Archived News from February 2004
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STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
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Of the current Nationwide Football league sides, Rochdale is the one that have faced the Stags on most occasions. No wonder of that, as “Dale” played the Stags in all their division 3 (N) seasons, in all bar two of Rochdale's seasons in the old third division – in fact both teams were founder members of that division in 1958-59, when Rochdale was the first side to finish bottom of that league – and all but two of the Stags' seasons in the old fourth, finally all the seasons the Stags have played in the current third division. In fact, Rochdale have been stuck in the basement since the Stags first championship season in 1974-75.
Not only have the Stags faced Rochdale on a final day of a promotion season – May 2, 1992, when a 2-1 win and a Blackpool defeat 34 miles away at Lincoln clinched it – but also on a promotion season opening day. This happened in 1962-63, when the commencing game was at home to Rochdale on August 18, 1962, in front of 6121 who saw Ken Wagstaff clinch the points by the only goal of the game. On 40 occasions have Mansfield and Rochdale crossed their league swords (41 in Stagsland), and the first encounters took place in 1932-33 – and in fact the Stags won five ALL the pre-world-war-II Field Mill encounters to a score of 19-3. On October 12, 1932, Readman, Prior (2), and Bowater netted for the Stags in front of 4441. Worse was to follow on February 24, 1934, with a 5-0 stuffing thanks to two goals apiece from Johnson and Bytheway, also one from Munnings. In the Harston record-breaking season, 1936-37, he almost single-footed routed “Dale” with five of the six stags goals, Atkinson getting the other in front of 7404 on September 9, 1936. Away games at Rochdale have only seen seven Stags wins and thirteen draws out of 40 outings, also a 1-7 mauling on March 4, 1950, oddly enough in a defensively strong Stags season in 8th position, Antonio netting the consolation goal. This is the biggest-ever Stags defeat in a game against Rochdale. And the first away win at Spotland was recorded on September 1, 1936 due to Ted Harston's first hat-trick in his 55-goals season. One week later it was to be worse for Rochdale (see above). Memorable post-world-war II fixtures: - The biggest Stags win at Rochdale was a 4-1 on November 1, 1980, the last of six consecutive league wins that season. A Terry Austin hat-trick including a penalty was his last Stags haul before being sold to Huddersfield, Mann netting once and O'Loughlin for Rochdale sealed it. - Two away wins have been achieved in promotion seasons. The first was on March 1, 1975 when Clarke hit the only goal of the game – and the second was on October 12, 1991 when 3671 saw Paul Holland and Phil Stant strike for the Stags - The teams fought against each other for promotion in 2001-02. On February 2, 2002, a good crowd of 4876 watched Greenacre net twice and Pemberton once in the 3-1 home win, a crucial one in the final reckoning. (In fact, Rochdale – like Cheltenham – drew more than double of the league games compared to the Stags and that contributed to Dale's 5th position – just one more win and Rochdale had overhauled the Stags in the 3rd position race). The away game on September 29, 2001 was lost 3-1 with Greenacre getting the Stags goal. Since the 2001-02 season, Rochdale have failed to figure in the promotion and play-off race. Last season, they finished around mid-table. And this season, six consecutive