Recent History

Despite making a decent start to the 2012/13 season in League Two, form soon tailed off and with crowds dwindling, the club sacked John Coleman. Meanwhile, Keith Hill had suffered the same fate at Barnsley a few weeks earlier and he jumped at the chance to re-join Dale when approached by Chairman, Chris Dunphy.

Hill kept Dale away from relegation that season and despite bringing in a host of new players, he moulded a promotion-winning squad in 2013/14 as Dale finished in third place behind Chesterfield and Scunthorpe. His team also made it to round four of the FA Cup for the first time in ten years, only to lose at home to Sheffield Wednesday.

Dale were tipped to struggle in League One in 2014/15, but they looked very comfortable among much bigger clubs, including several who had played in the Premier League. They were in with a shout of the play-offs up to the end of April, but ultimately finished in eighth position, which was the club’s highest-ever final placing. And, just for good measure, Dale again made it to round four of the FA Cup, where they lost 4-1 to Premier League Stoke City at Spotland. The following two seasons saw Keith Hill’s team create more history by reaching 69 points, which is a club record for the third tier.

Subsequent campaigns saw Dale struggle in League One and after finishing outside the relegation zone on points per game during the Covid-hit 2019/20 season, they were relegated a year later, albeit by a single point. Manager Brian Barry-Murphy left Spotland to work in Manchester City’s Academy and was replaced by former Middlesbrough midfielder Robbie Stockdale. The 2021/22 season saw Dale struggle in the lower reaches of League Two and after losing their first four games of the following term, Stockdale was sacked.

Ex-Morecambe and AFC Fylde boss Jim Bentley took the reins, but he couldn’t prevent Dale slipping to the bottom of the table. With the club’s EFL status at serious risk, the board dismissed Bentley at the end of March and put senior player Jimmy McNulty in charge until the end of the campaign.

McNulty couldn’t prevent Dale’s relegation to the National League, but he was given the role of Head Coach on a permanent basis in May 2023, as the club embarked on a new chapter in their history. Dale finished 11th in the National League last season.

 

Form

Rochdale are right in amongst it in the battle for a play-off place in the National League, currently in 6th place with multiple games in hand over every team in the division.

Their scheduled midweek match at home to Sutton United was postponed, but the Dale were big winners in their most recent outing, beating Yeovil Town 4-0 at Spotland.

In the Isuzu FA Trophy, Dale have played twice so far. Beating Leamington 2-0 in Round Three, before overcoming Stockton Town on penalties in the Fourth Round.

Last Six
25/01 – Yeovil Town (H) – Won 4-0
18/01 – Forest Green Rovers (A) – Lost 1-0
08/01 – Stockton Town (A) – Drew 0-0 (Won 3-4 Pens) – Isuzu FA Trophy
26/12 – AFC Fylde (A) – Won 1-3
17/12 – Tamworth (H) – Won 3-0
14/12 – Dagenham & Redbridge (A) – Lost 1-0

 

The Gaffer

Jimmy McNulty was appointed as manager of Rochdale in May 2023 following a spell in interim charge at the end of the 2022/23 season.

He led Dale to a top half finish in his first full campaign at the helm and was rewarded with a new three-year contract in July 2024. 

McNulty joined Dale from Bury in the summer of 2015 and went on to make 237 appearances in his playing days with the club.

He had played Championship football under former Dale boss Keith Hill at Barnsley, before leaving Oakwell to help Bury to promotion in 2014/15.

The 39-year-old started his career with Wrexham, but didn’t play league football until joining Macclesfield in July 2006.

He moved to Stockport in January 2008 and was a member of the County side that won promotion from League Two four months later with a Wembley play-off defeat of Rochdale.

Jimmy later played for Brighton and had two loans spells at Scunthorpe.

 

The Skipper

Kyron Gordon is a right-back who joined Dale in January 2024, with the terms of the deal triggering a contract extension in the summer. With Club Captain, Ethan Ebanks-Landell absent through a long-term hamstring injury, Gordon has taken the armband.

He has since signed a further extension and is now contracted to the club until the summer of 2026.

The 22-year-old, who can also operate at centre-back, spent the first half of last season on a short term deal with AFC Fylde.

A product of the Sheffield United Academy, Gordon made ten appearances for the Bramall Lane side, debuting in an EFL Cup tie in August 2021. He is the younger brother of former Dale loanee Tyler Smith, who also made his debut for The Blades in that game.

After loan spells at Boston United and Boreham Wood, Kyron departed his boyhood club in 2023.

 

Key Player

Kairo Mitchell is a striker who joined Dale in June 2023, penning a two-year deal at the Crown Oil Arena. He is their top scorer this season, with 12 league goals to his name. He scored seven goals in six games back in September which led to him winning the National League Player of the Month award.

The 27-year-old was signed from Notts County, where he had played over 40 games since moving to Meadow Lane ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

A product of Leicester City’s academy, Kairo signed professional terms with The Foxes in 2016.

He went on to have spells at Nuneaton Town and Coalville Town, where an impressive goalscoring return secured a move to Dartford and then King’s Lynn Town in the National League.

Chesterfield paid an undisclosed fee for the striker in April 2021, before Notts County did the same that summer.

Mitchell spent the second half of 2022/23 on loan at fellow National League side Eastleigh, finishing the season strongly with four goals in six games.

Kairo has also been capped several times by his country, Grenada.