| Terry Melling passed away 21st March on 17:34 - Mar 29 with 1596 views | EllDale |
Sad news. I know he wasn't still at the club when promotion was finally gained but he sticks in the memory.
One game in particular stays in the mind, a 4-1 away win at Bradford PA in January 1969.
Laurie Brown was their player-manager and he terrorised him that afternoon. |  | |  |
| Terry Melling passed away 21st March on 19:44 - Mar 29 with 1450 views | pioneer |
| Terry Melling passed away 21st March on 17:34 - Mar 29 by EllDale |
Sad news. I know he wasn't still at the club when promotion was finally gained but he sticks in the memory.
One game in particular stays in the mind, a 4-1 away win at Bradford PA in January 1969.
Laurie Brown was their player-manager and he terrorised him that afternoon. |
He. got a hat trick that day. | | | |
| Terry Melling passed away 21st March on 20:23 - Mar 29 with 1408 views | Sheffdale |
Prompted me to revisit what I put in my articles in TVOS about that promotion season. Here's the extract and a bit of context about Terry Melling.
How we love a new signing. Our head tells us they might not work out but our heart knows them to be a vital missing link; that elusive 20 goal a season player; a late developer plucked from obscurity; a broken toy that only Dale can fix. There were no transfer windows in 1968/69, but transfer activity played a key part in our promotion. The crucial deals were done close season when manager Bob Stokoe signed eight new players. There was no pre-season trip to Tenerife in 1968 but somehow the team gelled.
Six of the first eight games were drawn and only Steve Melledew and Dennis Butler had scored in open play. Ivor Wensley wrote in the Sunday Express after another 1-1 draw, “Rochdale’s need for a sharpshooter was never more apparent than in this rugged clash with Peterborough.”
The management recognised this and Terry Melling, a former Army XI captain, was purchased from Mansfield Town. The Old Boy’s Network played its part as both coach Dick Connor and Melling hailed from the north east. Melling’s presence had an immediate impact. Although not on the scoresheet in his debut, he was a prominent figure in the 6-0 rout of Bradford City. The next match at York was another 0-0 draw but for the first time that season the ‘P’ word appeared. The Sunday paper read, “New look Rochdale could be on the path to promotion. That was the view of many York supporters after seeing their side outplayed at Bootham Crescent.”
Melling went on to score 8 goals that season, keeping a temporarily becalmed Reg Jenkins out of the team on occasions. Steven Phillipps says Melling’s high spot was his hat trick at Bradford, “when the tough ex-squaddie who had not been expecting to play, appeared with his head bandaged, reputedly the result of falling off a bus the night before.” As excuses go I reckon that’s up there with the dog ate my homework.
My dad had driven me across to Bradford Park Avenue’s ground and I recall something of the match — both Bradford teams suffered heavy defeats at Dale’s hands that season. I also recall an earlier trip to Bradford Park Avenue a 0-0 draw in April 1965. On the journey back one of dad’s friends pointed out Rochdale born Tommy Greenhough, the Lancashire and England leg spinner. His autograph appears on my match programme, a shoddy green on white affair priced 4d, with adverts for the Hillman Imp and Top-All Flake. A printer’s son noticed these things.
Melling’s stay at Dale was short lived. When Tony Buck was recruited from Newport County on Valentine’s Day 1969, Dale recouped some of the record £5000 fee paid for Buck (paid by a director I understand) by selling Melling to Darlington. I like the fact that the promotion season has wheeling and dealing to keep the momentum going. Shape shifting on a 1960s shoestring. | | | |
| Terry Melling passed away 21st March on 20:43 - Mar 29 with 1375 views | DiddyDave |
| Terry Melling passed away 21st March on 20:23 - Mar 29 by Sheffdale |
Prompted me to revisit what I put in my articles in TVOS about that promotion season. Here's the extract and a bit of context about Terry Melling.
How we love a new signing. Our head tells us they might not work out but our heart knows them to be a vital missing link; that elusive 20 goal a season player; a late developer plucked from obscurity; a broken toy that only Dale can fix. There were no transfer windows in 1968/69, but transfer activity played a key part in our promotion. The crucial deals were done close season when manager Bob Stokoe signed eight new players. There was no pre-season trip to Tenerife in 1968 but somehow the team gelled.
Six of the first eight games were drawn and only Steve Melledew and Dennis Butler had scored in open play. Ivor Wensley wrote in the Sunday Express after another 1-1 draw, “Rochdale’s need for a sharpshooter was never more apparent than in this rugged clash with Peterborough.”
The management recognised this and Terry Melling, a former Army XI captain, was purchased from Mansfield Town. The Old Boy’s Network played its part as both coach Dick Connor and Melling hailed from the north east. Melling’s presence had an immediate impact. Although not on the scoresheet in his debut, he was a prominent figure in the 6-0 rout of Bradford City. The next match at York was another 0-0 draw but for the first time that season the ‘P’ word appeared. The Sunday paper read, “New look Rochdale could be on the path to promotion. That was the view of many York supporters after seeing their side outplayed at Bootham Crescent.”
Melling went on to score 8 goals that season, keeping a temporarily becalmed Reg Jenkins out of the team on occasions. Steven Phillipps says Melling’s high spot was his hat trick at Bradford, “when the tough ex-squaddie who had not been expecting to play, appeared with his head bandaged, reputedly the result of falling off a bus the night before.” As excuses go I reckon that’s up there with the dog ate my homework.
My dad had driven me across to Bradford Park Avenue’s ground and I recall something of the match — both Bradford teams suffered heavy defeats at Dale’s hands that season. I also recall an earlier trip to Bradford Park Avenue a 0-0 draw in April 1965. On the journey back one of dad’s friends pointed out Rochdale born Tommy Greenhough, the Lancashire and England leg spinner. His autograph appears on my match programme, a shoddy green on white affair priced 4d, with adverts for the Hillman Imp and Top-All Flake. A printer’s son noticed these things.
Melling’s stay at Dale was short lived. When Tony Buck was recruited from Newport County on Valentine’s Day 1969, Dale recouped some of the record £5000 fee paid for Buck (paid by a director I understand) by selling Melling to Darlington. I like the fact that the promotion season has wheeling and dealing to keep the momentum going. Shape shifting on a 1960s shoestring. |
I went to that 0-0 draw at York, Melling was new, but you see there was a good player in there. I thought the reason why he left was because he didn`t get on with the manager who took over from Bob Stokoe, how could I forget his name, but I have, Len Richley? There was a Lancashire Cup match against United, Dale sent a strong experienced side, but United`s Central League team tore them apart, 7-0, Melling was dropped after that and left soon after. Somebody on here will fill in the gaps I`ve left. | | | |
| Terry Melling passed away 21st March on 10:50 - Mar 30 with 1165 views | 49thseason |
Some of the 1968 pre-season was done on the track in Springfield Park and the pitch in the middle! As a fan it was interesting to see them going through their paces doing intervals up and down the home straight with Stokoe calling the shots, not so sure the Harriers we overly impressed at their track being used by footballers though. |  | | |
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