No, it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke. Dale did play in yellow at home on Monday.
Devante Rodney’s dramatic late equaliser saw Jimmy McNulty’s ten men take a well-deserved point from our game at home to Hartlepool United on the first day of April.
Some supporters at the Crown Oil Arena questioned why Dale were in their change strip of all yellow in a home match.
As announced on the club’s social media channels 90 minutes before kick-off, the change was a necessary one.
Both of Hartlepool’s strips contain blue and following consultation with match official Richard Eley, it was felt both would clash with Dale’s home kit of blue and black stripes.
Therefore, McNulty’s side were forced to don yellow, which was debuted in our home pre-season friendly win against Bradford City in July.
It is the second season in a row that Dale have worn change colours at home to Hartlepool. Last season, we were our all-black third strip in a Boxing Day defeat, in support of the Shelter campaign.
It is also the third season in succession that we have worn a change strip at the Crown Oil Arena. To mark 100 years of Football League membership, we wore our black and white anniversary kit in a 1-1 draw with Colchester United.
What about previous to that? Our records (with thanks to TVOS Editor Mark Wilbraham), going back to the 1980s, show a total of 11 times we have worn a change strip at home, including Monday.
In a 2016 EFL Trophy tie against Chesterfield, we wore a red away top, losing 2-0.
During the 2013/14 promotion campaign, Dale played in their white away shirt. A 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers in League Two was followed by a 2-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Both were due to similar kit clashes that we experienced on Monday.
Twice in a month had happened the season previous, too. Bristol Rovers provided the same issue with kit clashes, so Dale wore a yellow away kit in a 2-1 win. Having lost their next home game wearing the blue and black home shirt, then manager John Coleman felt a switch back to yellow would bring good fortune against Exeter City. However, Dale would lose 3-2.
Wearing the purple strip at home to Macclesfield Town in the 2009/10 promotion campaign brought a 3-0 win, with the switch again due to kit clashes, whilst two seasons before that a more bizarre reason meant Dale had to wear yellow at Spotland.
For the club’s centenary campaign, Dale switched to a black and white home shirt, that being the strip that we wore in our first-ever season. However, opponents Brentford seemingly hadn’t realised this and travelled with just their red and white home kit. In his first season on the National List, referee Michael Oliver felt the strips didn’t contrast enough, meaning Dale had to change. The game ended 1-1.
You then have to go back to 1988, when a broken floodlight forced both teams to wear a light-coloured kit in order for the game against Colchester United to be played. Dale again wore yellow, with the result also 1-1.
Don’t forget that there is currently 10% off all yellow away strips in the Club Shop!
