Fans flocked to the Crown Oil Arena on Wednesday evening for the release of Joe Thompson’s autobiography – Darkness and Light: My Story.
Joe was on hand to greet fans at the RAFC Club Shop, pose for photographs and sign copies of the book which fans could purchase exclusively on the day.
Such is Joe’s popularity, the initial order of books sold out within an hour! Don’t fear though, Dale fans, more copies are on order and will be arriving at the club early next week.
Thank you to everyone who came down to the Crown Oil Arena and waited patiently to purchase the book and meet Joe!
Check out a gallery of photos from the signing session above.
ABOUT DARKNESS AND LIGHT: MY STORY
Darkness and Light: My Story is the heart-wrenching and soul-stirring autobiography of Joe, a footballer and two-time cancer survivor.
His mother's battle with mental illness and father's descent into a life of drugs and crime saw him battle adversity from birth. Football opened up a new world of opportunity when Manchester United signed him, aged nine.
Joe spent six years living every boy's dream but was left devastated when the club released him at 16. He bounced back to forge a career in the Football League, before his life was thrown into turmoil. At 23, he was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer. Six months of chemotherapy followed, which eventually rid his body of the disease.
He had been given a second chance at life, but three years later he was given the shock news that his cancer had returned. An 18-day stay in an isolation unit reduced him to skin and bone, but he vowed that he wouldn't be beaten.
For a second time, Joe gave cancer the boot and he has since made an incredible return to professional football, appearing for Dale at Wembley against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fifth round replay, as well as scoring the goal that meant Dale survived relegation from League One on the final day of the season.