Gareth entertained diners prior to kick off for the Rochdale v Barrow match on 15th October, speaking about his time at Dale under Steve Parkin, John Hollins, Paul Simpson and Alan Buckley.
The Former Players Association with Rochdale Supporters Trust are inviting ex-players to Saturday home matches, in the near future we are expecting visits from Lyndon Simmons, Jason Peake and Paul Jones.
Gareth Griffiths
DOB: 10th April 1970
Dale debut: 11th August 2001 – Oxford United 2-1
Last game: 6th May 2006 – Lincoln City 1-1
Also played for: Port Vale, Shrewsbury Town, Wigan Athletic.
Time at Dale: Gareth joined Rochdale in July 2001, scoring four goals in 41 league appearances in 2001/2, helping “Dale” reach the Third Division play-off semi-finals, beaten by Rushden & Diamonds. Manager Steve Parkin left Spotland in November 2001 with the club trying John Hollins, Paul Simpson and Alan Buckley in the role before he returned in December 2003. In his absence, Griffiths scored seven goals in 42 games in 2002/3, helping the club to avoid finishing at the foot of the table. He made 33 appearances in 2003/4, as Rochdale avoided slipping out of the league by two places and five points. The defender scored four goals in 39 games in 2004/5, including a hat-trick against Scarborough in the 4–1 win in the Football League Trophy on 28th September. Gareth played 29 games in League Two in 2005/6, before announcing his retirement from professional football in May 2006.
Overall, Gareth made 184 league appearances, scoring 14 goals.
What are you doing since leaving Dale?: Gareth moved out of the Football League and joined Steve Burr’s Northwich Victoria in July 2006 playing 27 Conference National games before leaving at the end of the 2006/7 season. Following his retirement from football he began working in the financial services industry. He became a Trustee at the PFA, and co-founded Pro Sport Wealth Management LLP, a Chartered firm of Independent Financial Advisers who specialise in bespoke planning for both individual and corporate sports professionals.
Fans Network: Team of the Decade – the noughties Thursday, 11th Feb 2010 21:08 In January 2010, users of RochdaleAFC.com voted on the best Dale team of the previous decade.
From around 2001 onwards for five seasons, our central defence was always Gareth Griffiths plus one. That plus one changed about 25,000 times during his time at Rochdale in a spell which saw him chalk up over 200 appearances for the club, but Griff was a constant throughout. Noted for both his performances on the pitch and his strong dressing room influence, he was a dominant force at the back. It would be wrong to say that things were always perfect, but the good days with Griff certainly outweighed the bad days, and it was no surprise to see Griff voted into this side. Griff was also a bit of a threat from set pieces and could be relied upon for a few goals per season. His header in front of a packed Sandy Lane terrace against Coventry will be long remembered and I had the pleasure of sitting next to Griff’s biggest critic that night that he scored a hat trick against Scarborough in the LDJPTV thing. And if you wanted further reasons for Griff’s inclusion within this side, then his role at the beginning of the Hillcroft era should never be ignored. Sidelined from Northwich with a broken jaw, it was Griff who came to the club to assist the man he replaced as a player at Spotland – something never forgotten by the management.
Here you go Griff, team of the decade and very deserving of it.
