Into the Unknown

The Inside Story of Rochdale AFC’s First Season in the National League
This is the story of a club and its fans finding its feet in uncharted territory of non-league football… and the colourful clubs and characters encountered along the way. Including a flat-cap local hero at Oldham; a manager who is best mates with England boss Gareth Southgate; and tales of German efficiency in the Garden of England.

Since 1921, Rochdale AFC had always competed in the English Football League. Their continued membership - albeit isolated to the bottom two tiers - was a badge of honour in the face of little on-field success. However, in May 2023, the unthinkable happened and Rochdale AFC were relegated out of the Football League for the first time in the club's history.

A nightmare scenario for most football fans, author Chris Fitzgerald decided to embrace Rochdale's newfound non-league status and planned out a season which would see his club compete against the likes of Dorking Wanderers, Ebbsfleet United and Solihull Moors; as well as some other traditional Football League names battling for a return to the '92 club', such as Chesterfield, Hartlepool United, and York City.

Into the Unknown is the story of a club and its fans finding their feet in the uncharted territory of non-league football. and the colourful clubs and characters encountered along the way. There is the flat-cap local hero at Oldham; the manager who is best mates with England boss Gareth Southgate; and tales of German efficiency to the Garden of England.

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