league defeats between October 21 and November 29 seem to have put paid to Rochdale's playoffs chances and the team is currently only six points off a 2004-05 Conf position in 19th spot. Former Walsall hot-shot Alan Buckley resigned after the home defeat against York, two days after the game at Field Mill which saw Colin Larkin capitalize on a defensive mistake to hit the only goal of the game, and was replaced by ex-Stags manager Steve Parkin, who currently is in his second Rochdale managerial spell. Some well-known names have managed Rochdale. Among them are the recently passed-away Bob Stokoe in two spells, one before and one after Sunderland's FA Cup triumph in 1973, Harry Catterick (later for Everton, there succeeded by ex-Stags manager Billy Bingham), Jimmy Greenhoff, Eddie Gray and Alan Buckley. Another – maybe not so well-known - fact is that the Birmingham defence horror man of April 3, 1990, Steve Wilkinson, spent a loan spell without playing for Rochdale before signing for the Stags, but had a short loan spell at Crewe prior to putting on a Stags shirt for the first time. Played for both sides: Phillip Bartley, Simon Coleman, Thomas Dutton, Desmond Fawcett, Tony Ford, Paul Gibson, Neville Hamilton, Ged Keegan, Terence Melling, Martin Pemberton (one game on loan from Stockport, loan period cancelled due to injury according to reports), Kevin Pilkington, John Ryan, Paul Wheatcroft, Steve Whitehall, Doug Wragg Managed both sides: Steve Parkin. Home stats: P 41, W 26, D 9, L 6, GF 87, GA 40 Away stats: P 40, W 7, D 13, L 20, GF 41, GA 62 Season Home Date Away Date 1932-33 4-1 1932-12-10 1-2 1932-10-01 Div 3 (N) 1933-34 5-0 1934-02-24 2-2 1933-10-14 Div 3 (N) 1934-35 1-0 1935-02-23 0-1 1934-10-13 Div 3 (N) 1935-36 3-0 1935-11-09 1-3 1936-02-29 Div 3 (N) 1936-37 6-2 1936-09-09 3-1 1936-09-01 Div 3 (N) 1947-48 1-1 1947-10-18 2-1 1948-03-06 Div 3 (N) 1948-49 2-0 1949-04-30 0-1 1949-04-04 Div 3 (N) 1949-50 1-1 1950-01-28 1-7 1950-03-04 Div 3 (N) 1950-51 1-0 1951-04-16 0-0 1951-04-14 Div 3 (N) 1951-52 1-1 1951-09-17 0-1 1951-09-04 Div 3 (N) 1952-53 2-1 1952-12-13 0-1 1953-04-29 Div 3 (N) 1953-54 2-0 1954-02-20 0-1 1953-10-03 Div 3 (N) 1954-55 3-2 1955-03-26 0-2 1954-11-06 Div 3 (N) 1955-56 6-0 1956-03-24 1-1 1955-11-12 Div 3 (N) 1956-57 2-3 1956-08-20 0-0 1956-08-29 Div 3 (N) 1957-58 2-4 1957-08-24 0-3 1957-12-21 Div 3 (N) 1958-59 0-0 1959-03-30 2-2 1959-03-27 Div 3 (old) 1960-61 0-2 1960-08-22 2-1 1960-08-30 Div 4 (old) 1961-62 0-1 1961-12-26 2-3 1962-04-11 Div 4 (old) 1962-63 1-0 1962-08-18 1-3 1962-12-15 Div 4 (old) 1969-70 1-2 1969-11-03 1-2 1969-11-24 Div 3 (old) 1970-71 3-2 1970-10-03 1-1 1971-04-12 Div 3 (old) 1971-72 3-1 1972-03-18 1-2 1971-08-21 Div 3 (old) 1974-75 2-0 1974-08-30 1-0 1975-03-01 Div 4 (old) 1980-81 2-2 1981-04-04 4-1 1980-11-01 Div 4 (old) 1981-82 4-3 1981-11-14 1-1 1982-04-03 Div 4 (old) 1982-83 2-1 1982-09-25 2-2 1983-02-05 Div 4 (old) 1983-84 3-0 1983-11-01 0-0 1984-02-14 Div 4 (old) 1984-85 5-1 1984-09-01 1-2 1985-05-14 Div 4 (old) 1985-86 3-2 1985-11-30 1-1 1986-04-26 Div 4 (old) 1991-92 2-1 1992-05-02 2-0 1991-10-12 Div 4 (old) 1993-94 0-1 1994-04-16 1-1 1993-11-02 Div 3 1994-95 1-1 1995-03-07 3-3 1994-10-29 Div 3 1995-96 2-2 1996-04-16 1-1 1995-09-16 Div 3 1996-97 0-0 1996-08-31 1-0 1997-04-05 Div 3 1997-98 3-0 1998-01-03 0-2 1997-08-16 Div 3 1998-99 3-1 1999-03-13 0-1 1998-11-07 Div 3 1999-2000 0-0 2000-03-28 1-2 1999-11-14 Div 3 2000-01 1-0 2000-11-11 0-1 2001-04-28 Div 3 2001-02 3-1 2002-02-02 1-3 2001-09-29 Div 3 2003-04 1-0 (at Field Mill) Div 3 Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right) |
Latest | February 2004