BfB

On the 12th of March, 2009 this website published an article by Michael Wood entitled “Are you part of the thousand who did not turn up Rochdale?” in which there were questions with regards to the attendance figures of the Rochdale vs Bradford City game on the 10th of March, 2009.

The questions raised in this article were answered fully in a statement released by Rochdale FC which was reproduced on this website along with the referred article. This was accompanied by a statement from Michael Wood accepting without question the clarification of the attendance figures.

Comments made by the website readers on this article along with elements of the article have caused some concern and as a result the article and associated comments have been removed by request of Rochdale FC and Mr Chris Dunphy.

At no point did Mr Wood intend to imply wrong doing by Mr Dunphy or by Rochdale FC or by any member of staff of Rochdale FC. Mr Wood deeply regrets any unintentional inference or suggestion of wrong doing and would like to take this opportunity to fully apologise to Mr Dunphy and the staff of Rochdale FC for any offence or discomfort caused.

This website and Mr Wood would like to clarify that it is incorrect to state that any of the staff at Rochdale FC or Mr Dunphy have been involved in duplicity in regards to financial misdemeanours, financial misdeeds or crooked practices. Any inference to that nature taken from the article is entirely incorrect and unintentional.

This website and Mr Wood have been frequent in praise of Mr Dunphy’s campaign for good governance in football and believe him to be of excellent character and a positive influence within the game of football.

This website and Mr Wood have on many occasion made the case for good governance and business practice within football and especially of the style displayed by Mr Dunphy. We believe him to be of the highest integrity in his affairs with Rochdale FC and in his other business interests.

Those connected to this website, and especially Mr Wood, very much regret publishing text that may have been interpreted as suggestion of criminal activity within the article in question and wish to reiterate their sincere and deepest apologies to Rochdale FC and in particular to Mr Dunphy

Let me say at the outset that although I am a McCall supporter, when his arrival was first rumoured I though it would be an act of lunacy on his part to take the job at the time he did… bottom division, no money, financial knifedge. All he could do would be to ruin his unique legendary status… as has happened.

I haven’t agreed with all his decisions during the season: team selections, substitution policy etc. What is it with professional football? no matter that tactics/personnel can prove to be wrong early on, they must not be changed in a match till the hour mark whatever happens).

Then again, I didn’t agree with everything Paul Jewell did in ’98-99.

Sadly I’ve come to the conclusion that Stuart has a blind spot which has hampered our progress and it’s to do with strikers!

Before the season began everyone was aware that we would be lucky to get 30 games out of Peter Thorne and that Barry Conlon wasn’t an adequate replacement, for all his effort. True, he’s scored more goals this time but, take out the penalties and he doesn’t look nearly so adequate.

Stuart had another chance to put this right when Topp departed but we got Chris O’Grady. 2 coments on him that I heard were “doesn’t even look like a footballer” and “signed him just ‘cos he played well against us once….bad reason!”

Having now seen Paul Mullin I can only say that he doesn’t seem to have anything that Conlon didn’t have. There was talk at the time of Pawel Abbott instead. I remember thinking that he would have been a better bet for us.

Only time will tell how much this striker shortage has cost us. Right now it looks like there is one remaining playoff berth to be had and that we aren’t favourites to get it!

It can still be done but I’ll stick my neck out and say that if we don’t beat Brentford on Saturday it will be all over for us, a draw won’t be good enough.