All at Rochdale AFC would like to send our best wishes to Lotteries Assistant David Lord, who has retired from his role due to ill health.
David has been an incredibly loyal and hard-working member of staff for over 30 years, and the club would like to place on record our thanks for his efforts over that time.
Former Commercial Manager Richard Wild, who remains close to David, has penned a wonderful tribute to him.
David Lord – A Tribute
In every walk of life there are unsung heroes; people behind the scenes who go about their day –to-day work without the need for adulation, the pat on the back others may crave.
These individuals are equally as important as those who hog the headlines, as without them there wouldn’t be a platform for success. They form the backbone of everything positive that happens, but you’d never know this as they aren’t the type to be shouting it from the terraces.
At Spotland, we have our very own unsung hero. The fans reading this tribute may not know the name David Lord, however to staff and fans that frequent The Club Shop, the work he has done over the past 30+ years has certainly not gone un-noticed.
I first came across David in 1992 after I became a Goldbond Agent. David was the man whom I handed my money in to, the man who counted every penny and made sure nothing was amiss. If David said you were 50p short, you were 50p short and there was no arguing. David commanded respect - whilst others ranted and raved – he always maintained his composure and kept people in-check. He didn’t say much, which meant when he did, you listened and listened carefully.
I began working full-time alongside David in 1994 and it was only then that I truly got to appreciate just what he did. He was the organiser, the one who got everything ready and spotted things before they went wrong. I leaned on him a lot in those early days and he was the type of many who would always make time to help you. He did everything for me and the rest of the staff, he was our rock and we learned a lot from him. Despite his advancing years, he was always the first in, the role model we all looked at.
David’s importance to the club only grew and grew as staffing levels within ‘his’ department expanded. The age and profile of the staff changed, it became younger and this meant David needed to be the father figure that kept us on the straight and narrow. He did this with aplomb, even when things got a little tetchy; David remained the voice of reason. He was the one who listened to us moaning about the team every game; his selfless act of not watching the match, meant we could, although in the early days this wasn’t always a perk of the job!
After nearly 30 years working for the club, this week David handed in his notice due to ill health. David is now 86, he has lived and breathed the club and sport in Rochdale all his life. He will be sadly missed and leaves a big void behind. David isn’t the type of character that will enjoy the accolades, however, he deserves them.
Happy retirement, David!