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The Dale |
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 Former Wrexham player Keith Hill is in his first managerial position after
Steve Parkin was dismissed at the beginning of last week following a
disastrous run of form that has left Dale hovering over the relegation zone.
Keith Hill was Denis Smith's first signing when he arrived in October 2001
in a loan move from Cheltenham Town. Hill went onto play fifteen games for
Wrexham and scored one goal in the process before his time at the club ended
due to injury.
The weekend defeat at MK Dons has left Rochdale in twentieth
position, one place above the relegation zone, with a return of twenty
points from twenty three games. Many Wrexham fans will find it difficult to
understand the drop in form for Dale as they were one of the best teams to
visit the Racecourse this season when they won 2-1 back in September. It has
been a different story since then with only two victories in the league
recorded and all five of their wins this season have come against teams in
the bottom half of the table.
Rochdale have struggled at home this season and they are
currently bottom of the home league with only two wins from eleven games.
Goal scoring is also a problem for Dale with only twenty two scored all
season in the league and only Torquay have scored less goals than them this
season.
Richard Dagnall is Dale's top goal scorer this season and he
has found the back of the net on nine occasions this season with three of
them coming in his two games against Wrexham. |
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Past Encounters |
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Last 5 Meetings |
| Sep 06: Wrexham 1
Rochdale 2 |
| Mar 06: Rochdale 0
Wrexham 1 |
| Dec 05: Wrexham 2
Rochdale 1 |
| Dec 02: Rochdale 2
Wrexham 2 |
| Aug 02: Wrexham 2
Rochdale 5 |
Rochdale left the Racecourse with all three points when the sides last met in the league
back in September. Chris Llewellyn opened the scoring for Wrexham but a
Chris Dagnall brace secured a 2-1 win for Rochdale.
Dagnall was again on target at the Racecourse when the two
teams met in the first round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Dagnall opened
the scoring in the first half but Matt Crowell equalised with ten minutes
left before Rochdale went through 5-3 on penalties
In total the clubs have met on 109 occasions in the league with Wrexham
ahead with 51 wins compared to Rochdale's 38 and there have been 20 draws. |
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League Form Guide |
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Team |
Last 5 Games |
League Position |
Form Position |
Last Win |
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Wrexham |
WDLDW |
18th |
20th |
Last game |
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Rochdale |
WLLLL |
22nd |
22nd |
5 games |
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Team News |
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Wrexham Team News:
Wrexham hope to have Shaun Pejic available after the defender failed a late
fitness test on a calf injury prior to the Darlington win on Saturday. Levi
Mackin is still expected to be ruled out along with Kevin Smith and Steve
Evans sits out the second of a four game suspension. Neil Roberts, Juan
Ugarte and Mark Jones are still unavailable as they recover from their
respective injuries.
Rochdale Team News: Rochdale caretaker boss Keith Hill can welcome
back Morike Sako from a one-game suspension. Dale left-back Mark Jackson,
despite returning to training, is expected to remain on the sidelines
following a month out with a foot injury.
Man in the Middle: Jonathon Moss from West Yorkshire. Jonathon Moss
has refereed 21 games this season, sending off 3 players and booking 53 at
an average of 2.52 per game. He refereed three Wrexham
games last season with all of them ending in defeat, the last was the 2-1
defeat at home to Leyton Orient back in January. |
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Venue Guide |
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Address:
Spotland Stadium, Willbutts Lane, Rochdale, Lancashire OL11 5DS.
Telephone Number:
01706 644648
Fax Number:
01706 648466 |
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How to get there? |
| By Car:
After passing Manchester leave the M62 at junction 20 turning left
onto the A627(M) (if you turn right you will end up in Oldham!). Keep in
left hand lanes to merge onto the A664 Edinburgh Way.
The ground is signposted from here and take the second
exit at the roundabout. The ground is then located on your right in two
miles. Distance = 65 miles, Time = 1 hour 30 minutes. By
Train:
Nearest Train Station is Rochdale and is over three miles from Spotland. A
taxi ride will cost your around £3. Click here for the Rail
Track Online Timetable or call national enquiries on 08457 484950. |
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When you are there |
| Car Parking:
With parking at the ground no longer available the only
options are the side streets and the Gracie Fields Theatre, which is FOC.
On approaching the ground turn left after the Cemetery onto Hudson Walk
and the entrance is at the end of this road. Beer and Grub:
There a four pubs in the vicinity of the ground but the 12 noon kick off
puts and end to this.
Cash Machines:
The nearest machine is half a mile away with a Bank of Scotland machine
at the service station on Bury Road. |
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How much to get in? |
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Per-Fit Windows Stand:
Normally Rochdale would charge £15 for adults and £9 for
concessions. I say normally, except that we are classed as one of the
'premium games' and therefore adults have to pay £17 and concessions £9
for watching twentieth place take on eighteenth in league 2. Merry
Christmas!
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Disabled Facilities |
| There are 23 parking spaces at the
ground with varying allocations for away fans, so booking in advance is
advisable. There are 28 wheelchair spaces in the away stand with the
helper sitting alongside. There are two disabled toilets ion the away
stand but catering outlets are not dedicated. The DSA is Brian Heywood
and he can be contacted on 01796 526420. |
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Weather Forecast |
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Cloudy with temperatures reaching 4 degrees Celsius and a 3
mph southerly wind. |
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Other Fixtures |
Accrington
Stanley v Bury
Barnet v Peterborough
Chester v Macclesfield
Darlington v Mansfield
Hartlepool v Grimsby
Hereford v Bristol Rovers
Lincoln City v Boston United
Rochdale v Wrexham
Stockport v Notts County
Swindon v Wycombe
Torquay v Milton Keynes Dons
Walsall v Shrewsbury |
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