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Reply | Craig Dawson! Why not???
at 14:32 13 Jan 2026
As I stated in the initial post and since, it’s not about money or we would have no chance anyway. Playing 3 5 2 Dawson is fine right side of the 3 and as cover for EEL.
Anyway looking at the loan signings it looks hugely unlikely now (even more than yesterday) so hopefully they bring a lot to the team and squad. |
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Reply | Craig Dawson! Why not???
at 14:28 13 Jan 2026
If he aided us get promoted on a deal until July it’s not money we can ill afford, what we can’t afford is to blow the chance of promotion when it’s only one automatic.
Loan players are not free, we have players on decent money, why would we not ask or at least consider the option? It’s not going to be about money anyway I would imagine so…..
As for bURY, it was far more than 1 player that led to their downfall as we all know! |
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Reply | Craig Dawson! Why not???
at 14:23 13 Jan 2026
No. I’m sure you could look at the Birmingham link and see the press, far from a rumour!
Can’t recall where I saw the Wrexham and Blackburn link but I have nothing to gain from making it up. |
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Reply | Craig Dawson! Why not???
at 10:31 13 Jan 2026
Does he fit the way we play? Yes, his passing is better than our current centre backs.
Is he as mobile as EEL? I would say similar but he hasn’t played for a while so I would say initially maybe not as match fit or up to speed.
I would not drop EEl, whilst Craig is a far better player I would not drop the captain, think Dawson would compliment him if anything.
Whilst he may not be the player he was we don’t know that, and I would say the likelihood is he would improve us immensely. It’s also not to be forgotten how dangerous he is in the opposition box. Obviously he isn’t a striker but chasing the game with 10 minutes to go he is very useful.
All I am saying is surely it’s worth having a chat with him, there is nothing to lose in doing that and potentially a lot to gain! |
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Reply | Craig Dawson! Why not???
at 09:59 13 Jan 2026
Numerous sources say he turned down Birmingham City including Nixon. Blackburn and Wrexham also rumoured to have tried to sign him.
Why it hasn’t happened I have no idea, maybe part of the deal with wolves is he has to repay part of pay off if he signs for another league club. 🤷♂️ |
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Reply | Craig Dawson! Why not???
at 09:56 13 Jan 2026
So if he was available you’re honestly saying you would not have him in the starting line up at centre back? He is way beyond anything we have available in that position. |
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Reply | Craig Dawson! Why not???
at 18:04 12 Jan 2026
Glad that my initial points have been taken as they were meant to be, it may be unlikely but then I guess it’s all dependent on Craig really. He is (or was) a huge Dale fan and he was on the pitch at about 15 celebrating when we got promoted.
With regards to him having to travel 4 times a week, I would doubt that would be necessary. Seem to recall in the past having players who did not train at all. Richard Jobson I’m pretty sure didn’t although that’s a while back, maybe a couple of times a week and match days would work fine. Knutsford is less than an hour away as well so not as if 8 or 9 hours a week and match day would be a huge burden, especially if tied in with coaching etc.
He could certainly get a better and bigger club than ours, he has had offers, maybe a couple of easy years before retirement and coaching or management would be attractive. And what better way to finish your career than taking the club that gave you your chance back into the football league, where we belong! |
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Thread | Craig Dawson! Why not???
at 10:14 12 Jan 2026
Ok so no doubt I will get a level of mockery for this but this isn’t as ridiculous as it seems.
So Craig is 36 in May and has not played a game since he was released from wolves in the summer. I assume he received a decent pay off an has turned down a few championship clubs it’s been rumoured, and I guess financially he is in a place where he would never have to play again.
So assuming he would even consider coming back to the club he started at, supports, loves and (I believe) one of his drivers is to be nearer his family, why would we not approach him?
