1915–16 Rochdale A.F.C. season

The 1915–16 season saw Rochdale compete in the wartime football league, which was set up following the outbreak of World War I. Rochdale competed in the Lancashire section and finished 13th, as well as the Midland Section Northern Division, finishing 5th.

Rochdale

1915–16 season
Stadium	Spotland Stadium
Football League Lancs & Midland	13th & 5th
Top goalscorer	Fred Heap

Statistics

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		Football League Lancs/Midland Section
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
	GK	ENG	John Swann	2	0	2	0
	DF	ENG	Jack Barton	29	0	29	0
	DF		Alfred Caldwell	27	0	27	0
	MF		W.S. Anderson	2	0	2	0
	DF		C. Lee	3	0	3	0
	MF	ENG	Jack Yarwood	34	0	34	0
	MF	ENG	Archibald Rawlings	27	6	27	6
	MF		T. Southworth	4	0	4	0
	MF		A. Walker	23	5	23	5
	FW	ENG	Ernest Hawksworth	25	7	25	7
	MF	ENG	Albert Smith	36	7	36	7
	GK	ENG	Billy Biggar	10	0	10	0
	MF	ENG	Jim Tully	27	0	27	0
	DF	ENG	Harry Swift	11	3	11	3
	DF	SCO	Robert Neave	1	1	1	1
	DF	ENG	George Kay	27	3	27	3
	FW	ENG	Jimmy Kenyon	3	0	3	0
	MF	ENG	James Brannick	17	4	17	4
	DF	AUS	John Cuffe	5	0	5	0
	MF		H. Holt	5	1	5	1
	GK	ENG	Joe Butler	3	0	3	0
	FW	ENG	Fred Heap	23	10	23	10
	GK	ENG	Arthur Causer	20	0	20	0
	DF	SCO	Danny Crossan	5	0	5	0
	MF	ENG	Samuel Challinor	5	0	5	0
	FW	ENG	Tom Page	1	1	1	1
	MF	ENG	Albert Barnett	3	0	3	0
	FW	ENG	Wally Smith	1	1	1	1
	FW		William Brown	2	0	2	0
	FW	SCO	Sandy Turnbull	1	0	1	0
	DF		Billy Brown	1	0	1	0
	MF		P. Pickup	2	0	2	0

Competitions

Football League - Lancashire Section

Burnley v Rochdale

4 September  1915 (1915 -09-04) 1	Burnley	6–1	Rochdale	Burnley
			A. Smith	Stadium: Turf Moor Attendance: 3000

Rochdale v Southport Central

11 September  1915 (1915 -09-11) 2	Rochdale	1–0	Southport Central	Rochdale
	Neave			Stadium: Spotland Stadium

Preston North End v Rochdale

18 September  1915 (1915 -09-18) 3	Preston North End	1–2	Rochdale	Preston
			Walker A. Smith	Stadium: Deepdale Attendance: 1600

Rochdale v Oldham Athletic

25 September  1915 (1915 -09-25) 4	Rochdale	0–0	Oldham Athletic	Rochdale
				Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 4000

Stockport County v Rochdale

2 October  1915 (1915 -10-02) 5	Stockport County	2–0	Rochdale	Stockport
				Stadium: Edgeley Park Attendance: 2500

Rochdale v Everton

9 October  1915 (1915 -10-09) 6	Rochdale	1–2	Everton	Rochdale
	A. Smith			Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 5000

Liverpool v Rochdale

16 October  1915 (1915 -10-16) 7	Liverpool	2–2	Rochdale	Liverpool
			A. Smith Kay	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 12000

Rochdale v Bolton Wanderers

23 October  1915 (1915 -10-23) 8	Rochdale	2–4	Bolton Wanderers	Rochdale
	A. Smith (pen.) Hawksworth			Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 4000

Bury v Rochdale

30 October  1915 (1915 -10-30) 9	Bury	3–1	Rochdale	Bury
			Hawksworth	Stadium: Gigg Lane Attendance: 4000

Rochdale v Manchester City

6 November  1915 (1915 -11-06) 10	Rochdale	0–2	Manchester City	Rochdale
			Barnes	Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 4000

Manchester United v Rochdale

13 November  1915 (1915 -11-13) 11	Manchester United	2–0	Rochdale	Manchester
	A. Davies Gipps			Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 4000

Stoke v Rochdale

20 November  1915 (1915 -11-20) 12	Stoke	1–1	Rochdale	Stoke-on-Trent
	Whittingham		Brannick	Stadium: Victoria Ground

Rochdale v Blackpool

27 November  1915 (1915 -11-27) 13	Rochdale	2–3	Blackpool	Rochdale
	A. Smith (pen.) Holt			Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 4000

