It is now almost exactly one year since my family became involved with Rochdale Football Club. I thought it would be a good time to take stock and reflect on the past twelve months.
This time a year ago, whilst we were conducting diligence for a potential investment, we lent the Club £300,000 so that it could meet its March payroll and keep creditors from submitting winding-up petitions.
It is easy to forget, particularly when results don’t go as we would like, that the Club was not long ago literally days away from ceasing to exist and it is worth remembering how far the Club has come in a short time.
Off the field, we have bolstered the management team, and we are already starting to see dividends from having additional experienced professionals running the day-to-day operations. There are more improvements to come for next season, in particular our new ticketing system, which was announced yesterday, as well as additional operational changes to improve the matchday experience. We have launched our Club Advisory Board and are dedicated to improving our interaction with supporters more generally, as well as improving the experience at the Crown Oil Arena. We have a brand-new solar installation on the Main Stand which is fully operational, and which is going to have a significant impact on our energy costs. We don’t and won’t get everything right and changes always take time to bed in, but I am hugely impressed by the hard work the Club management and staff are putting in to improve operations at the Club.
On the field, we remain in the playoff places. Our dream of a cup final at Wembley was not to be, but I was very encouraged to see such a large turnout for the game. Jimmy, the rest of the first team staff and all of the squad are in the midst of a gruelling fixture schedule and working tirelessly to get the results we need. Your support and encouragement will be crucial in helping us do that. The Club and the team have no automatic right to receive your unwavering support and robust feedback when things don’t go well is rightfully part and parcel of football. However, if we had been told twelve months ago that in a year’s time, the Club would be financially secure and in the playoff places going into the final month of the season, I think most would have grabbed that with both hands. As we approach this crucial final run of games, I hope we are all able to come together as a Club and bring as much positivity and noise to the games as possible.
I would like to thank you all again for being so welcoming to me and my family since we became custodians of the Club. I look forward to the remainder of the season and wish Jimmy and the team all the best for the upcoming challenges.
Up The Dale!