NEVER UP AND MAINLY DOWN, DALE

November 7th is a big day for those football fans in Rochdale, though many won't be old enough to know why.
On that day in 1931, Rochdale FC beat New Brighton (a club that played in the Third Division North at that time) 3-2 at home.
From that time on, they picked up just one point, losing 27 league and cup games and drawing one with 26 losses. They gathered 11 points only (2 for a win in those days). In the league they drew with local rivals Accrington Stanley 2-2 on August 29th
The FA Cup tie was a 1st round tie v Scunthorpe United which Dale lost 1-2.
Their heaviest defeat was on Christmas Day losing to Tranmere Rovers 1-9 away.
On Boxing Day they played Rovers at home and lost just 3-6!
In 13 matches Rochdale failed to score a goal.
Rochdale might have got some points off Wigan Borough who started the season in the same division but withdrew in October.

Founded in 1907 the club has never been out of the lower divisions and sports a variant of the town's crest on the club badge. It displays emblems for the cotton and wool trade which you all know was centred originally on the Lancashire-Yorkshire region. It shows 8 martlets...they keep cropping up in Sussex CCC and Penistone Church FC-very heraldic! The motto "Crede Signo" translates to "Beleive in the Sign".

The Dale joined the newly formed Third Division North after the First World War in 1921 and did reach the League Cup Final in 1962 losing to Norwich City. That's about it; it continues to run as a community club and "fair dos" to those who keep the club alive.

Presently they are holding their own in League One and continue to play at the well known Spotland Ground. Wearing blue and white in 1907 the club copied the Newcastle Utd strip of black and white colours and for their centenary year did exactly the same