Watson says Rochdale ‘just can’t start games of football like that’ after 4–2 defeat at Port Vale
Sunday 1 November 2026 · By Cecil Stockdale
Rochdale manager Ian Watson said his team “just can’t start games of football like we started” after they conceded three goals in the opening 22 minutes of a 4–2 defeat at Port Vale on Saturday.
Port Vale were 3–0 up before Rochdale replied. Ian Henderson and Charlie Tasker scored late on, according to the Press Association, and Keyrol Figueroa also scored late for Vale. It was the second week in a row in which Rochdale had been behind early, after the 5–0 home defeat by Accrington Stanley on 24 October.
Watson was clear about where the problem lies. “Similar to last week, we just can’t start games of football like we started here,” he said. “The goals we gave away are so soft, we’ve just allowed people to run through us.”
He explained that the plan had not worked. “We’d spoken during the week about how athletic they were and how good they were in their moments. We had a plan to stop them from doing it. And then they just run through us and again we’re out of the game after 10 or 15 minutes.”
There was a message about last week’s defeat, too. “We had a lot of meetings where the boys spoke about how much they wanted to react and ensure that we were ready to put right the wrongs of last week today,” Watson said. “But then we don’t get contact, we don’t mark properly for the first goal, it’s just such a simple goal to concede.”
He ended on a blunt note. “It’s pure and simple, I’m saying the same things – we just can’t start games of football like that. If you have a spell in the game where you’re not at it, you get punished and at the minute that spell is coming from the very start of the game.”
The table shows Rochdale 19th on 15 points from 14 games, with four wins, three draws and seven defeats. Standing after the weekend’s games, they have conceded 26 goals, the most in League Two, and their goal difference is minus nine. BBC form for the last six league games reads win, draw, loss, draw, loss, loss. They are three points above Colchester, who are in the first relegation place.
There is a short run of cup football before the next league game. Rochdale host Doncaster in the EFL Trophy at Spotland on Tuesday 3 November at 7pm. They go to Fleetwood in the FA Cup first round on Saturday 7 November at 3pm, a tie between two League Two clubs. Fleetwood, who beat Bristol Rovers on Saturday, have a quarter-final against Everton to look forward to.
Rochdale’s next league game is a home match against York on Saturday 14 November at 3pm, so Watson has two cup games in which to fix the starts first.
Most visiting supporters still call it Spotland. The Crown Oil Arena sits on Sandy Lane in north-west Rochdale, postcode OL11 5DR, a compact four-sided ground of 10,249 that Rochdale AFC have used since the early twentieth century. Rochdale Hornets share it for rugby league. Housing and trees press in close; it is not a modern bowl, and that is part of the appeal.
Away fans are housed in the Willbutts Lane Stand, the covered single-tier sideline stand opened around 2000. Views are generally excellent and there are no supporting pillars. A typical allocation is about 1,500; for bigger followings the club can give over most or all of the stand, up to around 3,500. For very small away numbers you may instead be placed in a block of the Smith Metals Family Stand (Pearl Street End). Check your ticket. Block T on Willbutts Lane is often used as a segregation buffer next to the family end.
Opposite you is the David Kilpatrick Main Stand: home seating, dugouts, tunnel, boxes and the 1907 Lounge. Behind one goal is the Smith Metals Family Stand, including the Joshua McCormack Family Enclosure and junior activity around Desmond’s Den. Behind the other goal is the Sandy Lane End, the last covered terrace and the noisiest home area. All four sides are covered. The pitch measures 105m by 68m.
The ground is just over two miles from Junction 20 of the M62. Use OL11 5DR in a sat nav. Stadium parking is for permit holders and hospitality only. Street parking exists nearby, but some roads are residents-only and parts of Sandy Lane are often coned. Arrive early. Oulder Hill Community School (OL11 5EF) is a common matchday option, about a ten-minute uphill walk. Visiting coaches must drop off and park on Ings Lane; they must not use Sandy Lane or Willbutts Lane.
Rochdale station is served from Manchester Victoria and Leeds. The walk to the ground is around 30–40 minutes; a taxi is typically £7–£8. Metrolink trams reach Rochdale Town Centre, from where it is about a 20-minute walk. Local buses also serve the Spotland area. Turnstiles usually open 90 minutes before kick-off. There are no cash turnstiles: buy in advance or from the ticket office or a signed matchday cabin. Save an e-ticket to your phone if you can.
The Ratcliffe Bar is built into the ground near the Sandy Lane end and has long welcomed mixed home and away crowds, with screens and a short walk to the away turnstiles. Opening times vary by kick-off. Studds, under the Pearl Street side, has also admitted visitors on some fixtures. Nearby options include the Cemetery pub, the Bowling Green and Highland Laddie on Spotland Road, Rochdale Sports Club a short walk away, and town-centre spots such as the Regal Moon. A well-regarded chip shop sits over the road from the away entrance.
Inside Willbutts Lane you get a standard concourse: pies, burgers, soft drinks and beer, with screens for other scores. Facilities and legroom are decent for this level. Wheelchair positions for visiting supporters are in the Willbutts Lane Stand; book through the club. Stewards are generally straightforward. Atmosphere is friendly more often than not, and the low roofs help a travelling support make a noise.
Prices change by season and fixture, so confirm on rochdaleafc.co.uk before you travel. The visitor guide on the club site is the best last-minute check for turnstile times, coach instructions and any one-off allocation changes. Come early, park considerately, and you should have a straightforward afternoon at one of the more likeable lower-league grounds in the North West.