We’re back at the Crown Oil Arena for the visit of Crawley Town this weekend!
Both sides will be seeking their first points and goals of the season, with our visitors seeing two men sent off in their opening day defeat to Crewe Alexandra.
ADMISSION DETAILS
Tickets are on sale via our online ticketing provider Fanbase until kick-off, with supporters able to buy online 24/7 HERE, which is the easiest and quickest way to do so. Your ticket will be saved to your phone, which can then be scanned at the turnstiles.
Click HERE for the ticketing details.
MATCHDAY GUIDE
Our Matchday Guide provides you a detailed look into what you can expect on the day, from Season Ticket Collections to new kiosks.
Click HERE to read through in more detail.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Head over to our brand-new streaming service, in partnership with Urban Zoo HERE.
From there, those in the UK can listen to live audio commentary on Dale Player, where you can sign up for monthly or yearly passes.
Overseas supporters can watch the game via our streaming service.
PRE-MATCH INTERVIEW
We caught up with skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell ahead of our first home league match. You can read his quotes HERE, with a link available to the full interview.
Ian Watson and winger Luke Hannant featured on BBC Radio Manchester across Thursday and Friday. Head to our page on BBC Sounds HERE to listen to both in full.
TEAM NEWS
The gaffer confirmed that both Ian Henderson and Jonny Smith will be available for selection on Saturday.
Laurence Maguire and Sam Beckwith remain on the sidelines, alongside Cian Hayes who recovers from a knee injury. Bryant Bilongo serves a one-match suspension following his second yellow card at Newport County.
Casey Pettit and Will Jenkins are on the long-term absentee list.
THE OPPOSITION
Overview – The Red Devils escaped relegation in dramatic fashion just a few months ago, with a point at home to Salford City enough to retain their Football League status. That would have been back-to-back relegations after just one season in the third tier, the highest level in ten years. During their successful playoff campaign, they secured the highest aggregate win in the history of the end-of-season competition, beating MK Dons 8-1 overall. They began the season with a Carabao Cup victory at York City but have since lost out in the First Round and in their opening League Two fixture.
Manager – Colin Kazim-Richards – 39yo, appointed 12th May 2026. The former Bury and Derby County striker took up his first managerial role towards the end of last season, having been part of Arsenal’s academy staff since 2024. Kazim-Richards helped The Red Devils to League Two survival on the final day, penning a new deal in May.
Last Game – Crawley Town 0-1 Crewe Alexandra.
Top League Goalscorer (2025/26) – Harry McKirdy (8).
New Signings
Jackson Izquierdo (GK)
Nicholas Michalski (GK)
Omari Mrisho (RB)
Priestley Farquharson (CB)
Pele Arganese-McDermott (CB)
Ty Ewens-Findlay (CB)
Jude Arthurs (CM)
Stephen Duke-McKenna (CM)
Klaudio Krasniqi (CM)
Kai Jennings (CM)
Nathan Tinsdale (CM)
Osman Kamara (FW)
Pemi Aderoju (FW)
Gianmarco Di Biase (FW)
PLAYED FOR BOTH
One man in the Dale ranks who has previously pulled on the colours of Crawley Town is defender Laurence Maguire. The 29-year old was loaned out to the West-Sussex outfit in 2023, with Maguire scoring on his debut away at Stockport County.
He helped the side reach League One, with promotion secured at Wembley Stadium with victory over Crewe Alexandra.
As for former players of both sides, notably Ernie Cooksey, Keith Keane and Jon Shaw are the standouts.
WE’VE MET BEFORE
Games Played – 6
Rochdale Wins – 2
Draws – 1
Crawley Wins – 3
Most recent matchup – Crawley Town 2-0 Dale (25th Mar 2023).
First ever matchup – Crawley Town 0-4 Dale (6th Sep 2014).
OFFICIALS
Referee | Zac Kennard-Kettle.
Assistants | Samuel Clayton & Simon Robinson.
Fourth Official | Mark Cunliffe.
