Chris Dunphy and Colin Garlick receive long service awards from the Football League

Chairman Chris Dunphy and Chief Executive Colin Garlick received long service awards from the Football League

Rochdale AFC Chairman Chris Dunphy and Chief Executive Colin Garlick received long service awards from Football League Chairman Greg Clarke at the Football League annual conference. The awards recognise at least 21 years service to the game.

Mr Dunphy first joined the board for three seasons in the early eighties but his current term on the board commenced back in 1990. In his early years back on the board he was particularly involved in the development of Spotland Stadium, his main two projects were the design and build of the Pearl Street Stand which was to incorporate a new club shop and commercial office as well as a permanent base for the Football in the Community Department. He then went on to project manage the final piece of the Spotland development with the completion of the Willbutts Lane stand, this particular stand housed commercial offices and a new community IT suite.

Mr Dunphy took over as chairman of Rochdale in 2006 and has been at the helm of the club during its most successful period on the pitch. A proud Rochdalian he has guided the club to its first visit to Wembley Stadium when the club reached the League 2 play-off final in their centenary season, and has also lead the club to two of their three promotions to League 1 in 2010 and 2014.

Mr Garlick joined Macclesfield Town as club secretary in 1993 and witnessed six years of unprecedented success as the club enjoyed four consecutive civic receptions due to two Football Conference titles, an FA Trophy win at Wembley and promotion to the then Division 2 following entry to the Football League the season before. He took up the position of Chief Executive and Secretary at Macclesfield in 2005 but left the club in 2005 when he initially took up the role of General Manager and Secretary at Rochdale, later becoming Chief Executive/Secretary. In his 10 seasons at Rochdale he too has seen the club visit Wembley for the first time in its centenary season and witnessed two promotions to League 1.

In addition to the on field success that both have overseen in recent years, this success has extended to player transfer sales and has included players such as Grant Holt, Rickie Lambert, Adam Le Fondre, Craig Dawson, Chris O’Grady, Will Buckley, Craig Dawson and Glenn Murray.