Joe, who had been bravely battling cancer for a third time, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, with his family by his side.
Known by those close to Rochdale as ‘Joey T’, he made over 200 appearances for his local team, representing the badge with pride.
We first knew Joe primarily as a talented footballer, but we would soon grow to adore his loving, infectious personality.
He faced every battle head-on, both on and off the pitch. His journey and indomitable spirit have been an inspiration for everyone who has been touched by his story.
Above all of that, Joe was a loving husband to Chantelle and an incredible father to Thailula and Athena Rae.
Our thoughts are with Joe’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time.
Joe Thompson – one of our own.
Born in Bath on 5th March 1989, Joe moved to Rochdale at an early age, attending St Vincent’s Primary School and later St Cuthbert’s High School.
At the age of nine, he joined Manchester United’s Academy where he stayed until 16-years-old.
It was then, in the summer of 2005, he joined Dale on a YTS deal, making his First Team debut in a match against Carlisle United in May 2006.
Joe would go on to be a regular and played an integral part in promotion to League One in 2010.
His first spell with the Club came to an end in 2012 having made 157 appearances and scoring 17 goals.
It was that summer he joined Tranmere Rovers, although he did return to Spotland for a loan spell in that season, making seven appearances.
In 2013, Joe was diagnosed with the cancerous disease Hodgkin lymphoma, battling to overcome that and returning to professional football with Bury in 2014.
Spells at Wrexham, Southport and Carlisle United followed before a return to the Crown Oil Arena in 2016 marked a third stint with Dale.
However, just several months later, the disease came back for a second time. Once again, Joe summoned the will to bravely fight off the disease and returned to action just nine months after his last match.
He featured in our FA Cup fifth round replay against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium, before entering himself into Rochdale folklore on the final day of the 2017/18 season.
With Dale needing a win to survive relegation to League Two, Joe appeared as a 67th minute substitute and just two minutes later, he scored the crucial goal that secured a 1-0 victory and our League One status.
He made one more appearance for the Club before announcing his retirement from football in 2019.
Joe would go on to tell his inspiring story as a motivational speaker and life coach, as well as becoming an engaging football pundit and holding an ambassadorial role with Manchester United, amongst many other things.
He also spent a lot of time raising vital funds for various charities, most recently completing a 21-mile walk from Old Trafford to the Crown Oil Arena, despite suffering the effects of the awful disease.
Joe’s legacy will live on forever.
Our First Team players will wear black armbands during Friday’s match at Altrincham, before we plan to pay tribute to Joe at our next home match against AFC Fylde on Easter Monday. More details will follow.
Joey Thompson, he’s one of our own.
1989 – 2025
