Post by harmerhillshrew on Dec 7, 2004 17:46:27 GMT 1
It has not been put up on the Rivals site 
Ant seems to have been more interested in posting what a great girl Glenda Hoddle is today.
Here it is if you are interested.
SHREWSBURY TOWNvROCHDALE Match Preview.
After a ten day period with no first team game Town face a rejuvenated Rochdale at the Meadow Tuesday night.
With a blank Saturday just gone and a reserve game last Wednesday new Town boss Gary Peters has had a lengthy period in which to try out different things and stamp his authority on the first team squad.
With coach Chic Bates picking the last two sides this game with Rochdale sees the former Preston and Exeter boss putting out what he thinks is Salops best eleven.
Since a 5-1 drubbing at Northampton towards the end of October ‘Dale have won four consecutive league games which has seen them pull clear of the relegation zone and put them on the fringes of the play off places.
Club History.
Rochdale AFC was formed in 1907. The club spent the early years of its life playing in various local leagues before becoming founder members of the Third Division (North) in 1921.
They have spent most of their existence at the very bottom of the League structure, whether that was in the old Third Division (North), the Fourth Division after restructuring, or the Third Division again after the next bout of restructuring, or League Two.
They survived a number of flirtations with re-election. The closest call was in 1980 when only a single vote (26 to 25) kept them in the Football League at the expense of Altrincham. It later emerged that two clubs who had pledged their support to Alty had failed to vote. The Grimsby Town delegate was in the wrong room, and the Luton Town representative got the meeting time incorrect and turned up late.
Dale has only ever been promoted once, in 1968-89, when they finished third in the Fourth Division. They lasted five seasons in the Third division (the equivalent of today's League One) before being relegated back to the basement.
Rochdale did reach the Division Three play-offs in 2001-02 and had high hopes of building on that improvement under Paul Simpson. However a season that began well tailed off into lower-mid-table mediocrity and Simpson paid the price with his job at the end of it.
Former Grimsby boss Alan Buckley was appointed as manager. He only lasted until December when encouraged to depart by 'mutual consent'. The new man at the helm was Steve Parkin, with the brief to keep them up. That he achieved, with Dale finishing in 21st. In fact not that new as it is his second spell at Rochdale, his first from 1999-2001 ending when he was lured away from Spotland by Barnsley.
The Gaffer
Steve Parkin returned to former club Rochdale on New Year's Eve 2003 taking over from the sacked Alan Buckley on a temporary basis until the end of the season.
Parkin had enjoyed two-and-half successful years at Spotland having quit at his hometown club Mansfield Town in the summer of 1999. In his time in charge of The Stags he guided them to the fringes of the Nationwide League Division Three play-offs despite tremendous cash constraints.
As a player, Steve gained England schools, youth and under-21 caps in a career that saw him play at Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion before his career ended prematurely after he joined Mansfield. Due to injury problems, his career was cut short at the age of 31.
In taking over at Mansfield after Andy King left the club, Steve was the league's youngest manager and quickly established an excellent reputation for putting out teams that offered up neat, attractive football.
Regarded as one the most promising up-and-coming managers in the English game, he lifted Rochdale to a position in which they were expected to challenge for promotion to Division Two.
Steve managed this despite the financial restrictions at Spotland and his ability to get results on a tight budget, one of the qualities that attracted Barnsley when the South Yorkshire club dismissed the irresistible Nigel Spackman a month and a half into the 2001-2002 season.
At the time of his move to Oakwell, Steve had guided Rochdale up to a position in the top three of the Nationwide League Third Division having already managed to bring the Lancashire outfit from mid-table to the brink of a play-off place in the 2000-2001 season.
When their good form continued into the 2001-2002 season, Steve was offered the challenge of resurrecting the fortunes of the Yorkshire outfit that had themselves experienced play-off misery under Dave Bassett in May 2000.
Unfortunately, Steve could not turn The Tykes fortunes around after a disappointing start to the season, and they were relegated to Division Two in May. The following season, with the club in administration, Steve saw his side struggle to just four wins from their first 13 matches and following their 4-1 home loss to Bristol City, Steve was sacked by the board.
