The overall and long term vision of Rochdale Association Football Club is to continue building a local football club that is both successful and sustainable on and of the football pitch.

We aspire to achieve the highest league position possible, not excluding the Premier League, but we are also realistic in understanding we are in an area surrounded by a large number of Premier, Championship and League 1 and 2 clubs, with the North West being the “hotbed” of English Football. This will obviously make our ambitions a lot tougher to achieve, but could also benefit us through our partnerships with those higher clubs.

From the achievement of this vision, we also aspire to build state of the art facilities where the 1st team and Academy train and play in harmony, and where the opportunities for Academy players are viewed on a daily basis by the 1st team staff. We would also have a first class Sport Science and Medicine facility and the technology that goes with it to ensure players are on the pitch more.

With this success we will attract more fans from the communities of Rochdale which will in turn boost the investment into the sustainability of the club.

On the playing side the club has and will continue to invest in the recruitment and development of players.

The club will continue to aim for a mix of experienced professionals, young professionals not getting their chance at a higher level, the recruitment of players from non-league football, so giving them a chance to progress within the professional ranks, and as many players as possible from within the ranks of our own Academy.

Primarily the two main points with regard to outcomes of the Football Vision is:

Producing young players to progress to play in the 1st team

Producing young players to play in the 1st team, who then may progress to a higher level and gain the Football Club transfer revenue to reinvest in strengthening the structure of the Club

The Club has a number of core values that cascade down from the Chairman, The Board of Directors, and The Management to all players, staff and supporters. The Club always tries to ensure that all values are upheld, and that it is always striving to increase and add to those core values.

The Club in all its dealings, not only internally but externally, tries to show complete honesty and openness and to show the Club, its Board, its Management, its Staff and its supporters to be upright, fair, truthful and sincere.

The Club prides itself on the integrity it shows in all its dealings. It adheres to and expects all those involved to show the very highest moral and ethical principles, and to make decisions for the Club’s, and all those person involved at all levels within the club, benefit, which are unimpaired by influence from elsewhere.

Whilst we all want to progress and to achieve greater things, we always have to be aware that realism to ones situation has to be taken into account. We have to be realistic in our approach to many aspects of Football Club business. We have to ensure that our aims are achievable, and the outcomes possible. Whilst progress is the yard stick with what we want to be measured by, we must not allow that progress to undermine the wellbeing of the football club.

It is our aim to unite all people involved in the Football Club, from the Boardroom to the Bootroom, from the office staff to the playing staff, we will all strive to work together for one common aim, and that is the benefit of Rochdale Association Football Club.

An often overused word that a great many pay lip service to. However it is a word and a value that we strongly believe in at Rochdale Association Football Club.

• Respect officials
• Respect each other
• Respect your opponents
• Respect ourselves

If we all pull together and work conscientiously to develop, improve and do our very best in our own individual roles within the Club, we will have a much better chance of winning and or succeeding. If along the way we succeed in working hard and winning, the journey will be much more enjoyable for having had that experience.

We must ensure that this is enshrined in all we do. At all levels, both on and off the pitch, and it must encompass all involved with Rochdale Association Football Club, Chairman, Directors, Management, Players, Staff and Supporters. The good name of Rochdale Association Football Club must always be foremost in our thoughts and actions.

The club promotes these values and beliefs to all players in the Academy and asks that these be upheld in all training and games.

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