Its one of the first games that every football fan looks for when the fixtures are published, the game that brings the part time fans out of the woodwork, the game where the form book is thrown out of the window. I am of course talking about the first local derby of the season.This bank holiday weekend sees Keith Hills Rochdale play host
Taylor Chorney Women Jersey to that lot from the other side of Heywood, Bury. This is perhaps one of the most predictable fixtures on the list all year, not only because it seems to be played every August bank holiday, but for the fact that Dale havent managed to record a win over the Shakers at Spotland since November 1993. Funnily enough, the favour is returned when the two meet at Gigg Lane, with Rochdale having a much better record away from home in this particular fixture.So what can be expected from the game on Saturday? Its a tough one to call after only four games, with both teams having lost two of their opening fixtures, however Bury have notched up two wins as opposed to Dales one. Obviously I havent actually seen any of the Shakers games this season, and getting a Bury fan to admit they deserved to lose is as hard as getting a Liverpool fan to admit they wont win the Premiership, so I must say Im not too sure as to what to expect from them on Saturday. Reading their me sageboard however, they do seem to believe that every defeat theyve suffered this season is the fault of the referee so itll be interesting how Select Group referee Keith Stroud goes down with their fans.Referee Keith Stroud One thing I am fully expecting however is at least one goal from Burys star striker Andy Bishop. The ex-York player spent a few months on loan at Dale towards the end of 2003 (scoring his only goal against Bury) and has found himself the subject of a weekly feature on the Rochdale me sageboard titled, Andy Bishop Value for Moneywatch. To cut a long story short, a certain member of the me sageboard documents Bishops return from injury and analyses what Andy Bishop has done this week to earn his reported rather large
Tyler Graovac Jersey wage. Heres an example from the latest installment:Running totals (Week eight):Money extracted from bury football club: 22,400Goals scored against credible opposition: O (This will be 3 at least after Rochdale away!)Goals scored against non-league teams: 1 (Radcliffe Borough away)Amount per goal scored: 22,400Notice how even the author admits he is tweeking the nipples of the so-called Football Gods? After that he goes on to calculate what Bishop could buy with his wage:What Andy has bought so far with his wages:700 copies of Bad by Michael Jackson1,003 pairs of Metallic Blue pom poms.70 Lightweight Walking Frames510 Copies of The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey6 Outwell Hartford XXL Tenta (2009)2,828 copies of the Bottom 2 Digger (VHS)350 pairs of Fur Love
Tom Wilson Men Jersey Cuffs.466 Tesco Learn Together abacusesAs a result of this Im fully expecting Bishop to score on Saturday, and Im hoping that our strikers can finally find their scoring boots. For all our hard work this season weve only managed to score a measly three goals. Thats not to say weve been playing badly, because we havent. We just seem to be trying to pa s to ball into the net so to speak. Of course the lo s of Adam Le Fondre to Rotherham was a big blow (which was proven by his goal against us on his home debut) and it leaves us without our top scorer from the last 2 seasons.Dale will have to find a new source of goals without Adam Le FondreDespite the lo s
Nathan Walker Women Jersey of Alfie, we still have a number of players capable of scoring goals, Joe Thompson and Will Buckley contributed a fair share from the wings last season, with Buckleys 93rd minute consolation at Gigg Lane playing a part in keeping Bury in this league (they mi sed out on automatic promotion by one goal). However, the weight of expectation now rests on the shoulders of Chris Dagnall.The young scouser, signed from Tranmere in 2006, has a record of around a goal every three games but has suffered with injuries over the last two seasons and has struggled to regain the form he showed when he first signed for Dale. This isnt to say he has lost his talent because he clearly hasnt, in fact most Dale fans I know would have rather lost Le Fondre than Daggers. His goal against Rotherham on Saturday will have given him a confidence boost and hopefully hell start scoring for fun once again.Chris Dagnall: 1st choice strikerThe departure of Le Fondre also hands a chance for a couple of players to stake a claim for a first team place. Jon Shaw, signed from Halifax Town in the summer of 2008 hasnt lived up to expectations and spent the final few months of last season on loan to Crawley Town, whilst Scott Spencer has little over two weeks to prove he is worthy of a full time contract having been signed on non-contract terms. Also keen to make an impre sion is Chris OGrady, who has been signed on loan from Oldham until January.There is no team news for the Dale apart from the long term absentees of Ciaran Toner and Rory McArdle still being out. However their replacements, Jason Kennedy and Craig Dawson respectively, are proving more than worthy stand ins, the latter making the step from Radcliffe Borough to League Football look incredibly easy.Jason Kennedy has impre sed since joining from DarlingtonMy prediction
Alex Chiasson Jersey for Saturday: Dale 2 1 BuryThe bad record at home has to stop sometimedoesnt it?!
