Jim Bentley appointed as new manager of Rochdale AFC

Rochdale Football Club has today (29 August) announced the appointment of Jim Bentley as Dale’s new first team manager.

The 46-year-old joins the club on a two-year contract and will be in the dugout for Tuesday night’s Papa John’s Trophy group stage tie against Accrington Stanley.

Bentley, a former defender, spent more than eight years as manager at Morecambe, where he spent the majority of his playing career.

He managed over 400 games at Morecambe and was the longest serving manager in the football league when he left in October 2019 to join AFC Fylde where he worked until March this year.

 

 

“I am delighted and proud to become the new manager of Rochdale Football Club,” said Bentley.

“The football club has had some difficult times on and off the pitch over the last few seasons and I am determined to help improve things, move the club forward, and give the fans something to cheer about and be proud of.

“We find ourselves in a difficult position at this present time, but we are only at the very start of the season and I am ready for the challenge that lies ahead.

“I am excited to take up this role and grateful to the board of directors for this opportunity. One thing I can guarantee is that I will give my absolute all for the football club, the supporters and the town.”

Chairman Simon Gauge said: “I am delighted to welcome Jim Bentley to Rochdale AFC.

“The board and I felt it was really important that we not only recruited a manager that has had proven League Two playing and management experience, but also someone who will be a good cultural fit for our fan owned and fan-led club, as we all seek to bring us success and get us back up the football league.

“It has been a speedy but very detailed recruitment process during which we with met several potential interested candidates, all of whom have managed at that level, but we instantly found with Jim that he is going to be a good fit with our club.

“He has managed over 400 games at this level and his values of honesty, transparency, work ethic and most importantly fighting spirit are the exact qualities all of us at Rochdale AFC have shown over the past year and want to show in every competitive fixture and in every team the club puts out.

“We all need to get vociferously behind Jim and the team and look forward to climbing up the League Two table and competing in the remaining cup competitions, starting on Tuesday night away at League One's Accrington Stanley in the Papa John's trophy.”

In a statement the club thanked Jim McNulty for taking interim charge of the side, and Kevin Gibbins and the rest of the backroom staff, who helped the lead the team in the last three fixtures. The club confirmed that both McNulty and Gibbins will be part of Bentley’s backroom staff, with McNulty reverting back to his role of player/coach. The club also said that Bentley will be bringing in an assistant manager with details to be confirmed.