DALE SAY CHEERS TO GREAT ESCAPE
Hill’s heroes had real thirst to save status...
WHEN Rochdale lost 2-1 at Oxford United on the penultimate weekend of the season, it looked as though their incredible effort to stave off relegation might fall flat.
Two U’s penalties turned the game on its head after Rochdale had taken the lead through Brad Inman just before the hour mark.
After making up a tenpoint deficit, albeit with games in hand, and clambering out of the relegation zone, suddenly Dale were back in it with just one game left.
It was then that manager Keith Hill, right, made a decision out of the Brian Clough school of management that ultimately proved a masterstroke – he took his players for a few beers!
The Dale manager explained: “When we were a long way behind, we said we weren’t going to get out of trouble overnight.
“We knew we were going to have ups and downs, but we had to stay focused. We kept reaching little milestones along the way and we said when we had a group meeting that we might only get out on the last day.
“Everything was going well, but then we got beaten at Oxford. That could have been a car crash, it could have been damaging psychologically.
“However, we got together on the Sunday and we had a good drink. We said, ‘This isn’t going to ruin our season. If we get 51 points, we stay in this league’.
“I know people said it was the wrong thing to do, but I think taking them out for a drink was one of the best things I have ever done as a manager.”
Refreshed in mind and body, Dale went out and beat play-off chasing Charlton 1-0 the following Saturday evening, while relegation rivals Oldham were held to a 2-2 draw at all-but-doomed Northampton.
Fairytale
It took Hill’s heroes to 51 points, one more than the Latics, who plunged into the EFL basement. To make it even more of a fairytale finish for Rochdale, it was Joe Thompson, who has twice overcome cancer, who netted the all-important winner after coming off the bench. “When I realised Oldham had equalised, I had to make decisions on substitutions,” said Hill. “It was a no-brainer to put Steve Davies and Joe Thompson on and, thankfully, Joe provided the goal. Me and Joey are really close – he’s almost like a son to me. “Everything he’s gone through is testament to him and his bravery. He’s never been a victim and he’s shown tremendous courage. It was so fitting it was him who scored the goal.”
After such a dramatic season, which included a memorable FA Cup fifth round draw against Tottenham, Hill and company are glad to have the chance to put their feet up at last.
“We’ll be starting on equal points with Sunderland next season – that’s what we’ve achieved,” added the 48-yearold, who has twice led Dale to promotion to the third tier.
“We had a lot of phone calls, people in football getting in touch to say we deserved to stay up. We are an honest club and really pleased to have secured our status.
“We had a terrible start to the season, but I put my trust in the group of players we had to turn things around. It would have been a real shame to get relegated – the players have been superb.”