So, as we can assume money is not his main driver, what would his worth be? Personally I think his signing alone would add 100 plus to gate receipts, we could probably expect 6 - 8 goals and the sort of defensive stability, quality, experience and more points, we are still vulnerable at set pieces as we have been for years! Would this guarantee promotion, of course not but it would be a huge benefit to th squad and would certainly increase our chances, and I believe that’s worth about 2 million quid.
So what’s in it for Craig? Hometown club that he supports, getting us back to where we belong, guaranteed start and fitness, near home, coaching role and help with badges, potential management role in the future, Shop window all be it at a low level, more wages that he is currently getting! Most of all though it would be to help the club.
Is he worth £10k a week, if he even wanted that? £230k on deal until summer? I really hope this has been considered and he has been spoken to. I don’t know Craig so may be miles off in his thoughts about the club and his future aims and plans, I’m sure some on here know him well and might laugh, but there should have been a conversation at very least.
I await the laughter 😆 |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v Hartlepool United
at 20:54 30 Dec 2025
Cheers for the insight. As I say I’m not there so relying on what they are saying.
Fingers crossed we improve second half!
Prichard off for Gavin but formation wise no idea! |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v Hartlepool United
at 20:45 30 Dec 2025
I'm Just going off what’s being said which is pretty decent and not particularly partisan commentary. They are shocked how bad we look. They put a lot down to them pressing and playing 3 up front and that we are pedestrian. Also saying how much we miss mani as an outlet.
Hopefully we can play as we can second half with urgency, as it seems woefully like a top of the table team that have won 7 in a row! |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v Hartlepool United
at 20:36 30 Dec 2025
Radio Tees “There’s a time and a place to play around at the back and Rochdale are playing into Pools hands by messing around”
Interesting that they are playing 3 up front for the first time under featherstone, clearly they have seen our p1ss about at the back tactics! Also funny to hear someone shout your fcking clueless Jim come through clearly!
There’s times i honestly think we are doing well inspite of Jim not because of him! |
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Reply | TVOS Preview - Rochdale v Hartlepool United
at 22:02 29 Dec 2025
Does anyone know if Accrington was our first choice of venue and why Accrington were happy to help us out? Obviously we should be very grateful regardless but is it down to a good relationship between the clubs, financial or a bit of both?
I assumed Oldham would have been the first choice or maybe even bURY (if giggle is up to it) or maybe even Bolton. As I said above we should be grateful just wondered how the decision was made. |
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Reply | It's monsoon night...
at 01:21 28 Sep 2025
Since we know the drainage is shite all around and on The pitch, has anyone though of slanting the covers and elevating them so the water goes to basically a big hose that goes down the hill near the Radcliffe or if that’s unsafe a suitable sewer outlet. Seems pretty simple to me if that’s the issue! |
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Reply | Former director?
at 14:39 3 Sep 2025
Yes, but he may still be involved in our accounts! |
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Reply | Former director?
at 19:08 2 Sep 2025
It’s bloody serious, and, if he is anything to do with Dale on any basis, he should be gone immediately. It’s not an oversight, it’s a deliberate act and being effectively struck off for 2 years is career suicide to anyone with integrity.
To try and give you a basic idea, it’s like me giving you financial advice, on something I’m not qualified of licenced to do, whilst not being insured to give that advice.
It’s absolutely damming!!!! |
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Reply | BRACKLEY TOWN
at 10:27 24 Aug 2025
It’s weird you mention Thacks and that game as I was thinking about Dave Sutton and his tenure after McNulty’s absolute brain fart today! As other have said, this was the most arrogant contemptible decision I have ever seen in 40 plus years of watching Dale. He has embarrassed the club, himself, annoyed everyone and blown any positivity out of the water with one pathetic ridiculous, arrogant and downright disrespectful decision.
