Manager Keith Hill reflects on another memorable season for Rochdale Football Club…
Dale equalled their best ever League One points tally after drawing with Braford City on the final day of the campaign.
It saw Dale just miss out on a top six finish and the Gaffer is proud of what has been achieved.
“It has been a fantastic season, although you’re disappointed that you don’t finish in the top six,” said Hill.
“At the start of the season, that’s everybody’s ambition and everybody’s aim, but realistically, can we do it or should we have done it? No. That’s the harsh realities of being a Rochdale manager, player and supporter, but we will carry on and try our best to achieve the impossible dream.
“We haven’t fallen short because we’re still fighting. Failure only happens when you stop trying and everybody at this football club is trying to improve the infrastructure and the finances.
“When you look at the teams who are in and around us, they’re spending fortunes, but we’re doing things the right way. We did it financially in the right way and we do it the right way on the training pitch with our recruitment and the way that we develop players.
“We almost did it [made the play-offs] and we had the last game excitement where there was something still riding on it. What we’re trying to achieve is a big task but it’s something we intend on fighting for and will continuing fighting towards. There’s no failure at this club as long as we never give up.”
Looking ahead to next season, Hill says he’ll look to use the experiences of this campaign.
“We’ve got to try and turn ourselves into a Championship team with the experiences we’ve had this season, whether we’ve won, lost or drawn the games.
“There have been ups and downs across the course of the season but we’ve been brave in the way that we play and in the way that we’ve tried to execute game plans. It’s important that those players continue to learn by this type of experience that I’ve witnessed today and during this season, and take it into next season and try to create a Championship environment while we’re playing League One football.”