Rochdale chairman Chris Dunphy aiming for a long-overdue promotion

Chris Dunphy stood on the terraces when Rochdale were last promoted and has only a vague memory of that momentous campaign. It was in 1969.

He sank back into despair as they were relegated five years later and has more vivid recollections of the 35 years since then – the span of Rochdale’s record-breaking habitation of the Football League’s bottom tier.

Since 2006, Dunphy has been Rochdale chairman with a match-day seat on the other side of Spotland, but remains a tortured, die-hard fan.

And he is so devoted to his old standing place that he runs a business – specialising in heating medieval churches – from an office under the new stand that replaced the old terracing.

Rochdale have been out in the cold for so long that many local cynics even believe they lack a genuine desire to go up again. The club, like the town, have been a cliché for the run-down and destitute; the butt of music hall jokes and pundits’ derision.

But the Dale of tears has become the field of dreams and, after two play-off exits, even the most sceptical sense that manager Keith Hill’s team could finally deliver.

Dunphy said: “Some people still have their doubts, but the finances of football are such that we really do need to get promoted.

“For goodness sake, we’ve been in this division long enough. Let’s bloody give it a try. If we go up and can’t afford it then I’ll hold my hands up and we’ll have to go down again. But we’ve got to give it a go.”

Hill’s young side are doing precisely that with a brand of flowing, constructive football befitting a redeveloped stadium and perfect playing surface.

But following their shock elimination from the FA Cup against non-League Luton, Dunphy fears that only League One football next season will keep the team intact.

He said: “My memory of the 1969 team is fading, but I can’t remember a better team here than this one.

“We’re playing good, exciting football, we have a lot of promising players and the scouts from bigger clubs watch us every match.

“But with gates averaging 2,500 it’s difficult. If we don’t get promotion this season we’ll have players wanting to get away to play in higher divisions, so it’s absolutely imperative we go up.

“Promotion would be massive for me but it’s about the town and the supporters.

“Our supporters are probably the longest-suffering in the league. We had a day out at Wembley for the play-off final a couple of seasons ago and it’s time we ended the wait.

“We’re trying to build a team the town can be proud of and put behind us the jokes for good. We want to put on entertainment here – and we’ve got lots of spare seats!”

None of Dale’s current squad has such an acute appreciation of the progress at Spotland than captain Gary Jones.

The 32-year-old midfield player, who began the first of his two spells with the club in 1997, said: “It’s frightening what’s happened here.

“Keith Hill and [assistant] Dave Flitcroft have changed the club from top to bottom.

“They’re a marriage made in heaven. We’re playing the best football since I’ve been here.

“We’ve also got the ground and the pitch. I’ve played when it was just sand. It’s Premier League standard now. The groundsman’s done an amazing job.

“I love this club and playing with these young lads keeps me young. But the only way to prove we’re a club going forward is by winning promotion – that would be the icing on the cake for me.”