Parkin parts company with Rochdale

Rochdale football club manager Steve Parkin has today, Saturday 16 December, left the club by mutual consent. The news comes after Rochdale’s poor season continued last night with a third consecutive defeat at the hands of Hartlepool United, a game in which Steve Parkin’s team turned in their worst display of the campaign. It had become clear to everyone involved that a change was necessary for the good of the club as it battles against relegation.

In an official club statement, chairman Chris Dunphy said: “Steve is a true professional and I know how hard he has worked in doing the best that he possibly can for Rochdale Football Club, unfortunately results have not been what we have all been working for and sadly we feel the time for a change is now.

“I would like to go on record of thanking Steve for his service to the club, for being a true professional throughout, including today, and I sincerely wish him and his family all the very best for the future.”

Steve Parkin understood the reasons for his departure. He said: “Naturally I am very disappointed to be leaving Rochdale but I understand that it’s results that count in this game and unfortunately these have not gone for me.

“I would like to thank my management team, the players, staff and fans for the support that they have given me during my time at the club and I wish the new Chairman good luck.

“I take with me many fond memories of my time at Rochdale and I look forward to visiting Spotland in the future to catch up with my many friends. I send my best wishes to everyone connected with Rochdale Football Club.”

Parkin’s assistant, Tony Ford also leaves the club, whilst Director of Youth Football, Keith Hill will take temporary charge of the team ahead of the visit to MK Dons this Saturday.

Rochdale will soon begin their search for Parkin’s replacement with names such as Andy Ritchie, Ian Atkins and even the recently departed Hull City manager Phil Parkinson being the early suggestions by the club’s fans.

Whilst the time was clearly right for a change in management, it would only be right to remember some good times for Rochdale under Steve Parkin, especially during his first spell at the club when he transformed Rochdale from third division relegation strugglers under Graham Barrow to challengers at the right end of the table.

His second spell, which began in January 2004, was less memorable although it brought a time when Rochdale fans saw its best strike partnership for some decades in Rickie Lambert and Grant Holt, who, with Lambert’s signing in March, helped the side to ninth in 2005. Steve Parkin sought to build on that last term and they made an excellent start with Lambert and Holt banging in the goals but Grant Holt’s sale in January marked the start of a period where things started to go wrong for Parkin and it was only thanks to Lambert’s goals that they managed to survive relegation.

After a nightmare start, Parkin looked to have picked things up this season with a run of form culminating in the memorable 5-0 win away at Darlington but since then Rochdale have won just one of eleven games, including the equally memorable 7-1 embarrassment at the hands of Lincoln City. Friday night’s defeat to Hartlepool proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, with Rochdale only lying outside of the relegation zone on goal difference.