This month, Keith Hicks focuses on former Dale player, Jason Peak
DOB: 29th September 1971
Dale debut: 26th March 1994 v Doncaster Rovers 0-1
Also played for: Leicester City, Hartlepool United, Halifax Town, Brighton & Hove Albion, Bury, Plymouth Argyle, Nuneaton Borough
Time at Dale: 176 appearances (17 goals) Jason joined Dale from Halifax Town after making his professional first team debut for his hometown Club, Leicester City, including time on loan with Hartlepool United, leading to a productive two years scoring 6 goals in 95 league games.
He returned after one year spells with Brighton & Hove Albion and Bury scoring another 11 goals in 81 league appearances but couldn’t agree a new contract in the summer of 2000 thus moving to the South Coast.
Jason had an excellent reputation, widely regarded as being one of the most skilful players around, a wonderfully gifted midfielder with an excellent left foot and one of the best passers of the ball in the lower leagues.
Extracts from Rochdale Fansnet article: Jason’s first spell at Spotland was very successful and it brought him to the attention of many a manager. He was a very popular player being held in high regard by supporters for his excellent passing and the great goals that he managed to score, at one point, he scored six goals in a ten game spell including a real beauty in the FA Cup against Rotherham United.
During this spell, he made no secret of his wish to play at a higher level, and there had been plenty of interest from other Clubs. It was therefore a surprise when he left Dale to sign for Brighton & Hove Albion, newly relegated to Division Three as manager, Graham Barrow, who had been at the Club at a matter of days was forced to sell the out of contract midfielder to the South coast club for £125,000.
On his return when Dale manager Graham Barrow swooped to sign him on a free transfer for his second spell at Spotland, Jason blossomed under new manager Steve Parkin, who orchestrated a change with free flowing style of football, much more suited to Jason’s natural style. He was awesome in the opening months of the 1999-2000 season and was at the heart of a side, which led the table early on with him getting his fair share of goals, including a couple of crackers. One saw him complete a team move consisting of almost twenty passes by firing the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the box. He also scored a superb overhead kick from the edge of the area against old team Halifax Town, which saw him win the Club’s goal of the season competition and awarded “Better than Pele” status on Sky’s Soccer AM.
However, at the end of his contract in June 2000, Jason decided that he could be more successful elsewhere and opted for a move to Plymouth Argyle following his failing to agree terms with Dale, yet again a move to the South Coast that didn’t really work out with him leaving the Pilgrims just a matter of months into his two year contract with them, signing for non-league Nuneaton.
It’s fair to say that when Jason looks back on his career, his times with Dale will be the times where he produced the best football of his career.
After leaving Dale: Jason’s one year spells with Brighton & Hove Albion and Bury saw him only appear in 8 matches scoring 1 goal before signing for Kevin Hodges at Plymouth Argyle but his time with the Devon club was short-lived as he fell out of favour following the arrival of Paul Sturrock as the Club’s new manager. He scored 3 goals in 13 appearances before being allowed to join non-league club Nuneaton Borough in December 2000. Jason was an influential member of the squad in his first season but endured an injury-plagued 2002/3 season at Manor Park leading to him retiring from football.