DOB: 20th October 1964
Dale debut: 2nd November 1999 v Hull City 0-2
Also played for: Oldham Athletic, Preston North End, Stoke City, Blackpool, Bury, Stockport County, Burnley, Leigh RMI, Mossley, Hyde United
Time at Dale: 68 appearances (18 goals) Tony joined Rochdale from Stockport County, this being his eighth Club in a long distinguished career that totalled nine professional teams appearing in over 500 league games, scoring 150+ goals followed by turning out for three non-league before retiring, becoming a Dale legend with his work involving heading the Club’s successful Academy.
He was one of Steve Parkin’s first signings early in the 1999/2000 season to partner Clive Platt with both scoring against Mansfield Town before Tony scored an injury time header at Plymouth Arygle. The start of the next season saw Tony being sent off at Brighton & Hove Albion, apparently after a scuffle with a defender but he atoned in the next game with a last minute equaliser against First Division Blackburn Rovers in a Worthington Cup tie.
After missing out on the Play offs at the end of the 2000/1 season Steve Parkin decided to release several of the more senior players including Keith Hill, Mark Monnington, Graham Lancashire plus Tony, who moved to Burnley, yet another Lancashire Club.
What are you doing since leaving Dale?: Tony made ten appearances at Burnley followed by short spells at Leigh RMI and Mossley before joining Hyde United scoring 3 goals in 33 matches then making the decision to retire marking an incredible move into Youth Development at the Dale.
Tony led the development of the Club’s Academy to be one of the most productive in the Country with the work seeing scores of young footballers’ progress into the first team with many moving on to play higher up the pyramid at a huge financial benefit to the Club.
The model has been instrumental in the successes of Dale’s recent history with the likes of Jamie Allen, Callum Camps, Luke Matheson, Connor Ronan, Ethan Brierley, Fabio Tavares and many more proving to be shining examples of the Academy system, also Tony oversaw the young development of Scott Hogan before his move to Brentford.
Tony left the Club earlier this season to take over as Head of North Academy Recruitment at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where for sure he will be as hard working and successful as at the Dale.
Honours: PFA Team of the Year (Third Division) 1993/4
What the fans think of his time at Rochdale AFC
“One of my favourites to watch how he worked a game, both his play and winding up the opposition players and fans. We got him at the end of his career but his first touch and turn was superb. One of those players hated by away fans until he signed for you, then everyone loved him”
“Arguably the biggest loss our Club has suffered in 10 years. A terrible blow”
“Tony’s decided to move on, lots of people only spend 4 or 5 years at one place. Good luck to him. We were lucky to have him for so long”
“When Tony arrived he looked a decent signing, but none of us would have predicted the influence he had on the Club. What a signing he turned out to be. I wish him the very best”
“Tony Ellis has been a terrific servant to Dale. His work in the Academy has been nothing short of superb”