On this day 50 years ago (May 10th), our 1968/69 side secured the Club’s first-ever promotion.
9,095 were in attendance at Spotland to see Rochdale beat Southend United 3-0 to finish third in the Fourth Division table.
Reg Jenkins netted a brace in the victory, whilst Steve Melledew had opened the scoring.
The team that lined-up against the Shrimpers for the all-important fixture was | Harker, Smith, Parry, Ashworth, Ryder, Leech, Rudd, Whitehead, Melledew, Jenkins, Butler. (Buck replaced Rudd after 82 minutes).
Doncaster Rovers were Champions of the division, having finished on 59 points, while Halifax Town were runners up on 57 points. Dale accumulated 56 points that season.
Rochdale won 18, drew twenty and lost eight games – Doncaster Rovers and Swansea Town – throughout the campaign, setting a post-war club record of 15 games without defeat along the way.
Winger Dennis Butler finished the season as Dale’s top scorer on 16 goals, followed by Reg Jenkins (13) and Steve Melledew (12).
Incredibly, only 16 players were utilised during the season.
Joe Ashworth – 39 appearances
Tony Buck – 15 (2) appearances
Dennis Butler – 44 (2) appearances
Joe Fletcher – 8 (2) appearances
Chris Harker – 46 appearances
Reg Jenkins – 28 (5) appearances
Vinny Leech – 44 appearances
Steve Melledew – 25 (4) appearances
Terry Melling - 20
Colin Parry - 45
Vince Radcliffe - 26
Hughen Riley - 1
Billy Rudd – 46
Derek Ryder - 46
Graham Smith – 31 (1)
Norman Whitehead – 41 (1)
Here’s how the season unfolded
Saturday 10th August – Rochdale 3-2 Scunthorpe United
Saturday 17th August – Colchester United 0-0 Rochdale
Saturday 24th August – Rochdale 1-1 Exeter City
Monday 26th August – Brentford 1-1 Rochdale
Saturday 31st August – Port Vale 1-1 Rochdale
Saturday 7th September – Rochdale 1-1 Peterborough United
Saturday 14th September – Chesterfield 1-1 Rochdale
Tuesday 17th September – Doncaster Rovers 2-0 Rochdale
Saturday 21st September – Rochdale 6-0 Bradford City
Saturday 28th September – York City 0-0 Rochdale
Saturday 5th October – Rochdale 0-0 Workington
Monday 7th October – Rochdale 0-0 Brentford
Saturday 12th October – Darlington 0-0 Rochdale
Saturday 19th October – Rochdale 0-1 Swansea
Saturday 26th October – Southend United 1-3 Rochdale
Saturday 2nd November – Rochdale 6-0 Bradford Park Avenue
Monday 4th November – Rochdale 0-1 Newport County
Saturday 9th November – Aldershot 0-0 Rochdale
Saturday 23rd November – Wrexham 3-2 Rochdale
Saturday 30th November – Rochdale 0-0 Notts County
Saturday 7th December – Grimsby Town 2-0 Rochdale
Saturday 21st December – Swansea 3-0 Rochdale
Thursday 26th December (Boxing Day) – Workington 1-2 Rochdale
Saturday 4th January – Rochdale 6-1 Grimsby Town
Saturday 11th January – Bradford Park Avenue 1-4 Rochdale
Saturday 18th January – Rochdale 3-0 Aldershot
Saturday 1st February – Lincoln City 0-0 Rochdale
Monday 10th February – Newport County 1-1 Rochdale
Monday 24th February – Rochdale 2-0 Darlington
Saturday 1st March – Scunthorpe United 0-0 Rochdale
Saturday 8th March – Rochdale 4-0 Colchester United
Monday 10th March – Rochdale 2-1 Lincoln City
Saturday 15th March – Exeter City 2-2 Rochdale
Saturday 22nd March – Rochdale 1-0 Port Vale
Saturday 29th March – Peterborough United 0-1 Rochdale
Saturday 5th April - Rochdale 2-1 York City
Monday 7th April – Rochdale 0-0 Doncaster Rovers
Tuesday 8th April – Chester 2-1 Rochdale
Saturday 12th April Bradford City 1-1 Rochdale
Monday 14th April – Rochdale 4-1 Chester
Saturday 19th April – Rochdale 0-0 Chesterfield
Wednesday 23rd April – Rochdale 2-1 Wrexham
Monday 28th April – Notts County 1-1 Rochdale
Wednesday 30th April – Rochdale 1-0 Halifax Town
Thursday 8th May – Halifax Town 1-0 Rochdale
Saturday 10th May – Rochdale 3-0 Southend United