The similarities between him and Sutty are there to see. I liked Dave Sutton a lot having got to know him pretty well and that was my favorite era watching Dale. He came in to management because we had nobody else and was cheap. He was physio and manager and was pretty much doing everything at one stage or other. He inherited a struggling side and gradually improved the squad narrowly missing out on the play offs (we should have got in them twice if I remember but for a bad end of season run and the Burnley game, although I may be wrong) He brought a lot of excitement to the club and signed some fantastic players (Reeves, Whitehall, Stuart, Lancaster, Peake? Even John Ryan who was excellent first season) and had a very attacking approach. But despite this positive start things unravelled.
McNulty, like Sutton, has built an excellent and much improved squad after a couple of years, however, despite this, managing and utilising this squad (albeit just one game this season) has been shown to be beyond their capabilities. McNulty has the uncanny ability to cock things up and cause division, as did Sutton. McNulty does not learn and continues to do what he feels right, despite not one fan defending him, ditto Sutton. Both were well liked initially and decent people, however Sutton went on the back of losing the squad and the fans despite a lot of patience from the board. I would say the board have been extremely patient with Jim and yet like Sutton, he is unwilling to accept and admit his mistakes and like Sutton this will be his undoing. 2 major stupid decisions last season and one this has already cost the club potentially millions and it cannot go unchallenged at any level. He needs to be told by the fans, by the board and by the backroom staff and players. It cannot be repeated again.
I’m half expecting Jim to say that if Manchester United offered Onana for Whatmuff we would want cash as well and that if Beckwith was Brazilian he would have won 70 caps!
I hope him learns but I have seen nothing to suggest he will and personally, one more error like the above and he would be gone. To quote the excellent EGP, “Sutton proved he had the ability to build a fantastic squad but the inability to manage it”!!! |
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Reply | BRACKLEY TOWN
at 16:57 23 Aug 2025
💯 right. McNulty may have assembled a great squad and had a good start but this debacle is utterly unacceptable and the club should refund everyone that went and spent money. It’s not only incredible arrogant (Doubt they needed a team talk) but it’s childish and pathetic. 3 changes or even 4 ok. Why rest a striker who has 3 in 3, why rest the keeper, why everything in fact.
Its actions like this and his stubborn mentality that cost us last season and 4 games in he does it again. Should fine himself 2 weeks wages!!!!!! |
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Reply | Joe Pritchard Signs
at 20:25 10 Jul 2025
Another midfielder that lacks height. We won’t be winning a thing in the air in midfield (again) might be a decent player I really don’t know, but what we were crying out for was an Ollie Banks type player, obviously Jim would sooner sign 4 players in the same position than the one type of player we really need.
I honestly can’t remember the last 6 foot plus midfielder we signed. Kitching?
Are we going to have Mani dropping deep or Rodney playing a 10 role?
The signings mostly so far look promising but reminds me of when Terry Dolan used to collect defenders, Jim clearly sees midfield as vital but we totally lack anyone who will win headers!!! |
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Reply | Pearl St. Turnstile Debacle.
at 14:11 7 Apr 2025
Club has been an absolute shambles for years, it takes no common sense or intelligence at all to know that, so many incredibly simple things that could have made this a special day for all concerned especially occasional fans, but as usual those in charge utterly cocked it up!
Everyone knew this was a big match and high profile so have all turnstiles open from 1, offer 25% off all food and beverages for those in before 2, put on a kids game of 5 a side or a penalty competition (or both) vs Spennymoor or even a supporters game of say 20 minutes each way (could even charge for it and include sponsors and a couple of legends from each club) Have all turnstiles fully up to speed tech wise.
There is absolutely no marketing ability or brains at this club and there seems not to have been since Richard, Franny, Les etc left. This should have raised the profile of the club and dragged in hundreds of new fans (admittedly having Jim Southgate in charge doesn’t help) but there are so many missed opportunities.
The whole club needs a shake up, get rid of the numerous dead weights that do absolutely nothing or use the clubs name and pay nothing for the privilege and get some proper professionals in that know what to do. It won’t happen obviously but it bloody should! |
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