Rochdale Football Club are saddened to hear of the passing of former player, Ray Aspden at age 83.
One of Dale’s all-time stalwarts, Ray was, for a time, both the club's youngest-ever player and their appearance record holder, despite the most inauspicious of starts when the team lost his first game 7-2 to Chesterfield in September 1955.
He didn’t appear again until the following March and with his National Service in the 7th Royal Tank Regiment, where he served as a Lance Corporal in West Germany, also intervening, it was halfway through 1958/59 before he got in the side again, taking over from Bev Glover.
Ray played in several good Dale sides in the early sixties, figuring in the amazing run to the League Cup Final in 1962 and the promotion near miss of 1965, eventually clocking-up 297 Football League appearances and 326 in all competitions. He is fifth on the club's all-time appearances list.
Settling in Rochdale, close to Spotland, after retirement, Ray was one of the legends invited to the Centenary celebrations in 2007.
Our thoughts are with Ray's family and friends at this sad time.