He returned to the game to help out another former Mansfield boss Billy Dearden at Notts County in 2003, and despite being overlooked for the Rochdale post in favour of Alan Buckley, he returned to the manager's chair at Spotland at the turn of the year, hoping to inspire them to better things in 2004.
One to watch.
Grant Holt
Grant Holt was Steve Parkin's first signing since returning to the club in January 2004, when Holt signed a two and a half year contract with a "nominal fee" heading its way to Sheffield Wednesday in exchange.
Holt started out his career at Workington Town before moving to Halifax Town in 1999 for £10,000 where he made just 2 starts and 6 sub appearances scoring 1 goal. He had a loan spell at Barrow towards the end of the 2000-01 season where he scored 4 goals in 10 games and he signed for Barrow permanently in August 2001 where he scored an impressive 16 goals in 34 appearances in the 2001-02 league campaign.
The next season was even better for the Carlisle born striker as he scored a very impressive 15 goals in just 25 games in the league. Chris Turner saw his talent and took him to Hillsborough but his record at Sheffield Wednesday shows he found it hard to get a good run in the first team and made just 14 starts and 12 substitute appearances for Wednesday in all competitions and scoring 4 goals in the process.
He has found the net on 8 occasions this season in the league for ‘Dale and his brace at Broadhall Way on Saturday put the Lancashire side through into the 3rd round of the FA Cup at the expense of Stevenage Borough.
Town Talk.
Shrewsbury will again be without Ben Smith (shoulder) and Sam Aiston (knee).
Dave Walton is suspended, which will mean manager Gary Peters switching to a flat back four instead of the five-man defence he has used recently.
I expect on loan Kelvin Langmead to make his home debut up front with Luke Rodgers.
Prediction time.
Rochdale is on a roll but will be without influential midfielder Gary Jones after he aggravated a foot injury against Stevenage on Saturday.
A tough game to ensue for sure, but I think the Town will just shade it.
SHREWSBURY TOWN 1 ROCHDALE 0
COME ON YOU BLUES
Ant seems to have been more interested in posting what a great girl Glenda Hoddle is today.
Here it is if you are interested.
SHREWSBURY TOWNvROCHDALE Match Preview.
After a ten day period with no first team game Town face a rejuvenated Rochdale at the Meadow Tuesday night.
With a blank Saturday just gone and a reserve game last Wednesday new Town boss Gary Peters has had a lengthy period in which to try out different things and stamp his authority on the first team squad.
With coach Chic Bates picking the last two sides this game with Rochdale sees the former Preston and Exeter boss putting out what he thinks is Salops best eleven.
Since a 5-1 drubbing at Northampton towards the end of October ‘Dale have won four consecutive league games which has seen them pull clear of the relegation zone and put them on the fringes of the play off places.
Club History.
Rochdale AFC was formed in 1907. The club spent the early years of its life playing in various local leagues before becoming founder members of the Third Division (North) in 1921.
They have spent most of their existence at the very bottom of the League structure, whether that was in the old Third Division (North), the Fourth Division after restructuring, or the Third Division again after the next bout of restructuring, or League Two.
They survived a number of flirtations with re-election. The closest call was in 1980 when only a single vote (26 to 25) kept them in the Football League at the expense of Altrincham. It later emerged that two clubs who had pledged their support to Alty had failed to vote. The Grimsby Town delegate was in the wrong room, and the Luton Town representative got the meeting time incorrect and turned up late.
Dale has only ever been promoted once, in 1968-89, when they finished third in the Fourth Division. They lasted five seasons in the Third division (the equivalent of today's League One) before being relegated back to the basement.
Rochdale did reach the Division Three play-offs in 2001-02 and had high hopes of building on that improvement under Paul Simpson. However a season that began well tailed off into lower-mid-table mediocrity and Simpson paid the price with his job at the end of it.
