Holt Extends Contract

Rochdale Football Club released the news on Thursday that star striker Grant Holt would be at Spotland for a further two seasons. The top scoring front man could have left the club at the end of the coming season on a free transfer before this new deal was signed. A lot of higher division sides would have been hoping that would be the case, with managers nationwide showing an interest in Rochdale’s most influential player of last season. Indeed, Holt could have moved even earlier, speculation and rumour suggested that he would be transferred this summer. The Rochdale board turned down substantial offers from Swansea City and Yeovil Town for the twenty-four year old, former Sheffield Wednesday player. The rejection of these bids shows the confidence the board has in Rochdale’s sound financial position; that they do not have to sell their best players when the offers arrive. It also shows that they are prepared to put success on the pitch ahead of cash revenue and manager Steve Parkin will be delighted to have secured the strength and goal-scoring prowess that Holt brings to the side until the summer of 2007.

It has been a good week for Dale, with captain, Gary Jones and goalkeeper, Matt Gilks, both signing new contracts to keep them at Spotland and the midfield services of Lee Cartwright being secured from Stockport.

Holt’s signing came on the same day that the players, staff and fans learned the fixtures for this season. Holt will begin his search for more goals away at Shrewsbury Town, a first day trip that should prove popular with fans thanks to the results that Dale have earned there in recent times. Steve Parkin’s men will then have a chance to extend an unbeaten home run that stretches back to October of last year, Wycombe visit Spotland on Tuesday 9 August. Other games to look out for include the two against local rivals Bury, the home game falling on 28 December with the reverse fixture three months later, on 25 March and the team will come up against former manager Paul Simpson, now in charge of Carlisle, away from home on New Year’s Eve then, ironically, at Spotland on April Fool’s Day. The toughest month of the campaign would appear to be January with fixtures against two of the relegated teams from League One, Torquay and Stockport, promotion hopefuls of the last two seasons Northampton and an away game against Mansfield, Field Mill being a ground where Dale are perennial strugglers.