| Tonights match 14:18 - Aug 31 with 17880 views | 49thseason |
Just seen its a 7.00 kick off and thought it was worth reminding anyone who maybe hadn't noticed (just me probably) |  | | |  |
| Tonights match on 20:53 - Sep 1 with 1941 views | TVOS1907 |
| Tonights match on 20:51 - Sep 1 by D_Alien |
Agreed
Someone obviously knows how to ask questions in the right manner |
I'm sure I've got one with Dennis Butler somewhere, but I need to do some searching through the folders. |  |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Tonights match on 21:02 - Sep 1 with 1905 views | D_Alien |
| Tonights match on 20:53 - Sep 1 by TVOS1907 |
I'm sure I've got one with Dennis Butler somewhere, but I need to do some searching through the folders. |
Good luck. Its bound to contain 50 year old secrets that were revealed ages ago
[Post edited 1 Sep 2021 21:03]
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| Tonights match on 21:15 - Sep 1 with 1858 views | TVOS1907 |
| Tonights match on 21:02 - Sep 1 by D_Alien |
Good luck. Its bound to contain 50 year old secrets that were revealed ages ago
[Post edited 1 Sep 2021 21:03]
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Aye, like the Butler did it. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Tonights match on 21:57 - Sep 1 with 1743 views | archdale |
| Tonights match on 20:08 - Sep 1 by TVOS1907 |
Now if you were a regular reader of TVOS, you would have known the story 14 years ago (from the Dale v bury programme, 6/10/07)
The departure of Dale captain Billy Rudd to local rivals Bury in the summer of 1970 was a transfer that wasn’t predicted by too many Rochdalians.
In little over two years at Spotland, Rudd had appeared in 108 consecutive league games, captained the only side to ever win promotion in Rochdale’s history and then followed that the season after by playing in every match as Dick Conner’s men finished ninth in the old Third Division, a club record position that still stands today.
It therefore came as a shock when headlines in the Rochdale Observer confirmed Rudd was on his way to Gigg Lane, none more so than to the player himself.
“I was actually away with my wife in Blackpool at Vinny Leech’s holiday home when my brother rang to tell me I’d been sold to Bury,” Rudd told The Voice of Spotland this week. “At the time this was news to me as I’d been keen to extend my contract at Rochdale, so as soon as I found out I packed my bags and came home immediately.
“I went straight to the ground to see Dick (Conner) and he told me the club had indeed accepted an offer from Bury and that Alf Arrowsmith would be coming in the opposite direction. I was distraught.
“Before going on holiday we had been talking about a new contract, but had been haggling over a few pounds. I was desperate to stay because I really enjoyed playing for the club and we had great camaraderie amongst the lads; indeed several of us were neighbours in the flats in town.
“The only stumbling block had been my wages, but I didn’t feel it wasn’t something we could overcome and the thought of leaving had never crossed my mind.
“Despite my last minute pleas to the club asking them to match Bury’s contract, which wasn’t substantially higher, Dick simply said they couldn’t and that the offer from Bury was a good one. It was something like £20,000 plus Alf Arrowsmith and with the club in need of money they had accepted it.
“The whole episode just left me my very disillusioned. I couldn’t understand, after what we’d achieved in the previous two years, how the club could want to let me leave, especially when you consider how desperate I was to stay. In the end, however, I had no choice but to sign for Bury.”
Rudd was 29 at the time and the move allowed him to buy his own house in Bury. He still lives in the town 37 years later, something he never would have envisaged as he reluctantly packed his bags and headed to Gigg Lane.
“Leaving Rochdale was a big wrench for me. I was happily settled in the area, but when you are left with no choice but to move you simply have to make the best of it. Rochdale had been the happiest time of my career, despite the lack of facilities, but times move on and I simply had to get on with it.”
Rudd would remain on the payroll at Bury for another eight years and played until he was 39. Towards the end of his career he mixed playing with coaching, but despite his lengthy service, he admits to not having a true affiliation to the club. This was highlighted by the fact he would often meet up with his former Rochdale team-mates despite the fact he now played for the arch enemy.
“Every Wednesday I’d jump on the bus in Bury and travel to Rochdale to meet up with the lads for a drink. It was a long journey in those days, because I’d then have to change buses to get me to where we’d all meet in Whitworth, but such had been the bond amongst us all I was only too happy to do this.
“They were great times and meeting up with the likes of Vinny Leech, Tony Buck and Joe Ashworth again was something I really looked forward to. At times there could be half a dozen or so of us and I have some happy memories of those nights.
“For me it just highlighted why I had wanted to stay at the club in the first place and I never felt the same way about Bury, even during all the years I played for them.
“People have asked me why it never felt the same and I think it was because we had such a good dressing room at Rochdale. All the players virtually got paid the same money and as I said, many of us lived together as well. Yes, the club lacked certain things and perhaps weren’t as professional at times as they could be, but all the lads wanted to be there and we enjoyed ourselves both in and out of work.”
Rudd’s Dale career had begun in February 1968 when Bob Stokoe signed him from Grimsby Town. Rudd scored a rare goal on his debut against Exeter City, but eight months later Stokoe left to take over at Carlisle United. How did Rudd react to this news?
“I phoned him up and had a go at him,” he said. “I’d only joined the club because Bob had talked me into it and now eight months later he was off somewhere else, leaving me behind. After a bit of a rant at him he turned the conversation around and asked me what I’d have done had Second Division Carlisle come in for me? I didn’t really have an answer in truth and he boldly informed me I’d have done exactly the same. That was the end of it really.”
Another legendary footballing figure that Rudd came into contact with during his time at Spotland was none other than Fred Ratcliffe. The Chairman was a central figure in keeping the club alive, but his involvement in team affairs was very little.
“I didn’t really have many dealings with him in truth, other than sharing the bus to away games. If truth be told my only real impression of him was that he was a bit of character and miraculously smaller than me! There weren’t many people that I looked down on, but Fred was one!
“On the way home from away games we would frequently stop the bus for a drink, often at the White Hart if we’d been playing in Yorkshire, and he’d talk about the game with us, but he left all contract negotiating to the manager, who presumably reported back to him. I think that was the way he preferred to do business.”
Ratcliffe, later christened ‘Mr Rochdale’, and his fellow Directors had fought a constant battle to keep the club’s head above water. Promotion in 1969 was arguably their greatest achievement, but this Dale Legend feels the club could have gone one step farther the following season as well.
“I honestly feel that had Reg (Jenkins) and Tony (Buck) not got injured we wouldn’t have been far off again. For some reason, however, I just had the impression that we wouldn’t have been able to afford going up for a second consecutive season. The ground would have needed major investment amongst various other things and I just think the club couldn’t afford it.
“That said, it can’t have been easy juggling the finances, but we definitely would have been there or thereabouts, I have no doubts about that.” |
Alas I’m not a regular TVOS reader (or perhaps I’d read this and forgotten- an age thing).
And I agree it’s a well written and informative piece.
Nonetheless it does not detract from the interview the other night and hearing first hand Billy’s account. |  | | |
| Tonights match on 06:59 - Sep 2 with 1509 views | jacko_dale |
| Tonights match on 14:26 - Sep 1 by D_Alien |
Dunno if anyone else noticed, but there was an 'edit' during the interview. Can't say i've noticed that in any previous interview, so who knows...?! |
I imagine that was the bit where he stopped the interview to have a go at Jim, who was making a load of noise in the background. It's now on the club's Facebook page and well worth a watch! | | | |
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