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Wrexham v Rochdale 1986

Wrexham vs Rochdale 11th March 1986

The latest in a series about football programmes from my collection that relate to a game being played in the next few days.

Wrexham vs Rochdale 2019 / 2020

This weekend is the First Round ‘Proper’ of the FA Cup and having overcome Chesterfield in the 4th Qualifying Round, Wrexham now host Rochdale. In keeping with tradition, the match kicks off at 12.45 on a Sunday afternoon. Something to do with live online streaming, though god knows what sort of numbers will tune in for this!!

Rochdale sit 15th in League One. They are six points of the drop zone and seven points of a play of place. Real mid table stuff. Recent form has been patchy, with three defeats in their last three league games. The most recent a 1-0 home defeat by league leaders Ipswich Town.

In contrast, Wrexham beat the Vanarama National League leaders 1-0 last time out. After an abysmal start to the season, a home victory over Bromley last Saturday was a welcome relief!

Wrexham vs Rochdale 11th March 1986

So, this is a Tuesday night fixture in Canon League Division Four. The original fixture, scheduled for January 4th, was postponed. After 33 games, Wrexham sit 14th in the table with 43 points. Rochdale are one place below, also on 43 points but with two games in hand.

It’s a fascinating League, looking back. Chester; Stockport County; Hartlepool United; Hereford United; Aldershot; Halifax Town and Torquay United are all in the Vanarama National League with Wrexham or lower. Burnley are established in the Premier League.

Wrexham and Rochdale have already met twice this season***. No they haven’t!! They have met three times; twice in the Milk Cup! Wrexham won the first leg 4-0 at The Racecourse. Rochdale won the second leg 2-1 and the first league fixture at Spotland, 3-2 in the November.

***Thanks to @daleprogramme on Twitter for the correction!

Match programme

Wrexham produced an 8 page issue for the match. The programme reminds us that this is Wrexham’s third home game in a week. Victory over Northampton town (1-0) was followed by defeat against Port Vale (1-3).

The programme costs £0.30p and has a red cover with a large black and white photo from the recent Northampton Town game.

The inside cover has a large advert for the league sponsors Canon, the league table and a list of top goal scorers, to date. Despite their relatively modest league positions, both the Dale and the Red Dragons have players in the top four. Steve Taylor of Rochdale leads the league with 24 goals and Steve Charles of Wrexham is just behind on 18.

The Managers notes highlight a typical Vale – Wrexham game earlier in the week “scuffles on and off the pitch and the number of booking”. Not sure what Dwr Cymru had flowing through the taps, but it also recounts that in the recent reserve game at Chirk, the coach had to “run onto the field to break up a crazed fight!” Those were the days!

Centre Pages

The programmes centre page gives us the team lists and short pen pictures of the Rochdale players. One name on each side jumps out. Barry Horne is in the midfield for Wrexham and will stay for one more season before moving on to Portsmouth, Southampton and Everton, amongst others. (Not to mention his 59 appearances for Wales).

Ronnie Moore leads the line for Dale. Ronnie is in his only season with Rochdale. He makes 43 appearances scoring 9 goals. The next season he returns to Tranmere Rovers, with whom he has a long association as both player and manager.

Opposite the teams, in the centre pages, is a fascinating article entitled Stateside Reds. The article mentions several players with Wrexham connections who have ended up playing in the USA. But the main feature of the article is Peter Wall. Wall left Wrexham for Liverpool but fell out with Bill Shankly. He moved to Crystal Palace and after a broken leg was persuaded to try the NASL. It’s a good read.

News and views on page 6 apologises for the number of programme pages, advising us that the programme for the recent Hartlepool United game made a £200 loss.

The back cover is a full page advert for Marcher Lager, brewed by Marstons!

The Main Men

Usually the main men talks about key players in the match. However, this time, let’s focus on the Managers.

In the hot seat at the Racecourse is Dixie McNeil. Dixie is not a Welshman, he was born in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. In fact, he was 30 years old before he signed for the club from Hereford United. In the 1975/76 season, while at Hereford, he was leading goal scorer across all four English Divisions. Despite this, Hereford were relegated!

Dixie made 167 appearances for Wrexham across five seasons, scoring 54 goals. Season 1985/86 is Dixie’s first as Wrexham Manager and the team wins the Welsh Cup. Wrexham beat Cardiff City 6-2 on aggregate in the semi final, and play Welsh Giants, Kidderminster Harriers in the final!

After a 1-1 draw at the Racecourse, Wrexham win the replay 2-1 at Aggborough.

Wrexham are knocked out on away goals by Real Zaragoza in the second round of the following season’s European Cup Winners Cup.

Today, Dixie is honorary Club President at Wrexham.

Vic Halom

In the hot seat at Spotland is Vic Halom. Vic played over 450 games in a career spanning 16 years. As a centre forward, he scored 131 goals.

Perhaps his most important goals came in the 1972/73 season when playing for Sunderland. He scored in a 5th round FA Cup replay against Manchester City and then in the Semi Final against Arsenal.

This took Sunderland to Wembley for a memorable FA Cup win over Leeds United and Vic picked up a winner’s medal.

Rochdale is the only English League club that Vic Halom managed after his playing career. Recruited after some non-league success with Barrow, he took over the reins in for the 1984/85 season.

After some early promise, the club slid into decline and only escaped applying for re-election in 1985/86 by one point. Surely it is inevitable that any poorly performing manager will be fired when the Chairman is Tommy Cannon (of Bobby Ball fame!)

Vic was so disillusioned that he left the game completely. He tried his hand at politics. But his football prowess was not enough to win him a seat for the Liberal Democrats in Sunderland at the 1992 General Election.

Wrexham vs Rochdale 11th March 1986 – The Result

As for the match, Wrexham won 2-0 in front of a crowd of 1,378.

Let’s hope there are many more there on Sunday and good luck to both teams!

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