Chairman's rallying cry as Dale look to stay top

'We Want You': Rochdale AFC Chairman Chris Dunphy has issued a rallying cry to the people of the town.

Rochdale Chairman Chris Dunphy has issued a rallying cry to the people of the town as Keith Hill's team look to increase their lead at the top of the League Two table at home to Macclesfield this Saturday (5 December, kick off 3pm).

Dale's three goal demolition of Bradford on Tuesday sent them top of the pile for the first time in eight years and the Chairman wants more people to head to Spotland to enjoy the high quality football that the team has to offer.

Dunphy said: "This team is without doubt the best team I have ever seen in almost 50 years supporting this club and we have a real chance of emulating the promotion of 1969. The football is exciting and a complete joy to watch and it is a shame it is only witnessed by a few.

"We are on the verge of something special here at Spotland and I only wish there were more people from the town coming through the turnstiles to enjoy the football and ultimately help promote the town's bid for success.

"There is no doubt the supporters are out there, we took 17,000 to Wembley in 2008 and we'd love to see some of those faces at Spotland cheering the team on again.

"We need that support so we can keep the momentum going so I suppose the message to those reading this and staying at home is simply 'Be a part of it'. We want you here, we need you here and I guarantee you'll totally enjoy being here."

The srong message comes ahead of Dale's game with League Two strugglers Macclesfield Town and Hill's men will be looking to make it four wins in a row after overcoming three of the division's more fancied challengers in Bradford, Notts County and Dagenham in their last three games.

The game brings a different kind of pressure to Hill's men as they look to continue their fine form in front of an expectant home crowd against a Macclesfield outfit that has not won in any of its last six outings.

The Dale boss, who has been nominated for the League's manager of the month award for November, will be hoping to name an unchanged side from that which beat Bradford so convincingly in midweek, although he will be sweating on the fitness of winger Joe Thompson after he was forced off with injury early in the second half at Valley Parade. If Thompson does not make it, Kallum Higginbotham, who performed well in place of Thompson, will be expecting a start.

The only bit of bad news to come out of Spotland is that Will Buckley, the mercurial talent, is sidelined for at least three weeks, if not more, after aggravating an injury in last week's win over Notts County.

Visit Rochdale Online over the course of the weekend for half time and full time match reports and action photographs.