Spotland Stadium/Crown Oil Arena (Rochdale)

Spotland Stadium, also known as the Crown Oil Arena for sponsorship reasons, in the Spotland area of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, is home to Rochdale A.F.C. and Rochdale Hornets R.F.L.C. and has a capacity of 10,000.

General information

Arena capacity: 10,000 spectators

Address: Willbutts Lane, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, OL11 5DS

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 53°37′15″N 2°10′48″W

Year of construction: 1878

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 105 × 68 m

Seating plan of Spotland Stadium

David Kilpatrick Stand

The David Kilpatrick Stand is single-tiered and consists of alternating blue and red seating blocks. There is a row of executive boxes up at the back, whilst Rochdale’s changing rooms, dugouts and tunnel can all be found in the centre of the stand.

Four supporting pillars come down from the roof above and they will likely restrict your view somewhat, though they are well spread out.

The David Kilpatrick Stand does not have any windshields however and so you are not protected from the sides.

Spotland Stadium’s control box is based in a brick building next to the southeast corner.

Down at the front of the David Kilpatrick Stand now sits a large statue of Rochdale fan David Clough. A season ticket holder for many years, Clough raised an estimated £500,000 for Rochdale through selling lottery tickets, and left his entire estate, worth around £250,000, to the club after he passed away in June 2020 at the age of 78. Three months later, a statue of Clough, sat in the David Kilpatrick Stand seat, which the Dale superfan used for many years, was unveiled after over £10,000 had been raised towards making it.

Sandy Lane Stand

The Sandy Lane Stand is the only one of the four at Spotland Stadium made up of standing terrace. There are two rows of metal bars inside the standing area, which fans can lean on.

Four supporting pillars come down from the roof and will restrict the view for anyone stood towards the back of the stand. The front rows however will be completely fine.

Windshields at either end of the stand cover all but the front rows on either side.

Willbutts Lane Stand

The Willbutts Lane Stand is made up of a single tier of blue seating. The letters ROCHDALE are spelt out in white, and additional slivers of red seating are also used to give each letter a 3D effect. The area holding the matchday camera is up at the back of the seating area, though it is slightly off centre.

There are no supporting pillars coming down from the roof above but windshields at either end only protect half of the stand’s seating area.

Pearl Street Stand

The Pearl Street Stand is single-tiered and a similar height to the adjacent David Kilpatrick Stand. It has no executive boxes however and as a result the blue seating blocks stretch much further back. The letters RAFC are spelt out using white seating in the centre of the stand.

Supporting pillars are present in the Pearl Street Stand, but like the David Kilpatrick Stand they are well spread out and will not cause too great of a restriction to your view.

There are windshields in place at either end, but they only go half-way down and there is just a wall in place to protect the front row seats.

Away Fans

Away fans are housed on one side of the pitch in the Willbutts Lane Stand.

Depending on the size of the allocation, the blocks over by the northwest corner are used for smaller crowds with stewards in place to segregate these fans from any home supporters that are also present in the Wilbutts Lane Stand. Larger allocations are given more blocks or even the whole stand itself.

The away section actually possesses the best views of any of Spotland Stadium’s four sides, with no supporting pillars coming down from the roof above.

Windshields are in place at either end of the Willbutts Lane Stand, but they do not fully protect every row.

Where to buy tickets?

Ticket prices for Rochdale matches are generally quite easy to understand, with things that will affect how much you pay are how old you are and where in the ground you want to sit.

Dale Rewards Card holders will be entitled to £5 off admission prices, so well worth considering if you don’t have a season ticket.

Tickets are available through the club’s website, over the phone or in person by calling into the ticket office. There is an extra £1.00 to pay if you buy your ticket over the phone or online, and you can also buy tickets at the turnstiles for some games. Any all ticket games will be clearly noted in advance.

How to get there?

Rochdale is, as we’ve already mentioned, in Greater Manchester. If you can get yourself to the home of Manchester United and Manchester City, then you won’t be too far away from Spotland. Here are some of the usual routes that people consider.

Directions and Car Parking

Exit the M62 at Junction 20 and take the A627(M) towards Rochdale. At the end of the A627(M) you should be in the left hand lane to turn left at the traffic lights. Now follow the road and with Tesco on your left, go straight through the next set of lights (approach in the middle lane) into Roch Valley Way. At the next crossroads (where the Cemetery pub is on the corner) go straight onto Sandy Lane, where the ground can be found on the right after approx 3/4 mile.

Car Parking at the ground is now for permit holders only, so it is a case of finding some street parking. However, the streets in the immediate vicinity of Spotland are for ‘residents only’, so if you are not careful you could end with a parking ticket for your trouble, so check first to see if there are street parking restriction signs, before deciding to park up. There is street parking to be had along the main A680 (Edenfield Road), which can be found at the end of Willbutts Lane, only a 5-10 minute walk away from the stadium. Parking is also available at Oulderhill Community School (OL11 5EF), which is located about half a mile from the ground on Greave Avenue.

