Our Trust week continues with a look at our Exiles.
You can take the lad out of Rochdale…
The Exiles group has long been key part of the Trust and exists for the significant number of Dale supporters who live outside the borough. For some, work or family moves has meant uprooting from Rochdale. Others, despite not being born within the sound of the Town Hall chimes, have developed a passion for all things Dale. There is no rigorous interview process and a few of our number count Dale as their second team; we’re working on them! Last season a record 388 Exiles joined and members are to be found worldwide, with a significant cluster in Malta, the country topping our international table.
The Trust has a dedicated board member, Ian Goodwin, who co-ordinates Exiles activity. A key event is the annual hospitality at the Crown Oil Arena, which for 2022/23 is the home game against Stevenage on 4 March 2023. Exiles will sponsor the match and enjoy a splendid buffet in the Executive boxes. Directors and players will join us and we will be treated to a stadium tour and chose the Man of the Match. We have a remarkable record to preserve: Dale remain unbeaten in every single home Exiles match.
We keep our Exile members through regular newsletters and during the pandemic we had a fund-raising campaign for an Exiles flag, now proudly displayed at the stadium.
We are also currently in discussion to resurrect the Exiles awayday having enjoyed two recent trips to watch Dale at AFC Wimbledon. When the fixtures were released, we were disappointed to see that the AFC Wimbledon match at Plough Lane was too near our Exiles Day in Rochdale to work. Other venues are available.
In 2022/23 we aim to continue to promote a sense of belonging for those who live away from Rochdale. Membership is the same price as the normal Trust membership, and you get a listing on our interactive world map showing the location of all of our Exiles so please ensure that you indicate ‘Exiles Membership’ when you sign up.
.You can join the Exiles for the 2022-23 season just like 213 others have done so far by going to https://www.daletrust.co.uk/adult-exile-membership/