Tributes paid as ‘lifeblood’ of Dale dies
GLOWING tributes have been paid to a Rochdale AFC stalwart who helped the club survive through some of its toughest times.
Maureen Peacock, of Milnrow, was involved with the Dale for more than 30 years and was described as the ‘lifeblood’ of the club.
A minute’s silence was held for her at Spotland before the match against Chesterfield on Boxing Day following her death aged 77 five days earlier.
Club chairman Chris Dunphy said: “Maureen was a wonderful person – she was always there on match day and she helped out in the ticket office.
“She started the Young Dale club around 30 years ago and she always used to look after the club mascots at matches.
“In the 1980s, the club was on its beam-ends and everyone who did anything for the club was doing it for nothing, just for the love of the club, which epitomises how Maureen was – she’d have done anything for it.”
Dale fans forums have been flooded with tributes from supporters sharing their memories of Maureen.
One fan wrote: “Very sad news. One of the people who was the lifeblood at our club.”
Another said: “Maureen was one of the reasons this club survived through the 1980s as she was a driving force behind the setting up of Junior Dale.
“Without her there would be plenty of kids who might not have turned up every week dragging their parents and friends to games too.”
And another supporter posted: “Those of us of a certain age grew up with Maureen always being around at Spotland and at away games; and I mean ALWAYS.
“People like Maureen are the fabric of clubs like Dale. She nurtured many young supporters through their early days and kept encouraging us to come back, which wasn’t easy in the early 1980s.”
Maureen, who worked at the Asda store in Pilsworth since it first opened, was also a keen member of Milnrow Cricket Club which also paid tribute to her.
In a statement on Facebook the club said: “Milnrow CC, is sad to learn of the passing of one of its members, Maureen Peacock, our sincere condolences to her family.”
Maureen’s son James said he had been inundated with well wishes since his mum’s death.
He told the Observer: “I’ve been contacted by so many people telling me how kind she was and how helpful.
“My mum was a very selfless person and she would do anything for anybody.
“She loved football and cricket and she was very well-known at both Rochdale and Milnrow.
“She was always helping other people and one of the reasons she continued to work at Asda was that it was something to get her out and about, which was her big motivation for doing it.
“The weekend before she died, she’d been on a coach to Northampton to watch Rochdale play and she drew a lot of pleasure from all she did.”
Wife of the late David, Maureen also leaves grandchildren Aaron, Coby and Mitchell and great-grandchild April.
Funeral details are to be announced.