“The existence of Rochdale AFC is at stake,” were the stark words of the club’s chairman, Simon Gauge. As with most things in life, the matter boils down to money. The Greater Manchester club require £2m of investment in the coming weeks or face the prospect of liquidation.
In the shadow of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.3bn purchase of little more than a quarter of Manchester United, the need for comparative pocket change up the road in Rochdale is a matter of life and death. The town, 14 miles north of Manchester, struggles for positive PR and to lose its one professional sports club would be a considerable blow.
