Dave Flitcroft has accepted an invite to be guest at hospitality prior to kick off on Saturday 16th August when Dale host Altrincham at the Crown Oil Arena, he will be undoubtedly giving us an insight, non only about his playing time here but also the start of the most successful period at Rochdale with his partnership with Keith Hill, better known as “the Hillcroft era”
His Dale story: DOB: 14th January 1974 Also played for: Preston North End, Lincoln City, Chester City, Macclesfield Town, Bury, Hyde United Time at Dale: 161 League appearances, 4 goals (2 spells)
Excerpt from Rochdale FansNet When Flicker joined Dale back in the Summer of 1999, most fans were already well aware of him, he had been a regular on the lower Division circuit for a number of years, escaping the Terry Smith circus sideshow at Chester City for the safer environment at Spotland. He was an immediate hit with Dale supporters, a tough tackling midfielder who provided Dale with that bite in midfield that had been missing since the days of Jon Bowden and Shaun Reid and his performances in pre-season were very encouraging.
His debut saw him boss the midfield in the opening game of the 1999/2000 season at Cheltenham, and rugby tackle their mascot in the warm up. However, he was sent off in his second game for Dale early in the second half of a game against Southend, though in all honesty he should have been sent off much earlier than that. That sending off seemed to affect his game greatly, as he appeared to hold back from his natural game of tough tackling and his form suffered. Despite all of that, he still managed to be a regular in the first team, chalking up forty appearances in the League for Dale, with a couple of goals to his tally.
He was a regular again in the side throughout 2000/1, starting the vast majority of the games but his form tended to dip when he was played on the right hand side of midfield rather than his preferred central position, he did enough however to warrant Dale manager Steve Parkin offering him a two year contract extension at the end of the season.
His third season at Dale saw him frozen out to an extent with the midfield pairing of Gary Jones and Michael Oliver being instrumental in taking Dale to the top of the league. He nearly left the Club to join Shrewsbury Town in November of 2001 with a move agreed by all parties but a last minute change of heart saw Flicker stay at Spotland.
His final season was by far his best at the Club and he was deservedly voted as Player of the Season in the numerous awards that were on offer at the end of the season. Flicker had some outstanding displays during 2002/3 with the performance at Preston standing out. When on form, he was more than just the tough tackling midfielder but quite a cultured one, showing vision, determination and above all leadership in a season when it was sadly lacking.
His departure from Dale was quite a controversial one with Flicker finding himself a victim of the change in management, any decision on whether he would be awarded a new contract was delayed until the only offer he had from Dale was a chance to train with the Club for pre-season in the hope to impress the new manager.
Following leaving Spotland, Flitcroft had spells at Macclesfield and Bury, the latter of which saw him win the Player of the Season in his final season with the Shakers, but he left them not long after, after a rumoured fall from favour. He headed to non league where he played for Hyde United before returning to Spotland to become assistant manager to Keith Hill, maintaining his player registration.
Dave returned to Rochdale as assistant manager to Keith Hill midway through the 2006/7 season that started the most successful times at Rochdale, after losing the 2008 League Two Play Off final at Wembley and Flicker later quoting that “the feeling was that we had let everyone down” Rochdale were promoted out of League Two at the end of the 2009/10 campaign and posted a Club record high finish of 10th in League One in the 2010/11 season.
Hillcroft quote “We’ve been best mates ever since we played together in the nineties. We coached at Rochdale and Barnsley. We had no experience of management but our attitude was just let’s have a tear-up, let’s take everyone on and see what happens. It was so pure and unspoiled, none of the bulls*** and politics of football-let’s create a monster, let’s keep going. We’d beat some top Championship team and on the way home we’d be laughing, music blaring and asking why are two local lads doing turning them over? I can’t explain what a magical time it was, or how much I miss those days”