DALE boss Steve Parkin has said his side will have to "play like Wimbledon" after the club's board accused Hornets of ruining the Spotland pitch.
The football club directors called Observer Sport to a board meeting on Monday evening to explain their fury, claiming their rugby counterparts had gone ahead with Sunday's Law Cup friendly fixture with Oldham against the advice of the groundsman.
But Hornets chief executive Paul Reynolds labelled the allegations "garbage" and turned the tables by stating the surface was ruined eight days earlier when Dale's home game against Grimsby Town was called off at half-time due to torrential rain.
Football officials were inquiring on Tuesday whether they could switch Saturday's match against Mansfield Town to Oldham Athletic's Boundary Park ground.
Dale chairman David Kilpatrick said: "Regardless of the weather this week, it looks like the game against Mansfield is in jeopardy. We are making representations to the Football League and Oldham Athletic to attempt to play the fixture away from Spotland.
"We are on the fringes of the play-offs and want to focus on pushing up the league. We can't expect players to even attempt to play on the Spotland pitch. The board is discussing options to take serious action."
Manager Parkin said: "I was as low as I've been as Rochdale manager when I arrived this morning (Monday). I just hope it's not done as much damage as it looks to have done - the pitch is obliterated.
"We are in a good position, with games in hand and just below the play-off places. It's going to be difficult now.
"Rochdale FC fans want to see their team win, but they also want to see some decent football. We have got decent players here, but we're going to have to play like Wimbledon now."
Reynolds hit back, claiming the damage had been done before Sunday's clash against the Roughyeds.
He said: "That is garbage. There was very little difference at the end of our match against Oldham than at the start. The cause of the damage to the pitch was Dale playing Grimsby last Saturday and abandoning the match in dreadful conditions.
"I had no contact with the groundsman on Friday. If he does some remedial work this week it will be fine for Saturday."
And he urged doubters to look at the match video to prove his point. "Rugby league doesn't do that to a pitch. It's played all over the field, not just in the central areas. All you need to do is watch the match video. What can't speak can't lie."
The Dale bosses have estimated '10,000 of work will have to be carried out to ensure the pitch is playable in the short term. The Sandy Lane end is of particular concern.
But Reynolds stuck to his guns and revealed he had asked chairman Councillor Allen Brett to organise a Spotland Stadium Company board meeting as soon as possible.
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I think its about time hornets looked for a ground of there own now. and it was raining heavily at the weekend, so i can belive playing on the pitch couldn't have done it any good.
What is it with football fans? Now Rochdale are the latest to join the 'blame RL for the pitch' mob. Lets get this straight, Wigan haven't played at the JJb since Sept and yet THEY are responsible for the state of the pitch? Likewise Rochdale...please someone point out the logic in this?
I find it amazing that they never seem to notice the worn out areas in relation to a football team..ie goal area for one, yet as soon as one RL player sets foot on the pitch, they caused all the damage.
Lets hope Rochdale Hornets DONT move grounds (despite owning half!) because NOT playing on the ground at all would do untold damage to the pitch eh?
What a load of rubbish this story is. Rugby games do not produce anything like the damage your farcical picture claims was caused by the Rochdale Hornets.
Football fields always suffer rutting and grass deprivation during wet winters in goal mouths and centre circle areas. Deciding to attempt to play on an already waterlogged pitch last week (when the game was called of at half-time) was bound to result in even more damage to the playing surface and the picture shows the result.
Rugby as a game spreads the load on the pitch, restricting wear and tear.
The comments from Steve Parkin are a joke, talk about getting your excuses in early for failure.
If the consequencies of his petty underhand attempts at undermining Rochdale Hornets didn't have such damaging possible outcomes then I would be rolling on the floor with laughter.
The game of football wants to let down its over inflated ego and enter the real world.
I feel I must protest strongly regarding both the photograph and comments on the 'damage' to the pitch on Sunday. On entering the main stand 30 minutes before kick-off, myself and several other spectators remarked on the state of the goalmouth at the Sandy Lane end. Has Mr Parkin not been at the ground since the abandoned Grimsby game?
This is the first time Hornets have stepped foot on the pitch at Spotland since the end of last season, so obviously any damage can only have been done in the Dale's last game!
Please start to report in a more positive vein instaed of what is becoming an increasingly vindictive way as it will only affect BOTH clubs detrimentally by not encouraging people to support our two town teams!
I think now is the time for the hornets to face facts and move on, either pay your bills and abide by the payment scheme you helped set up, your average gates speak for them - selves,you just do not not have the income to support your wage bills.
Typical Dale passing the buck and using Hornets as a convenient target. Shame on your newspaper for accepting this rot.
The sooner the Hornets go and find any old field to play on the better.
I find incredible that the Dales board one game of rugby after their own game had to abandoned after 45 minutes due to the state of the pitch. Maybe the Dale have a hidden agenda behind this one or Parkins getting his excuses in early.
Having seen the state of the pitch at half-time during the Grimsby game I cannot understand how the decision for the Hornets game to go ahead was given. If the game is cancelled (or moved) on Saturday, it won't be the first time a match at Spotland has been affected by a previous RL fixture. Maybe it is a tad unfair to totally blame Hornets as the final say so is usually that of the referee on the day. Up The Dale.
I must say I am amazed at the quick recovery of a pitch that was an absolute 'right off and unplayable on' on Tuesday, yet by Wednesday a miracle had occurred and lo and behold, it was playable again. As for the reports that Rochdale AFC hadnt even approached Oldham about using Boundary Park, thats not what the Oldham manager says. He says that Rochdale asked but Oldham couldnt do it as they had a home fixture themselves and a friendly coming up.Steve Parkin should just grow up and start taking more interest in his own job than trying to pull someone else down all the time.
So Paul Reynolds blames the abandoned Grimsby game for the state of the pitch; "ruined eight days earlier" he says;
If that's the case, has he not got the wit to realise that playing rugby on said "ruined" pitch, (and a friendly at that!), would do more damage?
He didn't see the groundsman? Or wasn't the groundsman able to see him?
It's only a couple of weeks ago that Hornets' reticence to pay their way came to light - if I don't pay my rent, I get evicted; simple as that.
Perhaps a similar scenario should happen to Mr Reynolds beloved rugby team, initially as a wake up call. After all, why should a promising season by the 'dale be jeopardised by a second rate rugby team, which, let's face it, Hornets are, and a poor tenant to boot.
Up the 'Dale!