west equivalent of Torquay or Rushden & Diamonds - they don't have many proper fans as evidenced by last seasons pathetic away following.

 

This seasons looks like it could be even lower.

 

For this reason, among others, I can't take them seriously.

 

They're like a disappointing little brother as opposed to deadly rivals.

You want them to be more like you but they'd rather stay at home playing with dolls than travel 4 miles for their nearest local derby.

 

If this was on DATM and one of your fans had seen it, we would be getting slated on here!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a proper derby for me, my brother in law is a Dale fan and we've had a decent build up to this game already. Last season we had a bet on who would finish higher in the league with the loser doing a steak dinner for the winner, history shows we lost and I've been putting it off all summer but after the game on Sat I'm driving him and my sister to my house where I will do the honours.

 

It will be a hell of a lot easier to stomach with 3 points in the bag!

 

It doesn't have the glamour of the Manchester, Liverpool or Madrid derbys but this is our biggest league game of the season. It's what lower league football is all about, 2 teams from the arse-end of nowhere battling it out for 90 mins and singing abuse at each other. We can all whinge about the fact that this is what it has come to but we are 3rd tier and this is the best we've got, the battle of the 409 route.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If this was on DATM and one of your fans had seen it, we would be getting slated on here!

 

And if it was on a Rochdale forum we wouldn't have cared.

 

You should feel honoured.

 

Think how the Rochdale fans must feel that you're treated as more of a derby than they are.

 

Yes you spud munchers have got better players than us and should on paper be playing in a seperate league but as long as you are just the otherside of the hill from us and in the same league we will continue to hold you in higher esteem than Rochdale down the road.

 

No slur on Rochdale just years of playing each other in close competitive games has given it more of an edge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

tbh I think because there are so many local sides you'll find that different generations of Latics fans see different sides as our main rivals, a perfect example of this was the last day of the Premiership season when it was split between people wanting Blackpool to go down, people wanting Wigan to go down and people wanting Blackburn to go down

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've got the added bonus this season of playing Bury too! Along with Preston, Hudds, both Sheffield clubs, Tranmere & Chesterfield, all these games have that little extra about them that make the games more enjoyable. There's enough in this season to keep it exciting even if we aren't challenging for the play-offs and are comfortably safe coming into the spring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rochdale have finished above us in 11 of the 83 seasons we've both been league clubs. Rivalries tend to exist where the respective histories of clubs is a more even affair.

 

 

Thank you for this! I can use this if my brother in law gets a bit lippy on Saturday!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm goin and i'm skint. Got the bug. Can't wait.

 

Likewise. I can't really afford to go to many games this year but games like Dale & Huddersfield are the ones I really don't want to miss.

 

For anyone interested I wrote a small piece on the rivalry issue, you can see it by clicking the link in my sig.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Home "Derby's" are sh1te since we got our three sided sh1t pit. I always remember being in the Lokkers paddock when local teams such as Burnley, Kn0b End, Hudds, City etc (all last 13years or so) came to BP and the atmosphere would be great.

 

Now, as Bunty said, the fans can't engage with each other, they can't hear the Chaddy, and they'll sing we got more fans that you (when they'll have 2,500-3,000 less) and dale, dale dale on repeat.

 

Away game are much better for getting the derby atmosphere, Rochdale away (Spesh the Tues night game) was one of the best build up atmosphere's i'd experienced for years, such a pity it got called off as the sat game was a bit more flatter.

 

Just think how much more excited you are heading over t'hills to Hudds rather than heading down to BP for the home fixture, Just a thought!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would feel more like a proper derby if we were allowed to share Rochdale Rd stand. Atmosphere likely to be a tad flat I reckon which is a shame.

And I think a lot of people won't bother going for that very reason. It's ridiculous.

 

 

I think if, historically, we'd have been in the same division consistently with Dale, then this would be a fierce rivalry. But if you go 30 odd years without even playing a team competitively (It was about 30 years, wasn't it?) it's difficult to build any sort of animosity. It's a shame really.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...