Former Grimsby boss Alan Buckley was appointed as manager. He only lasted until December when encouraged to depart by 'mutual consent'. The new man at the helm was Steve Parkin, with the brief to keep them up. That he achieved, with Dale finishing in 21st. In fact not that new as it is his second spell at Rochdale, his first from 1999-2001 ending when he was lured away from Spotland by Barnsley.
The Gaffer
Steve Parkin returned to former club Rochdale on New Year's Eve 2003 taking over from the sacked Alan Buckley on a temporary basis until the end of the season.
Parkin had enjoyed two-and-half successful years at Spotland having quit at his hometown club Mansfield Town in the summer of 1999. In his time in charge of The Stags he guided them to the fringes of the Nationwide League Division Three play-offs despite tremendous cash constraints.
As a player, Steve gained England schools, youth and under-21 caps in a career that saw him play at Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion before his career ended prematurely after he joined Mansfield. Due to injury problems, his career was cut short at the age of 31.
In taking over at Mansfield after Andy King left the club, Steve was the league's youngest manager and quickly established an excellent reputation for putting out teams that offered up neat, attractive football.
Regarded as one the most promising up-and-coming managers in the English game, he lifted Rochdale to a position in which they were expected to challenge for promotion to Division Two.
Steve managed this despite the financial restrictions at Spotland and his ability to get results on a tight budget, one of the qualities that attracted Barnsley when the South Yorkshire club dismissed the irresistible Nigel Spackman a month and a half into the 2001-2002 season.
At the time of his move to Oakwell, Steve had guided Rochdale up to a position in the top three of the Nationwide League Third Division having already managed to bring the Lancashire outfit from mid-table to the brink of a play-off place in the 2000-2001 season.
When their good form continued into the 2001-2002 season, Steve was offered the challenge of resurrecting the fortunes of the Yorkshire outfit that had themselves experienced play-off misery under Dave Bassett in May 2000.
Unfortunately, Steve could not turn The Tykes fortunes around after a disappointing start to the season, and they were relegated to Division Two in May. The following season, with the club in administration, Steve saw his side struggle to just four wins from their first 13 matches and following their 4-1 home loss to Bristol City, Steve was sacked by the board.
He returned to the game to help out another former Mansfield boss Billy Dearden at Notts County in 2003, and despite being overlooked for the Rochdale post in favour of Alan Buckley, he returned to the manager's chair at Spotland at the turn of the year, hoping to inspire them to better things in 2004.
One to watch.
Grant Holt
Grant Holt was Steve Parkin's first signing since returning to the club in January 2004, when Holt signed a two and a half year contract with a "nominal fee" heading its way to Sheffield Wednesday in exchange.
Holt started out his career at Workington Town before moving to Halifax Town in 1999 for £10,000 where he made just 2 starts and 6 sub appearances scoring 1 goal. He had a loan spell at Barrow towards the end of the 2000-01 season where he scored 4 goals in 10 games and he signed for Barrow permanently in August 2001 where he scored an impressive 16 goals in 34 appearances in the 2001-02 league campaign.
The next season was even better for the Carlisle born striker as he scored a very impressive 15 goals in just 25 games in the league. Chris Turner saw his talent and took him to Hillsborough but his record at Sheffield Wednesday shows he found it hard to get a good run in the first team and made just 14 starts and 12 substitute appearances for Wednesday in all competitions and scoring 4 goals in the process.
He has found the net on 8 occasions this season in the league for ‘Dale and his brace at Broadhall Way on Saturday put the Lancashire side through into the 3rd round of the FA Cup at the expense of Stevenage Borough.
Town Talk.
Shrewsbury will again be without Ben Smith (shoulder) and Sam Aiston (knee).
Dave Walton is suspended, which will mean manager Gary Peters switching to a flat back four instead of the five-man defence he has used recently.
I expect on loan Kelvin Langmead to make his home debut up front with Luke Rodgers.
Prediction time.
Rochdale is on a roll but will be without influential midfielder Gary Jones after he aggravated a foot injury against Stevenage on Saturday.
A tough game to ensue for sure, but I think the Town will just shade it.
SHREWSBURY TOWN 1 ROCHDALE 0
COME ON YOU BLUES
