Tottenham Hotspur didn’t win the football match, but they certainly scored a big win for the cause of philanthropy today. Spurs went to Rochdale for a FA Cup fifth round clash that ended in a 1-1 draw. Rochdale, the bottom club in League One, English football’s third division, are a club with financial issues.
The result at 10,200 seat Spotland Stadium today sets up a replay now at Wembley Stadium. Keith Hill, manager of The Dale, says the money made from the tussle at the national stadium will keep the club in business “for the next two or three years.”
“I don’t know how much it is worth but a lot of money has gone into the new pitch,” Hill said.
“That was a heavy investment for us. Hopefully the money we make will support the club for the next two or three years. We will cut our cloth accordingly and we won’t be in debt.”
Rochdale have never been higher than the third tier of English football, so just getting to go on this trip and take part in this replay will be a win in itself. Kudos to Tottenham Hotspur on their unintended, unwitting charity work this past weekend.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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