Rochdale v Burnley

4 December  1915 (1915 -12-04) 14	Rochdale	1–0	Burnley	Rochdale
	Heap			Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 2000

Southport Central v Rochdale

11 December  1915 (1915 -12-11) 15	Southport Central	2–2	Rochdale	Southport
			Hawksworth Heap	Stadium: Haig Avenue Attendance: 1000

Rochdale v Preston North End

18 December  1915 (1915 -12-18) 16	Rochdale	2–4	Preston North End	Rochdale
	Brannick			Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 1000

Oldham Athletic v Rochdale

25 December  1915 (1915 -12-25) 17	Oldham Athletic	2–3	Rochdale	Oldham
			Walker Heap Brannick	Stadium: Boundary Park Attendance: 4062

Rochdale v Stockport County

1 January  1916 (1916 -01-01) 18	Rochdale	0–1	Stockport County	Rochdale
				Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 1500

Everton v Rochdale

8 January  1916 (1916 -01-08) 19	Everton	3–2	Rochdale	Liverpool
			A. Smith Heap	Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 6000

Rochdale v Liverpool

15 January  1916 (1916 -01-15) 20	Rochdale	3–1	Liverpool	Rochdale
	Hawksworth Heap			Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 3000

Bolton Wanderers v Rochdale

22 January  1916 (1916 -01-22) 21	Bolton Wanderers	3–0	Rochdale	Bolton
				Stadium: Burnden Park Attendance: 3000

Rochdale v Bury

29 January  1916 (1916 -01-29) 22	Rochdale	2–1	Bury	Rochdale
	Rawlings Walker			Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 4000

Manchester City v Rochdale

5 February  1916 (1916 -02-05) 23	Manchester City	4–1	Rochdale	Manchester
	P. Fairclough Barnes Cartwright		Heap	Stadium: Hyde Road Attendance: 8000

Rochdale v Manchester United

12 February  1916 (1916 -02-12) 24	Rochdale	2–2	Manchester United	Rochdale
	Swift		Halligan Woodcock	Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 3000

Stoke City v Rochdale

19 February  1916 (1916 -02-19) 25	Stoke City	1–3	Rochdale	Stoke-on-Trent
	Whittingham		Page Swift Hawksworth	Stadium: Victoria Ground Attendance: 3000

Blackpool v Rochdale

26 February  1916 (1916 -02-26) 26	Blackpool	4–0	Rochdale	Blackpool
				Stadium: Bloomfield Road Attendance: 4000

Football League - Midland Section - Northern Division

Rochdale v Leeds City

4 March  1916 (1916 -03-04) 27	Rochdale	0–1	Leeds City	Rochdale
				Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 3000

Bradford v Rochdale

11 March  1916 (1916 -03-11) 28	Bradford	5–0	Rochdale	?
				Stadium: ? Attendance: 500
Note: Unknown if Bradford City or Bradford Park Avenue

Bradford v Rochdale

18 March  1916 (1916 -03-18) 29	Bradford	3–4	Rochdale	?
			Rawlings Walker Heap W. Smith	Stadium: ? Attendance: 3000
Note: Unknown if Bradford City or Bradford Park Avenue

Barnsley v Rochdale

25 March  1916 (1916 -03-25) 30	Barnsley	0–1	Rochdale	Barnsley
			Heap	Stadium: Oakwell Attendance: 2000

Huddersfield Town v Rochdale

1 April  1916 (1916 -04-01) 31	Huddersfield Town	2–1	Rochdale	Huddersfield
	Layton Connor		Hawksworth	Stadium: Leeds Road Attendance: 4000

Leeds City v Rochdale

8 April  1916 (1916 -04-08) 32	Leeds City	3–1	Rochdale	Leeds
			Walker	Stadium: Elland Road Attendance: 2000

Rochdale v Bradford

15 April  1916 (1916 -04-15) 33	Rochdale	3–0	Bradford	Rochdale
	Rawlings Kay			Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 3000
Note: Unknown if Bradford City or Bradford Park Avenue

Rochdale v Huddersfield Town

21 April  1916 (1916 -04-21) 34	Rochdale	1–1	Huddersfield Town	Rochdale
	Kay		Holley	Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 3000

Bradford v Rochdale

22 April  1916 (1916 -04-22) 35	Bradford	5–2	Rochdale	?
			Heap Rawlings	Stadium: ? Attendance: 3000
Note: Unknown if Bradford City or Bradford Park Avenue

Rochdale v Barnsley

29 April  1916 (1916 -04-29) 36	Rochdale	2–1	Barnsley	Rochdale
	Heap Rawlings			Stadium: Spotland Stadium Attendance: 2800