Post Code for SAT NAV: OL11 5DR

By Train

Rochdale Railway Station is located just under two miles away from the Sotland Ground, which is served by direct trains from Manchester Victoria, Halifax, Bradford Interchange and Leeds. Rochdale station is around a 35-40 minute walk from Spotland, so best jump in a taxi, rather than walking. Alternatively, you can shorten the walking journey a bit by catching a Metrolink tram from outside the station into Rochdale town centre. If you have time on your hands however and decide to walk to Spotland from the station then here’s how.

On leaving the main entrance, proceed straight on at the roundabout in front into Maclure Road. Follow this street (passing a fire station on your right) to the end and turn left at the T-junction onto Drake Street (A640). Follow this right to the end until you reach Manchester Road (A58), which is a dual carriageway. Turn right and walk along the right hand side of the road. At the major junction, which has traffic lights turn left (crossing Manchester Road) into Dane Street (A6060). Just after passing ASDA on the right, bear right onto Mellor Street (still the A6060 – here Dane Street bears left). Follow this road right to the end and bear left onto Spotland Road which soon becomes Edenfield Road (A680), bearing round to the left. Take the second left onto Willbutts Lane for the ground.

By Metrolink

You can also travel by the Metrolink tram from central Manchester to Rochdale Interchange. A return fare using the Metrolink from the centre of Manchester is currently £4.60 and you arrive in Rochdale, in just under an hour. Tram frequency is about every ten minutes. There is a town centre taxi rank about a hundred yards away from the Interchange.

If walking to the ground from the Interchange then it takes around 20 minutes to do so. To find the ground from the Interchange then as you come out of the Interchange turn right along Smith Street towards the town centre and then cross straight across the first roundabout onto the South Parade. Continue straight across the next roundabout onto the Esplanade with the Greater Manchester Police station on your right. Then cross over the major junction with the Manchester Road (A58) and continue straight onto Dane Street. After passing an Asda Store on your right, bear right onto Mellor Street (still the A6060 – here Dane Street bears left). Follow this road right to the end and bear left onto Spotland Road which soon becomes Edenfield Road (A680), bearing round to the left. Take the second left onto Willbutts Lane for the ground.

Bus

There are a number of buses that run from Rochdale centre to Spotland Stadium, with First Group being the company that runs the buses in the Greater Manchester area. Their website has an excellent journey planner on it.

Where to eat and sleep?

Nearby Manchester offers the bright lights and excitement of a big city, but Rochdale is not without some decent places to stay of its’ own. Here are some of our favourites.

1. Village Hotel Manchester Bury. About 4 miles from Spotland is this member of The Village chain of hotels. It has an indoor pool, a full-service spa and a terrace. There’s also free parking, free Wi-Fi and a business centre.
2. Quality Hotel Broadfield Park Hotel. This place is just over a mile to the ground and promises a conference centre, free Wi-Fi and free parking.
3. The Royal Toby Hotel. A mere mile from Spotland is this pleasant hotel that offers two restaurants, a garden a meeting room and free Wi-Fi.

Rochdale is very much a typical Northern town, filled with great personalities and nice little boozers secreted into different locales. Here are some of our favourite places to head for a pint.

1. The Cask & Feather. This is a real ale lovers dream, but in the setting of a sports bar. Not a combination you see very often but perfect for a pre-match pint.
2. The Regal Moon. The Regal Moon is a Wetherspoon’s so whether you enjoy yourself here will depend entirely on whether or not you like that particular chain. They serve cheap food and cheap drinks and they have TVs. Excellent.
3. Turf Tavern. With loads of outside space at the front the Turf Tavern is ideal for large crowds, and being only a 20 minute walk from the stadium it attracts them. It’s a proper pub with no airs and graces.

Facilities

Spotland is, to be fair, starting to show its age; that’s not to say that it’s not worth visiting, though. As with most clubs in the Football League, you’ll find places to get a drink and a bite to eat before, during and after the game.

The main hospitality option at Spotland is The Club Lounge where you can enjoy a three-course meal before the game, cash bar facilities and a chance to meet the players and directors of Rochdale. Alternatively, you could book yourself a box, which comes with VIP treatment and a buffet amongst other things.

Spotland Stadium can accommodate anywhere from 10 to 150 people for a range of events and functions. They offer a licensed bar, a stage, full catering if required and a whole host of conference and meeting rooms ideal for any event you fancy hosting in a storied ground in Greater Manchester.

History

Spotland Stadium was constructed specifically for the purpose of housing Rochdale FC. The record attendance at the ground was set just after the Second World War when 24,231 people turned up to see The Dale play against Notts County. Sadly, the club didn’t go on to expand much in the second half of the 20th Century, with the current capacity less than half of that which attended the post-war game.

One major reason why Spotland’s capacity was reduced was the response of the footballing world to the Taylor Report in the wake of the Hillsborough Disaster. All grounds in the Football League had to convert to all-seater, with Rochdale’s capacity dropping accordingly. That legislation was relaxed slightly for teams in the lower divisions and the stadium now includes some terraced sections.